USEDCARSALESMAN

Cannonball Record Broken: Will This Bring New Interest In Lawful, High-Speed Driving in the U.S.?

2007-10-17T02:17:15-07:00

Two drivers -- Alex Roy and Dave Maher -- recently managed to motor across the United States, from New York City to Los Angeles, in 31 hours and 4 minutes. Usedcarsalesman salutes them.

To the uninitiated, this time doesn't seem particularly indicative of "high-speed-travel" or really anything all that great. You might think: "It took them 31 hours to get across the United States? Heck, I can hop on a jet plane and get there in under 5 hours with a good tail-wind. What's the big deal? They had to average 90mph? I go 90mph every day in my Civic, man!?"

Well, consider that these guys needed to maintain an AVERAGE speed of 90mph over close to 3000 miles of U.S. road-ways. That's means that every minute of that 31 hours on the road, their vehicle had to move at an average of 90mph! Stationary while refueling? Still 90mph. Stopped to swap drivers? Still 90mph. Get pulled over by police and lose an hour? Still 90mph.

And does Usedcarsalesman need to mention that U.S. highways don't exactly look like deserted roads in films like Night of The Comet? Does he need to mention that Montana and other north western states with more liberal highway speed limits are not exactly on the most direct route from NYC to LA?

And what about the other issues that fight to degrade a 90mph average rate of speed across the U.S.? What about when you must slow for weather? What about those low speed roads you are forced to use that have a posted speed limit of 25-45mph? What about numerous irritated Dads with cellphones and a minivans full of kids who'd get no greater joy than seeing that Super-Sedan driver that just blew by at 130mph getting a "wood-shampoo" from a team of incensed county mounties? What about when you run in to the legion of U.S. law enforcement officers (highway patrol, local police, sheriffs, etc) armed with a diversity of speed measuring (revenue collection) tools and a coordinated force of vehicles that are almost impossible for one fast vehicle and its after-market, electronic speed defenses to counter or out-maneuver? What about car mechanical issues (lose oil pressure or clogged filter and the trip is done) ? What about driver error and fatigue? What about good old Murphy's Law ("yeah, we were doing great until we hit that Armadillo in Arizona while we were doing 155mph")?

Obviously, you'd need to orchestrate ways to defend your 90mph average velocity versus the aforementioned gauntlet of speed-sapping threats. In the case of Roy and Maher, it appears Roy was the one to fund and masterfully organize the electronics, navigation, sedan, its legal and illegal modification and the chase plane that made it happen. He also did some driving, too.

But it sounds like it was Maher who was the "offensive" missing link in helping Roy to set a new coast-to-coast record. He was the one who had no reservations about opening up the M5 sedan to between 2 and 3 times the posted speed limit while weaving in and out of lanes, driving the road shoulders, and passing slower traffic while going 100mph faster to keep their team average up.

So, what does this record mean?

The old, documented "Cannonball" cross-country record time from NYC to LA was 32 hours 7 minutes. That was accomplished in 1983, when there were probably only a few thousand cars -- European sports cars with very low production numbers -- licensed in the U.S. that could make the needed speed for such a record. You also had a few less expensive European makes and models that could run at 120-130mph, but these only numbered in the 10s-of-thousands in the U.S.

Roy and Maher recently beat the old record by 1 hour and 3 minutes. Congratulations, but so what, right? Maybe, maybe not.

Today, in 2007, probably 2% of cars -- German, Japanese and high-end U.S. sedans, many sports cars and some so-called pocket-rockets -- on U.S. highways in 2007 could easily, safely cruise at 155+mph in the hands of adequately trained drivers. Probably 20% of the cars on U.S. roads -- like some of the best-selling Camry's and Accords -- have top-speeds in excess of 130mph. Do the math and you see that, unlike in 1983, there are millions, if not 10s of millions of automobiles now on U.S. roads in 2007 capable of safely cruising, handling and stopping at speeds well in to the 3 digits.

Why, now, do we not have a few, true autobahn-style roads cross-sectioning the United States to let these vehicles lawfully work within their design parameters? In the next post, Usedcarsalesman will discuss how this Roy/Maher record may mean something more to people in an age when well-engineered, high-speed autos are now common on US roads.

Is Off-Roading Dying in the U.S., Or Is It Just Now Waking Up?

2007-07-24T21:30:50-07:00

I know with some of the OHV parks getting closed with the help of probably well-meaning (but politically misguided) environmental groups, that off-roading doesn't look like it has a bright future in the States and/or the rest of the world. I see, however, some reasons to disagree with this conventional wisdom on the future of this 4x4 past-time:

1. Closing down State OHV parks is going to cause 4x4 drivers to get resourceful and actively encourage private landholders to develop property that has potential as off-road trail(s); private landholders -- who might also be 4x4 drivers -- might voluntarily initiate development without any encouragement from other off-roaders. This might mean nothing more than the owners simply cutting out a trail up rocky outcrops or creating dirt roads, etc -- basically nothing more than parks typically already do with their respective trails.

Yes, you'll probably get charged a fee to use a private trail (got to cover insurance, salaries of personnel on site, marketing etc). But between the normal expenses of gas or cost of trail damage to your rig or upgrades, dropping $40 to use a private trail probably isn't going to kill anybody.

2. The average Joe or Josephine, young or old, age 16 to 120 can go to the Jeep dealership and buy a new or used Jeep Rubicon. With its electronic lockers, 4:1 transfer case, solid D44 axles, 32" tires standard, these things want to be used off-road. And this is a factory vehicle!

We are not talking big numbers here, but the Rubicon is a gateway ride (think "gateway drug" ). First the owner tries an easy trail on a weekend, next he is planning a week long trip out of D.C. to Tellico, N.C. Then he is driving across country to Moab and decides to relocate and setup a 4x4 shop so he can get the newest parts at wholesale

Also, the new 2007 Jeep Wrangler JKs -- including the JK Rubicon -- are bigger, more comfortable and have fricking 4 doors most of the time!? So, you are going to start seeing the young, active family-deal out on the easy trails, etc. Then "Dad" does some justifiable upgrades and next thing you know he wants to hit the challenging trails.

You also have the flex-fuel, bio-fuel/bio-diesel powered engine angle which will head off much of the enviro-griping over the next 10-20 years as these engines are likely introduced in Jeeps, Toyotas and other vehicles. The military and special forces are actively looking at these types of alternative fuel power-plants also.

And you have the fact that a ton of different trucks are now coming with locker(s), big tires, decent suspensions. For example, you have 3+ versions of the Hummer when only one existed 5-6 years ago. That vehicular hardware is going to want to get used.

3. Baby Boomers. The healthy 60-65 year old folks that I know dig physical exertion, active life-style stuff and want to have some fun. And some of them are going to want to stay outdoors and go off-roading. After all, even if you have a bad back you can still drive in a Jeep Jamboree

The follow on to this is the whole NAFTA deal with regards to the Sun-Belt states. If more boomer retirees start becoming ex-pats/dual citizens in Mexico -- the current trend -- then you are likely going to see more favorable living conditions down there as money flows that way. Expect to see Mexico reach more for that Boomer market and the adventure tourism market; This might mean, more, new, readily- available off-road playgrounds down south. For Yanks, it'll be like, "hey I have all the Mexican Trails in the GPS, lets just cross the border and I'll get a a street-by-street to the trails just like this was San Diego."

If you are on the street, get off-road. That's where a lot more people are going to be in the future, despite state-run OHV park closures.

Usedcarsalesman on the Va. Tech Shootings, 2 Months Later

2007-06-14T04:02:36-07:00

Usedcarsalesman wanted to let a couple of months elapse before he offered any insight on the Virginia Tech shootings - the worst shooting rampage in U.S. history.

First off, Usedcarsalesman went to school at U.Va., some 90 miles up the road from Virginia Tech in Charlottesville, Va. Even though he graduated way before a lot of atypical, domestic mass-violent events occurred in the U.S. - The Oklahoma City Bombing, The North Hollywood Shootout, Columbine High School Massacre, the recent Va. Tech Shooting - Usedcarsalesman probably still has a feel for the general environment that Cho was in while attending a major Virginia college.

Does Usedcarsalesman have a feeling for Seung-Hui Cho, himself? Yes and no. After watching the "Cho videos" this gunman apparently released to NBC (and which should be shown in their entirety to the public!), Usedcarsalesman was troubled by the inconsistencies this information added to the student's personae. He was described by other sources as a loner, silent, mentally ill, and angry etc. and that's what Usedcarsalesman was expecting to see. But Cho on video seemed oddly communicative, sane, and aware of other people (but guns-and-ammo pose-happy and angry). Yeah, the guy wasn't George Clooney, but he didn't come across clumsily on video - you could tell that his "monologues" were coming from the "gut" so to speak. Frankly, the guy didn't strike Usedcarsalesman as crazy, as much as he would have wished it otherwise.

So, what turned Cho in to this monster who committed such terrible actions? Who knows? We'd all like to "label" it because it makes us feel better and more in control. So based on Usedcarsalesman's experience at college in Virginia he's going to speculate and go with this speed-ball: "'Cho was intelligent, but from day one growing up in a very prosperous area, lacked money, power, sex, and, of course, mental health. This, coupled with web-based information that enabled his access to ideas, media and materials produced a monumental outlet of violence on his part."

1. Money - His mom and dad are hard working and run a dry cleaning shop which is probably a financial heart-breaker when it comes to making ends meet and staying afloat versus other venues in Fairfax. Any disposable income that Cho's parents can afford to throw his way, ever? Probably not. Heck in Fairfax (Falls Church) cops drove Volvo patrol cars for Pete's sake, until the mid-90's. Yeah most people living there aren't real presentable, original-types, but they do have that annoying upper-middle-class, dual-income kind of W2 money - a lot of "Jr's" there get all the cars, clothes, trips that they'll ever need. Financially, Cho was probably a little bit of a fish out of water growing up, even in Korean enclaves

And his economic outlook probably got worse pre-College. "Your sister managed to get in to Princeton, study economics and work for the State Department?! You got in to Va. Tech and are studying ...English?!" "What, you want to be busting your ass like us when you are 50-60 you stupid fool?" "Why can't you be more like the Kwang's boy? He just got a scholarship to medical school!" (speculation on last words of Cho's Father and Mother to him).

Cho goes to Va. Tech. Va Tech pulls probably 80% of its incoming class from Virginia and half of those from Northern Virginia (mostly kids with Mommy and Daddy's credit cards, shiny European cars, lots of electronics). The fact that Va. Tech is a public school with relatively low tuition for in-state students probably only magnifies the financial disparity for Cho. Rather than dropping 30k a year on tuition at private school, The "spoiled" kid's parents drop 6k and have that much more disposable income to drop on their off-spring at Va Tech. Cho's parents, on the other hand, are probably working there hardest just to cover the 6k and his room and board.

How about post-grad prospects? Va. Tech is all about the traditional fields of Engineering, Architecture, Computer Science, Business and Agriculture. It has a 60% male enrollment rate, unlike most colleges. You go there, you go there to study in fields with direct, real-world application like Engineering, Architecture et al., not English. The guys in the traditional fields graduate and they have decent-paying jobs lined up and on-campus recruiting is outstanding for these fields. Cho's accounting major room-mate was probably like, "my first job when I graduate as an accountant is going to pay me $50,000." "What do you have lined up, Cho...Cho? (to friend) Why's he always walking away from us like that?"

Frankly, unless Cho had a large body of writing from working on Va. Tech's school newspaper(s) or its magazines, Cho had no real employment prospects "writing." And he didn't seem the type to score a ton of decent internships, etc. that he might use to leverage employment in some capacity or attach himself to a company that might train him in some capacity. As such, Cho's economic prospects, post-graduation, arguably seemed almost absent when compared to many of the thousands of other Va. Tech students studying business, electrical engineering, computer science, etc.

And, of course, his contemporaries at Tech in more marketable majors probably never shied away from razzing the "basket-weaving" liberal arts or English major types about there immediate employment prospects, post-grad. Why do you think this Cho guy said he was a business major? I know that was the situation when I was at U.Va.

2. Power - Well, the guy is a Korean on a mostly Anglo campus that is spread out. All the other Korean kids are probably fairly well off and forgive any perceived stereotyping, probably studying engineering, architecture, business, etc, not English. Are these Korean or Asian kids from Central or Southern Virginia? No, are you kidding? They are all from Northern Virginia and maybe a few from the Tidewater area, which means they are probably fairly well off.

Well, there has got to be more than money. Cho could do things for the school that were blind to money and get a little pull with people that way. There's sports, clubs, politics, things to get involved in and make a connection. Well, playing ACC varsity sports for the school was pretty much out for him, so maybe you have Intra-murals or Fraternity-related sporting events? When your folks are struggling to pay for education, the fraternity business is pretty much out and you don't want to waste their money on intramural sports - they are paying for you to go to class, not shoot hoops. I'd say Cho was essentially powerless and socially cut-off.

3. Sex - Yeah, well, that doesn't look so good either. He'd probably never "got-his-sex-on" with an actual woman in his life, based on his behavior. Usedcarsalesman doesn't want to try to stereotype the coed calculus that goes through a woman's head when she is checking out dudes, especially English Majors. But, he figures Cho was not on any Va Tech woman's gotta-get-with-cause-he's-got-such-a-bright-future list

Throw in a some hard-core depression, an interest in weapons and past similar shootings on which to model your behavior and a ton of enabling information available to him online and you've got a violently-themed three act play - first shootings, mail items to NBC, second mass shootings, End.

Most people would say, "look, as for that f$cker Cho, if he doesn't like the fact that some students seem more well off than he, then tough. If he can't handle the competition, then tough. If he can't handle the razzing, then tough. If he doesn't have a girlfriend, then tough. That's life, you gotta find a way to adapt or you die (in the vernacular of modern business, advertisements and news copy)" Usedcarsalesman tends to agree with this reasoning.

However, that reasoning can run two directions. Apparently, Cho saw that Va Tech and the larger world of people would never adapt to him (nor he to they) and so, to the young inexperienced, hopeless adult Cho, It needed to die in some manner, also. And, that's all she wrote.

Note: Frankly, it would be nice if NBC news releases the entirety of the "manifesto" and "video" sent to them by Cho. Other than government and law-enforcement, the public probably won't see it unless somebody leaks a copy. NBCs lawyers are probably concerned about being sued should future attacks occur following a release of this information, so they want it bottled up.

Enter "Stealth Willy" (Formerly "Slick Willy")

2007-05-29T22:22:42-07:00

Democrats know that there is an 800lb Gorilla in the room, but it�??s the Republicans who don�??t want to talk about it. The �??Silver-back�?? in question is the duo of �??Bill and Hillary Clinton,�?? arguably the most formidable team to ever run for and/or occupy the White House.

Sure Bill says he�??s going to be touring Thailand or hosting Miss Hawaiian Tropic or whatever for the next few years and will have nothing to do with his wife�??s campaign. Sure the public thinks Bill and Hillary don�??t get along. Sure we all think Bill Clinton is a liability to her campaign rather than an asset. Yeah Right.

What�??s the reality for Hillary�??s Democratic and Republican opposition? The reality is that, all else -campaign staff size, strategists, war-chest - being equal, any Republican going up against Hillary is going to be battling a veritable "corporation" of two Presidential-caliber candidates, with all of its inherent synergy that said �??corporation�?? might imply. Its just that one of the team - "Bill" - won�??t appear on the "radar screen" that much.

Let's get more specific about the Clinton strategy this election cycle. In particular, Usedcarsalesman speculates that Hillary will stay above the dirty business of campaigning and name-calling in '07 and '08. But while she runs in this apparently civilized and seemingly unstressed fashion, its Bill who will do a lot of the dirty work. He'll stealthily direct a �??Sherman�??s march�?? versus the Democratic candidates and the Republican nominee, ultimately flanking them with campaign fires (crisis) that seem to come out of nowhere and while their attention is diverted (Some rumors indicate that Bill is behind the possible Presidential candidacy of NYC Mayor Bloomberg - his third-party, independent run designed to do for Hillary what Ross Perot did for Bill in '92).

As such, it will seem to Hillary�??s opponents that they are running against something much larger than just Hillary and the normal campaign apparatus - like there is some invisible Type-A Predator monster that is blind-siding them unrelentingly at every turn. An apparent beacon of civility, Hillary will then feign surprise, look at the wreckage that was her opposition's campaigns and say, �??Aw, that�??s too bad, you seem to be having problems.�?? Voters will applaud her magnanimity.

Usedcarsalesman suspects that it is not so much that Hillary - the first female U.S. Presidential candidate (and President?) - is going to win. It's that she is going to survive the campaign and probably do so with relative ease. Every other candidate is going to be made to "lose" - to fail to survive in large part thanks to the quiet, directorial endeavors of (forgive the play on dated pop-culture names) "Stealth Willy."