I don't get the smart car (but then again, perhaps that's my problem). You sacrifice all that space and safety to get 4 mpg more than my gasoline VW jetta wagon.

Why didn't you get the diesel?

Smart cars are like motorcycles. Only get one if you'd rather get right-out killed in a collision rather than maimed.

I love the advertisemets about "safety". The smart car does well in crash tests WITH SIMILAR TYPE CARS (like the TaTa perhaps?).

I can only imagine the small spot on the pavement marking what's left of the Smart Car in a collision with an Excursion or something like that...

Collapsable trailer? Interesting concept. Light enough for my fat $% to lift onto a roof rack? even better...

Oh, and my 2000 Civic gets 32 city and 39 highway based on average mileage compiled over the past 3 years (yes, I have no life and spend my time marking mileage and fill-ups). on regular unleaded, too...

Funny you guys mention this,

My friend Kyle just ran his lancer into the back of a 1990's era ford explorer yesterday. Here's whats left of his little econobox.

He says he's buying an SUV to replace it, he's already got one for his wife and baby.

He's got a lot of injuries including airbag deployment burns, bruised sternum, and his knees are screwed up. The explorer apparently drove away from the accident along with the 19 year old girl driving it without a scratch.

Or a fold up, collapsible catamaran

OUCH.. hope your friend heals quickly.

When i first got out of the USN, i purchased a new Hyundai (all i could afford and go to school). I hit a volvo (slid on some black ice after a school bus changed lanes and put out its stop sign/lights) at 1 - 1.5 mph... $4000 damage to my car... scratched her blinker

Did anybody say Volvo?



Volvo is safe, the swedes are good at safety in their cars.

But it would seem to me that they might need to work on their electrical engineering skills. I don't think I've seen one without some sort of electrical issue.

Audi used to be that way, too...

But what's really a thrill is to watch Ford tail lights pop off the back of the truck when they hit a gravel road. Guess they missed that day in assembly school...

Believe me, I wanted to. My wife wanted nothing to do with diesel and I couldn't even get her to listen to me long enough to start to explain that this is a different animal. It was to be her car afterall.

There is something to be said for Detroit iron.

Those 960 series sedans probably weighed more than that cinderblock wall.

This was my tow vehicle for 10 years:


(The Volvo wagon, not the Countach )

Current tow vehicle:


Awesome cars.

Well, at least there used to be. We have cars from around 1908 and 1929, and they don't have any rust.

Mark - maybe in Maryland that is true but in California there is no restriction for the beach. What can be done is that; they (those who own the land adjacent to the beach can) restrict the access to that land, but not the beach.

Case and Point - in Ventura, CA I can launch my cat from the public launch ramp, land it on the "kiddy beach" party all day, leave the beach, go back to the ramp, haul boat out on go. What I can't do, is drive onto the dirt lot adjacent to the beach, set up, roll boat to the water and go, unless of course we have a permit to run a regatta with boogles of liability insurance.

The issue we have here is to many frigging lawyers looking to make a quick buck and many of the governing agencies that restrict the access to the beach afraid of being sued.

Glad to hear the area on the main beach in Santa Cruz is still cat friendly as I am still trying to get the Ventura Harbor District to open an area for beach storing and launching of boats.

Growing up we had an International Harvester Crew Truck, the precursor to the SUV. One day my mother was drivcing us home from school a guy ran through a stop sign in a Datsun 510. Getting out of "The Beast" as we called it we had noted this little piece of tin was wrapped around the front bumper. The Datsun was totaled, and all "The Beast" needed was a few hours work to the front quarter pannel.

Sometimes while driving on the LA Freeways I wish I had that thing to deal with some of the butt drivers we have. One of these days I'm gonna pull the breaker on the override circuit protector switch on my butt driver self preservation protection system and let it fly. Just wish I had one of those IH Trucks to do it with.

lets not totally blame the attorneys... yes they "service" people at their worst of times (death, divorce, jail, etc) but its the public that is convinced / tempted they can win monetary rewards (yes by lawyers) and windfall awards.

People can be greedy.. (and the system can be abused), Lawyers just service this need... and some r payed well... (yes many are sharks and some are sleezy)

i sure as hell wouldn't want be smothered in bureaucracy daily, and to defend liars and cheaters (and murderers) for a living...
just my 2 cents

A friend had a 5/4 Army truck that he had cherried out. While waiting for a light to turn green, a cop made a left turn a little too tight and can openered the whole side of his car. My friend got out and, other than a slight blemish in the paint that covered the 3/8" steel bumper, no damage was found.

He drove off leaving the cop to figure out a good story about the damage.

Absolutely insane. Shoreline belongs to everybody with free access to it. Look at more advanced countries: they have laws for that.
Your shore has been eaten little by little by private interests, and you let them do it.

The one good thing about Hawaii is there are no private beaches except for those controlled by the military. There are some laws about use but the Department of Land And Natural Resources are spread so thin enforcement is unlikely.

We can do the same on the federal shore line. You can't land on a publicly guarded beach between 10 and 5.... so you have to make it to a state or federal park. No storage over night without a permit/permission/ etc etc. Some Jersey and Va beaches allow this... It is a privilege the municipality or private owner gives you (overnight storage above high tide line)

The Chesapeake shore line is mostly privately owned. WRCRA lost their beach because the county zoning xxx suckers came down hard on mast up storage and the property owner said.. ah... not worth the trouble... Sorry see ya!
I think we best join YC's and get with the program.
Here is a snip of a Local YC NOR... (solves that insurance problem)

2. ELIGIBILITY: This regatta is open to one design fleets including: COMET, CLUB 420, OPTIMIST PRAMS and LASERS affiliated with a recognized yacht club or with current membership in their respective fleet and national organization.

Back in the mid 90's when I was living in the Philadelphia area I use to frequent two places, one was Sandy Hook Catamaran Club, and the other was this park in Baltimore County over by Martin Field (where I watched a F-117 crash, but that is another story) where you could store your boat mast up for the summer with a permit. For some reason I can't remember if it was Turkey Point or Rocky Point, and I am leaning towards Rocky Point. My sister lived not to far from there and I could leave my Prindle at her house.

Anyhow, I believe if you were a resident of Baltimore County you could leave your boat there mast up at your risk with a permit as there were about 10 beach cats parked there.

What you folks need to do is get to the county/city/state people, plead your case and get you access back. Face it you have some limp_____ city/county/state/federal useless government employee taking way YOUR RIGHTS because it is not in THIER best interest and creating work for them.