Date:         Fri, 1 Sep 1995 18:27:28 -0400
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         SSGSPEAR@aol.com
Subject:      Re: Bentley 

In a message dated 95-08-31 14:16:47 EDT, kerch@parc.xerox.com writes:

>Save up if you have to. and by all means shop for a lower price, (try
Classic 
>Motorbooks, or other auto-specific book mail-order places and let us know if

>it works) but GET THAT BOOK.

Classic Motor Books, in Osceola, WI is have a show/sale on the 9th and 10th
of September, if I remember right.  Books are to be 15% to 50% off.  I plan
to be there then maybe I can afford to get one for the Syncro and fix the
drips!

SSG Brad Spear
1972 (SLOWLY getting together) Westfalia
1987 (drip...drip...drip) Syncro GL

Date:         Fri, 01 Sep 1995 16:34:00 -0700 (PDT)
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         "Maher, Steve (SD-MS)" <SMAHER@PO2.GI.COM>
Subject:      RE: 55mph/right-lane ethics


On 1 Sep 1995, Rusty VanBondo wrote:

>Steve Maher and others were discussing the "innaccurate" speedo from Tom
>FFFFFs post:
>
>"But you have to wonder if this guy was as clueless as
>he sounds, or was he indulging in a little bit of pompous
>righteousness, trying to force other to declare how 'right' he
>was... (by doing the speed limit vs keeping up with traffic)."
        ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Hey, Rusty... love ya dude, but please don't put words in my mouth.
I didn't write that part in parens-- someone else added it
after I posted the original message.

The "others" I referred to, were the mechanics whom he wanted to
declare that his speedo was OK, and that the other drivers were (gasp)
exceeding the limit.

This is more than enough to qualify him for the Jerkus Maximus list IMHO.
But, as I implied earlier, if he does 55 IN THE RIGHTMOST LANE, I have no
objection whatsoever to his driving habits. Left lane is a different
story, as is his silly, self-important pomposity.


>I had to ride home from California to Phoenix with a fellow and his family
>who for ethical reasonings drove 55.000000 MPH "because it was the law."
>Yeah cool but 100's of miles from anywhere, literally on I-5 and I-10, I
>woulda figgered he'd do like 58-62? No, 55 was "the law." Cool for ethics
>and sh** but I wanted to get home. So did the millions of people that
>screamed by us!

Ethics... hmmmm. Is it ethical to obey a blatantly ridiculous law?
There are times when I need/want/feel-like/don't-give-a-sh*t-about driving
55 on interstates. Even wide-open ones in the middle of nowhere. Even if
the laws were 70 (as most were when these roads were first built), 55 is
still OK... PROVIDED YOU DO IT IN THE RIGHT LANE.

Face it, No matter what the limits are, some will go faster than others
on the same road, whether it's 55 vs 75, or 70 vs. 90. A little courtesy
(and intelligence) can make it workable. It usually does, in fact-- dweebs
like the speedo guy are the noticeable exception.

I seldom go as slow as 55, even in the bus. But I habitually stay to the
right, even when middle-lane traffic is slower than me, partly because if
the guy in front of me speeds up, no way can I keep up. The situation
changes quicker than my bus can respond-- guaranteeing that I _will_
be in peoples' way, no matter which lane I'm in, or how fast I was going
beforehand. So, I stay in the right lane, where slowness and lack of
acceleration is EXPECTED AND PROPER. Others can pass in all those left
lanes. If they can't, then either that freeway is really jammed and they
will have problems with ANYONE in the right lane; or they are immature
A**holes who want the whole world, and can never be satisfied anyway.

Wanna go slow, get in the right lane, and I'm on your side 100%. Wanna
go fast, get OUT of the right lane-- it's your responsibility too, all
you dummkopfs out there who tailgate in the slow lane! YOU'RE the ones
who are blowing it-- not the guy who at least TRIED to give you a clearer
road.


>BTW:Arizona Revised Statutes specifies that the right lane is for entering
>or exiting the thoroughfare, Middle lane is for getting there, and the far
>left lane is for passing only.

Are you kidding me??? Geez... In Nazi Germany, they had a saying to the
effect that "Everything that is not forbidden, is compulsory!" I THINK it
was meant as a joke. But sometimes, you wonder...


>The "Phoenix turn signal" is a local expression for a quick glance
>over your shoulder as you punch the throttle.

Obviously a local custom-- in SoCal, they never look before changing! :)

 -Steve Maher    smaher@ball.com    '71 VW Transporter
                                    '66 Mustang Coupevertible