Something Shady is going down with the payphones on the parkway

This is something that has been bothering me for years. It’s more then likely the result of too many Spike TV CSI marathons, but has anyone ever noticed the payphones on the side of Long Island parkways?  To clarify, not necessarily the payphones, but the people that use them?

At any point in the day or night, these alcoves are filled with people on the phone from their cars, but that’s not what piques my interest: it’s the cars themselves. Casually chilling out will always be multiple Bimmers, Benzes and Lexus sedans. So here is what I am wondering; In this day and age of cell phones, why do these people feel the need to use a payphone on the side of a parkway? While I know stereotyping is wrong, lets face it, the average E class driver is certainly more likely to have access to a cell phone than your average Dodge Stratus aficionado.

As the years go on and the concept of a payphone dies a slow death, there are certainly less of these out there now. But if law enforcement were to tap these phones, do you think they would find the kind of shady backroom dealings that require an untraceable line? Whether is narcotics dealers, extramarital affairs, or black market business dealings,  it’s a safe assumption that something is going down.

Now every time you pass one of these payphone alcoves on the side of a parkway, I hope you notice this.

Quick takes of the Dodge Challenger and Ford Fusion

Recently, I went on the road. Again. My first stop was Seattle, which are typically wet roads and lots of hills. I landed and went to the rental car counter. I asked the guy what they had in stock - He said “you can have this nice Mazda 3, a Nissan Versa,  a new Challenge-“

“Yes!” I exclaimed, without even letting him finish his sentence. I was excited to get behind the wheel of this neo-masculine piece of sheetmetal art. It’s got gorgeous lines, an aggressive demeanor, and I was looking forward to getting behind the wheel. Never mind the fact I forgot that we were going to have a passenger for the too-small backseat, and we could barely get into it in the rental lot because the doors were too wide. Rather as I signed the paperwork, I had daydreams of power sliding Bullitt-style through the slightly damp Seattle streets with a massive Hemi and a loose rear end.



Soon though, my grin subsided. This thing was a boat. Trying to maneuver out of the tight space proved difficult and required 4 gear changes to maintain safe clearance. This is where I ran into my sight line problem for the first time. I just could see anything above the massive, flaring hood and wide arches of the body.  But those arches, oh those arches, and flares are what make this car so damn sexy. Every thing about this car from the headlights to taillights was built for appearance and to turn heads. The original Challenger never looked so good to me, but this one had me at ‘hello’.

The model we had was the base SXT model built for fleets. It came in a silver color, and had a 3.6 liter V6 Pentastar motor good for 305 ponies. Due to massive curb weight of this car, and adding in myself and my co-worker, the engine just wasn’t enough to have fun. At one point I had the opportunity to make a U-turn from the left turning lane on a wide, empty road. Having no fear, I waited for the green turn arrow, cut wheel and gunned it. Nothing. Not even a little slip of the rear, just a perfect U-turn. Between the obviously persistent and advanced traction control and weight, the cart stayed glued to the road.

Other than the lack of hoonage ability, the car drove like you would expect from a typical muscle car, nervous in the corners with body roll, but surgical in a straight line. Grip was overly exceptional likely due to the massive 18 inch tires, while acceleration was about adequate for a car of this size.

Of course there were some issues. The biggest complaint by far was the sight lines. This car should be called the “Challenging”, and that means to see out of. While going up a hill, literally 95% of your view of the road is blocked by the massive hood, leaving your progress to nothing short of a hail mary. Another issue we ran into was the intelligent key. Even though the car only had about 7K miles on it, the key fob was starting to die on me, and would unlock the car, and sometimes wouldn’t start the car. At the very end of the journey, I managed to get the car started, but then the car lost recognition of they key, and the dash told me the fob wasn’t in range. It was 4 am and we were on our way to the airport, so of course I was worried it would employ some sort of engine cut off as a theft deterrent. Luckily, we made it to the airport, and I left the car running at the returns desk and wanted the attendant that if he shut it off, he would not be able to start it again.

So after all my bitching, I still wouldn’t call it a negative experience. The car was fun to drive at times, and I felt cool getting out of it. Will I rent another one? Not likely. Would I buy one with 2 kids and a long commute? Not a chance. But if I wanted a weekend toy, had a short commute, in addition to a minivan, I would probably snatch one of these up. The styling, handling and minimalist interior signify a day that’s long forgotten of muscle car love. It signifies a time long past when all you needed was a steering wheel, a straight line and a lead foot to have a great time. This car is about turning heads, and it does so with a vengeance.

Next stop was my old friend Los Angeles. This time, I knew I need something small and practical to deal with LA’s tiny parking spots, little parking garages and insane traffic. I opted for a Ford Fusion. This particular fleet car had seen some better days, but had aged gracefully with about 25K on the odometer.

I liked this car. Not for what it was, but what it wasn’t. Nothing was over the top. The power and handling were adequate. The interior was nicely finished and felt very generic. Somehow I knew where everything was by tactile exploring. It felt solid, and reminded me much of the late 90’s Japanese sedans -  you know, the golden age of accords and Camry, at a time when build quality and ergonomics took center stage to provide transportation that people just wanted to rely on.

It had a 4 cylinder, but it moved fine, and was never frustrating. It stopped on a dime. This car was one of many that really renews my faith in Ford as a solid competitor in a cut-throat market, and provides a car that is a notch above basic transportation.

The car also had a few pleasant surprises. The base Sync system had Aux inputs, and the gas mileage was insanely great. We didn’t even bother to fill the tank despite the fact we drove about 50 miles.

Other than the lack of hoonage ability, the car drove like you would expect from a typical muscle car, nervous in the corners with body roll, but surgical in a straight line. Grip was overly exceptional likely due to the massive 18 inch tires, while acceleration was about adequate for a car of this size.

Of course there were some issues. The biggest complaint by far was the sight lines. This car should be called the “Challenging”, and that means to see out of. While going up a hill, literally 95% of your view of the road is blocked by the massive hood, leaving your progress to nothing short of a hail mary. Another issue we ran into was the intelligent key. Even though the car only had about 7K miles on it, the key fob was starting to die on me, and would unlock the car, and sometimes wouldn’t start the car. At the very end of the journey, I managed to get the car started, but then the car lost recognition of they key, and the dash told me the fob wasn’t in range. It was 4 am and we were on our way to the airport, so of course I was worried it would employ some sort of engine cut off as a theft deterrent. Luckily, we made it to the airport, and I left the car running at the returns desk and wanted the attendant that if he shut it off, he would not be able to start it again.

So after all my bitching, I still wouldn’t call it a negative experience. The car was fun to drive at times, and I felt cool getting out of it. Will I rent another one? Not likely. Would I buy one with 2 kids and a long commute? Not a chance. But if I wanted a weekend toy, had a short commute, in addition to a minivan, I would probably snatch one of these up. The styling, handling and minimalist interior signify a day that’s long forgotten of muscle car love. It signifies a time long past when all you needed was a steering wheel, a straight line and a lead foot to have a great time. This car is about turning heads, and it does so with a vengeance.

Next stop was my old friend Los Angeles. This time, I knew I need something small and practical to deal with LA’s tiny parking spots, little parking garages and insane traffic. I opted for a Ford Fusion. This particular fleet car had seen some better days, but had aged gracefully with about 25K on the odometer.

I liked this car. Not for what it was, but what it wasn’t. Nothing was over the top. The power and handling were adequate. The interior was nicely finished and felt very generic. Somehow I knew where everything was by tactile exploring. It felt solid, and reminded me much of the late 90’s Japanese sedans -  you know, the golden age of accords and Camry, at a time when build quality and ergonomics took center stage to provide transportation that people just wanted to rely on.

It had a 4 cylinder, but it moved fine, and was never frustrating. It stopped on a dime. This car was one of many that really renews my faith in Ford as a solid competitor in a cut-throat market, and provides a car that is a notch above basic transportation.

The car also had a few pleasant surprises. The base Sync system had Aux inputs, and the gas mileage was insanely great. We didn’t even bother to fill the tank despite the fact we drove about 50 miles.

Ambulance chaser – Don’t be that guy.

Last night, I’m sitting on the Cross Bronx which is at a standstill. I assume there’s an accident up ahead, even tough the radio and my GPS have no info. About a quarter mile back, I see an ambulance light up the cherries in my rearview. I’m in the left lane (of course), and is squeezing by on the narrow shoulder. Since its bumper-to-bumper as only the Cross Bronx can do, there isn’t room for me or any other car to fully move over for the ambulance, we can just straddle the middle lane with enough room to let the ambulance by on the tiny shoulder. This is when it happens.

Whoosh. The ambulance sails by. And then before I even have time to blink, a silver 3-series is right on his ass. I mean I have never seen masterful tailgating like this before, as this little Bimmer was following this ambulance at about 20 MPH with less than 6 inches of clearance between bumpers. Keep in mind, I am still half in the right lane when all of the other cars are barreling at me, following the BMW’s lead. A blue A4 nearly clips me as I try to move over, and a Durango manages to squeeze by, but not before honking his horn, like I was the jackass in this scenario.

So here is my conclusion. These people are douchebags. Seriously, how impatient and in a rush are you that you have to risk rear-ending an ambulance just to save a few minutes. The ambulance is on its way to possibly save a life, and this is why it cuts through traffic. From what I could tell about these drivers, these cars were on their way to their mistresses / nail appointments / awkward family dinner when the kids know a divorce is imminent. Hardly the emergency that grants the type of privileges that let someone cut through traffic. Oh yeah, and its also really illegal to do this.

So here’s the lesson for today. Don’t be that guy.

But I also owe you a site update. Sorry I haven’t posted anything in like two months. First it was the holidays, and then it was CES, then it was a lot of business travel. But I got a lot of content out of it, including hands-on reviews of the 2012 Challenger, Ford Fusion, and a ton of images of the real stars of CES, the cars.

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.