Do you know how to Zipper while driving?

Do you know what the zipper technique is while driving? Many Euroeans have perfected it, and its actually taught as rules of the road in many countries.

The theory behind it is that when merging onto a road, you wait until you reach the very end of the lane and then alternate in between flowing traffic with the car in front of you. Supposedly, the drivers already moving in the right lane are also aware of this, and adjust their driving accordingly. When done correctly, alternating cars merge in, and it looks like a zipper.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="500" caption="(C) Leo Reynolds, from Flickr"][/caption]

The result is less congested traffic, easier merges and less road rage.  Merges flow nicely, and its great for everyone.

But lets face it, this will never work in America. As much as we try to make it happen, the second you try to let the guy in front of you in, someone else is going to try to push their way into your lane, usually because the guy behind you is too riding your bumper  and doesn't want to let anyone in. I think this says a lot about most american motorists attitude, as it is most likely due to our inherent nature to defend whats ours, as well as over all impatience.

 

So try this next time you are coming off an on-ramp, or you are in the right lane with others merging in. It really does make more sense.

A distraction from your crappy holiday commute

This post almost turned into a rant about crappy drivers, traffic, and how awesome Top Gear is. But I held it back.

The roads are going to suck this week. I hate to be the one to break it to you, but Thanksgiving week is when the family packs into the minivan, and proceeds to Grandmas house, always in the left lane and way under the reasonable speed limit. This is when the travelers come out to do battle with the commuters.

How can you tell if you are stuck behind one of these people? A surefire way to know is if they slam on their brakes in the EZ pass lane, or you see someone blindly following their GPS into oncoming traffic. Do your best not to get behind ay minivan with stenciled stickers of the whole family plus the dog.

But I thought I was smart. This week, I did everything I could to avoid the roads. I had meetings scheduled in NYC on Monday and out on the Island on Tuesday and Wednesday. Then my Tuesday got moved, and now I’m stuck driving to Jersey today. It took me 2 hours to get in, but that’s probably nothing compared to what thwe ride home is going to be.  But at least its better then Wednesday.  I guess that’s karma teaching me not to meddle with my business schedule just to avoid driving.

But the post today is actually to distract me from all of this with some auto-erotica. I don’t understand the Nissan Juke, although I have been dying to drive one. A sporty, well handling compact car seems like a no brainer for commuting, assuming the MPG is up to snuff. But then the boys over at Nissan UK decided to stuff a 3.8 liter V6 from a GT-R into it. The result is pure beauty. Autoblog has been covering the build from day 1, and they have now posted some videos from Nissan on it. We can expect this will never be more than a project car, but its good to know that they care. Check out the video below of the complete build firing up, anturn up your volume around the 1:00 minute mark to hear some Christmas music come early.

Via Nissan via Autoblog.

Video courtesy Nissan

 

The way to San Jose…In a 2011 Dodge Avenger

 Last week, I was out in Northern California, and drove throughout San Francisco and down to San Jose in a rental car. After landing at 9 pm at SFO, and spending 45 minutes on the airport shuttle, I picked up my rental car from Avis, a 2011 Dodge Avenger with 12k miles on the clock.  I must admit I was hesitant given the storied past of the Avenger platform. The first one was on the Neon chassis, and was actually a quite aggressive car, but is a rare find. The second generation soiled the Dodge name with uninspired design and poor reliability. This is why this third version is a complete redesign, on the architecture of the Chrysler 200 / Fiat had me hopeful.

 

So now I’m cruising down the 101 south, end enjoying the ride. The 2.4 liter four-banger is pretty decent with 1734 HP and 166 F/lbs torque.  It provides adequate horsepower and torque for most highway driving, but it certainly is not enough to get anyone in trouble. The engineers obviously spent a lot of time tuning the exhaust note to make it more aggressive and throaty than one would expect from a small motor. The car focuses a lot on striking a balance for the young driver, with Mazda-like performance characteristics, and driver comfort. The styling of the car is also aggressive, one might even call it a “Mini Charger”.

 

So the first thing I notice in the interior is the buttons. There aren’t too many, and the ones I do use frequently for driving are easily accessible. It takes me some time to get used to them, as they are the total opposite side from the Nissan I’m used to driving, but that’s a personal quirk. So the buttons on the steering wheel control the stereo - and oh that stereo…easily the best stereo I have ever seen on a car at this price point. The bass is heavy, it’s loud and its clear. I’m no audiophile, but I know decent sound when I hear it. It’s also easy to control the other aspects such as the satellite radio and USB port.

 

The other thing I really liked about the 2011 Avenger was how it drove. Again, you can tell who they tuned this target market for, to compete directly with the Mazda 6’s of the world and Nissan Altimas. The suspension is tight, just right for spirited driving. Body roll is minimized, and its actually quite fun throwing this thing onto on-ramps at high speed.  It’s actually kind of fun. It’s also very stable at high speed on the highway, and executes lane changes without any hesitation. It also surprised me with how thrifty the motor was in fuel consumption, with the needle barely moving.

 

But as with any car, there were some negatives too, many of those I chalk up to being a rental car. First of all, there was a squeak. It was one of those annoying squeaks that you probably wouldn’t notice unless someone pointed it out, but it was always there. And it was annoying. I’m pretty sure it was just a bearing in the HVAC fan needed some lubrication, but it was driving me nuts. Additionally, since I was in California, of course I spent some time in traffic. This is when I start noticing the transmission would drop violently with a shudder in stop and go traffic. I am hoping the poor car was just a victim of rental car abuse, but when cruising at about 10 mph, and taking your foot off the gas, the shudder was definitely noticeable.  My only other complaints were poor rear visibility and the knowledge that this car would be awesome with a V6 (R/T model coming soon)

 

Overall, it was a pretty decent experience. As equipped, the car I drove clocked in between $19-20K, which is a fair price for the car. This model is leaps and bounds over its unloved predecessor. I think this would be a great commuter car, and a great everyday ride. It’s comfortable, has great infotainment, and is fueled by a proven powerplant. While reliability is not verified yet, the Fiat platform it rides on has been around for a while. It’s a good alternative to a soul-less Corolla or even a Civic, especially if you prefer to buy American. The trim levels, from base to loaded, are called “Express”, “Mainstreet”, “LUX”, and “Heat”, and are priced between $19,200 and $23,800.

[caption id="attachment_478" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="The 2011 Avenger in Express trim"][/caption]

 

Apparently, I missed the memo that it was random shit in the road week in Metro NY.

Commuting this week in Metro NY

I missed the memo, that its “random shit in the road” week. Had I known, I would have been more cautious. Usually I can avoid obstacles, with a high speed straddle, but not the chunk of drywall that flew up and hit me on the Queensboro Bridge, and not the shredded tractor trailer tire that got me on 287. But yesterday I got hit by a bumper, from what appeared to be a Scion TC. BUT I WASN’T EVEN MOVING. Seriously, the thing just flew from the oncoming lane into the front of my car while I was sitting in traffic.

 

But it’s a crazy week out there, and I don’t know what’s going on. Traffic has been brutal on every road, and drivers are insane this week. I watched numerous times as people are fighting on high speed merges, while at least twice a day someone drifts into my lane at high speeds.  A tanker truck accident also has part of the NJ turnpike Western spur closed down, as they have to repave it, because it melted.



Even though today will be lighter because its electioin day, there is some crazy construction to note right now and watch out for:

-GWB, lower level, inbound – they are working on the right hand side, Deegan bound of the GWB lower level. They cut part of a lane out of the hard left merge, which is snarling traffic, as people don’t really understand how to take a tight turn. Expect the upper level to be better.

-Throgs Neck Bridge South - take the Whitestone Queensbound. For the next two weeks, this is going to a be nightmare getting into the tolls, as they have all but 2 lanes closed and split due to construction. The problem is further compounded by only having two cash lanes on either side.

Time to Bust out the Scraper

I think I’m getting soft. This morning, I was slightly annoyed that I actually had to scrape the ice off of my car, which is unusual for Long island in October. And then I remembered what it was like living up in Utica, where scraper Season could easily last from mid-September to early May.

This prompted me to post today about one of my favorite tools that we all have in our cars, which usually goes underappreciated: The ice scraper.  I keep one in my trunk too most of the year - but not just any ice scraper, it’s the Prestone “Polar Claw”. I picked up this bad boy one day during a "lake effect snow" in 1999, when I realized my standard issue plastic scraper was wholly inadequate for a Central NY winter.  When you live up there, you need something a bit more hardcore than the typical plastic junk. It’s way more bad-ass than your typical scraper, with three sets of blades, (2 serrated, one sharp) reinforced bristles, and is made of anodized aluminum with grips. It shames all other scrapers, and in the winter it rides shotgun with me in my passenger seat for easy access.  I don’t know if they still sell this thing, as it might be considered a weapon is some states.

[caption id="attachment_464" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="One Scraper to rule them all...."][/caption]

'Tis the Season for TPMS

I am seeing a lot of web searches coming in for "dashboard Exclamation point", so I decided to re-post this classic article that i wrote a few years ago on TPMS.

So now that it is starting to get cold here in the Northeast, a lot of motorists are now noticing a new symbol which may have appeared in their dash over the holiday weekend. It looks a little something like this...

[caption id="attachment_17" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="courtesy Safecar.gov"][/caption]

That huge exclamation point makes you feel like your engine is about to explode if you don't go to a shop right now, but relax, this is just your cars Tire Pressure Monitoring System, (or TPMS) kicking in. When is gets colder, air contracts and reduces tire pressure slightly. Usually not enough to be dangerous, but certainly enough to trip the sensor.

How do you fix this problem? Go check your tires recommended PSI, (usually inside driver-side door) fill it up, and wait for the sensor to eventually turn itself off (This could be when you restart your car, or could take a week).

How to tell if someone really has high beams on

It happens all the time: Someone is driving towards you in the opposite lane, or perhaps its on the other side of an intersection. Their headlights are so glaringly bright that it's blinding you, and you think they must have their high beams on. You want to flash them back or throw up a finger, but you aren't totally positive their high beams are on.  How can you really tell?

Here's 2 ways to tell: 
First way: Most modern cars have two low beams and high beams both located in the headlight housing on each side of the car. Low beams are always on the outside edge of the light housing, and high beams are always on the inside edge, creating a narrower, more concentrated and higher beam.
If it's bright, You shouldn't look at the headlight at night, but if you do, you will immediately notice the difference in placement on every car.  The high beams are closer to the inner edge of the headlight housings, (closer to the cars grill) and the low beams are always on the outside.


The other way to tell: Fog lights. Most cars with fog lights automatically disable them when the high beams are on. Unless you take the time to rewire it specifically, if a car has manufacturers fog lights on, the high beams / brights on likely not on.

"high beams" on Google image search bought back
 some rather unexpected results, so there is no photo.

What to do if someone has their high beams on and is driving toward you? A quick flick of your own high-beams should let the person know they are blinding everyone, but don't prolong using them.

 I have also always found that looking at the line on the shoulder is an effective way to avoid being blinded.

Black Air - Vimeo feature respects the GNX

Today's post has little to do with commuting and more about car love. Saw this on Autoblog this morning and had to share it. Few cars in history have the raw appeal of the Buick Grand National. It was the defining muscle car of the 80's and seeing one tugs at the heartsrings of every gearhead. Now there is a documentary on Vimeo chronicling this piece of automotive history. Worth a look.

 

[vimeo http://vimeo.com/27452222]

Bomb Sniffing Dogs, Screaming Coworkers, And Power Windows That Lacerate: My Weeklong Adventure In NY With A Monster Truck

Where have I been for the past month? Why no posts? I know all 12 of the people who habitually read this blog have probably been concerned (thanks) that I blew away with Irene or something. Actually, that stupid preparing your car for a hurricane article was my most popular ever. But to the point- the reality was that I was busy working, plain and simple, on a massive project that consumed all of my time for weeks. I barely posted to Twitter or Facebook, or anything for that matter.

Last week was a killer for me at work; I knew it was going to be long days, hauling a lot of gear and people, and driving between Manhattan, NJ and Long Island. Knowing what was coming, I parked my car for the week, and went to Enterprise to rent the biggest damn car they had, a Ford Expedition EL. I usually prefer the Chevy Suburban for trips like this, but since it was such short notice, I had to go with the Ford. It worked well, as I found out the Expedition EL is actually just a Ford Excursion, Which the Blue Oval rebadged after discontinuing it a few years ago. The guy on the phone tried giving some excuse about how they can’t reserve specific cars, blah blah blah, to which I replied that the only reason I rent from them is because I can. I also let him know I would drop this $1K week long rental on another supplier if he couldn’t do it. This was a toalt bluff, because no one in town had anything bigger than a Jeep Liberty. But it worked.

I picked a hell of a week to drive a giant black SUV with tinted out windows into the City. It was UN Week, so entering any hotel parking garage usually required a wait of at least 10 minutes, a sweep from bomb sniffing dogs, and generally suspicious looks from people in suits with earpieces. On one occasion I just barely escaped the Sheraton in midtown as they let me e the last car to leave before they put the garage on total lockdown. I was although able to blend into motorcades, so that made ripping through traffic a bit easier, but no less dangerous. And ripping through traffic, that was fun. This thing had a monster 5.4L V8 with adequate torque for quick maneuvers. I wouldn’t be attempting drag race it anytime soon, but on a few occasions, I did make my co-worker/co-pilot quite nervous as we stepped on the gas for short bursts to advance through gridlock traffic. You see, my passenger was quite nervous driving in the city, and doesn’t really understand that you have to be slightly more aggressive than when encountering everyday traffic, especially when your truck is much larger. As he buried his head in his hands, closed his eyes and cried out for Jesus, I pointed out to him that we never really actually went more than about 18 MPH on any given sprint. For some reason this didn’t really comfort him. Anyway, I missed those pedestrian by at least 6 inches.

But you wanna talk about comfort? Oh the air conditioned seats…I have never tried them before, but now I think they will be standard equipment on whatever I end up buying next. But I Digress.
But you know what’s not comforting? Its how much of a douchebag I turned into when driving something this big. I think we all know that assholes lean toward large cars - H2’s, Escalades and Pathfinder Armadas are the fleet of those trying to compensate for something. This EL was a massive 18.5 feet long and weighed close to three tons. By the fourth day, I started to realize that I had turned into an overly aggressive driver. Driving and parking this truck was the equivalent of sailing a yacht through midtown.
How aggressive of a driver was I in this car? I’ll put it this way: on multiple occasions, cabbies backed down from me. I think that when you drive something this big, with full rental car insurance in a high stress situation when you have to stick to a schedule, its hard not to throw your weight around the road to get where you’re going. I felt kind of dirty driving like that, and this is while I’ll stick to my sport sedans, which allow me to be more courteous.

So now for the adventures: This thing is a bitch to park. No parking garage even wanted to attempt to place this thing in their lot. And the only one I could find made me park it for them. On three occasions, I got a few hundred yards into a parking garage only to be turned away- with no where to make a U-turn.

Do you have any idea how hard it is to back out something this big in a parking garage? It isn’t easy. Luckily though, the trucks saving grace was the standard rear view camera and backup sensors that made this whole trip possible with a lot less injuries and / or property damage. But, when you have this much torque on a rear wheel drive car, with no weight in the rear in a wet parking garage, the ass is going to kick out, and its going to be a lot of fun.
But the truck wasn’t without its injuries. While one of my other coworkers was travelling with me to an early morning meeting, the passenger side power window tried taking off his arm. It was gruesome. Blood everywhere, and at the end of the day, enterprise charged me a $250 cleaning fee for the mess. This didn’t really happen, but the window did get some forearm while going down, resulting in minor injury. Luckily my co-worker was able to man-up and walk it off, and the emergency room was averted so we could make it to our meeting.

There is one place his truck really excels, and which is why I rented it in the first place, and that’s hauling tons of crap. I had about eight massive Pelican cases full of fragile gear, many boxes, and enough photo equipment to satisfy a red carpet. And everything fit. I didn’t even have to take out any seats, they just folded down all the way. Hell, the back seats even had switches that power-folded the seats. Classy.
Of course there were some things I didn’t like about the car. It came with the basic Sync system, which puzzled me. I like to consider myself pretty tech savvy, but I couldn’t get this thing to perform any feature other than FM radio and play from the Aux port. On one occasion, I tried to pair my phone, which stuck the system in an infinite Bluetooth loop for about 30 minutes, from which I couldn’t free it. As for the rest of the controls, I wasn’t the biggest fan - not because they were badly placed, it was just because they weren’t where I wanted them to be after being familiar with other vehicles. And the final gripe is that thing was a gas guzzler. But really, you don’t buy this thing if you plan to go hyper-miling anytime soon.

So would I do it again? Absolutely. The Ford performed just as well as the Suburban and the fan favorite Tahoe with few nice touches. I look forward to the next time I get to rent a monster truck for the week.

Commuting this week is going to suck.

So, thinking about driving into the city this week? You should probably think twice.

The traffic is only beginning to start. This morning I got on the northern state, and the sign says "Delays to exit 17". That's delays to Goddamn Queens. The signs should just say "Nassau County - delays." Perhaps you can find the best route by using one of those nifty signs that tell you travel times? Good luck with that, as they have all been knocked out of commission since Irene, and sit there with blank displays. Even the level traffic indicator on the GWB hasn't worked in Months, but i guess that's your tolls at work.

First, the Port Authority decided to raise tolls. Again. Now crossing rivers at PA bridges and tunnels is going to cost you 12 bucks in cash, or $9.50 with an EZ pass. Driving a truck? That’s 13 bucks. Per axle. Be prepared for extra long waiting lines at the cash lanes as confused people dig in their cup holders for enough coins to cough up the extra dough. Additionally, those pricks always stay in the EZ pass lane until the last second and then hop over, causing traffic.

Finally, the UN in is town. This means total and complete gridlock across the entire island of Manhattan. Going anywhere from 6th ave to the East River, downtown through the 40's? You should probably walk it, as you'll get there faster. Expect random street closures as dignitaries and the President are in session, and also a tour is expected of the Ground Zero site at some point as well. All those dignitaries have to stay somewhere too, so expect more closures in the AM and afternoon as they leave their hotels. So if you see a convoy of black SUV's coming your way, expect to see a street closure in your future.

Told ya it was gonna suck. Good luck.

Hope you enjoyed yesterdays commute.

I hope you enjoyed yesterdays commute. Because until the next holiday pops up, Wednesday will be the last traffic free day for a long, long time.

You see, Today is Thursday Sept 1st. This means a few things. First, it's the Thursday before Labor Day. While it wont be as bad as tomorrows rush, but a lot of people take off Friday, and leave on Thursday afternoon. So good luck battling the weekend travelers on your way home. Secondly, its back to school time. I don't know what magic traffic switch is flipped at this time, but September is typically the worst month for traffic in the entire Northeast, rivaled only by January.

So I hope you enjoyed this all-too-short traffic holiday. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but its better to hear it first than be surprised.

Afterthoughts on Irene

Afterthoughts on Irene
Years from now, we will be telling our kids about that one week in August when we survived the great earthquake of oh-eleven and a hurricane in the same week.
But we really dodged a bullet this week, and a lot of people take this fact for granted. I was lucky. The storm hit us dead center on the south shore of Long Island. There were some downed trees and power outages, but nothing serious. I wish I could say the same for everyone. A lot of people had massive tree and auto damage, and some people even got hurt. People will be without power for days, and for some people it’s going to take weeks for them to drain their basements.
I hear a lot of people saying that it was all hype. They are angry at the media for making such a big deal out of it, a storm that wound up being not as serious as they made it out to be. That’s like being mad at someone because they suggested you move off of the railroad tracks, because a train would probably be coming soon. This storm could have been, and was supposed to be a lot worse. The extra time spent preparing is a gamble, but its one where the odds of winning are much better, and the stakes are so much higher.
NY’ers are an easily jaded people, and I’m afraid that’s what is going to happen now. The next time a hurricane warning comes along, people are going to take it with a grain of salt, and probably not take proper precautions.
For now, mass transit is slowly coming back on line. Many, many roads are still closed, and of course jumped the normal 25 cents a gallon. Westchester’s traffic report is a sea of exclamation points for incidents and closed roads, and New Jersey is still going to have to deal with massive flooding.

Also, a thanks to the readers. The article on “how to prepare your car for a hurricane was the most viewed article ever on the site. Hopefully I don’t have to write a similar article anytime soon.

How to prepare your car for a hurricane

I Have never felt more insignificant than I have this week. Nature is reminding us who is in charge as she rocks the East coast with an earthquake and a hurricane only a few days apart. Based on the current projected trajectory of Irene, I picked a really crappy time to be a resident of the South Shore of Long Island. As a native upstate NY’er, I have never had to worry about a hurricane, but now with the storm barreling down on us, we all should take some time to research how to prepare. A little bit of preparation can make a total disaster a lot better then it could have been, Even though she might not even hit us. But that’s a big gamble that I am going to make the safe bet on.

While your first priority needs to be the safety of you and your family, you need to think secondary about the safety and integrity of your house and automobile. In high winds with flying debris, possible storm swells, extreme rain and flooding, there are a lot of risks posed to automobiles. Below is some information I have collected on the topic that will be useful for anyone in the northeast:

• First and foremost, keep your gas tank full. Gas pumps can get knocked out of commission by flooding and power loss. Be ready.


• Know the height of your cars air intake. This is the weakest point for a car when it comes to flooding. The car will run in a foot or two of water, but once water gets sucked into the motor via the intake, the motor will seize and you will be SOL.


• It seems obvious, but try and garage your car. While it won’t help in extreme flooding or if a tree falls on your garage, it will help protect the finish from the debris.


• DON'T elevate your car on jacks or jackstands. Hurricane force winds have the ability to blow a car off this minimal support, causing extreme damage. the extra few inches isn't worth it.


• Be wary of you can see water - don't park near streams or lakes that will rise.


• You also might need to reinforce your garage door. Because they are wider and lighter, they are susceptible to high winds and can blow inward. A couple of 2x4’s on the weak points should do the trick.


• If you don’t have a garage, try and relocate your car to higher ground, and definitely away from trees, power lines, etc.  Google a Topographic map of your area to find highground.


• Secure all of your cars important paperwork to somewhere safe, not the glove box


• Keep an emergency kit in your car


• Flooding happens and deep puddles happen. Don’t drive through them.


• If you have multiple cars, try and get one to an elevated parking garage. They are solid structures that rarely flood on the upper levels


• If you need to park on a hill, face the front of the car upwards, and turns your wheels toward the curb.


• Make sure you have insurance coverage.


• Avoid downed power lines


• 4 wheel drive won’t help you unless you are climbing over objects. When selecting a vehicle for moving to a safer location, ground clearance should be the deciding factor.

It’s easy to brush off a storm like this and not be ready for it. Long Island hasn’t been hit by a major storm since Gloria in 85, which did a lot of damage. A little preparedness goes a long way.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="568" caption="Your car cannot go faster than this."][/caption]

 

How I’m going to save about $600 this year for my cars

Lets face it, gas isn’t getting cheaper. Tolls are going up. Its time to start cutting back somewhere.
This weekend, I did something I haven’t done since high school - I changed my own oil.

It was actually my local fast-lube place that inspired me to start doing this. While getting the car serviced, the guy has my hood up, and he can see that there is a lot of work done to this motor, and its obvious that this is a well cared for car. The guy then walks into the waiting room, and shows me my (clean) cabin air filter, and tells me I need to replace it. I just did these about 5K miles ago, and tell him to put it back. He then tries to convince me I need a transmission flush and new wipers. Yeah, I’m not going back there. I also skipped the “tips” bin on the way out.

Why go back to changing my own oil? Well, here’s what I figure: I started using synthetic in my car, and my wife’s uses regular. It’s not that I don’t care about my wife’s car, its that she drives a Honda four-banger and the thing could run on bacon grease if need be. My oil changes are about $60, and hers are about $35. Multiply this by a few times a year, and it starts to add up really fast. I change oil every 5000 miles, because I don’t buy into the every 3000 mile hype that lube places try to make you believe. So at a few times a year, that’s $400 for my car, and about $175 for my wife’s car. Why have I been spending this money?

So this weekend, I went down to Autozone, and picked up $80 worth of supplies, including jackstands, funnel, a Fram filter (the grip is nice), a 15 quart drain pan and a five liter jug of synthetic oil. Previously, the only thing stopping me from doing this myself is that I had no where to put the used oil. Used automotive oil is a huge threat to the environment, highly toxic, and there are heavy fines for disposing of it improperly. AutoZone now takes oil free of charge for recycling. I figure I’ll drop it off when I go in to get some wiper fluid or blades or something. So all things considered, now I’m negative 20 bucks, but the next time I do this, I’ll be ahead $40. And the savings grow every time after that.

The process is so much easier than I remember, just raise the car, drain, seal and put on new filter and refill. Took me about 40 minutes, most of which was just jacking the car up and waiting for the oil to drain. Seeing as how time spent driving and waiting at a lube place is about 30 minutes, this only cost me about 10 minutes in time.

What are the other benefits? Well for one, I know I am getting good parts, and not some recycled oil crap or inferior filters. The other thing is that I realize I’m doing a better job - after seeing how long it took the oil to drain, I don’t think its possible for the pan to completely drain out in the two minutes they have the plug off. That means this sludge has been sitting in my motor.

Now my car is happy and purring like a 300HP kitten.

Life in the Cash Lane

I made a discovery today that horrified me. As I pulled into the toll booth on the Throgs Neck, I was wondering why the gate hadn’t yet tripped- I looked up, and my heart sank.

 

I then remembered where my EZ Pass was:  Firmly affixed to the windshield in my wife’s CR-V.

 

See, I have been gone for the last two weeks, and my car has sat in the driveway collecting mounds of bird crap and rusty rotors. I was out west for business, and then we took the kid on vacation, and loaded up her car. She let her EZ Pass tag expire, so we used my tag and GPS for the trip.

 

But you know what the worst part about this is? It’s a Friday. I need to add at least an hour of time to my commute tonight to accommodate for all of the weekend travelers who clog the cash lanes on their way to their weekend destinations. Have you ever attempted the inbound GWB on a Friday for the cash lanes? This is going to be a nightmare. This is of course if I remember to actually go into the correct lane, as my lane choices are pretty much an ingrained force of habit at this point.

 

Today I think we all learned something. First, it’s that EZ Pass is worth it. There is always a fight if it should be mandatory for metro NY’ers, and the answer is a resounding YES. After seeing what life is like without it, including the waiting, the higher prices, and the sheer frustration, I’ll never forget it again. Additionally, a lot of time spent idling and polluting the environment could be cut back if it was mandated.  I also learned that the NJ turnpike still uses tickets. Who knew? They actually charge me to drive one hundred yards from the beginning of the Turnpike to my exit ramp.

 

So look for me today -  I’ll be the guy sitting in line with all the minivans in the cash lane, the black car with all the bird crap on it. But that’s another story.

 

[caption id="attachment_423" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Today at the NJ turnpike. Until this moment, It had been about 9 years since I have actually had to snag a toll ticket. Shooting a picture while moving and taking a ticket a the same time as piloting a car through a toll plaza is actually a lot harder than it looks."][/caption]

Port Authority plans massive toll hikes

As if the tolls weren't enough already, the Port Authority is planning another round of toll hikes for the river crossings. Average increases would be a shocking 50-100%. The change would affect the GWB, Holland and Lincoln Tunnel, as well as the Goethells, Bayonne, and Outerbirdge Crossing.

NJ.com went into more detail on the increases: (http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/08/port_authority_plans_4_toll_hi.html)

Under the proposal, tolls for cars using E-ZPass would jump by $4 — one of the largest increases in memory — raising the cost from $6 to $10 for off-peak travel and from $8 to $12 in peak hours. An additional $2 increase during peak and off-peak hours would be implemented in 2014.

Motorists paying by cash would be even harder hit, with an additional surcharge of $3, increasing the cash rate from $8 to $15 this year. That surcharge would increase by an additional $2 in 2014.

For trucks using E-ZPass during off-peak hours, tolls would go from $7 to $13 per axle and from $8 to $14 during peak hours, with an additional $2 per axle increase in 2014 for both off-peak and peak periods.

A similar cash surcharge of $3 per axle would be applied to trucks this year with another $2 per axle hike in 2014.

 

That’s a lot of money. And when the Port authority raises tolls, the MTA is typically in step to do the same. The measure is coming to vote on Aug 17^th, and is thankfully subject to veto by either Governor Christie or Cuomo. Reports say both are against such a massive hike.

So why such a startling increase?  The Port Authority press release says:

BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL SUPPORTS PROPOSED INCREASE IN BRIDGE AND TUNNEL TOLLS

Date: Aug 08, 2011
Press Release Number: 51-2011

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York (BCTC) today endorsed the toll increase proposed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

“On behalf of the 100,000 working men and women represented by our affiliated unions, we support this effort to give The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey the resources needed to maintain and improve its transportation infrastructure,” said Gary La Barbera, president of the Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York.

“Without this toll increase, 3,900 jobs will be lost and $483 million in Port Authority capital spending will not happen in 2011 alone,” he added.

In addition, the toll increase will help fund the PANYNJ's 10 year, $33 billion capital plan, which will generate more than 185,000 jobs, many of which are in construction.

“The Port Authority's history of investments in bridges, tunnels, mass transit and air travel has been essential to establishing our region as a global center of economic growth and job creation. We can't afford nothing less than continuing this strong tradition,” concluded La Barbera.

According to the BCTC, the construction industry in New York City has lost more than 20,000 jobs since 2008 and is suffering its highest unemployment in 13 years.

The Building and Construction Trades Council of Greater New York consists of local affiliates of 15 national and international unions representing 100,000 working men and women in the five boroughs of New York City.

Translated, this says we mostly need to keep paying off overtime, disability and pensions. It’s not that some of the work doesn’t need to be done, the question as always is where these funds go.

While I won’t dispute their numbers, it seems that the hardest hit will be the truckers, who are pretty much the people responsible for the majority of goods being moved for economic stimulus. Figure it like this: By 2014, the average GWB crossing will be $14 for easy pass people in cars. Trucks take a much more significant hit - right now, a commercial vehicle pays per axle, so your average 18 wheeler has 5 axles. So by 2014, that’s an $80 toll for a truck to cross the bridge. This also creates a dangerous situation on bridges, as we can assume more trucks with full loads are going to be raising their drop axle under full weight which compromises stability.

This massive increase just might be the final stake to drive me and other motorists to the mass transit system, and a lovely 6 hours a day commuting.

 

 

 

Why I won't ride to work every day

Last night, The NJ Turnpike inbound GWB lower level came to a grinding halt, and cops were rushing to get by on the shoulder. This is never a good sign, and usually signifies an accident. After 20 minutes and about 400 yards, I came upon the scene which was a multi vehicle accident. One person was down on the ground surrounded by a crowd, and there was a motorcycle about 200 feet up the road. I didn't stick around to see what the result was, but hope the guy was OK. He was riding an old Yamaha small cruiser style bike, so I kinda doubt that extreme speed was a factor in the crash.

One of the fortunate things about my job was that I was able to get my motorcycle license. I had a great time riding out in the California desert, on winding roads, and on the back trails. It was truly a liberating experience, and cemented my love for motorcycles. But even when gas is eight bucks a gallon, I still refuse to ride one in metro NY. It's suicide.

There's a lot of guys out there with the crotch rockets popping wheelies on the parkway, and you know they have a short life expectancy at their current pace. When I sit to think about, probably 95% of the people I know who ride down here have had some sort of major accident that has significantly altered their life and / or physical abilities.

So whats the problem? Sometimes, speed and poor riding is to blame. Even though lane sharing or "splitting" is illegal in NY, riders still do it, and at speeds that are way to excessive to be safe. But I don't think NY / NJ drivers are aware enough about motorcycles. When executing a lane change at 60 MPH, we check our mirrors and take a quick glance to make sure there isn't a car next to us, but typically we aren't looking for a bike in our blind spot. I noticed another issue with NY drivers while riding, and that is that drivers assume a following distance behind a bike which is totally unsafe. Most likely due to perception with a bikes diminutive size, it's not uncommon to see a car less than 10 feet behind a bike, even at highway speeds.

Going through the MSF course to get a DM license in NY was a three day process, but a great one. We learned tht riding was more about defensive driving, and trying to stay out of the way of drivers who don't know how to share the road with bikes.

Take the time to slow down, and take a better look around before changing lanes or making turns. Give a bike a good following distance, and if you see a group riding, don't get in the middle of them. There's a few more months left in the riding season, and there are sure to be many more accidents, but just being aware can help save lives.

Damn, that lady could drive.

The people you are closest to always have an impact on your life. Today was my Mothers birthday, and she passed away nearly five years ago. She gave me a lot in this life in terms of knowledge and confidence, and was a truly generous person that made a difference in the lives of everyone around her. She is sincerely missed by everyone that knew her.
But I have never really talked about one of most unique attributes that no one really knew about - Damn, that lady could drive.
To this day, I have never seen another woman who could drive like her. She taught me how to drive a manual, do a donut, drive a car with no brakes, and how to properly execute a J-turn. She taught me how to properly drive in the snow, and how to outrun the fuzz, yet she never showed me how to talk your way out of a ticket. She also let me know about all the “Yahoos” on the road and how to avoid them.
I remember she was so excited to have her first brand new car, an 87 Monte Carlo. The thing was classy, an off white with brown trim. I think after that was the obvious mini van phase that swept the nation with a Grand Caravan. Of course, she had to have the one with the big motor. After this was the truck phase, graduating into a 2003 GMC Sierra. That got totaled within a week of moving to Florida, which is when she got her favorite, a full size Durango with the monster V8, which still lives on, and I make a point to drive every time I’m in Florida visiting.

The misguided life and times of Karen

Let’s get this out of the way up front - Karen was a spiteful bitch. Her demise is bittersweet. So while now I have to go out and spend money on a new GPS unit, I look forward to building a lasting relationship with a GPS unit that doesn’t take joy in my misery.

Here’s that back-story:  A few years ago, I got a new GPS unit, a Garmin Nuvi 650W as a birthday present. I loaded in the female Australian voice which Garmin named “Karen”. The name stuck. That’s was about four years ago, and this weekend, on our way to visit a friend up near Boston, her touch screen finally gave out.

[caption id="attachment_408" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Karen and me, in happier times"][/caption]

Since our first drive together, Karen and I have had our ups and downs in our relationship. She went all over the country with me in my travels, and found a home on the dash of many rental cars. She got me through Austin, Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles more times than I can count. Sometimes she has bailed me out of some real sticky situations. She even once acted as a tattletale when a valet decided to take my car on a 143 MPH joyride.

But the good times are few and far between. I remember the time she dropped me in a field in the middle of Pennsylvania, about 30 miles away from my destination, not even in the same town. She had an uncanny ability to let me know I had to turn immediately after passing the street, and when there was no way where to turn around. No matter what, even if it was backed up for miles, she always wanted me to take the Long Island Expressway. I never understood why she would literally take me 5 miles out of the way to get from the Northern state to the LIE.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of a car trip with me knows about Karen and our verbally abusive relationship. I would yell. She would typically respond with “Recalculating – Make U turn” in her cool, emotionless voice. And then there was the time we got lost out in the Mojave and she started making up roads. Really, there was nothing on the map, yet she insisted on making a turn directly into the woods. She also had a knack for saying the wrong road names on major routes. Need to go somewhere near 27 / Sunrise highway? Instead she always called it the POW Memorial parkway.  While this was very confusing, her pronunciation of different Long Island road names was always entertaining.  Lane choices? She frequently enjoyed telling me to get into the far left lane on major highways, and letting me know I had to take a left exit in 200 feet. Cause that’s fun at 60 mph.  I really think she was jealous of my wife. It got so bad I was nervous to let her go on a trip with Karen without me for fear she would get her lost on purpose.

So now I need a new GPS. They have come a long way in the last four years, and now I’m looking at bigger screens, traffic updates, A/V inputs, and a unit that won’t try to murder me.

It’s never easy to say goodbye, but I have a feeling that her spirit will more than likely come back to haunt me.

 

 

On another note -  I'm starting to pull together a list of the a douchebag's favorite cars. Let me know if you have any input.

If there's a sign to the gates of hell, it looks like this.

[caption id="attachment_400" align="aligncenter" width="614" caption="The typical inbound GWB wait on a Thursday"][/caption]

Summer is finally here. Schools out, people are on vacations, which means less traffic, right? The mornings are a breeze, but afternoons, especially Thursdays have been terrible, as more and more people seem to be driving to their three day weekends. I anticipate tonight and tomorrow afternoon are also going to be a nightmare, full of travelers for July 4th.

Good thing I took 9/46 to the lower level.

Car stuff I can't live without - Part 1

I guess since I am doing this whole blog thing, I have to schill some products every once in a while, right? I'll start today with Rain-X.

There some things I can't live without.  One of those things is Rain-X. The principle of its functionality is what makes it so great - The faster you go, the better it works.

It's a simple design. You apply a silicone barrier to your windshield and it beads away water when it's raining. But besides making it so much easier to see in the rain, it also makes bugs come off easier, as well as ice and snow. I also buy the huge  orange jug 0' Rain-X for wiper fluid that is good for -25 degrees. I guess sometimes I think I still live in Utica and need a -25 degree wiper fluid, but that's rarely the case anymore. You rarely get hit with a lake effect storm on the Northern State.

The downside? for some reason, your windows are more likely to fog up while using it. But this is a minor inconvenience given its benefits.  Also, don't use it on your rear windows or mirrors, because not enough wind hits this to be effective.

Try it, you wont be disappointed.

Up next in this series - PIAA's.

Fun fact about EZ Pass

Heres something I have found out in my daily commute: You know those gates that go up and down in EZ Pass toll lanes on the bridges and tunnels? You can hit the booth at a maximum of 19 MPH when its fully lowered and escape without damage..

Zen for the gearhead

You know those moments in your life when you just find your Zen? I remember one of mine.

It was about eight years ago, and I was trackside in the early hours of the morning at Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA. I was working on a press junket at the time with the American LeMans series and was out shooting with some hospitality team Audi / Champion racing. I was alone, walking to check out a photo hole, when the engines started and started ripping through the track. It was the Audi R8, the Viper, and of course that yellow C6 Corvette with an unmistakable growl. I don’t know what it was about that morning, but I’ll always remember the time I had that section of the track all to myself, and to have the stillness of misty October morning shattered by screaming cylinders.

That’s why Jalopnik made my day today by posting the following link of the race at night, and just the sounds. It’s truly music to my ears. If you have ever enjoyed an ALMS race, this is for you.

http://jalopnik.com/5811092/hear-the-glorious-sound-of-the-mulsanne-straight-at-2-am

This weekend was the annual 24 hours of LeMans and Audicame out on top again, despite a scary crash near the beginning of the race, which fortunately McNish walked away from.

[gallery]

The death of Panther from the people that use it

I’m a talker, or so I have been told. Maybe it’s my up-stater-ness, but like engaging people in conversation, and this holds true when I’m stuck in a car for someone for about an hour. Because of my job, I often find myself utilizing car service when driving or public transportation is not practical. Last week, I took a late night ride home from Manhattan with a Pakistani driver who had a lot of opinions and shared some knowledge with me.

Some guys just know more about the roads than us commuters can ever imagine. Among airline pilots and cops, my favorite people to talk to our livery drivers. Unlike NY cabbies, these guys have to have a good grasp on English, and an extensive knowledge of the tri-state area, not just the five boroughs. So of course, we had a great long conversation on the death of the Crown Vic/ Town car / Panther platform which is on top of the minds of many.

This is a very interesting topic which has some very passionate to fleet drivers and managers, yet we know nothing in the mainstream, and it affects us all. Here’s the scoop: after this year, Ford will discontinue the Panther platform, which is responsible for the Crown Victoria (cops cars, taxi cabs), the Lincoln Town Car (livery and fleet drivers, gypsy cabs) and the Grand Marquis (old people, already dead with Mercury).  Perhaps it is time to embrace a platform with better fuel efficiency and modern features. So let’s explore these groups, and how they are affected:

Cabs and Livery: For the cabs, this means a replacement in the next few years, which the city has decided to go with a Nissan minivan that’s drawing a lot of criticism, but hey, fuel efficiency. Other cities like Las Vegas are trying out the Ford Transit connect, which lost the NYC war due to fuel efficiency.  The livery folks are on their own; they tried the Camry hybrid, but found it to falter mainly on comfort and space. I was told you can only fit 2 large suitcases, whereas the venerable Town Car can fit 4-5 bags, and still have room left for a dead prostitute. It looks like the best runner up right now will be the Lincoln MKZ and MKX, basically a Ford Taurus and a Ford Explorer. Some of the guys drive hybrids, especially for the large Escalades and Tahoes, but with $5 fuel in our near future, efficiency becomes even more important, and we will be seeing less of this platform, especially as car companies are adopting a driver-owned fleet.

Cops:
No one feels the hurt from the death of Panther worse than cops who are losing their trusted Crown Vic Interceptor package for whatever the local community decides what’s next.

So why not the Ford Taurus interceptor Ford showed as the replacement? Simple answer is that it’s FWD. I talked to a couple of cops, and they hate the lack of control and torque FWD cars offer. While an AWD option is available, its doubtful many departments ill pony up the extra cash, and the hit to fuel efficiency makes it less attractive.  They cited the failure of the Impala as an intercept vehicle. I think this is a bad move on Fords part, as a good chunk of their community fleet sales are going to go to the Dodge Charger Pursuit package that’s already the scourge of NYC roadways. Another factor is intimidation. The Charger has it, but I think the Taurus pictured here will give the Charger a run for its money.

Old people: Don’t worry, Buick is coming back with a vengeance, no one is going to notice the Grand Marquis.

So why would Ford kill off such a successful platform with such a long history? While I am sure that they have their reasons, the common word on the street seems to be the influx of third party parts. See, the manufacturer makes a boatload on parts for cars. Rotors, radiators, drive belts, all of these wear out due to wear and tear, and are incremental revenue to Ford.  Now, there are so many third party companies undercutting the OEM parts, that the only way to get this revenue back is to completely overhaul the platform. If this is done, its going to be years before third party vendors can re-tool CNC machinery to reverse engineer OEM-like parts. Do I know this for a fact? No not at all. This could be totally way off, but this seems to be what the common thought is.

A Hypothesis About the Corolla

I have a theory.

After logging enough miles, you start to notice certain things. You might disagree with me. And as soon as you start looking into this particular observation, you will agree with me, and then you wont be able to stop seeing it.

So here is my theory- While Toyota produced hundreds of thousands of Toyota Corollas from 1993-2009, in a variety of colors, I am pretty sure at least 95% of those cars sold were some form of Champagne color. I have no math or statistics to back this up. Sure, the called it things like desert sand metallic, cashmere beige, mica, Sandrift and pebble beige, but they were all really the same color, which can be generally classified as a beige / tan champagne color. I think its followed by white and black, but the sheer number of tan cars out there is startling.

Odds are you or one of your friends owned one of these Corolla generations. Odds are it was one of these colors. My apologies in advance,  because now you won’t be able to stop noticing this.

 

[caption id="attachment_374" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="A look at champagne corollas through the ages"][/caption]

 

Commuters Vs. Travelers, Round 2

Wow, what a ride last night -  All lanes closed on the Bruckner backs up 95 North / CBX East for miles. Took me an hour to make it to the bridge. But I digress.

It's late May. Its getting warm. Three months of summer and significantly less traffic are just within our grasp, we just have one major hurdle to cross - Memorial Day weekend. Starting Thursday, the roads are going to be a free-for-all of minivans and weekenders blindly following their GPS devices. Get ready for a lot of road rage, accidents and accordion traffic jams that erupt without purpose as the amount of traveler’s increases, once again flooding the roads with discourteous drivers who don’t know the roads and stress behind the wheel.

I can’t wait for the summer, it typically takes me under an hour to get to work, and even the CBX rarely comes to a complete stop. Summer afternoons on the other hand, especially Thursdays and Fridays are another story.

But here are some tips to help your commute this week: Stay strong, after this, its smooth sailing.

-          Most GPS devices tell people to take the following routes -  use these alternates:

• 95/80 -use 9/46


• Whitestone - use the Throgs neck


• LIE - instead take Northern State / GCP


• Cross Island - use the Clearview


• GWB upper level - use the lower level, although sometimes the thought of driving with trucks scares travelers to the lower level.

-          NJ Turnpike Express – It sounds fast, so people take it. Use the local.

-          Go for the inner EZ pass lanes  - weekend stragglers dive into the cash lane at the last minute

-          If you take time off, drive in the morning, never in the afternoon

-          Avoid the Belt Parkway on any afternoon

-          Always watch out for last minute, three lane exit dives at high speed

Clipped!

I was on my way to the inbound GWB the other day, so I course I was sitting in traffic.  I heard a motorcycle approaching, and a sharp *CRACK*rose my right. I turned to see the prick nail my passenger side mirror.

C’mon, seriously? Lane sharing isn’t even legal in NY, so if you are going to do it, at least learn how to ride a bike, and try not to hit a stopped car.

So the damage wasn’t as bad as I thought – only the glass portion of the mirror is shattered, and the mirror housing is fine, or it will just buff out. But here’s the problem. I can’t find this part anywhere. Its one of those auto-dimming, defroster mirrors (great invention, BTW), and no one sells just the glass. So here I am now, and my car has a huge blemish right before I tape my segment for metro NY commuting.

Here’s a picture. Don’t ask why a photographer is using his blackberry’s camera so much.

Thank you New Jersey and your massive deficits

Gas is expensive. In Long Island, I see it hovering about $4.28, with daily increases (never mind the fact the price of crude is down, but that’s another story). NJ legislators continue to debate increasing the tax as a way to provide additional funding, but the measure has yet to pass.

So what’s a person who commutes all the way to the Garden State to do? Get gas on the NJ turnpike of course, where it averages .40 cents cheaper per gallon. Due to a series of laws and lax taxes, this is the best deal on gas in the tri state area, and possibly the nation. Here’s some interesting facts about NJ and why their gas prices are among the lowest in the nation.

• Turnpike gas stations can only change their prices, (up or down) once a week on a Friday. So fill up Thursday, in the morning to avoid the lines.


• Gas is so cheap in Jersey for a few reasons. Mostly because of the lack of taxes associated with Gas. New Yorkers pay about 25 cents on the gallon plus 4%, whereas NJ residents get off with about 10 cents. These figures are adjusted annually.


• Everything is full serve - Since the law was passed in 1949, it’s illegal to pump your own gas because, according to the law, such a flammable, dangerous liquid should only be distributed by trained personnel.  Only NJ or Oregon has this law. And the town of Huntington in Long Island, which I still have yet to figure out why.


• Off the turnpike, it is illegal in NJ for a gas station to raise prices more than once a day.


• There are only Sunoco’s on the NJ turnpike, so don’t hold out till you see somewhere to fill up using your Exxon fleet card.


•  The cost of gas at a turnpike service station cannot be more than 3 cents above that average price in a local area. This is regulated by the Turnpike authority.


• The hoses really are long enough to fit to the other side of your car, assuming you don’t have a huge SUV. So skip the long line.

[caption id="attachment_362" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="sign at the Vince Lombardi service area on I-95 / NJ Turnpike"][/caption]

Where dreams go to die – The NYS DMV.

The jig is up. My license is about to expire, and I need to go renew it quick. I didn’t have time to go the eye doctor and send in the eye exam form, so I have to physically go to the DMV office. Why do I need an eye exam? I can’t see three feet in front of my face without my contacts, I don’t need an eye test to tell me that. This place was hard to find as well. The signage was terrible, and it was hidden in the corner of a strip mall inside a building. Why are they are trying to keep this place a secret.

After waiting in line #1 to get the form I need to fill out, they send me to line #2 to get my photo taken and pick up this numbered ticket.

I spend about 30 minutes in line #2. I make it to the counter, and they give me an eye test. Read line 7 they say. The letters are huge.  If this is the minimum requirement, I’m scared.

#B791. Its gonna be a long wait. There is also a line #3, but no one really seems to know what that line is for. Some people get on that line, and I never see them again.

*Now Serving B680. This is going to be a while.

I don’t think there is any place in a world a NY state driver fears more than the Department of Motor Vehicles. It’s a mess of seemingly inefficient processes weighed down by an over excess of red tape and bureaucracy. Time seems to stand still while waiting.

*Now Serving B692.

Oh look, they bought a gaggle of people to the front of the line and WTF, ARE THEY ACTUALLY GIVING THESE PEOPLE LICENSES TO DRIVE?!?! The group they just escorted to the front of the line have probable mental issues and most likely shouldn’t be operating a motor vehicle. I suggest this because they have an obvious rage complex because they are screaming at the person behind the counter, accusing them of letting their license expire. In a way, I feel sorry for the DMV clerks, they must have to deal with some real winners.

*Now Serving  B700

Look, I’m not one to judge a book by its cover, but I am pretty sure the applicant in question is a hobo, as she is dressed in rags, and I can smell them from about 30 feet away.  The yelling continues. They tell the group they are going to have to go see a manager.  Why do you need a driver’s license if you travel by stowing away in railroad boxcars?

*Now Serving B712

The silence is broken by Michael Jackson’s “Beat it”. The “Bad”, followed by “smooth Criminal”. It’s then I realize that they are playing MJ’s greatest hit CD on loop. It’s about now I start thinking I am involved in some sort of social experiment or reality TV show to see who cracks first.  They’ll never take me alive.

*Now serving B720

Rage ensues. The hobo busts out a very large binder filled with legal looking documents and continues to berate the woman behind the counter. I bet the people in line behind them is really glad the docent bought them to the front of the line.

*Now Serving B753

It’s been a while since I have been to the DMV last. About two years ago I went to go get my motorcycle license, and it’s a stark difference from today’s scene. Now they have advertisements blaring from LCD screens above the various counters. Yes, ads in the DMV.  But I guess NY state has to make up their massive deficit holes somewhere. You would think auto insurance companies would be all over this, and not local dress and formalwear shops.

*Now Serving B789

Almost there…. This is about the point that, like jury duty, I hopefully wont have to come back here for many years to come. It’s this glimmer of hope that’s keeping me going.

*Now Serving B791.

Finally. Two hours after I arrived, Salvation is close at hand. The guy behind the counter  doesn’t say a word; takes my form, and prints out a temporary card. I check it over. Trust me, always do this. They got my first license wrong and it was a nightmare that haunted me for years and took forever to correct. The only words the guy says is “eighty eight dollars”. Seriously? When did renewing a license become so expensive? When I had a Florida license, I payed $26 online, and didn’t have to sit through any of this. Fun fact, you can actually make appointments in Florida DMV. NY state, you listening?

The entire transaction takes less than 45 seconds, and I’m done.

The Mattress Paradox

Certain things are inevitable in this world. The sun will rise. Gravity will always be a law. The MTA and Port Authority will always raise tolls.

But there is another certainty in this world I want to bring attention to in this world which many people may not be aware of. As you drive down the road, take special note of the guy with a mattress strapped to the top of their car. Pass them quickly and to the windward side, because chances are that baby is flying off, and when it goes, its going to bring a world of hurt to all those behind it.
I don't know why its so difficult to effectively tie down a mattress, but it seems that it is physically impossibly for people to keep them on top of cars, or travel at a reasonable speed when transporting said mattress.

Take this advice and remember it, you will thank me one day.

An Open Letter to the Driver Doing 45 MPH in the Left Lane With Their High Beams On.

Hi, it’s you again. I pass at least two of your kind a day going the other way, and I’ll always get stuck behind one of you at least once a day. If it wasn’t for auto-dimming side and rearview mirrors, I might react with some road rage, but for now my hostilities will be put into words.

Your kind knows no ethnic boundaries. You are never always a male or female, and never of one faith. Age is also irrelevant, as is type of car or social status.  But it seems that you all are under the impression that no matter what time of day or night it is, high beams are a good idea. And why not?  Nothing says “I’ve arrived” like serving up a whole dish of blinding HID goodness to your fellow motorists who still use that tungsten based  method of illumination.  Maybe you think that bright blue icon on your dash means your headlights are on, and no one ever told you differently (I call it a blue comet looking thing). Who cares right? You aren’t the one being blinded by oncoming traffic. I bet you feel smug and safe in your car on the parkway, knowing that everyone sees you. They might not see the pedestrian, road hazard or disabled car on the road because they are blinded but hey, that’s not your problem, right?

But why are you in the left hand lane doing well below the speed limit? its called the passing lane.  I get that some people are a bit slower, and some like to drive with their brights on, but why both? Are you really that unaware of your surroundings and the rules of the road that this seems like a good idea? I wish one of your kind would go on the record to tell me what you are thinking as you cruise along, creating a wake of traffic and disgruntled drivers behind you. I really am at a loss for words what can be going through the minds of these people.

Your cousin, the no-lights-on-at-night person?  He called and wants to know that he appreciates your enthusiasm, but he will remain in the top spot of most unaware driver on the road most likely to annoy and /or kill others.

So, on behalf of the commuters of Metro NY, Long Island and NJ, I beg of you, that driver doing 45 in the left lane with your brights on, to at least move over to the right. If you cant move over to the right due to some other reason, try pushing or pulling the column stalk on you car, and realize that with the amount of streetlights and light pollution we have, you barely need headlights much less high beams.

And if someone gets behind you and starts flashing their high beams, realize how annoying it is, move over, and check to see if that little blue comet-looking icon in your dash is on.

NY thanks you.

To celebrate the new Beetle, I made an internet top 10 list

Yesterday Vdub dropped the 2012 Beetle. The fresh redesign and powertrain will no doubt attract many new buyers, but will it help to shake the stigma of being considered a “chick car”? Certainly it’s not a death knell for any brand, but unless an automobile is wildly successful, you can count out 50% of your buyers, and that’s a big problem for any manufacturer. But really, what do you expect when you put a flower vase in the dash?  There are even rumblings of a type R package which should further help to shake the powder-puff image of the car a bit.



Surely it’s the question that’s keeps designers and automarketers up at night - How can I keep my car loved by both sexes? Some, like Mercury embraced the estrogen. Minivan and family friendly SUV marketing is certainly aimed at women, but more as a practical utility for families.

So what is the biggest chick car of all time? Below is my top 10 list of the most feminine “chick cars” and why.

1. Acura RSX -  how did this happen? How did the replacement to the venerable Integra become a popular sweet 16 present? A combination of small motor, cutesie compact styling and no sport trim models available led to this once great coupe to become the Civic of the upper middle class teen.


2. Toyota RAV 4 -   While the recent redesign looks nothing like its original body, the car must have a hard time shaking the image of its first generation as a cute little purple SUV. And where is everyone getting the airbrushed rear spare tire covers?


3. Chevy Beretta – This one is a curveball, I know. It seems growing up I knew so many girls that drove this car despite its obviously masculine name.  And the odd part -  every single one was purple.


4. Chrysler PT Cruiser -  you can drop the top. Throw in a turbocharged motor, it's still gonna be a damn ugly Neon. Speaking of that…


5. Dodge Neon – through multiple generations, the Neon has represented cheap transportation for those who just don’t care about cars. So what if the paint peeled off after the first winter? It only adds to the charm of this cute lil’ bugger with its big round headlights. Oh, and the SRT-4? Still a chick car.


6. V6 Mustang -  I don’t care if the fuel efficiency is amazing. I don’t care that its kicking nearly 300 ponies. I don’t care if its RWD. The bottom line is that as long as a V8 model exists as a proper muscle car, the V6 will always be the feminine choice. This is especially true of the convertible models.


7. VW Jetta -  While the Beetle gets knocked, lets face it, VW sells far more Jettas. Its another perennial favorite of car of the co-ed.


8. BMW 325i -  I’m gonna take some crap for this one, I know it. Its not only a chick car, its also a favorite ride of douchbags across the northeast.  Yeah, it handles, yeah, its got some cojones, but its still small, and screams “my banker daddy bought this for me after I totaled my Mustang.” But once you bump up the displacement to the 328 or a 5 Series, it’s a totally different car for a different buyer.


9. Mazda Miata -  The folks over at Mazda were so fed up with the stigma surrounding their extremely capable roadster, they actually changed the name to the MX-5. It really is a shame, but when give a tiny car such a feminine name, what do you expect to happen? That’s, and the thing was tiny. I’m not a big guy, but I tried to drive one once and could barely fit.


10. Chrysler Sebring / the modern K car – the mixture of a small motor, bland, non aggressive styling and a convertable option is a formula for instant chick car success.

Honorable mentions -  Nissan Altima, every Saturn ever made, Honda Civic, Chrysler LeBaron, Toyota Celica, Mitsubishi Eclipse

Great Week for Commuting

I do not claim any religious affiliation, But I love Passover. It took me 50 minutes to get to work today. Thats a new record. Every year it's like metro NY roads have half of their normal volume.  Even the CBX was smooth sailing today.

Wow, that’s a lot of cops

“Operation Hang Up” is in full force right now. If you hadn’t noticed, all major roads are flooded with State troopers looking to give out summons to cell phone users and texters. Last night I counted four units on the Clearview southbound alone. NJ is getting in on it too, with a ramped up police presence on the turnpike. On my way up to Albany this weekend, there were more speedtraps than I have ever seen on both 87 and 84.

This is all part of NY states four day assault on cell phone use, which I totally support. The program is concentrating on the thruway, where last year more than 8000 tickets were issued. The average fine for cell phone use is $160.

A Tale of Three Rentals...

There’s a good reason you haven’t seen a post in a while. I have been on the road. A lot. Over the past month I have spent time in Austin, Boston, Seattle, Atlanta, and that’s just to start.

But where there’s a challenge there is opportunity, and this was a great time to throw down my Super-Gold-Enterprise-Plus-Elite Platinum Card to rent some cars. I had different transportation needs at all of these locations, and drove a variety of new vehicles that each had their own personalities.

First, I don’t want to shill for the brand, but there’s a reason I usually go with Enterprise. They usually give me a choice of vehicles if they have them, and the lines are reasonable. Anyone who has sat at a Hertz counter in LAX knows exactly what I’m talking about.  The other reason is the Chevy Tahoe. It’s one of my favorite go-anywhere, do anything trucks that I usually rent when I am doing event and location work, and they are the only rental house that always has them in stock.

Austin and the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder - SXSW was going strong, and the city of Austin was sold out of rental cars weeks in advance. There were no full size SUV’s, so I was told I would get a Traverse instead of my usual Tahoe. Not my first choice, but it probably could get the job done. The girl at the counter in Bergstrom airport asked me if I wanted to try one of the new Pathfinders. You already know I’m a Nissan junkie, and it was hard to pass up. So they threw me the keys to a brand new 2011 Pathfinder in white, which would be my companion for the next 7 days. From downtown gridlock, parking garages, sitting in traffic on I-35 to the backroads of round rock, this truck was a solid performer. The power was always adequate from the VQ 4.0 V6, yet it wasn’t enough to get me into any serious trouble. I logged about 600 miles on this car, and overall it was a great experience.

I got this truck for its utility abilities. I had to lug around at any given time both a large assortment of personnel and gear. Fitting everything from multiple large Pelican cases to eight foot long steadicam rails were no problem for this truck, and I could haul up to seven people with third row seating that folded down.

The ride height was confidently high, and steering felt a bit more refined than pathfinders of the past on the Frontier truck platform. Yet I still knew it was a truck, a dated body on frame monster, but it behaved with manners more like a Murano than a very off-road capable SUV. The controls were all where they should have been, and the backup camera as a standard feature was both a welcome and helpful feature. The only complaint I had with the truck was few squeaks that should never be present in a car with 1500 miles on the odo.

[caption id="attachment_341" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="At the pump in Round Rock with the 2011 Nissan Pathfinder"][/caption]

Seattle and the Kia Soul - This rental was more out of curiosity than anything. The choices were a Cruze, Versa or a Soul. I must admit, the hamster-plagued advertising got to me, and I was intrigued to try one of these funny looking Korean “urban crossovers”. Its 2.0 liter four banger was good for 142 horsies, and it had some pep to it, probably because it weighed so little. While it won’t be seen on a track anytime soon because of its extreme body roll, it just seemed to be a little zippy and fun. Also curious is the exhaust note, which seems much larger than this car, and makes you feel liker it’s more of aggressive. I would even venture to guess that they took a page of Fords playbook and that it’s piped in the cabin.

The interior was what you might expect from a Kia Rio, with a hint of trim added for its youthful demographic target. One this I really did like about it though was the visibility. You feel like you can see everything on the road in this car and there are no real blind spots.

 

Atlanta and the Mazda 3 – I didn’t know they still made cars without keyless entry devices, but Mazda proved me wrong. While I didn’t look under the hood, I assume our model came with the most basic 2.0 liter motor. This car defines the essence of a sports car attitude stuck in an economy car body. The ride was firm, turn-in was eager. The suspension was tight and the steering gave you confidence. Every button and control was exactly where it should be to make for a positive driving experience. The best part about it was that the car came standard with a manu-matic shifter, which unlike everyone else, depressing down upshifts, and up downshifts. To most people this might be annoying, but to anyone that drives a standard transmission, it makes a world of difference. Also, as a by product of years of racing games, I for one enjoy the blue and red gauges and interior.

The only issue I had was the power –I wish it was there. It seemed rather inadequate, but I would love to give a Mazda 6, or a model with a bigger motor a spin.

 

America's worst traffic roads- and I have sat on 8 of the the top 10.

So I am sitting in dead stop traffic the other day on I-35 North of  Austin, TX wondering to myself, "Wow, this road sucks.  I wonder how it compares o the CBX?"

Imagine my delight today to find out that Autoblog published a story (via  TheDailyBeast ) gathering GPS data to determine the worst roads for traffic in America. While I'll worry about the fact that anyone has access to my GPS data at another time, I found this story to be very interesting, and mostly because I have driven pretty much all of these roads, during rush hour at some point in my life.

Here is the top 10. While I haven't driven #2 and #10, I feel confident that these rating are pretty solid - but I feel as if something isn't quite right with the data, as it omits The 5 Freeway through LA and all of downtown Atlanta. Also I think #4 is a special case -  normally it flows alright, but when that drawbridge opens up, you have to add two hours to your trip time.

And shouldn't it raise a red flag somewhere that 3 of the top 10 are all I-95 within  few hours of eachother?

1. Riverside Freeway/Calif. Highway 91 eastbound, Los Angeles

2. Lunalilo Freeway/I-1 eastbound, Honolulu
3. California Delta Highway/Calif. Highway 4 westbound, San Francisco
4. I-95 southbound, Washington, D.C.
5. Bruckner/Cross Bronx Expressways (I-95 southbound), New York
6. I-35 southbound, Austin-Round Rock
7. Connecticut Turnpike (I-95 northbound), Bridgeport8. I-405 southbound, Seattle
9. Bayshore Freeway (U.S. 101 southbound), San Jose, Calif.
10. Kennedy/Dan Ryan Expressways (I-90/I-94 eastbound), Chicago

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/25/gps-data-gives-us-the-top-20-worst-commutes/

In Austin

Why is it, every city I visit i still sit in traffic. I'm down in Austin for SXSW, and I have spent probably 3 hours here sitting on I-35. But at least Enterprise gave me a sweet loaded Pathfinder.

Autoblog tests the Nissan Cross Cabriolet

Nissan sent Autoblog a Murano Cross Cabriolet to test out, and the results are...A fully loaded Murano minus the roof, but still more questions than answers. Good luck to you, Nissan.


http://www.autoblog.com/2011/03/08/2011-nissan-murano-crosscabriolet-first-drive-review/[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1280" caption="image from Autoblogs review"][/caption]

No Matter how fast you drive....

There is an important lesson here that a cop buddy once told me. He said

"NO MATTER HOW FAST YOU DRIVE, RADIOS GO FASTER."

Guess no one told that to these guys out in Holbrook, when they were clocked by a unit and intercepted (after crashing). At any rate, thankfully no one was seriously hurt, so thats another dangerous SRT4 and Evo off the road that I don't have to worry about.  At any rate, street brakes typically can't handle a 140 mph slow down off an on ramp, as these two inevitably found out.

Hit the link for the Daily News story

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2011/03/03/2011-03-03_photo_drag_racers_speeding_over_140_mph_crash_on_lie__and_miraculously_everyone_.html

 

Cop in the rearview - what do you do?

We all know the feeling – seeing a white Charger in our rearview, and then realize that he might be running your plate as you contemplate your next move. Am I going to fast? Did he see that erratic lane change? You mind fills with questions, but mostly, you wonder what to do next. Usually the best answer is to slide to the right and let them go by, but the people over at Kelly Blue Book actually went and did a survey on this. ( See below)

I think they must have polled in California, where all the high speed chases happen, because 4% of respondants actually said that their initial reaction was to speed up to put distance between them and the officer.

I once spoke to a NY State Trooper about this - He said specifically it really pisses him off when he is doing the speed limit, and someone passes him. That’s a really good way to get pulled over.

Actually, KBB is full of amazing surveys, which can all be found here:  http://mediaroom.kbb.com/driver-input



I love me a good pie chart – courtesy KBB.com

Great article - Why you Should not run into the back of a semi

Jalopnik has an excellent article today about the dangers of the rear guards on semis / tractor trailers, and how they are basically worthless. Check it out here.

http://jalopnik.com/#!5772889/insurers-warn-truck-guards-failing-to-stop-fatal-wrecks-demand-tougher-rules

But heres the reality - most cars have a stopping distance that shames even an empty tractor trailer, so be aware, and you shouldn't have a problem with hitting them.

Todays Tip - Flooding

Here is a hard fact - on days like today, both the Clearview and the Cross Island are prone to flooding. But the flooding on the Cross Island is enough to sweep anything away with a ground clearance of under 18 inches, and its just annoying on the Clearview. Stick to the Clearview, your engine and electrical system will thank you.

Fun fact - mid 90's to early 2000's Hyundais all had really low air intakes. Great for cold air and fuel efficiency, bad for big puddles and engine seizures.

Suby+Sawzall=Bad Idea

At least they kept the roof bar for structural rigidity.  But I’m questioning the remaining stock wing. Still, I would rather drive this than anything with a Landau top. But good luck to this dealer for trying something new.

But the worst part? It's the first of 5...

http://www.manchestersubaru.com/test.htm#



 

Viva LAS Vegas

I came to yet another realization today. I have probably literally lost days of my life waiting in terminal D of McCarren international airport in Las Vegas. For the last 8 years, it has been at least 3 trade shows a year. Very rarely are any of these flights on time, and typically i have to fly out late so i am stuck leaving the hotel early and sitting.

But there have been some major improvement in TD. The addition of a Baja Fresh was great, but nothing made my day like the free wifi, which I am on right now.  It' a great signal thats consistent -  dare I say one of the best public wifi networks I have ever seen. So kudos to you, LAS.

Sure, i had to go through the full body scanner to get here, and photos of my junk will no doubt be leaked to the internet soon, but I could really care less.

So I am on my way home now, and I coudn't be happier about it. But heres my travel tip for the day: JFK parking garage, always park on the third level. No one is there.

Toyota's Huge PR Fail

I have a few loves, and I have things I am not crazy about. I love PR and I love cars. I'm not crazy about the type of mommyblogger who has zero ethics, and really bad publicity ideas.

So this is a really good story, and this is from Jalopnik. (Link below)

Apparently, Toyota allegedly worked with a mommyblogger network to solicit positive stories about the brand with a $10 Amazon gift card.  Toyota says it was an ambitious mommyblogger network president, but something still stinks about it -why would she personally pay her network of bloggers to write positive stories about Toyota?  Apparently that FTC ruling on mommybloggers is having a lot of people questioning their ethics.

And what’s worse? That only one mommyblogger (dearcrissy.com) blew the whistle? I get no less than three emails a day from these sites with the 143 readers trying to get thousands of dollars of gear from me for a “giveaway" on their website.  I am floored that ten bucks would sway them.

But anyway, here’s the bottom line - Toyota, if its not obvious to you by now, you need some PR help, pretty badly. Call me.

http://jalopnik.com/#!5762479

 

Get off the Damn Phone, Part 15

Another win for NY state lawmakers -  apparently the 19 year old girl in the 325i who is slowly drifting into my lane this morning didn't get the message, but NY has upped the stakes for talking on a cell phone while driving.

Now chatting will get you a hefty 2 points on your license in addition to fines. I think this is great. Of course, it wont curb anything. The real issue also remains texting while driving, and i think they need to start impounding cars of offenders.

The Deegan and why I think Google Maps is lying to me.

So the news this morning reported a meatgrinder on the CBX west with 2 lanes closed. Thats an adjective I'll typically avoid if i can, so i decided to take the grand central to the RFK bridge today. Holy crap this took a long time.

First, a few things to note. One, is that Google maps says there is a 6 minute difference in this route. Secondly, the signage is very confusing. there is one sign that says RFK bridge, and all of the other ones say Triborough. ...And its about $6.50 with EZ Pass.

But heres the bottom line. Dont go near the Deegan to GWB ramp, (7S). they are doing major construction, and half the ramp is closed. its a cluster.

Dodge Gets it Right

Look, I didn't want to comment on Superbowl commercials, and then i saw this masterpiece from Dodge. For the rest of you in the country, this is exactly what Long Island looks like during a flurry. what they dont show you hear is the mad rush to go buy milk and bottled water before the end of the world comes.

The only issue I have with this is the presence of the Challenger SRT-8.  That thing would slip and slide in 80 percent humidity.



 

 

This Mornings Commute Sucked...

This morning, I sat on the CBX for no less than 4 hours. NewsRadio 88 and 1010 Wins were no help, those asshats. They just said  "truck blocking the upper level right lane, expect delays." they say that same phrase  if there is an errant paper cup in the road, it memans nothing. Had I known what I was walking into, I would have taken the Major Deegan, and at least got some scenery out of the deal.

But as I sat in my car for hours, I managed to get a lot accomplished. So here is my list of things to do while sitting in traffic:

• Update your Bluetooth address book


• Clean your entire car


• Refresh yourself on your owner’s manual


• Count the number of Spanish vs. English radio stations


• Try not to piss yourself


• Speaking of pissing yourself, count the number of trucker bombs on the side of the CBX.


• Catch up on emails on your Blackberry


• Affix a big’ole “tuned by Stillen” emblem to my dashboard, because I had nothing else to do. It looks better than I thought it would


• Use Google maps to see what line comes after red for traffic condition

 

 

Ice! Tires! Stay Home!

The ride this morning was great. well, the raods were a solid sheet of ice. like really, really bad. especially the backroads- they were so bad you couldn't even stop. But the perk of everything is that no one was on the roads. even the CBX barely had any traffic on it this morning. i only saw a few spin outs, and they typically took place on off ramps with over confident drivers.

Today was a day that i truly appreciated my Bridgestone Potenza RE960's - awesome tires that grip well enough in snow, yet, I can break traction in them when needed for hoonage.

But a big thanks for everyone for staying home today, and leaving the ice driving to those of us that have the confidence to do it.

Rules of the Road #35

Here is todays rule of the road: ONLY a Subaru can pull of gold rims and look good doing it. There is no other make, model or car color that can look good with gold rims. so before taking that can of gold krylon to your Neon's steelies, think again.

Rules of the Road # 44

Clean the damn snow off of your damn roof. Yes, even you lazy SUV owners. I am sick of ice chunks flying at me at 70 MPH.

The CBX vs. a Sleeping Baby - Fight!

This weekend I had a true test of driving skill. It wasn't driving through the Pennsylvania blizzard, and it wasn't navigating through the black ice. No, it was by far the most difficult thing i have ever done -  try to keep a napping toddler from waking up while driving on the Cross Bronx.

This Saturday, I decided to do a little snowboarding out in Shawnee in PA, as anyone with a young child might know, its smart to plan road trips around nap time, lest you deal with a cranky toddler. So 30 minutes in the to the trip, he is out like a light, and i am just over the Throgs Neck on my way to the CBX. Then comes the first pothole. than a raised manhole cover. than a chunk of ice. next thing I know, I am playing Frogger in the left lane trying to avoid obstacles that stress the suspension of my poor wifes CR-V.

 

See, heres the thing -  I have traveled this road every day, twice for the last 4 years, and not once have a I realized how poor the road is. the rim benders are easy to avoid, but its the little ones you never notice.  Speaking of rim benders, there is a monster right before the Deegan heading South / West on the CBX in between the left and middle lanes. You cant even call it a pothole, its more like a fender eating sink hole.

But the end to the story is this. After a nerve racking 30 minutes of straddling as frequently as a Vegas stripper, we crossed the GWB. And as soon as we hit the smooth roadway of I80, the kid woke up.

 

Now thats how you drive in the snow...

As I slid about 40 feet today on the ramp from the Grand Central to the Clearview while trying to merge in, i was reminded today about the importance of proper control in ICY conditions. Than I found this video on Autoblog, which is 7 minutes of pure, unadulterated car porn.

The ride is Audi's RS3, somewhere in Canada. of course it is in Canada. Americans just don't get wagons. Even if they do have a turbo5, AWD, and an exhaust note thats so sweet it makes you appreciate the lack of soundtrack to the video.

So while there was no helicopter capturing my slides this morning, this is totally worth the watch.

Hit this link for Autoblogs, or see it below.

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/01/19/video-audi-rs3-makes-us-hate-winter-less/#continued

 

New Law in Effect in NY – “Move Over Act”

 

New York state snuck in this new law over the holiday break- Some other states have it, and it actually makes a lot of sense. The Ambrose Searles Act, AKA, the “move over act” states that drivers must move over when an emergency vehicle is in an adjacent lane, and use due care. What this means:

When you are approaching a police car or ambulance with lights flashing on the shoulder, you must get out of the right lane. It also means that on a three lane road, you have to be out of the adjacent lane; So if there is an ambulance in the left lane on a three lane road, you have to be in the extreme right.

This is a great law to support, to make it safer for the law enforcement and emergency responders working on the roads, and if it saves even one life, it is totally worth it.

However lets be realistic, we live in Metro NY, and most times, a one-lane buffer is not a possibility. If you get snagged for not obeying this law, you must prove that there was no way to move over safely. But the law also says you must slow down, which you can’t talk your way out of not doing.

 



See below for the text copy and link to the law from State Troopers.

 

NEW YORK STATE LAW:

Ambrose-Searles 'Move Over Act'

Protects law enforcement officers and emergency workers stopped along roadways while performing their duties.

• Drivers must use due care when approaching an emergency vehicle that displays red and/or white emergency lighting.
  
  
  
  • On all roads and highways, drivers must reduce speed;
  
  
  • On Parkways and other controlled access highways with multiple lanes, drivers must move from the lane immediately adjacent to the emergency vehicle, unless traffic or other hazards exist to prevent doing so safely.
  
  
  
  

http://www.troopers.state.ny.us/Public_Information/2010_News_Releases/12-15-10_Drivers_Beware_Ambrose-Searles_Move_Over_Act_to_Begin_January_1st_2011.cfm