Text 2867, 110 rader
Skriven 2010-01-09 07:09:24 av Robert Bashe (2:2448/44)
   Kommentar till text 2825 av Roy Witt (1:387/22)
Ärende: Misconceptions
======================
Roy Witt wrote to Robert Bashe on Friday January 08 2010 at 12:10:

[VW bus]
RW>>> Because the vehicle cannot maintain enough speed to not obstruct the
RW>>> flow of traffic.

RB>> It certainly can here, and Germans are not known to be particularly
RB>> slow-moving drivers. You're talking about special circumstances.

RW> If you call driving up a hill special.

Depends on the "hill". The Alps have some pretty steep grades, you know.

RW>>> If and when it got to the hills on Interstate 10, west of here, the
RW>>> minimum speed is 100km/hr, which it couldn't maintain on any of the
RW>>> inclines required to get over the hill country into west Texas.

RB>> _Minimum_ speed 100 km/h?? That would be roughly 60 mph, and more
RB>> likely a max. speed limit in the States.

RW> Wrong. The max speed limit on I-10 west of San Antonio is 80mph. East
RW> of SA it is 70mph and like I said, 60mph in San Antonio.

You wrote "minimum" speed, Roy, not "maximum". Read it again.

RB>>>> Remember the Beetle and the bus were designed for Germany, and
RB>>>> although there are considerable grades in the mountains there too,
RB>>>> much of the country is relatively flat.

RW>>> Which is why they're no longer sold here.

RB>> No, they simply were outdated and were replaced by the VW Golf.

RW> No, they're still being made, in Mexico. The Golf is even worse than
RW> the bug.

You're twisting and turning, Roy. You claimed the BEETLE was still being made
in Mexico. It's not. Now you're twisting around and saying the Golf is being
made there. That's correct, but has nothing to do with your original claim.

RB>> They had disadvantages (the lousy heater, for example) that were no
RB>> longer tolerated even in a cult car. But before they ceased being
RB>> made, over 10,000,000 were sold - that's quite a record.

RW> That's a lot of under powered cars putting others in danger.

;-) Bullshit and you know it.

RW>>> Although they're still being made in Mexico and you see them here
RW>>> every once in a while.

RB>> The Mexican production of Beetles ceased years ago, Roy.

RW> Not. We see them coming across the border all the time. You can tell
RW> their not old because they look brand new.

I don't care if you see 100 in a straight line driving over the border, the
Beetle ceased production in Mexico many years ago.

Do try to check your facts before making such statements. And try to accept
that you're not right 100% of the time occasionally, it makes a better
impression and would boost your credibility.

RB>> You've never seen the streets in Heidelberg ;-)

RW> You've never seen the streets in Jerome...

Were they built in the 1500s and earlier, when the streets only had to be wide
enough for a carriage? Those in Heidelberg were.

RB>> You're lucky you live in the States, since you'd never be able to
RB>> afford driving such a car in Europe.

RW> You're assuming that...

I'm assuming you're neither immensely wealthy nor a fool who puts his car above
everything else in life.

RB>> The road tax would be sky-high, the gas cost absolutely astronomical
RB>> and the insurance prohibitive.

RW> That has never stopped me from driving what I drive.

You've never paid $500 a year road tax, something over $7.40 a gallon for gas
(that's the current price for super here) and perhaps $1500 a year for basic
liability insurance either. I figure if you had, you'd talk a little
differently.

RB>> But of course you probably wouldn't drive anything like that in
RB>> Europe anyway, since there are not many day-long stretches of highway
RB>> (American translation: "short jaunts" <g>) here, and large cars for
RB>> short hauls just don't make economic sense. Nor is their comfort
RB>> advantage really a selling point for the relatively short driving
RB>> distances.

RW> Which is another point of contention. I don't find any European cars
RW> comfortable and they should be. The Japanese do a better job of
RW> ergonomical design.

Really? I don't find much difference _nowadays_ (Note: that does _not_ mean
that there were not differences years ago: I am trying to anticipate your
rejoinder). But for the short hauls we usually make in Europe, the differences
aren't really significant. I can even stand the Opel Aguila my wife bought
against my wishes - and that really _is_ a roller skate, not only by your but
even by my definitions.

Cheers, Bob

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