Minor things that bother you

[CoreySamson]

Cursing doesn't bother me as much as cuss-word substitutes as attention grabbers in situations when it's not acceptable, like one TV ad that went like this:

"Let's talk about the F-word!"

*crowd gasps and screen shows some cute animals staring in horror*

"No, not that F-word!"

There was also some (defunct, as I understand it) grocery store whose jingle touted how "F'n easy" they were to shop at. For some reason these really annoy me. You're not funny or clever and it just sounds like your ad agency script writers and sales staff can't be creative enough to not sound like a parent pretending their 10-year old doesn't already know what the minced oath "effing" refers to. Even though I cuss plenty myself, I just roll my eyes at things like this.

I hate the Groupon ads that go "Are you bleeping ready?

But one of the worst things about heavy use of profanity is that it makes you look unintelligent by using cuss words all the time instead of using creative terms that are honestly better. I think hbelkins once said here that his favorite insult was buffoon, and I've used "Oh, Buddha" once or twice. We need more stuff like that (might I suggest we all read Shakespeare's creative insults for inspiration?). If you must curse, use it only for the really bad stuff.

[vdeane]

I understand the mid-manhattan EXPWY problem, but the cross island parkway just continues the numbering from the Belt parkway, not the southern state. I could be wrong but don't ever remember seeing mileposts on the SSP

The Cross Island was renumbered at some point.  Originally it was 1-12 starting at the Whitestone Bridge.

As for why they decided to continue the Cross Island's numbering rather than the Belt's or restarting at 1, I don't know.

[Mike2357]

Yes that's weird, since the Belt Parkway and Southern State are generally the same direction rather than perpendicular. Is it also a general rule that exit numbers increase always from N to S?

[Scott5114]

They increase from south to north and west to east.

You may want to read this to get caught up with how exit numbers work in the rest of the country. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exit_numbers_in_the_United_States Actually, that article sucks. The MTR FAQ has a better explanation: http://www.roadfan.com/mtrfaq.html#59

[kphoger]

It bothers me that, if I tell Alexa to "play _______ music", my young children end up listening to music with profanity in it.  I guess I expect Alexa to be more like the radio and filter that stuff out.

And honestly, I'm glad it doesn't. If I want to listen to filtered music, I will turn on something governed by the FCC. The best thing about the internet is being able to choose your limits. I don't want a company doing that for me.

If the Alexa app doesn't allow you to filter music, or request non-explicit music, that should be a feature. But it should not be the default.

Aw, man, do you mean to say you think I should have to actually take the time to research my options?  It's much more enjoyable to just sit here and complain about it...

[roadman65]

Watch the tram car please! Watch the tram car please! Watch the tram car please!

The infamous Wildwood Boardwalk Tram announcement in Cape May County, NJ.

[kphoger]

We just bought a new-to-us vehicle, and I wondered at the time where the battery was.  So I googled it.  In order to get to the battery, I'll have to pull up the floor mat in front of the second-row passenger-side seat, pull up a hard plastic cover, and use a Torx driver to unfasten a carpeted compartment cover.

I have a feeling this is going to bother me whenever I need to give someone a jumpstart.  On the other hand, if I have to replace our battery when it's five degrees outside, I might appreciate being in out of the winter wind to do so.

[formulanone]

We just bought a new-to-us vehicle, and I wondered at the time where the battery was.  So I googled it.  In order to get to the battery, I'll have to pull up the floor mat in front of the second-row passenger-side seat, pull up a hard plastic cover, and use a Torx driver to unfasten a carpeted compartment cover.

What on earth did you buy?

I'd leave an example of the appropriate Torx screwdriver in the car so you're not stranded. There's about 6 standard sizes (like T-10 through T-40), and about 6-10 more that are less common.

Once I had to remove a bolt from my old Dodge Neon which was a Torx fasterner; I just eyeballed it and went to an auto parts store, picked up a single T-25 because that's all they had. Mercifully, that was exactly the one I needed. It never occurred to me to buy an entire set until 15 years later.

[renegade]

We just bought a new-to-us vehicle, and I wondered at the time where the battery was.  So I googled it.  In order to get to the battery, I'll have to pull up the floor mat in front of the second-row passenger-side seat, pull up a hard plastic cover, and use a Torx driver to unfasten a carpeted compartment cover.

I have a feeling this is going to bother me whenever I need to give someone a jumpstart.  On the other hand, if I have to replace our battery when it's five degrees outside, I might appreciate being in out of the winter wind to do so.

Rule #1: Never give anyone a jump-start.  It's the most direct route to shortening the life of your alternator

Rule #2:  In case of emergency, there should be a point somewhere under the hood to connect jumper cables.

[Mike2357]

I still can't get the lack of interchange between the Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway out of my mind. That's on top of a lack of 95 numbering along the whole Turnpike and lack of 76 along the A.C.E...triple interstate insanity!

[Scott5114]

I'd leave an example of the appropriate Torx screwdriver in the car so you're not stranded. There's about 6 standard sizes (like T-10 through T-40), and about 6-10 more that are less common.

Or replace the screws with something that isn't ridiculous.

Rule #1: Never give anyone a jump-start.  It's the most direct route to shortening the life of your alternator

Some people put a higher priority on improving the lives of people over the lives of alternators...

[1995hoo]

I still can't get the lack of interchange between the Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway out of my mind. That's on top of a lack of 95 numbering along the whole Turnpike and lack of 76 along the A.C.E...triple interstate insanity!

Would someone go check the needle? I think the record is stuck.

[jmacswimmer]

I still can't get the lack of interchange between the Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway NJ 42 out of my mind.

The NJTP & ACE never touch each other

[formulanone]

We have threads about road opinions, and this one is about everything but road-stuff. Well, mostly.

Unpopular Route Opinions:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28403.0

Unpopular Anything Road-Related Opinions:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28884.0

[hotdogPi]

We have threads about road opinions, and this one is about everything but road-stuff. Well, mostly.

Unpopular Route Opinions:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28403.0

Unpopular Anything Road-Related Opinions:
https://www.aaroads.com/forum/index.php?topic=28884.0

This is the minor things that bother you thread, not the unpopular non-road opinion thread.

[formulanone]

I'd leave an example of the appropriate Torx screwdriver in the car so you're not stranded.

Or replace the screws with something that isn't ridiculous.

$8 + tax is cheap enough...heck, there's like 20%-off coupons all over the place for Harbor Freight Tools.

[Scott5114]

It's not the expense of the screwdriver that's the issue to me, but rather the overhead of having to accommodate for the non-standard fastener by being sure to keep the screwdriver around in the event I need to access the compartment while away from home. I'm the sort of person who'd still somehow manage to lose the screwdriver somehow. Better to spend $1 + tax to just replace the screws so that if I need in there and can't find my screwdriver, I have a decent shot of being able to borrow one from someone that will work.

[jakeroot]

It bothers me that, if I tell Alexa to "play _______ music", my young children end up listening to music with profanity in it.  I guess I expect Alexa to be more like the radio and filter that stuff out.

And honestly, I'm glad it doesn't. If I want to listen to filtered music, I will turn on something governed by the FCC. The best thing about the internet is being able to choose your limits. I don't want a company doing that for me.

If the Alexa app doesn't allow you to filter music, or request non-explicit music, that should be a feature. But it should not be the default.

Aw, man, do you mean to say you think I should have to actually take the time to research my options?  It's much more enjoyable to just sit here and complain about it...

Well, it's the minor things in life, ya know?!

Doing some actual research and not just typing angrily: there is definitely a filter option in the settings. I wish everything was like that, like network TV or terrestrial radio.

[formulanone]

It's not the expense of the screwdriver that's the issue to me, but rather the overhead of having to accommodate for the non-standard fastener by being sure to keep the screwdriver around in the event I need to access the compartment while away from home. I'm the sort of person who'd still somehow manage to lose the screwdriver somehow. Better to spend $1 + tax to just replace the screws so that if I need in there and can't find my screwdriver, I have a decent shot of being able to borrow one from someone that will work.

It depends on the the way a fastener used; if it's some sort of screw that loosens, but which doesn't fully come out from its backing, then replacement is not an option.

[kphoger]

What on earth did you buy?

2009 Chevrolet Traverse

I'd leave an example of the appropriate Torx screwdriver in the car so you're not stranded.

being sure to keep the screwdriver around in the event I need to access the compartment while away from home.

I always keep a crate of car supplies in there anyway–motor oil, trans fluid, brake fluid, antifreeze, funnel, duct tape, rags, pliers, socket wrenches, ratchet straps, hammer, repair manual, block of wood, zip ties, cable cutters, that kind of stuff.  And I think I have a driver set that includes Torx bits;  I've never used it before, so I'll have to check, but it's likely I just need to toss that in the crate.

Rule #1: Never give anyone a jump-start.  It's the most direct route to shortening the life of your alternator

Some people put a higher priority on improving the lives of people over the lives of alternators...

That, plus I've never had to replace an alternator in any car I've owned.  My most recent vehicle just crapped out at somewhere over 228,700 miles (thrown rod), having given plenty of jumpstarts during its time with me, and I hadn't even replaced the battery since 2017.

Rule #2:  In case of emergency, there should be a point somewhere under the hood to connect jumper cables.

There is a positive terminal under the hood, plus a grounding point at the firewall.  I was assuming that's only good for receiving a jumpstart, not giving a jumpstart.  Or do you mean the grounding point is also a negative connection (grounded through the frame)?

[J N Winkler]

That, plus I've never had to replace an alternator in any car I've owned.  My most recent vehicle just crapped out at somewhere over 228,700 miles (thrown rod), having given plenty of jumpstarts during its time with me, and I hadn't even replaced the battery since 2017.

For an alternator there are two traditional rules of thumb:  it is on borrowed time after the second battery or 100,000 miles.  I have actually taken out the one in my current daily driver, had it rebuilt, and reinstalled it, so I understand the work involved (it can be difficult to find a new rather than rebuilt alternator, and rebuilders are not easy to find even in a city as large as Wichita), and coddle the electrical system by using an AGM battery with a maintainer. 

This said, I carry jumper cables and am not averse to giving a jumpstart if I can get my car in position.  But I think I have successfully jumped another car just once in four or five tries.

There is a positive terminal under the hood, plus a grounding point at the firewall.  I was assuming that's only good for receiving a jumpstart, not giving a jumpstart.  Or do you mean the grounding point is also a negative connection (grounded through the frame)?

It should be.  If you can see a voltage drop between ground and the negative terminal of the battery, that is a symptom of problems with the electrical system.

[renegade]

Rule #1: Never give anyone a jump-start.  It's the most direct route to shortening the life of your alternator

Some people put a higher priority on improving the lives of people over the lives of alternators...

When you need to replace one at a most inconvenient time/place/location, and at a cost you really can't afford ... your priorities will shift rather quickly.

... see below:

[renegade]

Rule #2:  In case of emergency, there should be a point somewhere under the hood to connect jumper cables.

There is a positive terminal under the hood, plus a grounding point at the firewall.  I was assuming that's only good for receiving a jumpstart, not giving a jumpstart.  Or do you mean the grounding point is also a negative connection (grounded through the frame)?

Yup.  That's the spot.  It will work either way.

[kphoger]

My old English professor in college several years ago said that he had a Japanese car with a quarter million miles on it and that it drove like a new car, and that American cars sick. I wholeheartedly agree, American car companies put 0 effort into making functional parts or reliable safety features. My dad's old car boiled over at around 225,000 miles on the way to work, what a piece of crap, every car should last at least 1 M miles.

"Boiling over" at 225,000 miles?  That's hardly a car killer, unless it also happens to blow the head gasket or crack the block.  I ran the radiator dry in my previous vehicle (Japanese brand but made in Canada) while on vacation in the summer of 2017, then blew a huge hole in the thing and had to replace it in April of the next year.  Since then, I put about 45,000 miles on the vehicle.  In the meantime, it needed a new heater hose assembly and a new expansion tank last year, so I had those replaced as well.

The reason it's a brick now, at just shy of 229,000 miles, is that a rod came loose on Friday–not because of anything related to the previous cooling system issues.

[Scott5114]

Rule #1: Never give anyone a jump-start.  It's the most direct route to shortening the life of your alternator

Some people put a higher priority on improving the lives of people over the lives of alternators...

When you need to replace one at a most inconvenient time/place/location, and at a cost you really can't afford ... your priorities will shift rather quickly.

... see below:

Yeah, but at the same time, if I were about to leave work and had a dead battery, I asked my coworker for a jump, and he replied, "Nah, I don't give jumps because it's bad for the alternator," and left me stranded, I am going to think he's a douche for the rest of the time I know him.