Safe Speed Forums

Next daft notion from these morons in the Ministry (as heard on the news at 6 pm)










But I thought ..



Not so long ago .. they were telling us to increase the number of passengers .. as a reward for this .. I get to share the lane with the buses, taxis drivers and .. er .. cyclists

I take it that I can use these lanes anyways when I have the the litter with me anyway

But that's hardly the point..

Last week it was



This week it's



Ist it me?

Or am I correct in thinking that the ministry in question has the intelligence of an under developed amoeba (and that's being kind to them )

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

a car with 5 people in and lots of rubbish and junk is going to be heavier than a car with 5 people in and no rubbish or junk.

Is it just me or is that pretty obvious?

_________________
go for it

But the load is being propelled forwards, not lifted, so the problem is not as big as implied.
Also, more weight carries you downwards and builds up energy a la roller coaster.

Surely a better measure would be to drive STRAIGHTER roads (turning uses energy) and reduce stop start cycles, and not slow down for speed humps and the like!
I suspect I get slightly more MPG when roads are wet... or I would if the wipers weren't using up the energy I save!

On a similar note to this thinking from HMG, it would be prudent when boiling the kettle NOT TO WATCH IT as a watched kettle takes longer to boil!

However, you COULD use this as an excuse not to have the mother-in-law in the car when you go out for a drive!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Classic!

_________________
go for it

The Government has also stated that we shouldn't rev our vehicles and have correct tyre pressures to help save the planet
As for the car clutter, I'm going to accept their advice and get rid of the Garfield, the torch, the jump leads, the first aid kit, spare bulbs. Hmm, not sure about the spare wheel. Oh what the hell, the Government's always right. Might as well lose the car jack too. Next time I go on a motoring holiday, I shall carry nothing in my car.

Total amount of CO2 saved? B R ALL SQUARED!

At least these comedy socialists are consistent, coming up with one stupid idea per week.

_________________
Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

Like everything else, I guess there's a grain of truth in it. Of course the lighter the car, the less fuel it will use. Not so much of a difference at constant speed but in stop-start driving, every acceleration requires fuel and the bigger the mass that's being accelerated, the more fuel is needed. Unfortunately, that's not how most people drive an ordinary car. They don't put their foot on the throttle and get up to 0.1g acceleration then back off. They just put their foot on the throttle until they're going as fast as they want to and then back off. IF they took 1kg of useless stuff out of a 1 tonne car, they'd make it 0.1% lighter. All that will happen is that it will accelerate an absolute fraction quicker and use about the same amount of fuel in doing so. it won't accelerate at the same rate and use a tiny bit less fuel!

Now if they made the roads smoother, it would save fuel. If you ever tried pushing a suspension damper in and out, it's pretty hard work. Every time we go over a bump, our dampers (on each corner of the car) do just that and the energy has to come from somewhere. I once spoke to a trucker who always got very slightly better MPG on the continent. he put is sown to the roads being a bit smoother. I guess there might be a grain of truth in that too!

So we save all this energy by driving lighter cars and by keeping at a constant speed at all times. So far, so good. Then we come to some 'traffic calming' measure where we slow down, change down, pass the feature, accellerate again, change up until we arrive at the next calming feature where we may have to stop due to the road being reduced to half its normal width or the traffic light timing changed to give longer 'red' periods. Then, maybe, we get to the M4 with its useless 'bus lane' which remains virtually empty whilst thousands of vehicles are stationary in the other lanes with their engines still running.
At night we light thousands of miles of main roads with streetlights, even though cars have excellent headlights. Fly into any UK airport after midnight and the glow from unnecessary lighting is just huge.
Personally I'm sick and tired of hearing about 'Global Warming' and reduced energy consumption in this country whilst at the same time the Chinese are building literally hundreds of coal-fired power stations to use 'dirty' coal and with no clean-up measures in the chimneys.
It seems we are to crucify our economy to reduce the 2% of global emissions we create whilst the Chinese, Russians, Indians, et al increase their emissions by, maybe, 25% to 50% over the next 10 years.
The daft suggestion that second and subsequent flights will carry an additional tax plus VAT will simply mean that astute airlines like Air France will see tickets bought on-line from Paris-CDG and the price from there will be less than the inflated price from the UK, the AF ticket price including the Eurostar ticket London-Paris. I had a meeting with the Engineering Director of a well known UK airline who told me that little gem. That way BA and Virgin will go out of business, leaving AF to succeed, and maybe SABENA and KLM as well. Absolutely crazy and typical of this country and their 'knee-jerk' politics.
Apparently in France global warming is not 'hot news'. In fact it's virtually ignored in the media. There are no plans to tax driven mileage or impose artificial travel limits or tell people to lighten their cars. No wonder my son is moving there to live shortly. Maybe I'll join him! He recently drove the 600 miles from near the Swiss border to Cambridge, passing no speed camers in France, but approximately 40 in England.

Lets face it.

We now live in a 'socialist' eutopia.

For the last 10 years we've been governed by ex trot's, communists, marxists, CND, greenpeace activists.

This lot cut their political teeth in the late seventies early eaighties. MArches, banners pouting utter madness that was soundly rejected until a few of them go smart and conned us all!

Okay, I've got it now. It's a DfT initiative (oxymoron). You can visit their website to find out more tips to cut CO2. I'd post the link, but I won't pander to the whims of Green fascists.

The DfT seem to have spent a considerable sum of money on billboard adverts to brainwash...sorry "advise" us to cut CO2. Looking around central and north Belfast, any junction that has a billboard near it has one of these ridiculous posters. There's a billboard on Victoria Street/Dunbar Link in the city centre. It's one of those changing hoardings that display several adverts. The Dft "information" shares space with an insurance ad that offers help against uninsured drivers and also a yoghurt advert. Hmm. Method in that madness somewhere!

_________________
Anyone who tells you that nothing is impossible has never bathed in a saucer of water.

A few questions to ponder......

Anyone know off hand how much CO2 is produced by the brewing industry annually?
Worldwide?
Does bread release carbon dioxide when it is made, since it results from yeast partially fermenting? If so , where does it all go?

How much CO2 is liberated by soft fizzy drinks?

How big is your carbon footprint if you catch a bus along with 39 other commuters?
What happens when 39 of them get off... and you are the only passenger left? Does that increase the size of your footprint? And if you decide to get off and walk the rest of the way, whose footprint is the bus then attributed to?

And to think, we are being urged to lighten our cars by removing clutter!

They'll be asking us to excersise and lose a bit of weight next.... oh they already have?

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Andrew Grimes in the "MEN" wrote a seering fermenting CO2 fest of a piece today

He forecasts that these green dimwits and buffoons will see us travelling on slow sail boats to China.. or if we wish to go "express and pay a bit more"... on a boat powered up by sweaty CO2 emitting galley slaves..

He forecasts a land in which we will be pinged by a fossil fuel guzzling digital scamera .. collected at great speed by the scamerati who will be able to speed as no one else will be allowed to drive.. and we will be mown down like skittles by these idiots .. in their zeal to get the evidence of an "illicit burning of a tea light over a cute brass tea warmer (like the one we bought years ago in Switzerland ) " lest we have something to giveth off CO2 emitting light and warmth

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

But back to topic.

In my car .. the "clutter" comprises

1. AA Road Atlas (the latest one.. with the scam locations )
2. My First Aid kit
3. A Hazard Triangle
4. A Lantern to go with above triangl
5. High viz vest
6. Flask of coffee/bottle water/chocs
7. Car Emergency repair kit.. with spare essentials like bulbs and stuff.
8. Child Car seats and booster cushions. (Cannot be to remove them each journey and in this size family .. more or less normal that art least one of these rogues will be in the car with me at any one time )
9. Blanket
10. My work bag and Wildy's handbag if she's in the car
11. One bag each with all passengers .. school... luggage on trips..
12. Picnic hamper on outings
13. Shopping on shopping trips
14. Stuff to recycling dump on recycling outings.
15. Warm coat in winter/ light rainproof jacket in summer
16. BROLLIES and WELLIES and KAGOULS .. we live in England's "water works" Very pretty . but can be a bit wet at times

Yep... you really can drive with nowt in cars

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

I've filled mine up with helium balloons from ASDA - you cant see bu**er all in the rear view mirror, but it has reduced the rolling weight, and it floats over speed humps!

Didn't we once see a post from somebody who removed unwanted seats etc. to get more MPG? Perhaps the window winders should go....

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

It might even fly over them pesky scams too ..

E'll up telescope.

But with all that light weight .. he'll never manoeuvre fast enuff!


By the way.. per post above - was the yoghurt advertised "Lite skimmed .. with added Yuk" .. which tastes of watered down emulsion and seems to leave a chalky debris on the palate .. which rather weighs you down

_________________
If you want to get to heaven - you have to raise a little hell!

Smilies are contagious
They are just like the flu
We use our smilies on YOU today
Now Good Causes are smiling too!

KEEP SMILING
It makes folk wonder just what you REALLY got up to last night!

Smily to penny.. penny to pound
safespeed prospers-smiles all round! !
But the real message? SMILE.. GO ON ! DO IT! and the world will smile with you!
Enjoy life! You only have the one bite at it.

Aye! Everything seems to have omega 3 in it these days - I wrote to the Post Office to suggest they put it on stamps so we get a dose when we lick them too

Did you see in the Gazette about the post lady who has been binning loads of mail in the Eden Valley? I think I know where some of my mail has gone!
They lost a packet with £230 worth of engraved stainless steel labels and machine badges last month - obviously thrown out to lighten the load!!

Totally worthless to anyone but the customer... but heavy enough to make them think it was worth opening from the sound of it!
I wonder if there were any NIP's or tax reminders amongst the missing mail?

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Funnily enough I did check the mpg of mine with the five extremely heavy rear seats removed, and found no noticeable difference.

I tried turning the AirCon off, and it made no noticeable difference, except the windscreen misted up along the bottom edge (higher in winter).

I was told it is because the compressors etc. are so efficient nowadays.
However I did have a lt more room with the seats out allowing a ot more clutter to be carried!

_________________
Time to take responsibility for our actions.. and don't be afraid of speaking out!

Ist a nonsense.

I hear a professor from Bristol Uni who satisfy catterwailing of "peer review" .. conform to such stringent requirement und his work



Appear to suggest that those who exercise the hardest emit the mostest CO2 into atmosphere

_________________
Nicht ganz im Lot!
Ich setze mich immer wieder in die Nesseln! Der Mad Doc ist mein Mann! Und ich benutzte seinen PC!

UND OUR SMILEYS? Smile ... und the the world smiles with you.
Smiley guy seen when you read
Fine me for Safe Speed
(& other good causes..)

Greatest love & Greatest Achievements Require Greatest Risk
But if you lose the driving plan - don't lose the COAST lesson.
Me?
Je ne regrette rien!

Only the carbon dioxide taken in while the plants were growing.

Unfortunately burning fossil fuels mean we go back to the CO2 levels when they were made.

I've tried turning aircon on and off too and not been able to see a difference on the trip computer but it definitely does make a difference. The compressors are getting more efficient but regardless which way you look at it, they need to remove a few kilowatts of heat from the car and the energy to do that must come from somewhere!

The big problem is that the compressor load depends on temperature. As soon as you turn the aircon on on a warm day (say 25 celsius) the compressor will start to run and it will absorb some of the engine's power. If it needs to remove 2 kilowatts of heat you can rest assured it will need more than that from the engine as it won't beanything like 100% efficient. After a few minutes, the evaporator will have cooled down to whatever temperature the anti-icing switch kicks in at. At this point, the compressor will shut off for a few minutes until the evaporator is warmed up again to the point where the anti-icing switch kicks out. It then keeps cycling like this all the time so depending on when the fuel consumption reading is taken, the compressor may or may not be turning. On a colder day, it will spend less time running . In fact, on a cold enough day, it might not come on at all even if the button on the dash is pressed.

I think the only way to be able to get sensible results would be to run the car for a month with the aircon on and a month with it off for a couple of years and look at the two averages - but even that would be subject to random fluctuations. IF you put an engine on a dynamometer with and without the aircon on, I'm sure it would show up then.