What makes you grin? Antidote to grumpy thread

[Roobarb]

20 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

I've got a work trip abroad next week ?

Is it too ambitious to try and drive to Berlin in one hit? 863 miles from here ?

Heading back midweek with an empty van if anyone needs to import something cheaply. ?

Funnily enough, I did 842 on Sunday in one go to get to work this week. Took around 14 hrs including gas and bio break stops. 
We finished work slightly early so will be driving 874 back tomorrow (different route as this is the third time and the same route gets damn boring). 
In the US it’s nothing. Around Europe and the UK it would take a braver man than me!

There’s something disheartening seeing Google Maps saying ‘In 389 miles, take the exit...’

[meshking]

874? That's lands end to John o'groats. What is it that makes it easier in the US? Less traffic, more cruise control usage?

I've done what I consider crazy mileage in the US, it is so much easier than the UK. 

[rainagain]

49 minutes ago, meshking said:

874? That's lands end to John o'groats. What is it that makes it easier in the US? Less traffic, more cruise control usage?

I've done what I consider crazy mileage in the US, it is so much easier than the UK. 

Less pointless sections of 50mph for non existent road works. 

[cort1977]

Away from the coasts you can set the cruise to 82 and away you go.  Watch out for the odd truck and that's about it.  Easy driving.

[Borsuq]

The clock in the Polonez tickles me. It's stupidly loud. Don't think I ever want to try sleeping in that car.

Reminds me of rollers, with the whole clock being the loudest thing in the car thing.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

7 minutes ago, Borsuq said:

The clock in the Polonez tickles me. It's stupidly loud. Don't think I ever want to try sleeping in that car.

Reminds me of rollers, with the whole clock being the loudest thing in the car thing.

The speedo dial face is very VW Mk.2 Golf/Jetta

[Borsuq]

30 minutes ago, Tadhg Tiogar said:

The speedo dial face is very VW Mk.2 Golf/Jetta

Sign of the times I guess as that dash was introduced in 1993, although I wouldn't be surprised if designers were inspired by VWs.

Although I imagine VW at least managed to put their gauges in the right place. Polonez gauges are placed too low and the sunshade extends too far. Means taller drivers can't see the top part of the cluster.

[wuvvum]

Longest single drive I've done in the US was LA to San Francisco up the 101 - a mere 420 miles.  Took me just over 5 hours including a piss / fuel stop, so it is possible to get a wiggle on near the coast as well.

[Remspoor]

21 hours ago, catsinthewelder said:

Why, do you need a new rubber band for your Daf? ?

No that is Eindhoven. ?

[Remspoor]

23 hours ago, Jerzy Woking said:

Finally got the contracts to sign for the sale of my house from my solicitor this morning.

I am aware that buyer could still pull.out, but I feel much better now I have something. 

Spurred me on to emptying the final bits of rubbish from my kitchen and to wonder at the junk I have kept in the drawers (much of it for donkeys years). One more trip to the tip and that's everything sorted, and ready to go!

 

Do not forget to pack a large box of mask too.

https://www.theolivepress.es/spain-news/2020/07/24/hundreds-of-mask-refuseniks-get-fined-in-four-days-in-just-one-part-of-spains-costa-blanca/

[outlaw118]

Hear the drummer get wicked etc

 

[mitsisigma01]

Sounds like he's got Katie Prices vibrators taped to his feet ?

[Roobarb]

Made it home ready for the weekend.

Three ‘gas’ stops, two of which included drive ins and obviously didn’t eat that on the way (cos eating chicken nuggets while driving would be illegal). 

Even so, I couldn’t do it in the U.K. Today  I’ve literally driven for 100 miles and only seen a handful of cars - with the cruise set at exactly the (cough) legal limit. The roads are typically arrow straight and it’s only around cities that you tend to slow down. 

Running through barren 75mph areas helps the boring scenery fly by, though Iowa seemed to be corn, corn, corn, corn...

Got up at 4:00am and home for 8:00pm including an hour time change and getting out of the hotel. 

I would strongly suggest a sleep over as you go to Berlin. Driving on busy roads on the wrong side tired, sounds like a recipe for disaster. 

From the drive out there. 

[PhilA]

Most I've driven here in one day was 1029 miles. That was pretty brutal and by the end of it the Mountain Dew was doing the driving. 

It's possible because, as stated, the roads are wide and open, the limits aren't too stupid and only through Texas down here you catch the miles upon miles of 50-limit construction but generally there's few snarl-ups and there's hell of a lot less trouble with big trucks getting in the way or doing the 56⅔mph grand prix because they're not limited to significantly slower than the rest of the traffic on the highway. Quite often the independent artics are the fastest thing on the freeway on long haul sections in the middle of nowhere.

The traffic, in general, just flows.

 

Phil

[dozeydustman]

[paulplom]

Cool as a penguin's knackers.

[cobblers]

Last night I went camping, and there's a nice pub (Royal Oak) a couple of miles away where I went for my tea and a couple or three pints. Lovely stuff. I'd booked in last because it's always very busy, even when operating at full capacity. They've had to rip out 20% of the tables on account of coronabukkake precautions.

7:45PM a group of about 9 or 10 people come in. Americans! Noisy! Stereotypical!

"We've got a table booked under XX name"

The waitress pokes at the computer a bit and you can see her face dropping. "We've got no bookings under that name or for this amount of people tonight, sorry"

"We have, we've even got a booking number!"

More computer poking. Reference number is not anywhere like the format this place uses.

"Here - Look, I've got the confirmation email"

They'd googled "Royal oak" and booked online to eat at the first one on the list, unaware that there are probably about 900000 Royal Oaks.

Much animated tooing and froing followed.

 

 

I can laugh now, but I did basically the same 15 years ago. Only when applying for halls of residence I realised that there are two universities in Bristol, and one is shit. Guess which one I'd applied for and been accepted to, thinking it was the good one? Jokes on me really, they ended up having to wait an hour for their dinner. I ended up going to Hull University.

[Tadhg Tiogar]

1 hour ago, cobblers said:

Last night I went camping, and there's a nice pub (Royal Oak) a couple of miles away where I went for my tea and a couple or three pints. Lovely stuff. I'd booked in last because it's always very busy, even when operating at full capacity. They've had to rip out 20% of the tables on account of coronabukkake precautions.

7:45PM a group of about 9 or 10 people come in. Americans! Noisy! Stereotypical!

"We've got a table booked under XX name"

The waitress pokes at the computer a bit and you can see her face dropping. "We've got no bookings under that name or for this amount of people tonight, sorry"

"We have, we've even got a booking number!"

More computer poking. Reference number is not anywhere like the format this place uses.

"Here - Look, I've got the confirmation email"

They'd googled "Royal oak" and booked online to eat at the first one on the list, unaware that there are probably about 900000 Royal Oaks....

Dunno which one you were at but, being steroetypical Americans, they probably booked at one of the London ones....which probably has now recorded them as "no-shows"

[face]

https://youtu.be/0VMST-Odjfg

[paulplom]

That's a good sign. Look at the oil pressure.

[mitsisigma01]

On the Autobahn in Germany then ?

[mitsisigma01]

Now put it in 5th ?

[paulplom]

Quite high revving!

[gm]

Don’t break it before tomorrow ! 

[Roobarb]

Look at the fuel gauge!

Didn’t know we had rich shitters on the site ? Or is it just appropriately broken? ?

I guess keeping it in a tank in the car is as safe as keeping it under the mattress and about the same return as a bank these days. 

[PhilA]

5 minutes ago, Roobarb said:

Look at the fuel gauge!

Didn’t know we had rich shitters on the site ? Or is it just appropriately broken? ?

I guess keeping it in a tank in the car is as safe as keeping it under the mattress and about the same return as a bank these days. 

It might work like my gas gauge- disconnect the wire for immediate happiness, the needle goes straight to FULL when you switch the ignition on then.

[Jon]

Was just perusing my business bank account when I noticed 3 repayment had been made to the account from my car insurer. Naturally, I think the Autoshite way and assume the worst and invent the scenario that my insurer has decided to cancel my insurance and isn't this an outrage, etc.

After calling the insurer, they've informed me that they've refunded me 40% of my policy for the 12 weeks of lockdown, due to reduced risk associated with reduced usage of cars at that time.

I'm only paying £12 a month TPFT with windscreen cover on a 2006 Mondeo as it is (could pay less if I bought a yearly policy, too) but I'll take back £14.something or so gladly!

This is not the first time NZ car insurance has made me comment positively on here - it's so much easier to deal with when it isn't compulsory and there's no whiplash claims etc. that the insurers are liable for. 

[paulplom]

13 hours ago, Roobarb said:

Look at the fuel gauge!

Didn’t know we had rich shitters on the site ? Or is it just appropriately broken? ?

I guess keeping it in a tank in the car is as safe as keeping it under the mattress and about the same return as a bank these days. 

£40 to fill it with premium hardly breaks the bank!

And it's jap so definitely works.

[barefoot]

I've been aware for many years that Rolls Royce jet engines are all named after rivers; Conway Dart, Derwent, Spey, Trent etc 

But only discovered at the weekend that its piston engines are all named after birds of prey! Merlin, Griffon, Peregrine, Vulture etc

[Wack]

Now that is a good looking car