Would you have a Mercedes to drive at 35 kph Max?

This is The Bermuda Highway

When American visitors first visit the island the first thing that they notice is that Bermuda drives  on the left. The second thing they notice is that they never ever find the main highway. Nothing like what they left in the United States. Most people think their king-sized mattress is wider than Bermuda's roads. The continuous middle unbroken line is the same throughout the system. Overtaking in never legally sanctioned.

So, why on earth would you buy a top performing car such as a Mercedes or BMW? You wouldn't do so for any practical reason, because it is highly unlikely that you will ever reach fifth gear. Not only are the roads very narrow, they are also congested. The island is controlled by a law that allows only one car per household. However, when Bermuda's economy was raging people bought their own homes just so they could have their own cars. Now, Bermuda has too many homes and too many cars.

Government tried to discourage the high-end cars by applying an import tax of 110% of the landed value of these cars. Clearly you would have to have more money than you knew what to do with to buy these cars. The fact is that many people who want to show off are doing just that.

The most popular car on the island has become the American Jeep, especially the Jeep Patriot right hand drive.  I personally like this particular model and I think I would have this car if I lived there.

Add to the tiny roads and the massive traffic buildup the fact that Bermuda has a fleet of buses that are driven by the most expert drivers, as well as trucks delivering cargo containers to and from ships. The chaos is incredible and calls for totally sober drivers who are focused.

Oh! Did I mention the tourists on their mopeds who are anything but focused?

Happy motoring folks! Small wonder the maximum speed limit is 35 kph.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

New Laws - Continued

Caution! New Laws Ahead

One of the things I observed when I first came to Spain was that many men went through every day pissed out of their minds. It started with coffee at breakfast that was embellished with brandy, and that was followed up with a litre of beer at eleven that went with a bocadillo. Then, if the guy was a construction worker he would go back up on the scaffolding and fall off, and then wonder what happened. At lunch time you could drink a full bottle of wine if you wanted, because wine cost less than coca cola. During the later afternoon a short coffee with a good shot of whisky would be just fine. Then at night there would be more alcohol, but in the meantime he drove to work and then back home, and whereever else he had to go.

It was so common I thought it would never change, but change it has, and along with the change of habits has come a huge drop in deaths on the road. Now to push a little harder the incentives to not drink and drive just increased by 100%. The punishment for drinking and then getting on your bike or in your car just went from 500 euros to 1000 euros for a first offense, if you didn't actually kill yourself. Then, if you were so silly to do it again the cost goes to 2,000 euros. Don't even think about a third offense. The same thing goes for the druggies who prefer to take their poison directly in their veins.

When I saw how people were making an effort to sober up I concluded that I would simply not touch a drop of alcohol if there is even a possibility that I may have to drive because these roads are crazy enough as it is. How do I feel about the crackdown?  Frankly, considering how much trouble a drunk driver could cause innocent people, I say if the new punishments serve to save just one family from misery, then so be it. That includes myself should I lose my mind and drink and drive.

A funny side to the new regs is that pedal cyclists are no longer subject to keeping their speed up to a minimum of 50% of the maximum. Many roads that cyclists use carry a maximum limit of 80, so can you just see a poor cyclist struggling on an uphill stretch to keep it up to 40 kilometroes. It's enough to give you a heart attack.

Finally, the parliament is seriously considering increasing the limit along some stretces from 120 to 130 klms, but that really means that people  who regularly drive at 130 can now drive at 150. I see this as a sort of reward for being disciplined and obeying the regs, to let off a little steam. If it doesn't lead to an increase in the death rate on the road, then all will be well.

Unfortunately, we'll just have to wait and see.


Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

How do you make a Boeing 777-200ER Disappear?

By paying attention to the smallest detail.

When I first heard that MH370 had gone off course and its identifying systems had been shut down I muttered to myself, "Oh Shit!" Al Qaeda up to its nefarious tricks again. However, I have held this theory to myself as I have watched developments spellbound for almost one full month. The more I see the more I am convinced that we are watching the execution of a well crafted and supported plan that has been a long time in the making and preparation.

If we accept that all we think we know of the plane's movements were caused by deliberate human action with a purpose, then we can expect that the plane has not crashed into the Indian Ocean, except through an accident, but is rather safely parked somewhere in North Western Australia under a false mountain, and the passengers and crew are the guests of their abductors awaiting the other shoe to fall.

This may sound far- fetched, but if Disney can make whole sets of buildings and mountains of fake material, so can Al Qaeda. There is the Great Sandy Desert in the North West of Australia, and Australia is bigger than all of Europe with a whole lot of unoccupied space, so its just a matter of having got the plane down without it being noticed.

Al Qaeda promised that something was going to happen, and they would have the ego to outdo their 9/11 "masterpiece."  The modus operandi is the same. With 9/11 they first flew one plane into tower one, and when they had the world's attention they flew the second plane into the other tower.

MH370 has completely dropped off the face of the earth for almost one full month and the greatest mystery of all time has consumed the world. It is topic A  around the world which mimmicks the crash into the first tower. Now, while everybody is paying attention we can expect something new to happen, perhaps on April 8th, being the one month anniversary of the disappearance.

So far an intensive sea search has been taking place involving a massive assortment of men and equipment at a staggering cost, but it all reminds me of the great magicians who make gigantic objects appear and disappear before our eyes through the use of misdirection. While the search has been taking place at sea they could have had time to cover their tracks on land.

Some people have suggested that the terrorists may have stolen the plane for a future attack. Why not steal a cargo plane? Because if people are stolen as well that involves a great many families and we can all empathise with them. That's the human factor.

What would be the point of this if a terrorist action? Other than theatre there doesn't have to be a real point. The attacks on 9/11 demanded no money or release of prisoners. It was simply Show Business, that demonstrated what Al Qaeda was capable of.

So, stand by and keep vigilant on April 8th, two days from today for Breaking News!

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael 

The Wonderful World of YouTube

A Great place to go To!

YouTube is either a really wonderful world into which we can retreat and spend a great adventure, or it might be this huge maze into which we go to totally lose ourselves for hours on end. A friend sent me a Chris Harris video review about the new Jaguar F-Type Coupe R, 550 hp sports car. The video runs for fifteen minutes and is a delight to watch because the car is wonderful. However, the fifteen minutes I took to watch the video was only the beginning of a full afternoon of going from one video to another. It's an addicition once you get started, as I'm sure is not news to anyone.

A full choice of topics was displayed that got my attention, and held it for hours. So, of course I am going to list some of the videos so you too can get hooked. At least you have my warning that you will absolutely enjoy these videos, including some that will make you laugh uncontrollably. But hey, go for it!

-Best of Car Fail Compilations
-Top Funny Fails
-The luckiest people Compilations
-Women Drivers-How to destroy a car in seconds
-Insane woman driver-Police pursuit in the United States
-Police pursuit of stolen Tank in San Diego

If you go for these six videos you should allow an entire afternoon because you will be still watching, and possibly laughing or holding your breath well into the night.

Enjoy!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

Drivers beware! Here comes another Ten Commandments.

Moses with the famous Ten Commendments

The Spanish Parliament has given a first reading to a raft of new laws of the road, and I hear you say, "Groan..Oh No!" That is because we motorists instinctively know that we're not going to like the new rules. We know this is just another way of reaching into our pockets while perhaps including some common sense measures to keep us out of the hospital.

I will not try and treat all of the new measures in one sitting as it will help us to understand each law if we try and go behind what is written to gain a better understanding. So, over the coming weeks we will select a few and place them in focus.

Perhaps my favourite new measure (not) is that the police will be able to fine a vehicle without having to bother to stop it and give the driver a ticket. I can see situations in which this may be desirable, such as a passing motorist on the mobile phone, or even speeding if taking chase will place others in danger There are also a large number of numbskull drivers who deliberately run red lights, some from a stopped position. However, what concerns me is that there is so much inefficiency within the bureaucracy that even if you take the time to go to Trafico and report your change of address they might still go on sending trafic tickets to your old address for years. That way, a ticket that goes unpaid turns into a kind of bond which attracts interest in the government's favour. When it finally comes to your attention you find that the tickets is worth more than your house. That could never be anybody's else's fault other than the owner of the car. Could it?

There will be a change that will affect pedal cyclists that will require only riders up to the age of sixteen to wear helmets. Originally the thinking was that all cyclists be required to wear them, however, adults, who should have more intelligence, objected that to have to wear a helmet would disturb their hairstyle, and that it just isn't necessary because they are never travelling that fast. This was a very vocal group that made more noise about it than was appropriate, so I suppose authorities threw their hands in the air and concluded that if the restriction is only applied to children who are not legally able to make the decision for themselves, than the adults will just have to learn for themselves that when you come off a pedal cycle and land on your head and go to hospital, the first thing they do there is cut your hair off to try and treat your injury.

The hope is that the rider's head will be hard enough to substitute for a helmet. Should children be found riding without a helmet, even those children who left home wearing one at their parent's insistence, their parents will be fined 200 euros. Bet that will be taken out of the inheritance.

Speaking of children, none will be allowed to ride in the front passenger seat if their height doesn't measure at least 1.35 metres, unless the back seat if full of children, or if the car doesn't have a back seat.

This seems to be a safety regulation to keep children from possibly losing their lives. It has never been a good idea to place young children or babies in the front passenger seat as in the case of a frontal collision it is doubtful whether a child could survive. So, why the exclusions? Well, the exclusions will save the driver from receiving a ticket and fine, but then he can proceed and go straight to the crash site. What is needed here is better planning. Generally  parents can avoid putting children at this level of risk through cooperation of car sharing. If you have a Porsche two seater you normally won't have kids, or you will use the Volvo, so forget the exclusions. Let's not take the chance with our children's lives and limbs. All we need to avoid doing that is common sense.

More of the New Commandments at a later date.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael  

You don't want your make and model car on this list!

Honda Accord 1994-One of Honda's most popular models is twenty years old.

This car was one of Honda's most popular which retains its ownership satisfaction even after twenty years. People just don't want to give them up, and it continues to be a smart design. If it were a song it would be a Gold album, but all of those things are also its problems.

Insurance companies keep all sorts of statistics, and unfortunately the 1994 Honda Accord was the car most stolen during 2010 in The United States, and probably elsewhere as well.. Why? Because getting replacement parts from dealers is becoming difficult as this car has now outlived its projected lifespan. But, try telling that to proud and happy owners who want to keep it running, especially as the world economy is still in crisis. To make matters worse, this was a car that was manufactured before vehicle security became sophisticated, so it is easy to get into without damaging the car itself.

So, the black market responds by stealing this model in droves, stripping them down to the bone and the parts end up with legitimate secondhand parts dealers.

An internet article says that an A/C compressor sells for about $350 with no guarantee how long it might work. A part for the ABS braking system could set you back about $450, all to keep your car running until it too is stolen. However, the same article suggests that by simply locking the steering wheel with a club may encourage the thief to look for another car without the secondary lock.

The rest of the list of Most Stolen was as follows:
No. 2 The 1995 Honda Civic. (Again, Honda at the top for the wrong reasons.)
No. 3 The 1991 Toyota Camry
No. 4 The 1999 Chevy Full Size Pickup
No. 5 The 1997 Ford F-150 Series Pickup
No. 6 Dodge Ram 2000
No. 7 Dodge (again) 2000 Caravan
No. 8 Acura 1994 Integra
No. 9 The Big 2000 Ford Explorer
No. 10 The 1999 Ford Tauras

I had a Chrysler Voyager seven-seater that was stolen, and it broke my heart because I loved that car. I was telling a Spanish friend that I had my car stolen, and he replied, Why? Why what? Why did you have your car stolen? Were you trying to get the insurance money? You could go to jail for that!

Some things just don't translate well at all, do they?

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael  

Why don't we slow down?

Multi-vehicle pile ups. We should avoid this happening.

Every winter brings several reports of massive pile ups, sometimes of more than one hundred vehicles. I live in a warm-ish part of the country so the only weather inspired conditions that might lead to massive pile ups is torrential rain. However, I always have to wonder whether extreme weather conditons makes drivers lose our minds.

I have driven in some conditions that scared me to death, but I always slow down, but that in itself can be a cause of  perhaps the first crash in a series. My first exposure was in Toronto during a blizzard. I was so unnerved I pulled off the road at the first motel I came to and fortunately they had a room available where I stayed until the weather cleared.

The problem was that other drivers carried on as though it were a bright and clear day. That fact was that you really couldn't see where you were going, they were just hoping all would be well. I guess their thinking was that they had a long way to go to get to their destination, so they had to keep up their speed. Then, of course, inevitably, they crash into the pileup and fail to get to their destination for days, if at all.

People who live in areas where ice and snow and flooding are normal hazards should also know when to venture out onto the roads, and when not to, and if they have to do so, they will know that if the roads are icy you will slip and slide. It simply doesn't make sense to put your car and other people at risk. YouTube has several videos of cars that slip down some really steep hills. What were the drivers doing there in the first place?

I'm not going to spend too much time dwelling on this topic because the solution to avoiding being part of massive car pile ups is obvious. Time to use common sense and stay out of trouble.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

A Bright and Sun Shiny Day!

Time to take to the Road!

If it's a Sunday, and sunny and dry and warm, it's like a shot of adrenaline to all we petrol heads. It's time to bring our classic and much beloved cars and motorcycles out from beyond their covers, and to rouse them from their long winter's sleep and hit the road.

A day of really good weather is a call from the heart to get up, and to get out and play. Our spirits are sent soaring, if we have a convertible we put the top down, and for this day we are going to live it to the full. Suddenly, country restaurants that have had very quiet Sunday lunches over the winter are overcome with trade. Life has begun anew as we bask in the glorious rays of the sun, our best friend.

It'sgreat to shake off our blue funk and to smile towards one another. The first signs that Spring may be just around the corner are so hopeful. Even when winter truly sets in we know that with a little patience it will soon be Spring. However, I do admit that for me that may be easy to say, because I have not experienced what so many people have had to deal with concerning the conveyor belt of storms and flooding and such disasters. This time it was your turn, but I know that it will be my turn in the not too distant future. All I have to do is wait for it.

If you could have enjoyed this wonderful day, Sunday, February 23rd, 2014, then I certainly hope you did. It was one for the history books.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

The loss of a beloved car is a death in the Family

A really sad sight.

On my other blog, "Formenseyesonly," I addressed extreme weather as the new normal. Of course people have to worry about the loss of the home, injuries to the person, possible sickness that might follow a severe storm, and even loss of life arising as a result of the trauma. When viewing scenes of mass destruction there will always be destroyed cars in the mix, however for most the loss of a car hardly even registers. Unless you are a petrol head who has a passion for a finely made vehicle.

When times are normal and we have the time to develop interests, many people choose to invest their focus in their cars or motorcycles. I belong to the Jaguar Enthusiasts Club, a group of owners who should treat their wives or husbands as well as they do their cars. Sometimes I think we go way overboard in our passion. I own a Jag Sovereign that was manufactured in 1995, but looks and runs as though it just came out of the showroom. How can this be? For one thing, I drive it very rarely, only on sunny days, and I clean it before returning it to the garage, where I then cover it, including padding where it might be touched or something rested upon it. See what I mean about over the top?

However, even I think that some of my fellow members are really over the top with the type of care and loving attention they vest in their machines.

Now comes the conveyor-belt storms of recent times and rising floods. Do you stay to try and protect your house, or do you take your precious car and flee the area? Perhaps you do the latter, and like so many people the water on the roads overwhelms the car which becomes totally immersed, and it drowns, as though it were a living relative. How do you deal with that?

It's bad enough to have to cope with the loss of the family car and the lack of transport that follows, but something that has had your total focus is enough to drive a person to drink.

I have often wondered what happens to all those cars after the storm. It is no coincidence that the For Sale listing increases, and of course, many cars that have been salvaged from the water will be available for sale. Where only fresh water saturated the car it may be possible to return the car to use, but if salt water submerged the car I would not be interested. Salt is a major killer of cars. On my island, just normal usage where salt spray gets just about everywhere, I have had cars that rusted away from the engine.

So, let us spare a thought for those who loved their cars and motorcycles and lost them to the storms. For such people that must be like adding salt to a gaping wound.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

Imagine my Surprise!

Every day there is a race taking place somewhere on the planet.

I live in a very sleepy town called Pedralba. There are about 800 people in the town itself, and nothing ever happens here of any great interest, or so I thought. In fact, at least once a year a 10K race, called the Carrera Popular Parque Natural is launched from the main street of Calle Colon in Pedralba. What I didn't realise was that this race draws people from all over the Valencian community. I was not aware because I live outside the town limits in the hills, the suburbs, if you will, and I have never bothered to come into town on this day.

This year I decided to see what happens on race day. Firstly, If you live within the town limits, between certain hours you are not allowed to use your vehicle. If you need to go somewhere you will have to move early. Everyone else can only park our cars and bikes on the outskirts. I parked in a farmer's field that had been flattened, but the dirt was very red. Thankfully, it didn't rain, but when the event was done I had to take my car directly to the carwash.

As I walked down into the town, runners who had arrived by car were running downhill, but others were running up hill. As I entered the town proper there were people running one way across town, while others were running in the opposite direction. In fact, choose any street and people were running one way or the other. To confuse things further, a police car, complete with screaming siren, that became even more agitated on corners seemed to be heading some runners, while others completely ignored  it.

As I got to the main road through the town I had to pinch myself because I had never seen so many people in Pedrabla. My estimate, including the townsfolk, is there were between three and four thousand people taking up every available bit of space. I try and imagine the reaction of the farmers, except I suspect they were all out in their fields.

There were runners from places far away, including Chinese, Brazilian, and Eastern Europe, etc, including one black guy and one black woman.

I discovered that there was a principal race that began at 11am. this was the 10K. There were about 1500 people for this event. It was interesting to note that the first runner passed under the starting arch promptly at 11am, and the last one crossed at 11:09.58. Almost 10 minutes to fully start the race.

The day was wonderful, being sunny with a light crisp wind. Not too bad to stand and wait for the runners to return to the end, but absolutely perfect to run in. The first person to cross the finish line did so at 11:34:33, and the last person finished at 13:15:34. She received a really terrific round of applause because she was a really largely built person, so it must have taken tremendous determination to complete the loop.

It was so exciting for me to see my town come so alive, and a whole lot more exciting to have been there than to simply read my account. However, my pride in my little town of Pedralba has grown tremendously. Normally most people don't have a clue where it is located. I always say that it is so remote that it doesn't even have a Chinese 5 and 10 shop. However, I suspect that the Chinese runners would have noticed that. I think we can expect a Chinese Bazar any day now.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

The Character of the road you drive on.

What lies ahead?

We generally think of a roadway as being something inanimate, without a soul or heart or character. However, that could hardly be farther from the truth. If we fail to recognize what the road has waiting for us up ahead, we could easily come unstuck.

It stands to reason that roadways are built to fit into the land that is available to the roads management group, which may mean that the road contains dangerous twists and turns that ideally should have not been in-built, but could not be avoided. As the driver we have to be on our guard at all times to adjust our speed and to heighten our caution.

A common mistake we make is that we assume that roads management always know what they are doing. Wrong! One classic clue is given when we are leaving a towm and the speed limit goes from 50 to 70, but then, a mere ten metres farther it is reduced back to 50. Why bother with the 70 sign? Is that really intelligent? Many a driver has said, "what the fuck!"

Roads management have done certain things in their design, presumably inadvertant, that give bad mis-direction, such as painting the road to encourage the driver to turn his car to the left at a stop sign, thereby cutting off his line of sight to be able to see oncoming traffic. You will most likely follow this signage at least once, but once could be all that it takes.

Then there is the matter of roundabouts. Here in Spain they have only recently found wide acceptance, but most drivers really are not comfortable using them. For entertainment purposes, find a bar with a terrace that overlooks a roundabout, especially one with several lanes. Good fun, that!

I could go on and on about the fact that roads are living things, but as drivers we only need to be aware that roads can be deadly or kind, to remember to pay strict attention at all times.

Wait until you are back at home to relax with a single malt whisky or a fine brandy. One more day as a survivor of the roads is worth celebrating.

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

Amazing! The things people say and do from a moving vehicle.

Everybody will chase you if you say the wrong thing.

All drivers suffer from the same illness. When we are behind the wheel we suffer from a lack of patience, and we seem to think that we have the right to say whatever comes to mind, including the making of the most rude gestures. I have had to deliberately think about my own behaviour and tone things down. I have been too ready to slag off others for the slightest offence, as seen from my eyes. Apparently, I have been the very model of all that is right and just. (Yeah, Right!)

Firstly, there's the loss of patience. I am tackling that by taking a deep breath before I turn the key. In that breath is my caution to myself to take things easy. I actually find that it does work, to the extent that I hardly notice the faults of others. I am ready for them by expecting the unexpected, such as the person who is on the exit lane, then changes their mind and suddenly comes back on to the highway. No pasa nada! I try not to immediately go into meltdown by screaming "shit for brains."

People give the bad finger salute to one another, or they taunt the other person even if both cars are going in the same direction. I once came up upon a car that was traveling very slowly, so I made as to overtake him. He picked up speed, so I fell back behind him. Then he slowed right down to a crawl pace. O.K. War was declared! My head exploded, but I took that deep breath and thought through to how that was likely to end. So, at the very next turnoff, I took a left onto the side road and stopped off the road, and calmed myself down. Within seconds I could hear from up the road the sounds of several cars blowing their horns, then calm again, so presumably he picked up speed to everyone's satisfaction. I did not kill a man that day.

A really offensive thing is the driver who roars up behind you, honking his horn for you to get out of his way. I really do believe that in most cases this is simply not necessary, but there might be the one case of genuine emergency, so best to let the person get past you without taking offence.

Road rage can produce some alarming behaviour, and sometimes the offended driver might take chase. How is that likely to end? The nicest thing to have happened to me on a lonely road, was to meet a car coming towards me. We both had to slow right down to make the pass. Just as we were driver to driver, the woman behind the wheel raised her shirt revealing two very lovely breasts. Then, in an instant she was gone.

That happened about thirty years ago. It is as fresh in my mind today as when it happened. That was just lovely!

Copyright (c) 2014   Eugene Carmichael

The Greatest danger to you and me: Texting while driving!

Why do we even think this is a reasonable thing to do?

Firstly, there is the distinction between our living rooms and our cars: In our living rooms we are free to do as we please as usually we are able to concentrate on whatever we wish. In our cars we are obliged to concentrate on one thing only while in motion, and that is the road ahead.

With that in mind, first came mobile phones that were used solely for the sending and receiving of oral messages. We thought that was just so cool to be in contact while on the move. However, from the start the phone was a dangerous distraction. That led to the development of the handsfree unit that allowed the driver to talk and still keep his eyes on the road. However, focus is still drawn away from the thousand things that must be avoided ahead, and so the crashes continued.

Now, twitter, facebook, and a number of other social sites encourage text messages to the extent that people have become addicts to their phones. It's a strange event to occur in our lives that when a phone rings our immdeiate response is to stop what we are doing to answer, even if we are in the act of physically making love. That is simply taking matters way over the top!

In the United States of America, a report on 2009 distracted driving crashes found that 5,474 people died as a result of drivers who were distracted by others in the car; by eating, drinking, smoking, adjusting the radio, making other adjustments, reaching for an object, such as the electronic lighter and lighting cigarettes; and of course, the use of mobile phones accounting for 20% of the total.

Texting behind the wheel while in motion is on the increase, but if the simple use of even a hands-free phone to hold a conversation is dangerous, the use of a device that requires the driver to look at it while sometimes driving at speed increases the risk that other people will be killed by the potenially lethal machine under the driver's control; but so is that likely for the driver and the passengers in the car.

What this comes down to is that the driver has to enact self discipline. If we need to send a message urgently we must find a safe place to pull off the road, shut down the engine and send the message. For incoming message and calls, let it ring. No one really expects for you to be always and instantly available. If that is what they think they are simply wrong and should be made to understand that is not possible.

I know this is possible to do because I have mastered the discipline. It is not an easy thing, I admit, but at least I am content to know that whatever happens, the likelihood that I will be the one responsible for some one else's death is minimal.

While reflecting on this it would be good to remember that there are at least two major incidents where trains have crashed, resulting in many deaths and lasting injuries to hundreds and hundreds of people, all because the drivers were distracted by their mobile phones.

That is really something to take away from this presentation.

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

1,112! A perverse sort of celebration, but encouraging!

192 fewer of these is cause to celebrate!

The year, 2013 closed marking more progress on the war against death on the roads. Even since the year that the points system was introduced in Spain there has been an unrelenting downward drop in the number of people who have lost their lives in driving crashes. It is very curious that before the points system it was pointed out to drivers that if they continued to act with complete disregard to the rules of the road, they would likely lose their lives. That made no impression at all, but the moment we realised that we could lose our driving permit, the message sunk in.

The loss of life in 2012 stands at 1, 304, but for 2013 the number was 1, 112, a drop of 192. I seem to remember that the worst year on record saw 7, 877 people lose their lives, at a time when there was only a small fraction of the cars and drivers compared to today. Should we see a further drop of 12% this year, for the first time fewer than 1,000 people will lose their lives on the roads.

I sincerely hope that the DGT doesn't lose sight of that goal, and that they will centre a campaign around that objective. I promise to do my part. Will you?

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start your Engines!

Welcome 2014!

So far, we are doing well in ending the old year with fewer people dead from road clashes. It seems that either the road hooligans are growing up and learning to stop being stupid, or they died along the way. For instance, at our new year dinner at a restaurant there were two designated drivers who remained absolutely sober with the responsibility of getting everyone home safely. Deaths on Valencia's road fell by a third over last year, so the message is getting home.

We will have to wait and see what the final figures are country-wide for the year. I can only hope that they too will be down on last year. No where is it written that when you get your driving permit you have to die on the road.

During 2014 we will have to be aware that the DGT now has another weapon at it's disposal. If you are tagged speeding by radar, the following questions will be considered: How fast were you travelling over the limit? Are you driving while impaired? Is your permit in order? Is your car insured by a policy that is currently in force? And, is your car's ITV still current? Even before the officer approaches your car he will know the answer to most of those questions.

It gets worse than that. In my country people have to pass certain points every day to and from work where there are very sophisticated cameras that record your car's number and your picture and feed that information to a computer that checks all of those questions. You are then sent mandatory fines for infractions that you may be committing every day. You could find yourelf with ten days worth of fines to pay, provided that you immediately stop driving until you get the problems fixed.

That could take all of the joy out of being alive!

Stay safe and free of driving fines!

Happy New Year!

Copyright (c) 2014  Eugene Carmichael

Caution! New Year Ahead!

Clear road ahead on the CV-2014

If on January First, 2014 we have survived the roads of Valencia for another full year, we should congratulate ourselves and take a moment to smell the rose of survival. Far too many people needlessly died this past year while simply trying to go from a to z. It didn't have to happen that way. If we survived, our luck held for us and we did nothing to tempt fate.

The good news is that the annual death toll on the roads continues to fall, and hopefully the final figures for 2013 will show an even bigger drop. Of course we will all reach the end of our lives one of these days. That's natural, however, it does not have to be in a car crash, especially one where people who had nothing to do with the incident are killed as well. As long as we continue to remember that our car is not our living room, and that we don't have to answer the phone immediately when it rings we increase our chances of seeing another year off, followed by a brand new one.

The world has become a very interesting place especially because of the pace of change. It makes living to see what's coming next worthwhile. Personally I would like to live to see my 100th birthday just so I don't miss anything really important.

I want to wish all of my fellow drivers a new year without motorig problems of any significance. Perhaps the new year will bring a new car for you, the car of your dreams that will take you to new places to do new things. You just have to stay healthy and alive to realise these possibilities, so drive carefully. Remember that the life you may save may be yours, or mine.


Happy Motoring, 2014!

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

A New Day is Dawning for the World of Driving

Two Ferraris crash. What could possible have caused that?

Driver error would be my guess! That coupled with excessive speed could lead to such an event. I apologise to the drivers if I am wrong but these are really expensive cars, and they are very tempting to drive fast. The fact is that driver error is generally the root cause. I have been reading an opinion by Josh Grasmick, a contributing editor to "Technology Profits Confidential that really resonates with me because my thoughts have been growing along the very lines that if we cannot trust individuals to drive with care, then that responsibility should be taken away from us.

We are living in the age of technology where problems such as this one is within our grasp to resolve. Scientists and engineers have already developed the prototype of flying car, and the driverless car is already here even though we might have driven behind one without knowing. So, why not place more effort behind bringing the technology to the masses? Well, our governments might not want to do so because the high death rates on the road does constitute a form of culling of the species. That sound trite?

The world's population now stands at a bit over seven billion, and by 2050 it is pedicted to rise by 50%. That would be unsustainable, but in the absence of some horrific war that would wipe large chunks of people off the face of the earth, how else do we effect control? Let's face it, any attempt at deliberate birth control will not be polictically acceptable, but if people do insist in treating our cars as our living rooms we will continue to kill ourselves and others.

Once in a while we are treated to film footage from the police helicopter showing what people get up to while driving along the highway. The worst thing has evolved to be driving with a smartphone in hand. I thought a smartphone required a smart person to operate it, but there is nothing at all that is smart about even talking to someone on a hands-free system. I found that I was so distracted that I was missing just too much that was important for me to know.

For my money the sooner hands-free driving comes into being, the better. That would be just about right in terms of timing because I must admit that I no longer enjoy the actual task of driving. I'm happy to get in the car and go when I'm ready, but actual driving has become a real chore.

Can I please retire?

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael 

On the Lighter Side

A really cool Lay-z-Boy Reclining chair

In the eyes of the police there is no such thing as a funny drunk driving story. The police leave their sense of humour at home, so don't try and make them laugh. However, provided no-one has been hurt, you sometimes just have to laugh.

In China, the boss took his employees out to dinner. Afterwards, they all realised they were too drunk to drive and the boss didn´t want to leave his car downtown. He only lived 3 miles from the restaurant, so they asked a policeman what to do. He said that as long as the engine was not turned on the car could be pushed. That is what they did, with the boss sitting behind the wheel. No problem!

In England, a very drunk dad took his daughter's Barbie electric car down his drive and onto the street when the police happened to be passing. They booked him for drunk driving, and when asked to plead, he replied I am a total twit!

A woman who held a very responsible job found herself driving home after having consumed far too much to drink. The 9-1-1 operator received a call about a woman driving while swerving and evidently drunk. What colour of car is it? It's a maroon Chevy, came back the reply. Are you sure the person is drunk? Yes, because I am that person. Wonder whether she got fired or promoted?

Many years ago in my native Bermuda, a real character of a man who owned horses, but who was a real serious drinker lost his license because of multiple DUI convictions. When next seen he was drunk on his horse, so he was charged with operating a vehicle whiled impaired. He said, why don't you charge the horse too, he's drunk as well.
Lawyers spent hours of the court's time arguing whether a horse is a vehicle!

The Lay-Z-Boy recliner pictured above is an amazing chair. It is fillted with an on-board stero system, a cup holder, and a magazine rack. It is also fitted with wheels, a lawnmower engine, a steering column, a clutch and brakes.

It was while the owner was driving home from the bar that he slammed into a parked car that the  trouble began. Now, it has been auctioned off by the police department for $3,700, which they keep. Now they are lying in wait for the guy who bought it,  because they know he won't be able to resist taking her for a spin.

Sometimes, you just gotta laugh!

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael

It's a car! It's a bed!

Congratulations if you ever made love in one of these!

I was talking to a friend about all the cars I have owned over the years and that set me to thinking about the first car I owned, a Ford Prefect, cream colour, bought secondhand from a U.S. Navy officer. I loved that car, and everything about it. I treated it like the most valuable piece of art.

As I drove it around and about I felt that all eyes were on me, and I was King of the Road. I think that every young man wishes for his car to act as a chick magnet. It never occurs to us that the girl is in love with our car, we're just the driver. I wanted to talk a little about the most important aspect of owning a car when you are young and the uses to which we put it.

Sooner or later, (mostly sooner) a young man tries his best to be seen by the girls in the hope that one will find him, or his car attractive, and perhaps he will get to take her for a ride and spend some quality time together.

Let's face it he has sex on his mind, and so does she, or at least something like what he has in mind. But, did the designers of the car ever consider that might be a principal use?  I think frankly, they did, and still do. In fact that may have been the main consideration that led to the front wheel drive. No longer do we have that annoying middle bump that was so hard on my shins.

The times we would take a girl for a drive and fully expect her to "come across" because it was the natural thing to do.  We never had a thought for how the girl felt. I guess the fact that she willingly got in the car with the driver must have meant that she was in the mood to at least fool around a little. However, things had definately gone way too far when the guy would make her get out and walk if she didn't "put out."

Some of the boys who did that went on to grow up and become politicians or bankers, so I guess I can rest my case and say no more. In my own defence I never did do that. In fact I can say, with head held high that I took disappointment fairly well, and in fact my life's mantra is that "Life will hand me disappointments from time to time, whether I am ready or not. I must simply learn to accept them with more grace."

There never has been a lot of room in the cab of the car for making serious love. Some of today's cars have folding seats that leave useful floor space, especially the seven seaters, but will a young person be seen behind the wheel of such a car.

I'm now a 74 year young guy who can still remember with some fondness those early days. The things we got up to in our youth, but amazingly I never broke any laws, although there are some fathers  I would not have liked to have come face to face with.

I have to wonder whether anybody uses their car as a bedroom these days. With motels and Inns that are not shy about making it clear that couples are more than welcome to stop in for a not so quickie, the use of a car might be real tacky.

Times change leaving us with some really pleasent memories and a scrapped car that would have a lot to talk about. It's just as well that cars can't write books.

Copyright (c)  2013   Eugene Carmichael

What on earth?

Something is seriously wrong in the Community of Valencia

It has come to light today, November 22, 2013, that the Department of Traffic has sent out more than a half million demand notes to registered owners of vehicles demanding payment for road tax, and accusing people of not having their vehicle examined by the ITV, (MoT), nor of having held insurance for some time.

Well, yeah, that would be a good exercise to place the spotlight on those who have not been properly following the law, but in one case, one of these letters was addressed to a woman who has been dead for 17 years and her car was passed through the desguace to be written off the road. Another vehicle was written off about 40 years ago, and yet another was written off 43 years ago. In that case it was the driver's first ever car and caused him to sit and look at the letter for a long time to try and remember something about the car. 

What on earth has gone wrong? Could it be that data from the desguaces has not been forwarded to the DGT, or, could it be that the problem exists somewhere within the DGT? Whatever, this is a worrying thing because when we write off our vehicles we walk away with that piece of paper in the knowledge that we have done as we are required and that is the end of it.

To have the DGT come back to us after 43 years demanding that we show cause why we haven't put our car through the ITV or held insurance for these many years, nor paid road tax has to be reason for some sleepless nights. I think someone within the DGT might have picked up on the hint that its not the fault of the car owner. Especially when you are about to send out 500,000 such letters.

Spain, you're a wonderful country and I love you, but when you make a mess its bound to be one that takes one's breath away!

Stay tuned, this can only get worse, much worse!

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

Gloves!

Suddenly, I need my gloves!

We have all been commenting on how warm the weather has been, and even wondering whether we were going to have a winter this year. Personally, I kept the faith. Winter was coming, of that I was sure, but I really didn't do much about preparing for it.

I knew where I had stored my warm things from last winter, and when I needed them I would simply go and find them. Suddenly, in the twinkling of an eye things changed. The winds came down from the north west and all those people on the beach were nowhere to be seen. I was in shock! Quick, get out the electric blanket and the heaters and the socks and long sleeves, and my gloves: Where are my gloves? I have at least three pairs but they are nowhere to be found.

One of the first hints we receive that we are growing old is a failing memory. I am having trouble remembering names and what I had for lunch today, so it was no surprise that I might forget what I did with my gloves from a year ago.

I temporarily gave up looking for them, but it was while thinking about something else I did find them. Where were they? In the most unlikely place. They were in the glove compartment of my car.

What a place to put my gloves. I am simply not that organised. I am becoming scary in my old age.

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

A Pardon is Overturned

Going to Jail

There is a case here in Spain that has troubled a number of people for a long time. The outline is as follows:

In 2003, a man finds himself driving the wrong way along the highway, and he does this for five kilometres. We are not given any idea as to why this happened, such as drunkeness or impairment due to drugs or tiredness. He comes to a sudden halt when he runs headfirst into a car driven by a 25 year old young man. The impact kills that young driver.

The wrong-way driver, that we call here a kamikaze, is found guilty and sentenced to a 13 year jail term, but his lawyers manage to keep him out of jail for nine years when they finally ran out of options and he began to serve his sentence.

After serving only ten months the justice department, through the minister grants him a pardon from serving any more time, and he pays a 4,000 euro fine, and he is free. The public and his family were outraged because they saw a number of factors that may have come together to provide him with such favourable treatment. They saw this as corruption and a miscarriage of justice. They appealed the pardon to the Supreme Court which agreed and over-ruled the it.

The man is still free as the government has three months to either decide to accept the ruling as it stands, in which case he goes back to prison to complete his sentence, or they can confirm the pardon under circumstances that eliminate the doubtful environment that existed at the time.

We must bear in mind that the life of a young man was snuffed out through circumstances that were avoidable. That young man is still dead.

Has Justice been served or made a fool of, that is the question?

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael

What a difference a week makes!

Behold! The first flying cars!
Not these, they are only actors.

In my previous blog of Sunday 20th October, I wrote that I had been daydreaming about flying cars, but that no-one had succeeded in developing one to date, and that I was certain that there would not be a flying car in my lifetime. Well, today, one week later, I am eating my words.

The headline read: "After 80 years on the drawing board, finally success!" That is enough to make me go into culture shock. It seems that the Boston based firm of Terrafugia has spent the past six years engaging all of the finest minds and approximately $10 million to bring to reality the first real flying car. They have completed preliminary testing of a two-seater, with four wheels that will attain a top speed of 70 mph, and will fly at 1,500 feet. Wow! That takes my breath away.

It has received provisional approval from the FAA, and barring any unforseen obstacles could be ready for sale in 2015, although the first generation will likely have a hefty price tag. If we have to ask we can't afford it.

This model will need an airport, so it will be driven like any normal car, only with folded wings, and at the airport the wings are opened and up you go. It is called the Transition and gets 35 miles to the gallon on the highway, and 20 in the air.

Already, a new model is in the works, called the TF-X, a four-seater electric power drive that will be a vertical take off and land system. No airport necessary! It will also employ an Autofly system that will fly itself and have inbuilt crash avoidence guidence.

I now believe that all things are possible in my life time. I should have learned my lesson with the release of Nelson Mandela and the end of Apartheid.

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael  

Flying cars in the Future?

One grounded vision of the future

Often while driving along familiar routes our minds go blank, or we turn to fantasy. I had such an episode recently when I turned to the future of driving. We have seen those fabulous movie scenes where travel by car is off the ground. The Sound and Light studios have developed some incredible visions for us, but will they ever become reality, and if so, why?

I principally drive around Valencia, Spain, a very modern city, but I was trying to visualize cars and trucks moving at streetlight heights off the ground, and how would that work? Firstly, there is the problem of not having mastered safely driving on the ground. For instance, when traffic comes to a roundabout all drivers wear an expression that says, "Now what do I do?"

Travel off the ground by car cannot envision simply going in any direction that comes to mind. We have that now, which is why we also have so many pile ups. For instance, where we have six or eight lanes of traffic, what could the driver be thinking when he is on the far left and cuts across all lanes to get to the far right? (I'm not making this up. It actually does happen.)

• So, if not free choice there will have to be ground control electronic guide rails and stop/go controls. The operative word is control, and that is what is missing from present day motoring. By giving the motorist the freedom to choose these are some of the things he chooses to do:
• He will not signal his intentions. You have to read his mind because he believes its against the law to signal. Students of the "Big Ideas" program are looking into something they call Search/Alert Communicative Turn Signal system that would help the driver with signalling. It would also help in merging.
• Merging is important because at the moment, should I be in the middle lane I can expect cars to overtake me in the right hand lane. Yes, that's illegal in the country, and its also deadly.
• Drivers who are at stop lights often move off while the light is on red. The light is about to turn to green, however, due to a lack of patience our man prematurely makes his move. On the other side the other man really doesn't want to stop and wait until he gets the green, so more often than not these two geniuses meet by accident. They have to be saved from themselves.

I could go on at length, but if we are going to have to build all these controls on the ground so as to allow air travel, why bother? I think we will see ever more sophisticated types of vehicles for ground travel. Small cars for city travel will get even smaller and lighter, and run by battery. Technology will advance to have cars drive themselves on implanted grids, but the idea of cars floating around in mid-air is not likely in anybody's lifetime, and that includes those still in the womb.

Stay tuned!

 

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

A Perfect Day is a very Fragile Thing Indeed!

A day for a perfect drive!

Sunday, October 13th, 2013 is one for the record books. It has been a truly perfect day in so many ways. My wife and I arose early, for a Sunday to attend a morning concert n Valencia City. The weather was bright, dry, with a breeze that felt soft to the skin. Temperatures would rise to 30 degrees, but that soft breeze kept the sun in a kind mood.

We left the house and drove out onto the "B" roads that then led us to the "A" roads. Traffic was very light, and what there was went about its business in a reasoned manner. There was a time when you coud not venture out onto the highway without encountering someone with manure for brains. Today, all my fellow drivers were considerate, as I was to them.

Best of all was the vast majority of traffic lights were green, just for us. We arrived at the Music Palace in time to park and get seated just in time before the start to give ourselves five minutes to relax. I will describe the concert as being O.K. It was a fundraiser for charitable work being undertaken in Rwanda, a country that can use all the help it can get. There were parts of the concert that were pleasing, so I will leave it at that.

Following the concert we paid a visit to a new friend, and we then made our way home via a different route. Still, traffic was light and driving was very pleasent.

We took our lunch on our terrace in a nice leisurely style, and following that I read from my new book, "I am Malala!"

And then I fell fast asleep. So wonderful!

A perfect day is like fine cut crystal, prone to shatter by the least little thing. They happen very rarely so when they do we tend to enjoy them all that much more.

Life is so wonderful at times!

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

Speed Limit to increase to 130kph in Spain

I don't know, and neither does anyone else!

The present speed limit throughout Spain is 120kph. Not such a long time ago the limit was reduced to 110kph on the logic that the country needed to conserve fuel and to make our roads safer. When the limit was lowered many people drove at 130kph. Then, it was decided that 110kph was too slow, so the limit was restored to 120, and people still drove at 130. I always wondered whether it was decided that the country didn't really need to save fuel, and safer was too boring. That's possible because ours is a nation that plays with raging bulls and gunpowder.

Now, in certain stretches of roadway the limit will be increased to 130, such as they do in France. But people being people, they will drive at 140 because there seems to be something in the DNA about being disciplined and observing the law.

It would be interesting to hear the thinking behind this move. It just may be some kind of pyschology that says if we are all really good and we stick to the lower limits, we will be rewarded by being able to legally drive at a faster rate in certain stretches of roads. It might be seen as a kind of safety valve to let off some of the steam. Germany has its autobhan with no limits in certain sections, and the aforesaid France with 130 in places, so perhaps there is a kind of cool method to the madness.

However, Spain is tightening the screws on other things in anticipation of the higher limits, especially driving while intoxicated, something I thought would never change. I have been scared sober because of the crackdown, drinking only alcohol-free beer if I have to drive. In so far as speed is concerned, I am a retired person with no place to get to in a hurry, so I will continue soberly driving at my steady 100kph while the world passes me by. I'm so good! (Pat on  back.)

That works for me in my Volvo.



Copyright (c) 2013    Eugene Carmichael

The Gorrillas

Parking with the assistance of gorillas

The gorillas to which I refer are men who have come to Spain from north and south of the Sahara Desert. They are undocumented immigrants who are ineligible to be given work, if there was any work, because they have no papers. To obtain an income whole armies of these men takeover a street, and when the motorist approaches looking for a parking spot they signal where there is an empty space. They will guide you in, and if you are very kind to them they will look out for you so that should you overstay your time, when the parking warden comes around they will buy you an extenstion of time so that you avoid a ticket.

Obviously they expect you to reward them on your return. Most people give them a euro in the belief that if they don't these men will damage their cars. I have no proof but I think this is not likely to happen because the last thing they need is police attention.

I wish that people would not leave their villages in Africa to make the extremely dangerous crossing of the Sahara and the sea to come to Spain, where Spanish people are leaving because of a lack of opportunity. The immigrants get here and they have to sleep under bridges; they find their food in garbage bins and they struggle to survive. Along the way, who knows how many died or were taken advantage of by the unscrupulous?

Apparently, the system they use to bring in a little money does work, and it should be borne in mind that a part of what they earn is sent back to Africa to benefit their families. Intolerant people condemn them and call them gorillas and the police regularly round them up, fine them, or put them in jail, but they go right back to doing the same thing when they are released.


It's a tough life, but I think that what they are doing is far better than breaking into my house or mugging me in the street. I say, live, and please, let's do our little bit to let them, and their families back in Africa,  live.

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael

A real modern windscreen for my car!

A windscreen to fight the sun

Myself, together with drivers of multi-wheel vehicles all over the world struggle to try to come back to a car that we have parked, that isn't an oven, by placing a piece of cardboard to block out the sun on the windscreen. As we drive into the sun we have a sunvisor each for the driver and the passenger. Neither can see where we are going when the visor in turned down. It's time for a modern solution to this age old problem.

I suggest that car glass be connected to the electrics (as they are already for heating) so that at the flip of a switch when the engine is turned off the glass becomes opaque to keep out the sun uv rays. When the engine is started the effect would be cancelled. Upon the impact of direct sun rays on the windscreen the glass would react in the same way that my own prescription glasses do, by providing a light tint across the middle, and along the top quarter the colour perhaps might take on a bluish transparent hue to take the place of sunvisors through which we can see nothing.

In an age of Smart Phones that do very impressive things that should be impossible, I'm sure that through the concentration of scientific minds a thoroughly modern windscreen can become the norm.

However, look for it first on the Mercedes S class!


Copyright (c) 2013    Eugene Carmichael

Where was my movie camera when I needed it?

Please car! Stop moving!

I was walking downhill on the sidewalk in a town when I noticed ahead of me two men chatting. Behind them was a car parked partly on the sidewalk and part on the road, which is not unusual in these here parts. One of the men decided to lean on the back of the car, and at that moment the car began to roll forward.

The reaction of the man was what we might have expected. He scrambled to hold on to the car to stop it becoming a runaway, kind of like what our model in the picture is doing. The poor guy was frazzeled and freaked out of his mind, until he realized that there was a driver in the car, and she was quite determined to go on about her business. If he insisted on trying to hold her car back that was his business, but she had places to go, people to see, and things to do.

Off she went leaving him standing in the street looking really confused. He looked at his friend; his friend looked at him and together they exploded in laughter. A street full of people joined in, but I was the person best placed to have got the award winning Funniest Home Movie worth a bunch of money.

I should be laughing all the way to the bank.
Oh well!

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael 

Understanding what your tyres are trying to tell you.

To understand the narrative of your tyre is important for you and for me.

In an very small sampling I discovered that most people have no idea what the information outlined on the sidewall of their tyres is trying to tell them, and even more alarming, not one of those to whom I spoke had even looked at their tyres in any meaningful way. To be honest and open I was one of those people, so I thought I had better develop my own information about something so critical and share the knowledge gained.

I have tyres that display the following markings as to size. 225/60 R 16 98V M+S. This number is inscribed on my ITV (MOT) document, which means that I must drive with this size tyre, or an acceptable form of same.

225 is the width of the tyre tread in mm. A wider or, I suppose a more narrow tread may be acceptable, but this is the factory fitted size.
60 is called the aspect to ratio, meaning the size of the tyre wall is, in this case 60% of the width.

R indicates that this is a Radial type, which means having the core fabric layers arranged radially at right angles to the circumference and the tread strengthened.

16 is the diameter of the wheel size the tyre is to fit, and is expressed in inches.
98: This is the maximum weight capacity of the tyre according to the official index table. In the table this translates to 750 Kgs.
V: This indicates the maximum speed at which the vehicle can be driven that the tyre can support. The index table rates this as 240 km/h or 149 mph. Presumably this will never be tested on a family car.

I have no idea what the M+S means.

There is a four number stamp that is important because the numbers indicate the manufacture date. The first two numbers reflect the week during the 52 weeks of the year that they were pressed, and the other two numbers are the year of manufacture.

There are other stamps that are of a technical nature that reflect such data as noise rating and approval stamps of various authorities. There is also a warning as to under and overinflation, but the one thing that is often missing is the normal pressure rating.

These are factors to keep in mind should you wish to replace the factory tyres with others. Having oversized tyres may seem cool, but they are not likely to pass muster at ITV and they may not be safe.

Copyright (c) 2013    Eugene Carmichael

More adventures in buying a Secondhand Car

Would you buy this car without knowing its history?

It's clear that most of us own and use our cars without giving the slightest thought to one day in the future having to pass it on. If we did we would do a lot of things to keep its resale value as high as possible. Instead, we live for today and generally only concern ourselves with whether it will start or not and get us to where we want to go.

This attitude is not entirely unjustified because if we find ourselves trading in our car to buy a new one, the dealer will offer us something insulting, even though we have maintained our car in tip top condition. He will then have the nerve to ask thousands from a buyer, pointing out that the previous owner took exceptional care of the vehicle.

In looking over some cars we have found a number that were in very dirty condition. First rule: if you want to sell your car, at least make it presentable. Just because it has always been kept in a slovenly condition, there is no reason to expect a potential buyer to be interested in buying it, even though he might also keep it as though it were a tip.

Personally, I insist on keeping the interior of my car in clean condition, but, that's just me. The moment I saw cars for sale that were dirty and uncared for I was ready to walk away. In fact, those cars were not ready for sale.

One of the best cars we saw that has us thinking about it is a 4x4 in apparent excellent condition. It is being sold through a division of a business that takes in cars that are to be written off. Those vehicles that are in such condition that they have more life to them are rehabilitated and placed on secondhand car sale. However, they are offered for sale without guarantee, even although it is a company that is selling them.

In such cases, the car's history is essential, but this particular car has no documentation of that nature, not even the owner's manual. To buy such a car would truly be a big gamble. We would have to drive it directly to our garage and have all belts and chains replaced and the car be given a complete service. For the consideration of a substantial discount on the asking price, we might do just that.

We will keep you informed.

Copyright (c) 2013   Eugene Carmichael

Buying a secondhand car

Buy a secondhand car is a very confusing thing to do.

I live in Spain. There is one thing that I know without any doubt, and that is that every secondhand car sold through a dealership is well overpriced. It's as though there were some kind of unspoken conspiricy. If you were a new entrant to selling secondhand cars you would simply take your lead from what everybody else was doing and you would price your cars in line with the market. The mere fact that I would only be offered a pittance by the dealer to take my car off my hands, say fifty to one hundred euros, would not be any reason why it should not be offered for sale for three or four thousand euros.

It is true that a dealer has to offer a guarantee to the buyer for twelve months, but the guarantee has to be carefully examined because it may be virtually worthless. There is an expression that says "money for old rope." That´s what seems to be taking place in my mind on the used car sales lot. I have bought a few cars from dealers and that has led me to this conclusion. I even think that they must shake their heads when another deal has been concluded, in the disbelief that another member of the public has just walked in and given them a fist full of money for nothing.

To scientifically value a car for secondhand sale one should start with the book value that depreciates the vehicle over the years, according to a formula. As a potential buyer with the car in front of you, value can be either added to the car depending on how well it has been maintained, or deducted if it has been badly treated. There must surely be an agency that provides the book value of secondhand vehicles in Spain, but if so it must be a closely guarded secret.

The fundamental problem in buying secondhand is that we are buying someone else's problem without knowing what that problem is. This is the one activity where "Buyer Beware!" applies more than any other. You know that the money you pay that changes the title on the car is only a downpayment. You hope that you will be able to work through the problems that await you without the need to fully renovate the car.

I bought a 1995 Volvo 850 about six or seven years ago. I bought it from the owner of a dealership selling secondhand cars. He had bought himself an "S" class Mercedes as people kept handing him gobs of money. However, it was not too long before the Volvo started simply dying in the middle of traffic. After about 30 seconds I could turn the key again and it would re-start. The solution was to change the main fuses, but for far too long I ran a great risk of getting killed by traffic behind me who were not expecting my car to stall.

The car has run reliably ever since and I absolutely love it. I also have a Jaguar XJ6 Sovereign that is in such good condition that it seems to have just come out of the showroom. However, when I bought it the seller didn't tell me that it was impossible to lock it. For more than a year I drove the car around and left it parked, think it was locked, and it was only by accident I discovered the truth. Only God knows what else is wrong with it, but I drive it so rarely that nothing else has shown up. It is a real Jag classic, and just having it parked in my garage gives me such joy as I am a real Jag man.

I have been lucky! I have a friend who has three cars that he bought and are all rotting away in his back yard as they are all lemons. But then, my friend is a professional victim, so what can I tell you?

Copyright (c) 2013  Eugene Carmichael