Tag: cars

When it rains it pours

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Fortunately, the title of this post isn’t so foreboding as much as it is literal.  I just spend the evening at the ballpark where despite the no-rain-when-it-was-supposed-to-rain Monday and Tuesday, it decided to pour like a motherfucker on it’s-not-going-to-rain Wednesday.  Oh, and the Braves lost to the Yankees again, and for those keeping count, which is unlikely on my brog, but the Braves haven’t taken a series against the Yankees in eleven years.  Granted, the Braves don’t play the Yankees every single year, but it’s still sad sounding to hear that it’s been that long since the Braves could say they bested the Yankees.

Anyway, I can honestly say that today was better than the day prior.  Despite having to hobble into work on a donut, I did the responsible thing and cleaned up my assignments before ditching work to address my issue.  The best news of the day came when I took my car into a tire shop, and they confidently, and without any hesitation looked at the puncture in my tire and said “yes” that it could be patched.  Ten minutes is all it took, and it only cost me eighteen bucks.  Bonus.

Work was productive, which is always a good feeling, and my boss was completely okay with me leaving early to go to the game.  Where I would proceed to game the system again, and come into possession of two bobbleheads, leaving me with an extra I can explore possibly selling on eBay for easy money, or trading it in the future.

With the exception of the shitty weather and the shitty outcome of the baseball game, it really wasn’t a bad day.  I’ve been giving a lot of thought to what’s been eating me, and I feel that I have a slightly clearer idea.  Unfortunately, most of it kind of has to do with those inevitable and helplessly omniscient “that’s just the way the world is, and there’s not really anything you can do about it” conclusions, so I guess I just have to wait out the storm, and have a glass of cranberry juice or something.

Sounds about right

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

And here I thought I was having a pleasant day.  Purchased an iPad at a discounted cost, found a strip club $20 on the sidewalk, and was kept busy enough at work to make the day kind of breeze by.  When I left work, I figured I would pick up Jen, be off the hook for dinner with tasty leftovers, and then watch the Braves vs. Yankees game while playing with my dog.

When I got in my car and pulled out of my space, I realized that the tire light was on in my car.  My car has low-profile tires (standard, please), so it wasn’t much of a surprise to me that one or more of them might be having some deflation after the last 17 months.  But still, I don’t like seeing any warning lights on in my car, so I planned on rectifying the air issue when I got home.  The initial cruise test revealed that there was a slight pull to the left, so I figured the low tire was on the driver’s side; normal, since I primarily am the only driver, so there’s always more weight on the left side.

After picking up Jen, I did the cruise test again, and this time, the pull happened to be a bit stronger.  At this point, I made the decision to stop at the next gas station ASAP, since I figure my tires weren’t warm enough to be filling up hot tires yet.  I pull off at a gas station, and I get out of my car, and see that the front driver’s tire is indeed, pretty low.  Surprisingly low.  Unusually lower than I thought it might be.

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A pet peeve

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

Say you’re driving down a very desolate, flat straight road out in the middle of nowhere.  You can see far ahead and far behind you for miles.  You’re also driving with a friend who is driving their own car.  For whatever reason, you wish to drive parallel to your friend, so you hop into the oncoming lane, and begin driving right next to your friend.

Eventually, in the distance you see a car coming.  What do you do?

Obviously, you let off the gas, and get back behind your friend, or space permitting, you apply the gas, and get in front.  Otherwise, you  will end up in a head-on collision, and probably someone ends up dead, or at least severely injured.

If the answer is so simple when it comes to driving cars, why is it so difficult for people to grasp when simply walking?

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The racial double standard

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

I kind of wish the day would come when humanity meets the Turians, then the Salarians and Asari.  Because I get the impression that until there’s something so radically different for people to become prejudice towards, like aliens, racism will never go away.

The photographed vanity plate on the Ford Explorer pictured says “BLKNPRD.”  Black and Proud.  In an ironic way, it’s actually amusing to me that the driver side brake light is also busted, and being held in place with packing tape.

But no matter, this is the kind of vanity tag that exists all over Atlanta, at any given time.  I’ve seen plates or bumper stickers that allude to one, being black, and any variety of being successful, rich, debonair, female, or some sort of leader or revolutionary.  What I’m curious about is that if we live in such a supposed progressive and tolerant society, why is it so imperative to indicate their ethnicity?

It doesn’t really matter, because we all really know the answer to the question.  But the fact is, no other race could really get away with the way the black community does.  White people have it the worst; imagine seeing WHYTNPRD on a vanity tag?  That car would be on blocks and destroyed for being supremacist within 24 hours of putting the tag on the car.  If I put AZNPWR on a car, I’d be labeled a racist and likely laughed at, well before the car would ultimately be vandalized in discrimination.  But BLKs put BLK all over their tags, ironically pointing themselves out, and nobody seems to bat an eye.

Except for me.  They’re racist too.

Sweet justice

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

There are few things in life­ that makes me as happy as seeing someone busted for violating the HOV lane.  So imagine my pleasant surprise this morning.

Traffic was especially sweltering, probably due to the fact that in the state of Georgia, it’s spring break for most schools and colleges.  After the section of Interstate 75/85 known as the “Grady Curve,” there are occasionally strategically placed cops sitting in the shoulder, attempting to capitalize on unsuspecting HOV lane violators who can’t see them just ahead, only to come out of the curve to see them way too late to even attempt to get out of the lane for their indiscretion.

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Plant jizz, everywhere

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

My car is literally green now.  It was way worse in the morning.  I’ve washed all the windows in hopes of tempting Mother Nature karma and triggering some cleansing rain to wash my car before I can wash my car, but I have a feeling it’s not going to work.

It’s 84 fucking degrees in March with pollen counts shattering records.  I fear that this is the summer where it begins to average 102F temperatures, while gas floats around $4 a gallon for months.  I’d snidely say what a great time it is to be alive, but for the current, I actually am not feeling that pessimistic yet.

Latest inductee of the “I give up on life” car club

~ dannyhong ~ Leave a comment

The 2012 Subaru Impreza

When I speak about cars that say “I give up on life,” I am referring to vehicles, notorious for being driven by people who have pretty much settled down completely in life, cars strictly for practicality, function and purpose, but have absolutely zero fun or redeeming aspects about them other than the absolutely necessary. Prominent members of the I give up on life car club include the Chevrolet Lumina, Ford Taurus, Dodge Stratus, and more recently the Toyota Camry. The Honda Accord would make the list if not for the gallant efforts by its coupe iteration that keep the name from being completely square.

If you’re remotely car-savvy, or sort of familiar with the features of modern cars, you’ll notice that these are all cars that are nondescript four-door sedans that are essentially people movers and a means to an end. Nothing special, the basic of amenities and standards, to move from point A to point B in as much obscurity as possible.

You don’t drive any car in the I give up on life club for fun, enjoyment or leisure. Period.

Continue reading “Latest inductee of the “I give up on life” car club” →