Stupid Stuff I've done...

[Guest TankerHC]

You guys are welcome to do what you want, I'm just saying from my first hand experience the car wiggled then the rpms soared and i was along for the ride at that point. All the corrective steering and gentle use of the brakes resulted in nothing at all. It could have actually been a fun ride if there wasnt traffic and a semi on the other side. I will NEVER use cruise in a heavy rain like that again.

 

According to the several articles that I read you would have been in one of those cars where it used to be dangerous. The guy said the last car to have it was something like a 2002 Ferarri or some other sports car. That is, Cruise control that slowed the car down fast that would cause it to skid and did not control the cars speed going down hills.

[tnguy]

The issue though is that with hydroplaning, you want to cut power so that your speed drops and the tires settle back through the water to maker contact with the road. It's different than a skid.

 

If you're driving, you just take your foot off the accelerator and wait for things to settle. If you're on cruise, it's going to try and keep your wheels spinning at a speed that raises them out of the water and causes the hydroplaning. In fact, I guess if only one of your drive wheels is hydroplaning, your vehicles' speed will drop, the non-hydroplaning drive wheel will slow and the cruise will increase throttle, causing the hydroplaning wheel to spin faster.

 

Then again, modern cars have traction control which should counteract some of that effect.

 

I guess my thought is that unless you can point to a spot in the manual that claims that the cruise control can deal with hydroplaning, cut the cruise. Make sure you have decent tread on your tires too.

[DaveS]

Well folks, dumbassery has struck again!

 

I've been eyeing this big beautiful paper hornet nest (bald face hornets) since squirrel season came in. Knowing that they are migratory I have been waiting them little boogers out until cold weather comes along and they hightail it to Florida. So this morning I ran out to get it. When I got to the tree (a small maple about 12 foot tall and about 3 inches in diameter) I stood at the base and watched the nest for activity. None. Good. So I kicked the tree a couple times and watched. Nothing. Hot damn, they vacated the nest, now I can shimmy up the tree and break the limb off and be gone with it.

 

As I shimmied up the tree I kept a watchful eye out for movement. None. Hot Diggity! I went to wiggling the branch (the one the nest was attached to) to break it free. Well, them little %$%#@&^%$++ must have cut their trip to Florida short, and what happened next is a meer blur.

 

I don't really remember how I got down, but I sure don't think I shimmied down. I do remember doing a PLF when I hit the ground. Let me tell you what, them little SOB's hurt! One got me on the arm and one got me on the side of my face.

 

Here's my arm, all swollen and hurting like hell!

 

 

So, therefore, I'm no longer interested in that damn hornet nest!

 

DaveS

[Timestepper]

Well folks, dumbassery has struck again!

 

I've been eyeing this big beautiful paper hornet nest (bald face hornets) since squirrel season came in. Knowing that they are migratory I have been waiting them little boogers out until cold weather comes along and they hightail it to Florida. So this morning I ran out to get it. When I got to the tree (a small maple about 12 foot tall and about 3 inches in diameter) I stood at the base and watched the nest for activity. None. Good. So I kicked the tree a couple times and watched. Nothing. Hot damn, they vacated the nest, now I can shimmy up the tree and break the limb off and be gone with it.

 

As I shimmied up the tree I kept a watchful eye out for movement. None. Hot Diggity! I went to wiggling the branch (the one the nest was attached to) to break it free. Well, them little %$%#@&^%$++ must have cut their trip to Florida short, and what happened next is a meer blur.

 

I don't really remember how I got down, but I sure don't think I shimmied down. I do remember doing a PLF when I hit the ground. Let me tell you what, them little SOB's hurt! One got me on the arm and one got me on the side of my face.

 

 

 

 

So, therefore, I'm no longer interested in that damn hornet nest!

 

DaveS

Aw man! I feel for ya' brother Dave!

 

Had a friend who found a paper wasp nest about the size of a soccer ball one winter and thought, "hey that'd make great wadding for the ol' black powder shotgun!" So he took it home and tossed it under the bench in his shop. Couple days later he went out to the shop to mold some balls and fired up his wood stove because it was chilly... About 30 minutes later a "cloud of hornets" (his words) rose up from the far end of his bench and chased him out of the shop. I guess he got nailed about 8 or 9 times before he hit the door and couldn't get back into his shop to unplug the lead pot until the next day after the stove had burned out and the temp had dropped again.

 

With great pride he reported that he went out and fired up his wood stove again about 4 days later after a cold snap sent the temps below zero... and one of the first things he put in the stove was the wasp nest. :pleased:

[Guest Lowbuster]

I know. But there are people who believe that it is easier to lose control on wet roads with cruise on. Have even seen it mentioned on some news show.

Constant power to wheels when slick can keep a vehicle from getting traction

[safeandsecure]

Well folks, dumbassery has struck again!

 

I've been eyeing this big beautiful paper hornet nest  ...

 

 

DaveS

Coulda been worse, Dave.

 

Had a buddy who once (bout 40 years ago) found a good-lookin' hornets' nest and decided to haul it home in the backseat of his car.

 

You guessed it.  Heater running, and pretty soon, hornets flying -- INSIDE the car (comes from hauling the nest in the back seat, lol).

 

Long story short, he "parked" his car in the ditch and lit out on foot.

 

Best I can recollect (and that ain't often good), several stings and totalled his ol' beater.  He walked or hitched for several months.

 

Sorry you got stung, but you made me laugh ... and remembering how my buddy described that "swarm" of "millions" of hornets made me laugh again.

 

J.

[DaveS]

I usually put the nest in a trash bag and tie the top closed. Leave them in a heated room for a couple weeks and then you're pretty much good to go.

 

I'm going to become the "bubble wrap" man before long! Odd that I keep getting into these situations. I guess that's why I'm a "Disabled Veteran" instead of just a "Veteran". Sheezzz.....

 

One thing is for sure though; I don't lead a boring life!

 

DaveS

Edited October 26, 2013 by DaveS

[mikegideon]

I usually put the nest in a trash bag and tie the top closed. Leave them in a heated room for a couple weeks and then you're pretty much good to go.

 

I'm going to become the "bubble wrap" man before long! Odd that I keep getting into these situations. I guess that's why I'm a "Disabled Veteran" instead of just a "Veteran". Sheezzz.....

 

One thing is for sure though; I don't lead a boring life!

 

DaveS

 

Here's the deal. When you find a frozen possum in your driveway, it's time to go get the nest :)

[DaveS]

Here's the deal. When you find a frozen possum in your driveway, it's time to go get the nest :)

Mike, I will take that as good solid advice!

 

DaveS

[Timestepper]

Here's the deal. When you find a frozen possum in your driveway, it's time to go get the nest :)

Oh gawd! Reminds me of one of my favorite "oldie but goodies." (And, if it were true, would certainly fit this thread.) True or not, here it is:

 

So I’m driving home driving home from dinner last night with my wife, it’s like 16 degrees out. Cold as hell. Icicles on your balls kind of cold. So anyways we’re going around a slow corner and she (my wife) spots a baby skunk lying on the side of the road. Being the animal lover she is, I get yelled at to pull over and help the little guy.

“Fine, I’ll stop but you gotta get out and help it.” I say. So she jumps out of the car and picks up this baby skunk. Poor little guy is half frozen but still alive. She says, “What should I do?” “Bring it in the car” I tell her and we’ll “warm him up”.

So she gets in with the skunk and asks, “How should I keep him warm?” I tell her “Put it between your legs.” She replies “What about the smell?” So I say, “Just hold his nose!”























The doctors expect I’ll make a full recovery, but the skunk she used to beat me with died during the incident.

 

:leaving:

[tnguy]

Well, that made my Saturday :)

[hipower]

Oh gawd! Reminds me of one of my favorite "oldie but goodies." (And, if it were true, would certainly fit this thread.) True or not, here it is:
 
So I’m driving home driving home from dinner last night with my wife, it’s like 16 degrees out. Cold as hell. Icicles on your balls kind of cold. So anyways we’re going around a slow corner and she (my wife) spots a baby skunk lying on the side of the road. Being the animal lover she is, I get yelled at to pull over and help the little guy.

“Fine, I’ll stop but you gotta get out and help it.” I say. So she jumps out of the car and picks up this baby skunk. Poor little guy is half frozen but still alive. She says, “What should I do?” “Bring it in the car” I tell her and we’ll “warm him up”.

So she gets in with the skunk and asks, “How should I keep him warm?” I tell her “Put it between your legs.” She replies “What about the smell?” So I say, “Just hold his nose!”























The doctors expect I’ll make a full recovery, but the skunk she used to beat me with died during the incident.
 
:leaving:

You deserved it. LOL

[Guest Lowbuster]

When I was in about 6th grade we had what was called fun night. Students would come to school, pay money to play games, eat and so on. I went to bean station elementary. Well I got bored and went walking to the lake. ( the school is lakefront.) I had to stop and urinate but if I had taken one more step my knee would have hit the electric fence instead of urine. Edited December 16, 2013 by Lowbuster