Date: Sat, 3 Nov 2007 15:28:07 -0400
Reply-To: Sam Conant <samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Sam Conant <samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: don't use cruise control in the rain?
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We had fuel-driven ferries even back in the 1950s, Jake. So, horseshoes didn't figure into the equation {;?) ... I look back at some of the shenanigans we pulled and got away with back then and then consider how intolerant of our youth we seem to be (and how more anti-social some cluster act and seem to be) today ... and it really doesn't seem "fair" that kids these days just don't have to have the creative imaginations to be relatively autonomous and somewhat harmless as was possible in prior times.
Gads, as a young boy, I would join friends and park our bicycles in bushes near an now defunct railroad line (Rutland RR) as it slowed and entered our city's southern boundary., We would hop off as it began to leave the city on its northward run to Montreal near a popular public park and beach and spend the day. We'd walk back to pick up our bikes and get home before supper - about 2 miles. We quit that trick after one train slowed and we climbed aboard only to have the train speed up significantly faster than usual, and we ended up getting caught at the Canadian Border when it was inspected and we didn't outrun the inspectors. Our families were not particularly happy about having to drive 35 + - miles to get chewed out by the customs and border officials. But, I recall the adults did a bit of grinning and outright laughing at our predicament.
Our social tolerance and humor about youthful episodes today are just not the same level and type ... which I believe is a real social loss.
SamC
SamC
----- Original Message -----
From: Jake de Villiers
To: Sam Conant
Cc: vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 2:48 PM
Subject: Re: don't use cruise control in the rain?
That wasn't common sense, that was luck!
Must have been hard to stay afloat with those horseshoes up your .............:)
On Nov 3, 2007 11:19 AM, Sam Conant <samcvt@comcast.net> wrote:
Our youth certainly have different forms of "common sense" than they will as
they continue to mature. Heck, I recall a high school beach party when
several of us decided to dive off the ferry dock in Burlington and swim
across Lake Champlain. We had indulged a "fair" amount of Carlings Black
Label that night.
After swimming what seemed like a long time we went ashore with relief,
climbed the rocks feeling successful about our prowess and realized we had
managed to hit the breakwater about 500 yards off the beach. 10-15 more
miles to go. A fellow fishing from his boat came and gave us a ride back to
shore, shared a beer with the crowd and laughed heartily as he went back to
his fishing.
SamC
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kim Brennan" <kimbrennan@mac.com>
To: "Sam Conant" < samcvt@COMCAST.NET>
Cc: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Saturday, November 03, 2007 12:52 PM
Subject: Re: don't use cruise control in the rain?
> Many years ago (as a young driver) I was traveling at night on the
> Maryland eastern shore (heading to the beach). I was traveling in my
> Super Beetle on US 50. Maintaining speed and having no troubles at all
> driving in the rain.
>
> I glancd down at the speedometer (infrequently enough) and suddenly saw
> that it was reading 30 mph, instead of the 60 mph I thought I was
> traveling at. A short time later the front left wheel got back on the
> pavement (instead of hydroplaning) and the speedometer jumped back up to
> 60 mph. That was my first experience with hydroplaning and I thought it
> pretty cool. Did I slow down? Heck, no, I watched it happen multiple
> times on that trip.
>
> I was young and invulnerable.
>
> Common sense is something that folks acquire with age. The young (mostly)
> don't have it.
>
>
> On Nov 3, 2007, at 11:41 AM, Sam Conant wrote:
>
>> Hydro-planing can occur with Cruise Control on or off ... It is the wear
>> on
>> the tread and the driver's level of common-sensical driving which
>> determines
>> the risk and, often, the outcome.
>
--
Jake
1984 Vanagon GL
1986 Westy Weekender "Dixie"
www.crescentbeachguitar.com
http://subyjake.googlepages.com/
