November 2007
Topic,.
Considering "Respect", with regard to cars, changing definitions and social mores
"it gets respect on the road" was how my new acquaintance in conversation described his car.
I thought about that, what the definition of "respect" is, the subjectivity of it and the sinister overtones the word is gradually acquiring due to changing mores.
"the rich man in his castle, the poor man at his gate" and "you salute the uniform not the incumbent"
Here in Yorkshire, the flat cap and the `know your place` attitude, still alive and well in the mid 1960`s in the clothing manufacturing industries.
I worked in one briefly before going on to further education.
The owner with his Bentley,manager with his triumph 2000 and the narcissistic owners son with his Triumph Spitfire.
The Owner (known as the `old man`) had retained an impoverished worker aged 74yrs out of kindness as they were both the same age and had been in it since the beginning.
His only job was to come in and tidy up a bit a few hours a week, it gave him social contact and meaning to his life as his wife had died just after he had retired at 65 yrs.
He had been allowed back out of kindness by the Old man.
The 20+ yrs old son though, used to really abuse him. Whenever he arrived in the yard in the Spitfire ( up to four times a day)he had him out in all weathers washing salt off the alloy wheels. I can remember us gritting our teeth at his suffering, but being unable to intervene.
About `Respect` well that was an example of it. Not in the way you had hoped though because the old `working man` used to touch his temple out of a sign of respect to the son when asked to get out into the sleet and snow to wash off those wheels.
You would have thought the `working class` (with no apologies for putting it that way as they knew their place) would have stuck together through thick and thin.
,
But here`s the belated point. One of the piece work operators was so fast, earned so much and with so little commitments ( living with parents) that he managed to buy a big Jaguar.
This put him only below the owner in terms of `car` and one would have thought respect also?
But no. He was scowled at not just by the manager and the son as he drove out of the car park (with that Cheshire cat grin) but also by the workers. "A traitor" as one of them said.
The only one to smile back to him was the owner, the `old man` who no doubt admired his enterprise and as we all knew, was above the whole `respect` issue, both for cars and social class.
Grist to the mill, for a pre course reading student, about to go off to study Psychology, sociology and social policy.
Respect for the car?
Regards ;)
(That`s a wink ;)
NB Some car models changed Read more
Sometime earlier this year I posted a question about case law surrounding misleading signals and RTA's
In essence a car emerging from a side road onto a dual carriageway hit me and the driver tried to say I was to blame as my indicator was on (and had been for over half a mile in error).
The case law was Gillespie V someone and liability was shared.
While the circumstances were quite different I still felt that I was the victim here as the other driver had no right to come charging out of a minor road onto a dual carriageway, but some of you disagreed.
Well I thought I would update you, just in case it happens to you.
I was made a 1/3 ? 2/3 offer in my favour but I repeatedly refused this and insisted it went to court as more recent case law had challenged the Gillespie case. I have totally refused to accept any responsibility for the accident and at long last the other party have now conceded and accepted full liability.
So all I say is stand up for your self and the right result will emerge!
{Car make/model dropped from header as not relevant to this post - DD}
Read more
"have you ever considered that the indicator noise inside the car was insufficiently loud (some cars make very little noise such as the Toyota Avensis) and that the green repeater on the dash board might have been obscured by the steering wheel? Then again I had a loan car (BMW 3 series) that had these new fangled indicators, that you do a short movement for a three flashes of your indicators and a more prolonged one for constant indication. As the stalk is self-centering I can easily see how you can drive with the indicators still going."
If the orginal poster has no blame in any way, why do we have to make excuses for his driving?
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< Ex RF, Ex TVM >
My neighbour has an 03 Polo, and his heater has just started blowing hot only.
Before I take the dash out, is the temperature cable controlled, if so, is it a big job to get to it? It's most likely to be the cable isn't it?
Thanx in advance
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed Read more
Sounds a dog of a job according to here:
www.vwaudiforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?p=85160
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Aim low, expect nothing & dont be disappointed
The Honda is due for replacement at the beginning of March next year (4 months) so am about to start test drives. Like for like swop would be 24k list and would mean buying up on the lease again, I want to save this money and put it into the retirement fund so this is out. Children have both left home in the last 6 months.
Requirements:
It is a company car so low CO2 (Probably Diesel) to keep the tax down
Economical
Decent size inside and big boot (Don't really need all the space the Honda has but probably an estate).
Climate is a must and heated seats preferred
Reliable, I do not pay to fix it but I don't like being stood beside the road waiting for recovery (so not French or Italian).
Reasonably attractive (so no Toyotas)
Suitable for long distances (We drive to the south of France twice a year)
Don't need it quite as fast as the Honda but it has to be quiet and comfortable at 70-75mph.
Capable of high milages - Honda has done 112k in 44 months.
Target list price of sub 19k - again for tax reasons.
Will probably have the car for 4 years.
Shortlist so far is:
Skoda Octavia 1.9 or 2.0 - looking like favourite but snobs in the family disagree
Golf Estate 1.9
Focus Estate 1.8
Astra Estate
Mazda 6 but CO figure might exclude it
Am open to alternatives
Views invited . . . . . . . . Read more
Avant, you're absolutely right, the Accord is a great car, I've been *very* unusually unlucky.
The extra cash is mostly for the extra size, and for 90% of people I would expect the Octavia to be large enough. Sadly I do actually need the size of boot in the Accord as a minimum.
I've just had it pointed out to me how easy it was for the unwary to buy a car in the past only to find out it's in tax band G. In 2002 a friend bought a 2 litre Daewoo Tacuma new and it's in band G ~ tax this year £300, next year £400 ~ whereas my 2003 (also 2 litre) Focus is only band F ~ tax this year £205, next year £215.
Incidentally, when do the new rates apply for 2008?
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L\'escargot. Read more
No your friend's car is band F.
Thanks KMO, she'll be pleased to hear that. I bet she doesn't buy another one though!
--
L\'escargot.
Browse
Here we go - not had much grief in work, there was a pregnant pause when I told the guy at the BMW dealership, that's the nearest I've come to a negative comment !