Timewaster's Guide Archive

General => Rants and Stuff => Topic started by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 10:12:52 AM

Title: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 10:12:52 AM
yeah, i'm the biggest starter of rant threads I think.

anyway, in an effort to prove to me that I *will not* get finances under control and that life is not idyllic,

my car died on the way to work. THe cheap one, not the van. Hopefully it's just a battery I have NO desire to pay for towing that will be half the value of the car.

Yay me.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: fuzzyoctopus on February 02, 2004, 11:14:32 AM
Our car needs the transmission fixed because we've almost totally lost high gear, so we just have to putz around town in D2.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 11:17:50 AM
sweet. But at least it starts, tho even in my case that would be a MAJOR problem. My commute is something like the equivelant of Point of the Mountain to Bountiful, and even though there's traffic, I do need to be able to get the speed up for large chunks of it.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: stacer on February 02, 2004, 11:29:38 AM
Ah, the wonder of public transportation. Not that I'm saying I like it, but it does make me grateful that I don't have a car when people tell me such horror stories of their own. I never had a problem with my little Escort until it was totaled (which was definitely a problem), but now I live a block from the T and 5 or 6 blocks from the bus and can usually get wherever I need to go on those, and have kind neighbors with cars when I need to go farther.

Kind of nice that the metro area of Boston is relatively small (what, maybe 15 miles across, total? it's absolutely tiny).
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 11:31:43 AM
there is a bus stop that I could get to pretty quick, and a metro rail station very close, however, no rails near my work, and getting to work by bus would take 2 or 3 transfers, and take something on the order of an hour and a half to 2 hours. Since I have to be at work at 8, this cost in time is anathema to me. Too bad, becuase it'd probably save me money in the long run.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: stacer on February 02, 2004, 11:48:00 AM
It can be like that for me to get to the temple--it's 8 miles away, yet it takes a bus to the T to another bus to get there, then a 5-block walk. 1 1/2 to 2 hours each way. Ridiculous. So I grab a ride whenever I can, but am at the mercy of other people's schedules, and sometimes I feel like I really ought to just sacrifice the time. But getting to work is another matter--getting there quickly is the most important thing. Especially if you don't have to pay for parking when you get there (not going to happen in Boston).
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 11:56:12 AM
heck, you could almost walk the 8 miles in that time.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: fuzzyoctopus on February 02, 2004, 12:13:24 PM
I'm just glad I can take the bus to classes, and that where I live, 4 different busses run by.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 12:19:03 PM
yeah, I never thought I'd say that much nice about Provo, but as advanced as the DC Metro (mass transit) is, it isn't always the easiest thing to get to.  But in Provo, you're never all that far from a bus stop, which came in very handy a number of times while I was there.

And an update:

My dad didn't have to go into work today, so he graciously volunteered to go look at the car. SO he gets there, he gets in, and the car starts, no problem.

Which is part relief, part "you mean the ONLY reason it broke down is so I'd be late for work?"

I should stop whining though. I'm VERY glad the car doesn't need major work. Yet.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: Gemm: Rock & Roll Star; Born to Rock on February 02, 2004, 01:09:16 PM
Yeah, my dad's car is pretty much saying it wants to go. But my dad won't let her. She's a 95 Oldsmobile. A goodly 160,000 miles or so on her. Just a few months ago when I went home I started feeling/hearing this grinding under the drivers side. I tell my dad, I thought it was the wheel axle or something, and he tells me its probably the muffler. (I have very little knowledge of the workings of the underside of a car) So I think, great, yet another problem with the car.

What I can't wait for is when they do get a new car and, possibly, give me that old one. MMMmm goody. I'll have stories like SE's possibly.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: fuzzyoctopus on February 02, 2004, 02:45:29 PM
Our car's going to hit 200,000 miles in about a month.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: JP Dogberry on February 02, 2004, 05:44:16 PM
As soon as I move, I'll be relying on public transport, since I neither have a car, nor the ability to drive one. I don't mind though, since the city has a great public transport system.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: EUOL on February 02, 2004, 08:48:52 PM
I'll add my 'car rant' to this one, though it's really an 'insurance rant.'  

Maybe we've discussed this before, but is anyone else bothered by the way that insurance companies aren't restricted by common anti-discrimination laws?

I've never been in a wreck.
I've never had a speeding ticket.
I've NEVER EVEN BEEN PULLED OVER.
I've never claimed anything on my insurance at all.

Yet, despite all of this, I pay about $1,200 a year in insurance--which is more than some women I know who have worse driving records.  Statistically, I'm still 'more likely' to get into a wreck because I'm male.  
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 08:56:54 PM
That pisses me off too.  I just am not a big fan of insurance companies in general.  I have had no good experiences with them.   I drive better than anyone in my family, immediate or extended, but I will still have some of the highest rates in the country because I am a teenage boy who lives in Michigan.  That is, once I have a liscense and not a permit...
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 09:17:44 PM
I think they aren't covered by the laws because they have indisputable statistics showing that one group is more likely to do something.

the odds are against you.

But yeah, it still sucks.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 09:22:54 PM
You can say that again...
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: EUOL on February 02, 2004, 09:30:21 PM
SE:  See, but I'm saying that the statistics shouldn't be legal.  Can you refuse to hire someone from a minority because 'statistically' they're more likely to steal from the till?
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 09:30:21 PM
Quote
You can say that again...


ok

Quote
I think they aren't covered by the laws because they have indisputable statistics showing that one group is more likely to do something.

the odds are against you.

But yeah, it still sucks.

Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 09:32:20 PM
On a completely off subject, your monkey lost his blindfold... what's up with that...

And thanks for the completely literal translation of my request...
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 09:34:48 PM
np, i am nothing if not literal.. literary... or something....

the blindfold was added while my level title was "blind, deaf, and mute." I am no longer under that title, so I went back to the original icon. Note the side burns.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 09:40:31 PM
Well, well, well, aren't we the clever one?
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: EUOL on February 02, 2004, 09:42:49 PM
Man, SE, if the forum dueling game ever goes live, you are going to totally whomp everyone.  You're twice the level of most of us.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 09:45:35 PM
that's because I'm a blabber mouth. The only person I don't have twice as many posts (at least) is Fell. ANd that's just a matter of time. (2 months, I think tops. if I had 200 more posts, I'd be there, but Fell posts a lot too).
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: EUOL on February 02, 2004, 09:46:49 PM
I don't check it a lot, but doesn't AORP have something to do with your furious posting?  You have to moderate all of those games.  
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 09:49:30 PM
it used to. But AORP's been quite slow for a while.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 09:51:31 PM
I'd hate to be the ignorant newbie, but since I am anyway, AORP?
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 02, 2004, 10:00:56 PM
Arthurian Online RolePlaying
It's a game I run on the forum using D&D 3.5 rules. Started a long time ago
Hopefully it will reach a conclusion in the next year or so.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 02, 2004, 10:03:37 PM
Sounds fun.  I'm more of a tactical game of wahammer myself (as opposed to D&D anyway)... although my tyranids need more black paint before I can play with them.
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: EUOL on February 03, 2004, 12:17:56 AM
If you look down at the bottom of the forum page, there are a lot of different forum-based RPG's going on.  I'm not sure how many of them update and all that, since I tend to hang out on these top threads, but the time I took part in one it was fun.  
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: The Holy Saint, Grand High Poobah, Master of Monkeys, Ehlers on February 03, 2004, 07:40:31 AM
Here's what we have:

AORP: Arthurian fantasy using D&D 3.5 rules. I'm the GM, and I update at least three times a week.

Avast Ye: Fantasy Pirates (Arr!) using Savage World rules. Dr. P updates once a weekday if he remembers. This usually works out to also about 3 times a week.

Patriot City: superhero mutants using Palladium rules. Dead. Officially ended.

Back for Seconds: Honk Kong action movie style using Feng Shui rules. Jeffe is GM and is slow about updating. Though it's still fun to read

TW(i)G is not a game, it's working out a setting for us to make an RPG in, as well as a miniature battle system, maybe a card game, and do some fiction. It the official TWG fantasy setting. Some more articles on it will be appearing VERY soon. The first one is locating under "articles" in our RPG section off the main page. I'm too lazy to look up the link.

Writers Group is also not a game. It's er.. a writer's group discussion forum.

All of those forums are available in the "Alternate REalities" section of the message board
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: Entsuropi on February 03, 2004, 11:32:01 AM
Writers group is a roleplaying game! It gives us downtime XP!
Title: Re: car rant
Post by: GorgonlaVacaTremendo on February 03, 2004, 05:59:31 PM
I should really look into those...interesting with a sort of donuty goodness...