What's the motoring habits of the EM crowd?

DrJustice · Last edited by DrJustice on Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:16 pm; edited 1 time in total

As I was washing my car today, I was wondering how all my EM friends relate to motoring. Car washing is very therapeutic and a good time to let the mind wander. Actually I've been wondering before, but today is the day I make a posting about it Smile

As we all know, rock stars are free to indulge in automotive excesses, or they can be very eco-oriented and not even drive a 2CV or a moped (band buses and jet liners excempt). So how about the EM lot then? To find out I have made a poll. I admit this is halfway an excuse to try putting up a poll. It's also that time of the year, you know, cucumber news and all (is that even a concept in other countries?) Wink

. Feel free to drop a few lines a about your motoring habits and preferences or lack thereof.

DJ

Edit: typo
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Blue Hell · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:09 pm Post subject:

Cucumber time, yes, that's this part of the year ... komkommertijd ... I love it, it's fun to drive a car on the nearly empty roads ... I should drive a bit in Germany soon to see how fast the thing still goes Wink

Oskar · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 1122 Location: Norway

I enjoy going for long rides, especially when there's a gig at the end of the road, but at the same time I feel guilty about my un-ecological behaviour. But hey, thats rock'n'roll!

DrJustice · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:30 pm Post subject:

All is well with the cucumbers!

Glad to see at other EM'er who thinks driving is fun thumleft

So Blue Hell, How fast do you reckon the old banger will go then? What kind is it BTW, needing an autobahn to stretch its legs?

I love driving myself, and have to say I'm a motoring enthusiast. I also find cars a very good place to listen to music. Of course, the hifi at home sounds better, but there's just something about driving and listening to music.... Although sometimes I prefer the song of the engine.

DJ
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Blue Hell · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject:

it's not BMW or something, an old men's car rather ... still last time I tried it would do 210 km/h for me (but it's comfy up to about 170 km/h). Now where is it ... like this one

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Inventor · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:38 pm Post subject:

Attached is a photo of my previous car, a 1988 benz. I smashed it into a van one morning, so now I have 1989 benz just like it only better condition. I like the smooth ride, but the power steering isn't strong enough. Aside from that the car is a joy to drive. The mechanic said the 420 was the best model they ever made, and I agree. Plenty of room in trunk or back seat for cargo or people. Strong engine too.

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My previous Car

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Jyoti · Posted: Wed Jul 23, 2008 8:41 pm Post subject:

This is a sad issue for me...

When I gigged in Sweden in '05, there were still DFDS ferries to Göteborg. So, I drove over, taking my beloved Volvo S40 back to the land (and probably city?) of its birth. Even managed to fit in a gig in Halmstad. I figure the eco damage I caused doing this was far less than air travel.

Then they cancelled the ferries to Sweden! Crying or Very sad

So, yeah, cars are undoubtedly Twisted Evil

but not as Twisted Evil

as airplanes.

Honestly, it makes me reluctant to gig in Sweden and Finland now. I'd rather not destroy the planet just to sing some songs. Sad

Here's my S40 sitting happily outside the chalet we stayed at in Kviberg:

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Antimon · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 6:23 am Post subject:

I haven't owned a car for 16 years, but do the odd rental when visiting my parents or friends living far enough away. Every now and then I think about buying a car, but the commuting around here is too good to justify to myself the higher cost, pollution and nuisance (parking in the city, mandatory inspections) it would mean.

/Stefan

BobTheDog · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:10 am Post subject:

Well I never owned a car until I was 40, motorbikes were getting too dangerous for me so I got one of these:

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[/img]

Antimon · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:26 am Post subject:

Uncle Krunkus · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:32 am Post subject:

We've got a Toyota Camry which is a very family centric, use only as we need to kind of car. We go for a drive up to Coffs Harbour for out of the ordinary shopping about once a month. Just simply can't afford petrol now. It takes more than AU$100 to fill it up!!! Rolling Eyes

I usually drive to work, but I really should ride my bike. It'd be better for me too. We did just put a new stereo in it, with a USB port, so I'm listening to music I like again in the car.
Unfortunately, I can only see petrol getting more and more expensive. There has been a big increase lately in "midnight siphoning" going on around here. You fill the tank and then, all of a sudden, it's almost empty. Desperate times I s'pose. Luckily we've got a lock on the cap.
I like driving a lot. But I've never been much of a rev-head. So many people around here die on the highway, that you just don't do it more than you need to. Especially as a parent.

Jyoti · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 7:33 am Post subject:

dewdrop_world · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:02 am Post subject:

Primarily as needed, although I can't rule out a road trip once in awhile. Those are rare.

Living in the DC suburbs where public transportation is spotty and slow at best, you kind of have to have a car. I would rather do without one.

But, at least I chose a light and efficient -- not to mention quirky/stylish -- model that routinely gets 35+ mpg.

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James

RF · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 9:56 am Post subject:

When I want to enjoy the trip I use my 1948 Luscombe 8e.
(The posted pic is not my plane, but as close a pic as I could find of the same model and year)

110 mph cruise speed @ 4 Gal per hour, 85 horsepower.
Seats 2 and a couple overnight bags (Although I did cram an accoustic guitar in on a couple trips)

Otherwise I drive a jeep or motorcycle - depending on the weather.

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Oenyaw · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 10:56 am Post subject:

I'm American. Of course I drive a car. I live 35 miles from work, my wife 45 miles. I would LOVE to have the opportunity of public transportation, but that's not going to happen here. My drive to work 1/3 two lane road, 2/3 four lane road. Hardly anyone else on the road. That's why I just got the motorcycle. Better gas milage, open road, more fun. My wife has a 2004 Mustang Convertable. I have a 2004 Scion XA. She's going to start driving the Scion when I get to the point that I drive the bike to work. (Still waiting on the windshield brackets, and now I discovered a minor flaw with the rear brake pedal.) My wife also has a 1969 Mercury Cougar which is in the state of perpetual restoration. We do what we can when we can afford it.

I lived in Dallas, TX for 8 years. Scary place to drive every day. Public transportation is a pitiful joke. A few big cities in the US have public tranportation, but not many. Nothing like Europe. I have noticed in old movies that at one time, there were electric trains (trolley cars) all over the US. Which brings us to this....

The Great American Streetcar Scandal[1] was the acquisition of streetcar systems throughout the United States, dismantling, and replacement with buses in the mid 20th century by the National City Lines (NCL) holding company, formed by General Motors, Firestone Tire, Standard Oil of California and Phillips Petroleum. It is alleged that NCL's companies had an ulterior motive in their purchase of streetcar systems of forcing mass use of the automobile among the U.S. population.

Convicted of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act, GM was fined $5,000 and each executive was ordered to pay a fine of $1 for a conspiracy to force the streetcar systems to buy GM buses instead of other buses (but not for dismantling the streetcar systems, which were also being dismantled by non-NCL owned systems).

Between 1936 and 1950, National City Lines bought out more than 100 electric surface-traction systems in 45 cities, including Detroit, New York, Oakland, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Salt Lake City, Tulsa, Baltimore, Minneapolis, Seattle and Los Angeles, and replaced them with GM buses. The scandal is rehashed in books like Fast Food Nation and the film Who Framed Roger Rabbit; testimony by Government Attorney Bradford Snell to a United States Senate inquiry in 1974 gave the scandal its current prevalence and weight in U.S. popular culture.

The scandal also invokes the Interstate Highway System as an additional culprit, because the system began its initial construction in California after the large-scale dismantling of that state's trolley network.

Others however argue that streetcars faded away at the invention of the internal combustion engine and rise of the private automobile, and then the bus. At one time, virtually every city over 10,000 in America had at least one streetcar company, before the invention of the automobile and the bus. 95% of all streetcar systems were at one time privately owned. The claim by transit advocates that "General Motors conspired to destroy the nation’s transit systems by replacing "efficient" streetcars with 'dirty' buses...." is not true and "has been debunked by numerous books and articles."[3]

"General Motors did purchase an interest in various transit companies, but its only goal was to sell its brand of buses to companies that were already converting from streetcars to buses. The simplest evidence of this is that General Motors never controlled more than a small fraction of the nation’s transit lines, and it controlled none after 1949."

The CATO Institute, a libertarian think-tank, however, chose its language carefully: stating that General Motors, alone, never controlled more than a "small fraction" of streetcars is misleading. The issue is whether NCL, of which GM was a part in affiliation with Standard Oil of California, Firestone, and Phillips Petroleum, controlled a substantial amount of the streetcar industry between 1936 and 1950 (in this context, this also renders the notion of GM controlling no streetcars after 1949 as somewhat of an aside).

ect, ect, ect. Sad

DrJustice · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:36 pm Post subject:

Nice rides you all got!

I'll have to say that RF's Luscombe stands out Surprised

Planes were considered for the poll... I love aircraft too, but they're kind of out of reach. I go to air shows instead; was at The National Air Races in Reno once - what a spectacle! I did get my glider C-diploma once upon a time, but sadly there's been almost no flying since.

OK - gotta have pics...

First Bella and the Brute - Alfa Romeo 156 SW GTA and Volkswagen Corrado G-60. The Corrado is just a big go-cart. With tweaked engine and suspension it's a right laugh to drive. Sweden is motoring heaven to us Norwegians, so when I moved there I could finally fulfill the dream of a spiffy Italian Very Happy

Next up are the small and big tractors - Jonsered LT 2216 and Massey Ferguson MF35. Can't leave them out! The Massey paves way for the others in the winter.

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DJ
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elektro80 · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject:

Nice cars!
Very Happy

Jyoti · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 12:59 pm Post subject:

Antimon · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:40 pm Post subject:

Jyoti · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 1:54 pm Post subject:

I nearly crapped myself driving in Sweden as I've never driven on the right-hand side before. Right-handed roundabouts! Eeek! Shocked

Plus, I got a bit confused and drove onto some tram tracks. The other musicians were less than ecstatic with that navigational gambit.

And then in a cafe on Aveny in Gothenburg, I noticed that a painting had all the road traffic depicted as the same as Britain, i.e. on the left.

They should never have switched! Razz

Blue Hell · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 2:38 pm Post subject:

Oskar · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 1122 Location: Norway

Oskar · Joined: Jul 29, 2004 Posts: 1122 Location: Norway

Fantastic post, Oenyaw! thumleft

DrJustice · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject:

sebber · Posted: Thu Jul 24, 2008 5:50 pm Post subject:

I never cared to buy a car but I'm a car-sharer for 15 years. Works very well most of the time. The cars are clean (mine wouldn't be), scratchless (ahem) and totally unsexy (hm).
Recently I saw an orange Porsch 911 form the 60's for €6000. Ah, that would've been very nice. But the price is too good to be true. Guess I'd ended up with 60.000 renovating the thing.