Anyone Have Problems With Enviromentalists?

[Bruce Nunnally]

It had occurred to me that usually on a 2-lane road I might hit 90-95 mph during a pass depending on conditions, timing my acceleration to begin just before it is clear and hitting a peak mph while alongside the car to be passed. Not much time for hand waving during a usual pass, but lots of fun.

I think Miss Manners would suggest that you smile and wave back. That is reward enough for the people in question.

[Texas Jim]

I think Miss Manners would suggest that you smile and wave back. That is reward enough for the people in question.

Understand where you are coming from ..... usually I will just grin REAL BIG and blow them a kiss.

That irritates THEM instead of me and I laugh at them as I motor on down the road.

Usually things like that don't bother me.... but....there was just this one guy that would stick his arm out the window and motion for you to stay behind him and DO NOT DARE TO PASS. I passed the same guy TWICE in two days. I reckon part of it was just the way he did it. It is real hard to describe with just words. THATS the one where I should have done a PANIC STOP and then had a nice talk with him.

Oh well... thats water under the bridge. They are OUT THERE (in more ways than one) and I am back here... so all is well.

[BodybyFisher]

THATS the one where I should have done a PANIC STOP and then had a nice talk with him.

I ALMOST did that tonight, when some ahole gave me the horn and lights, because he thought I was in a turning lane and that I should have turned and I went straight. If he persisted, I might be typing this from a jail cell. People that do things like that should understand that the people they do it to, MIGHT have just left their x-wife and daughter and that I might not be in too good of a mood.... he is lucky he did not keep it up. One beep and I would have panic stopped and introduced myself

[Cadillac Jim]

One thing that I try to remember when some idiot tries to get emotional on the road and involve me: this might be some guy who just left his wife in the brush chipper and his baby in the bass-o-matic but is now getting *really* nasty. And, he has a Uzi beside him and a chain saw in the back seat. And, he might be sober and drug-free, and the car might be his/hers.

Never, never, never allow yourself to be approached by an irrational stranger that you noticed through his offensive self-destructive road behavior.

If you need a deterrent gesture, take his/her picture with a cell phone. That's a lot quicker and safer than writing down a license number, and the JPEG file date/time with the picture is of a lot more interest to the cops than some error-prone scribbling.

Insecure? Punch the OnStar red button. Dial #77 or 911. Do it unobtrusively. Then drive normally and ignore the idiot. If you don't have OnStar or a cell phone, just drive normally and ignore the idiot.

Now, as far as the rolling roadblocks are concerned, those clowns are human and deserve the same respect as anyone else -- but so do the rest of us who are free under the law to drive the speed limit on public roads. On the East Coast no one has an inkling of what my car can do in 2nd gear, but my custom exhaust with its P-51 Mustang sound at WOT gives it all away when an opportunity presents itself. Just stay legal, and smile and wave back when someone honks, and give them the passing lane if they tailgate or flash their lights behind you. And always remember that a well-maintained car is a safe car, particularly when its a Cadillac.

[BodybyFisher]

Point taken, but you know what, he better be afraid of me, now I know that sounds illogical, but the DAY I jump out of the car, he better have an Uzi

[Texas Jim]

Point taken, but you know what, he better be afraid of me, now I know that sounds illogical, but the DAY I jump out of the car, he better have an Uzi

Well said.

I couldn't agree more.

I am a real easy going guy and it really takes a lot to get me riled up.

I usually just smile and wave when someone does something stupid on the road.

Basically I am a "You leave ME alone... I'll leave YOU alone." type of guy.

I drive over 70,000 miles a year.

Mostly in heavy Dallas traffic.

I have been driving for over 50 years.

If I was a short tempered and aggressive driver, someone would have done me in YEARS AGO.

[Texas Jim]

One thing that I try to remember when some idiot tries to get emotional on the road and involve me: this might be some guy who just left his wife in the brush chipper and his baby in the bass-o-matic but is now getting *really* nasty. And, he has a Uzi beside him and a chain saw in the back seat. And, he might be sober and drug-free, and the car might be his/hers.

Never, never, never allow yourself to be approached by an irrational stranger that you noticed through his offensive self-destructive road behavior.

If you need a deterrent gesture, take his/her picture with a cell phone. That's a lot quicker and safer than writing down a license number, and the JPEG file date/time with the picture is of a lot more interest to the cops than some error-prone scribbling.

Insecure? Punch the OnStar red button. Dial #77 or 911. Do it unobtrusively. Then drive normally and ignore the idiot. If you don't have OnStar or a cell phone, just drive normally and ignore the idiot.

Now, as far as the rolling roadblocks are concerned, those clowns are human and deserve the same respect as anyone else -- but so do the rest of us who are free under the law to drive the speed limit on public roads. On the East Coast no one has an inkling of what my car can do in 2nd gear, but my custom exhaust with its P-51 Mustang sound at WOT gives it all away when an opportunity presents itself. Just stay legal, and smile and wave back when someone honks, and give them the passing lane if they tailgate or flash their lights behind you. And always remember that a well-maintained car is a safe car, particularly when its a Cadillac.

Jims_97_ETC

Thanks for the comments.

I am like Mike, points well taken... BUT...

If he has an UZI... thats a 9mm and he is probably the spray and pray type shooter.

I carry a Colt .45 and believe in accurate AIMED FIRE. (Just kidding)

It would be a VERY RARE (almost impossible) situation where I would be in a position to be approached by someone from the road that I didn't want around me.

My cell phone don't take pictures... it is an old Nokia. It is just a phone.

About the OnStar.. actually, I never even thought of THAT.

The thought of calling SOMEONE ELSE for help ME never crossed my mind.

I have always been self reliant and taken care of myself.

Now that I am getting older, I may need to rethink THAT philosophy.

My Performance Sedan runs pretty well also, and from my experience in the old days of running dirt track cars, I still half way know how to drive. (I try to keep in practice every chance I get)

As for the rolling roadblocks... I just waited for an extra lane on the freeway... than passed them.

At WOT of course.

My Performance Sedan also has a pretty fair bark from the exhaust at WOT.

They were driving along with their windows down, so I let them hear the beautiful sound of a good running NorthStar at 6500 RPM.

They probably thought they were saving another teaspoon of fuel with the AC off and the windows down.

What they don't know, evidently, is that tests have shown that the aerodynamics of modern cars is a lot better with the windows UP, and you actually burn MORE GAS (at highway speeds) with the AC off and the windows down.

My Cadillac is maintained IMPECCABLY. As are all my vehicles.

I never know when I may need to jump in it and go 1000 miles on a moments notice.

Someone on the board had a tagline.... "Add Power To Leave Problems Behind."

I am a firm believer in THAT philosophy.

[Cadillac Jim]

Once during a medium traffic commute, I nailed it in second to get to a big gap so as to make my freeway exit. A large truck in the right lane flinched clear onto the shoulder as I passed him. Note that the sound byte on my blog is just a cold engine running off-idle, no-load, in my driveway.

[growe3]

I'm not sure how many of you may have seen this video, but it is pretty interesting:

Hey Bruce, maybe your wife might rethink the Prius, in favor of a nice C5. Not a Cadillac, but still a nice GM product with good power and good mileage.

Regarding on the road; I am in the Sacramento California area, and use the freeways to commute everyday. There are a few fools that will intentionally block the lane, to apparently make you drive slow and save fuel. I just wait for a good opportunity to pass, and leave them to there small minded thinking.

On Oregon, beautiful country. I have relatives in Eagle Point (near Medford) that I visit. Beware, a number of speed traps in the area. Most people are pretty much "average", but definitely a few "kooks". Road to Crater Lake is a beautiful drive. Next time you are in the area, stop off at the Rogue Gorge and walk the trail along the river.

Lately I have been using my 04 DTS, and while it does not have the snap of my 93 STS, it will still move out at a good clip. My usual cruise is at 75-80 MPH, this is about the prevailing speed when I commute in the morning. Consistent MPG, including town driving over three tankfuls of regular fuel, is 22 MPG.

I have tried to drive slower 65 or so, but with our normally higher speed traffic it just isn't practical; beside I did not buy my Cadillacs for mileage.

Side note:

When I drive my STS I feel like I am in a nice suit, when I use my DTS I feel like I am always in a tuxedo. Maybe some people on the road are just frustrated because they weren't invited to the party, that you are going to.

-George

[Cadillac Jim]

I find that my 1997 ETC gets best gas mileage at about 65 mph, averaging in the high 20's or even low 30's on a level stretch with no wind, and 23+ mpg overall including stops for gas, food and rest. Driving 55 mph will cut me down an mpg or two, and below 45 mph I can't keep the TCC engaged consistently, which can cut economy down another one or two mpg. It doesn't drop much up to about 80 mph, which is just about the fastest that I have long distances to measure fuel economy, on long interstates in the West with a 75 mph speed limit. With stops few and far between, and no mountains, I can keep up the 23+ mpg even with the cruise control on 80 mph.

Those with the 275 hp engine and 3.31 final gear ratio can probably do better, particularly at the higher speeds. Watch out for the rolling resistance of your tires, which varies with pressure, road surface, and very importantly the make and style of the tires.

Like the video says, traffic that forces you to drive in a less-than-optimal manner can give you a big hit. The guy in the C5 Corvette really thought that he could get 40 mpg but he couldn't in traffic.

[growe3]

I find that my 1997 ETC gets best gas mileage at about 65 mph, averaging in the high 20's or even low 30's on a level stretch with no wind, and 23+ mpg overall including stops for gas, food and rest. Driving 55 mph will cut me down an mpg or two, and below 45 mph I can't keep the TCC engaged consistently, which can cut economy down another one or two mpg. It doesn't drop much up to about 80 mph, which is just about the fastest that I have long distances to measure fuel economy, on long interstates in the West with a 75 mph speed limit. With stops few and far between, and no mountains, I can keep up the 23+ mpg even with the cruise control on 80 mph.

Those with the 275 hp engine and 3.31 final gear ratio can probably do better, particularly at the higher speeds. Watch out for the rolling resistance of your tires, which varies with pressure, road surface, and very importantly the make and style of the tires.

Like the video says, traffic that forces you to drive in a less-than-optimal manner can give you a big hit. The guy in the C5 Corvette really thought that he could get 40 mpg but he couldn't in traffic.

Sounds like we have similar results for given driving conditions. I don't count the instant readout, only average MPH over several tankfuls of fuel. Tire pressure is maintained at 32 PSI (cold), any higher just makes the car ride harder, and sets off the high tire pressure warnings.

My commute includes 1800' to 40' to 1800' change in elevation, along with the usual high density traffic. Fortunately most of the drivers are fairly consistent, with only a few blocking others. Really annoying is having a Prius, or other hybrid, blocking the carpool lane by driving at 55-60 MPH. With traffic moving faster in the other main lanes. You can be blocked for miles before an opportunity to pass is available.

-George

[Cadillac Jim]

growe3 -- you should have similar economy, since our cars have essentially the same drive train. Thanks for the verification.

Has anyone put a Northstar in a Prius? Or even a DI V6 -- or even the new DI I4? I'd buy THAT for a dollar. Wouldn't it be fun to blow around a dual-ham-can rolling roadblock with something like that?

When on my Suzuki Bandit 1200S, I try not to use WOT in 1st or 2nd gear when I do that because the front wheel tends to come up, which can really alarm some of those guys. It is a standard, meaning it doesn't look fast, but it has 2.7 second 0-60 mph and 11.2 second quarter mile times. It gets around about 27 mpg in town and 35 mpg on the road, which less than that of a Prius, though.