Random Thoughts Thread

[A Horse With No Name]

Last picture. 

Last post for awhile, the travel Gene is strong with me. 

 

[trinacriabob]

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope that people with this surname reflect heavily on whether to name their offspring Michael.

[A Horse With No Name]

2 hours ago, trinacriabob said:

Happy New Year, everyone!

I hope that people with this surname reflect heavily on whether to name their offspring Michael.

She is incredibly hot, and I loved that movie. 

 

[trinacriabob]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

She is incredibly hot, and I loved that movie. 

A time or two, friends and I have been in malls and department stores and, when it was more commonly done, asked to have them page "Gus Pacho" and "Al Bondigas."  It was an American woman phone operator, but SoCal's Hispanic population is large and she obviously didn't get it. 

But the end result was what we wanted ... a good laugh.

[trinacriabob]

A few tidbits of travel advice for the new year ... I'll keep it at three:

1.

If you have a full membership at an airline travel lounge, this does not apply.  If you get but a few passes, possibly through a credit card, take note.  Do not visit these places during breakfast hours.  Do it if your connection allows for it and it's either lunch or dinner hours.  Why?  The spread at breakfast is weak.  At lunch and dinner, it makes for a filling meal.  I've used 2 passes at Houston-IAH over the last year.  There are salads with many ingredients, wraps, soups, and there can be other things such as hummus or things to fill up tortillas, etc.

2.

When reserving a hotel, look for a hotel safe in the room.  Nothing is ever 100% guaranteed, but it gives a little more piece of mind.  On web sites, you will have to dig down through the list of amenities to see if one is available in each room.  You might even have to crosscheck the website with a booking site.  One may show it and the other may not.  If you're at a low-cost brand, work around this a little/lot more cautiously.  It is not admissible when a high end brand does not have these in the room.  If in a foreign location, definitely look for in-room safes.  Also, find out if it's a combination key pad because a few are still operated with small keys they give you, which is a little old fashioned and inconvenient.  In all cases, you might want to check if it can store a laptop.

3.

Consider buying luggage straps for your luggage.  These not only keep luggage from opening, but they also help identify luggage.  I have black Travelpro brand luggage.  That year, AAA only had that and burgundy.  And the burgundy was more berry than burgundy, so I passed on it. In 2 cases, I've had people try to pull the smaller rollaboard off the carousel.   I was right there and told them, "Hey."  You need to hustle to baggage claim when you deplane. 

The worst was a change of planes in Stockholm, a place you'd never expect this to happen.  The big piece was underneath on a shuttle bus.  At the airport, the hold was opened at each terminal.  I was sitting by the window.  Fortunately.  One stop before mine, I saw my big piece standing up outside by the curb.  I told the driver to stop.  I approached the guy and asked him WTF?  I didn't use those words, but I was steamed. I also told him it even had American Airlines tags attached to it.  He said to me, "You don't have to be an ass hole about it.  Why don't you go back there?"  He was not Scandinavian, but from the Middle East, appeared to have a Scandinavian wife and was distracted with a baby they had in a stroller.  When he did reach in for his bag, it was not even black, but the darkest possible shade of midnight blue!?!  His bag also had completely different piping and seams.  Had he taken mine, what would I have done?  Reached for the dark midnight blue one just to have a piece of luggage?  

I am astounded at this because it tells me that people's ability in noticing details or understanding spatial things is a good bit less than mine.  I'm sure he was skilled, but probably in tech or commerce.  I'm sure he was also distracted.

Looking on line in the last few days, the straps at Wally World are weird colors like lime or Pontiac Grand Am blue.  Fine.  These might definitely help.  Also, make sure at least 2 readable tags are attached to the luggage on the outside and there is a tag inside.

Anywhere where the hatch door opens and luggage is going on or coming off during a shuttle ride, don't hesitate to step off and look into the hatch.  This was the only time this happened with the big piece, I'm sure it was accidental, and it was, of all places, in a Scandinavian location.

- - - - -

Safe travels in the new year and beyond.

[G. David Felt]

On 1/1/2025 at 4:39 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

The new Tacoma looks great, but apparently is far less reliable than my Ranger. Since the Ranger is almost paid for, will keep it. 

Here is a Kia for you David...

Toyota products are finally earning their Garbage reputation with all the problems they have had and still have especially with the transmission and engine exchanges due to poor manufacturing.

Kia is not alone in this, I have so seen that in the East coast and mid west with all the salt they put on the roads affecting every make and model from all the vendors. Not surprised to see a dangerous auto like that with the frame totally rusted.

[G. David Felt]

Drop of Tesla vehicle sales causing stock to drop. I see this as people do not want to own an EV from a person born into wealth and racism from South Africa who supports white supremacy and hate. He bought his CEO / Chairman control of Tesla as he never created Tesla as much as his fans say he did.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/tesla-reports-first-ever-annual-vehicle-deliveries-decline-stock-falls/vi-AA1wRdUQ?ocid=BingHp01&cvid=7b206570873146ce939f3b5b9352de39&ei=46

[A Horse With No Name]

Amazing how poorly a bunch of vehicles perform. Notice nothing from Kia, Hyundai, Subaru, Mazda, or the like here.

However the expedition, Silverado, Durango, and several other vehicles are apparently hot garbage in the overlap test. 
 

YMMV

The Rivian and Kia are excellent by comparison 

[A Horse With No Name]

I used to think crash tests were partly a waste of money and time, but this video shows just how far automotive safety has come.

 

[G. David Felt]

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I used to think crash tests were partly a waste of money and time, but this video shows just how far automotive safety has come.

 

Make me question holding onto old auto's when you see how poorly they are made from a Safety standpoint.

[G. David Felt]

Lamborghini is entering the EV space and how best to give the world the best EV sports car than to benchmark the current best mass produced EV that has something no one else has.

E-shift, THE SIMULATED electric shifting EV.

https://carbuzz.com/video-lamborghini-caught-benchmarking-hyundai-ioniq-5-n/

[Drew Dowdell]

Do me a favor. Pick up some N95s just to have.
 

This new bird flu. The timeline of cases is eerily similar to the start of Covid. First a case in Vancouver. Now 60 cases in California. A case in Louisiana. Lions and tigers in an animal sanctuary dropping dead. It’s clearly made the jump to mammals. All 50 states have chicken farms vastly infected.

It has a higher mortality rate than covid.