The Friday Five

[Nosmo King]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

There's a stretch of the Pennsylvania Turnpike that crosses the Allegheny Mountains. There, the east bound and west bound lanes are separated by a Jersey curb, a concrete wall about four feet high.

One winter night I was driving from a project in Atlantic City New Jersey home to Pittsburgh. It was snowing one of those snows that are reminiscent of a snow globe. The headlamps from the oncoming traffic lit those flakes so they appeared to be about the size of toilet seats. On came the snow, on came the fatigue and soon I experienced what could aptly be described as 'hypno-snow'. I was transfixed by the illuminated flakes. The highway twists and turns through the mountain passes. Elevations change rapidly as the road crosses the mountains. The combination of hypno-snow, icy roads, driver fatigue and steep mountains was as dangerous as anything I'd ever experience.

 

[R.D.]

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven? About 7 hours

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross? No

3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced? White outs from snow. Awsome scary

4 Do you sing alone in your car? Yeah, like a fool

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding? Yep, on the drive in question # 1. I was 19 and with my mom. She was appauled that I didn't know to flirt my way out of it. I never have learned to use my feminine wiles

 

[Wolfsister77]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1) About 12 hours

2) Yes, up north outside of civilization late at night with no one else around-very dark

3) Got stuck in a hailstorm once that I absolutely could not see a darn thing and got lots of hail damage-was certain my window would break

4) Always

5) Twice

 

[Valerie]

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?

i drive from massachusetts to florida every day just so i can post as ravi in the evenings...

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?

yes, crossing a major highway on foot...

3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?

pouring rain can be tough to see, but heavy snow blizzard conditions are the worst!

4 Do you sing alone in your car?

yes, daily...

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

many times but i haven't actually got a speeding ticket in ages.

 

[rightwinger]

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
I drove cross country once. Most of the country is pretty flat and boring

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
Pacific Coast Highway: it is very beautiful and very windy. It is easy to get distracted looking at he scenery as you drive around some nasty bends in the road

3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
I have driven in some blizzards that were complete whiteouts

4 Do you sing alone in your car?
Not well...but I sing. Mostly oldies rock

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?
Maybe three times in 40 years

 

[Pogo]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again​

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?

With one destination: Eastern Vermont to San Diego County California, a long scenic drive across Ontario, back into the US at Sault Ste. Marie, down through Wisconsin/Iowa, across to Colorado/Utah and down, in a big S-shape, 3600 miles. Felt like continuing but there was the problem of the Pacific Ocean. The drive back was more straight, didn't involve Canada and thus shorter. But I did encounter Bigfoot off US 50 in southern Indiana.

With multiple destinations: driving in a truck convoy from Lancaster County Pennsylvania out to several stops in South Dakota, then over to Wyoming and up to Crow Agency Montana, then all over Montana as far as Cut Bank (up near Alberta) and then back to PA. It was somewhere over 5000 miles.

Longest drive in one sitting: possibly the panhandle of West Virginia to New Orleans, which is probably about a thousand miles. I don't recommend it. There are hallucinations waiting on the highway in Alabama.

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?

Can't think of any really. Closest I can think of was trying to find a local music hall at a little village in Nova Scotia following typical word-of-mouth directions - we wound up on a dirt road that went on and on and on 20 miles or so (which it was supposed to be) but then the road became one lane, then it became nothing more than a grass path through the forest. Finally convinced we were off track I had to simply stop, throw 'er in reverse and back up about four miles to find a place to turn around.

We found the place at a later date with better directions.

But again, fear isn't a factor. I like a challenge.

3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?

Realistically the "worst" may be any long, boring freeway that all looks the same. Like driving across South Dakota with nothing but army recruiting ads and counting down the mileage to Wall. The most challenging (which I find stimulating) would be more like the time I went to visit a friend in western NC (about 150 miles) and it started snowing hard as I was leaving... by around Waynesville everybody stopped for a semi that had jackknifed, so I backed up and took an alternate pass (there are two that cross the mountains)-- snow built up more and more, by Cherokee all lights were off and all businesses closed. Kept on until coming upon a tree that had fallen across the road.

I had only covered about 90 miles so I had to turn around. The road I had come in on was now closed -- or so the sign said. "Good", I thought, there won't be any morons in my way". Sure enough after driving around the road closed sign all I came upon was snowplows. Drove the rest of the way home slaloming around abandoned cars and up to my back door. Did the whole thing in a small front-wheel drive Saturn station wagon with no particular special tires -- but had a stick shift, which makes all the difference.

I love driving but I really love snow driving. My favourite sport.

4 Do you sing alone in your car?

Probably once in a great while but most of the time I'm listening. Either to what's on the sound system, or even better, my own thougthts. Driving is zen meditation for me -- that's assuming I'm on a long trip and don't need to navigate for a while. It's where I do my best thinking.

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

As much driving as I do it would be hard not to. Last time was let off with a warning with no speed specified (which tells me he really didn't know); the time before was the speed trap town of Benton Tennessee - I gave them my list of discoveries which they skirted around illegally and the judge wanted to play the part of Mister Nice Guy, so I let him and didn't let on that I knew Tennessee and Carolina don't share their ticket info anyway. The time before that, I gave them my discovery list (the cop's traning record, record of who else he ticketed that day, certification of radar calibration, road survey, etc etc) and they responded with "um, the judge is just gonna dismiss your ticket"".

I don't drive for speed and I don't understand those who do. I drive for efficiency, in a nice relaxed manner. At the end of 700 miles I'm rested and ready to do another 700 rather than worn out from winding myself up trying to pass everything on the road. But driving for efficiency means sometimes given the benefit of a nice downslope, gravity is going to give you a boost, and it's senseless to say no. As far as energy expenditure I drive basically the same way one rides a mountain bike.

The best technique I have: constant throttle -- let the car slow on upgrades and speed up on downgrades (within reason) and don't try to compensate to keep a set speed. I've busted 50 mpg repeatedly this way.

 

[Esmeralda]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
West Coast (Portland, Oregon) to East Coast (Port Jervis, NY), sharing driving with my partner.

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
Driving from Agadir, Morocco to the northern border town of Ceuta in order to take the ferry across the Straight of Gibralta to Spain. Also with my partner, 35 years ago. It was an over night drive and very dark, rarely any street lights or other traffic. Jackels running across the road and caught in the headlights. Going through small villiages with almost no lights and passing buy petrol stations where truck drivers (Moroccan) were hanging out, smoking and drinking coffee; these places lit by one or two bare bulbs. Passing through Casablanca and Rabat, which were eerily dark, silent, and amost empty. I felt fairly okay when my partner was awake, but when he was sleeping, it was scary.

3 What are the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?

Snow and fog. A couple of times in Seattle when it snowed, I wasn't sure if I'd make it home. People there aren't used to the snow, including me, and I didn't have 4 wheel drive, but I had front wheel drive, which, apparently, helps. Anyway, I made it home. Once, when I had 4 wheel drive, driving when it snowed was fun.

One time I was driving my sister home from the movies; it was evening, and there was so much fog, visibility was very limited. I had to be strong though, as my sister was depending one me, so I just bucked up and used caution and made it home. Scary though. Never had to do that again. It was part freeway and part highway.

4 Do you sing alone in your car?
With the radio or a cd, yes.

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?
Once or twice, long ago. Also for open container once when I was parked in a park with a 'friend' talking and drinking wine (in wine glasses) on a summer night. Jeeze, these cops have no sense of romance.

 

[HenryBHough]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1. From Boston to San Francisco in 3 days.
2. Regularly. Sometimes have to go up the road in the way opposite to where I want to go and then find a place to hook a left into a parking lot and reverse.
3. White-out in upstate New York. Passed a line of what looked like parked cars then discovered every one of them was stuck but my little old sedan was better on snow than I had even imagined.
4. When I owned a car with no radio, sang regularly.
5. Hell yes.

 

[Montrovant]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1. FL to NY
2. I've been on roads I didn't feel safe on because of traffic or the size of the road, but never a particular stretch that looked unsafe to cross.
3. Snow and ice in a very hilly area in NY I suppose.
4. I don't drive.
5. See 4

 

[theliq]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1. FL to NY
2. I've been on roads I didn't feel safe on because of traffic or the size of the road, but never a particular stretch that looked unsafe to cross.
3. Snow and ice in a very hilly area in NY I suppose.
4. I don't drive.
5. See 4

1.Sydney to Perth via Melbourne and Adelaide

2.Black Ice in England

3.A Blizzard

4.I wish I could sing

5.I have on numerous occasions,I'm a good driver(well I would say that) but I do hold a Western Australia traffic record according to the police.....of losing my driving licence and 12 demerit points during a four hour(Yes 4 hours) the day my son was born.

 

[daws101]

I'll have to wait till next Friday!

 

[jon_berzerk]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?

South Dakota to Texas
Texas to Arkansas
Arkansas to Indiana
Indiana to South Dakota

2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?

many times i do not like going on the frozen lake roads to ice fish

3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?

White outs during blizzards more so when you have to use the fog line to travel


4 Do you sing alone in your car?

sometimes

5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

a 105 in in a 55 one time

long straight away stretch came upon a car and passed as i was passing

i noticed it was a highway patrol

--LOL

that was long ago

today i mostly do not speed

 

[Spoonman]

The Friday Five
06/06/2014

On The Road Again

1 What is the longest drive you have ever driven?
2 Have you ever come across a stretch of road that scared you to cross?
3 What is the worst driving conditions you have ever experienced?
4 Do you sing alone in your car?
5 Have you ever been pulled over for speeding?

​

1. direct - NY to LA over a period of time, on my bike - NY to Seattle, down the CA coast, east through the southwest and TX. north through Arkansas back to NY

2. driving from morroco to tunisia through Algeria

3. Geez, many. White outs, blizzards, high winds. one time i was driving north on the NYS thrusway, actually i was on the northway at this point. They closed the road due to blizzard conditions. all cars were being forced off at the next exit they came to. I never made it to the next exit. I was plowing through over a foot of snow and at one point my car just stopped. I slept in the car that night . the next morning when i woke and a plow was finally coming through the plow passed by about 150 feet behind me. I wasn't even on the road. i was 150 feet off into a field. the snow had been so deep and no ther cars had been through leaving tracks so i was following what i thouht had been the road. Got a tow truck to pull me out and he got stuck. had to get a bigger one to pull us both out. that was an expensive trip.

4. No, very rarely if at all

5. many many times - a funy story. i grew up in NJ on the border of NY State. Bars in NJ cloesed at one, in NY they were open til 3. So after the bars closed in NJ we would head up to NY. One night, I get pulled over a little after one heading to NY. The cop asks where I'm going and tels me he pulled me over for doing 57 in a 40. he was really cool about it, told me to slow down and take it easy. At about 3:30 I'm coming home and get pulled over. the cop askes where i'm going and tells me he pulled me over for doing 54 in a 40. Same cop. As I'm handing him my license. I sad, well at least i'm getting better. He steps back and takes a look at the car and asks? I pulled you over before? And then he goes, get this car home, I don't want to see you on the road again. He was trying to be pissed but honestly i think he was laughing about the whole thing

 

[strollingbones]

The Friday Five

06 13 2014











Dream a little Dream














1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?

5. If you won a maga jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?
s









​

 

[jon_berzerk]

1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?

sometimes

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?

powerball when the jackpot is high

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?

no but i buy double of the same numbers when i play

that way if i win and another person wins

i will have two winning tickets or 2/3 of the jackpot

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?

five grand

5. If you won a maga jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?

after taxes we would spend some for ourselves

spend some for others

invest and save

and give away a bunch of it

 

[rightwinger]

1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?
Only if the pot goes over $200 million and only a $1 ticket. Sometimes an office pool

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?
Mega Millions. Powerball

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?
Always let the machine pick it

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?
$3

5. If you won a maga jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?

Half would go to the IRS the other half would go to the MRS

 

[strollingbones]

not much....when it is a large pot..maybe 10 bucks worth

i normal just play the numbers i want that day

i havent won more than 10 bucks on scratch offs but i really do not play that often

a mega pot....what would i do with it....travel...

 

[Jughead]

The Friday Five

06 13 2014


Dream a little Dream


1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?

5. If you won a maga jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?


​

1. Only did a handful of times
2. The few times that I purchased lottery tickets, it was the powerball
3. Random numbers
4. $0.00
5. Invest

 

[BlackSand]

The Friday Five

06 13 2014


Dream a little Dream


1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?

5. If you won a maga jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?


​

1. Whenever I think about it.

2. 5 Quickpick Powerball

3. Nope ... Too lazy and couldn't decide which numbers to stick with.

4. $1500 ... On a scratch-off ticket someone else gave me in a Christmas card.

5. Start a college scholarship and entrepreneurial endowment for underprivileged caucasians.

.

 

[Esmeralda]

The Friday Five

06 13 2014

Dream a little Dream

1. Do you purchase lottery tickets?

No

2. Which types of lottery tickets do you like the best?

NA

3. Do you stick with the same numbers?

NA

4. What is the biggest winning pay out have you had?

NA

5. If you won a mega jackpot, what would you do with the winnings?

Retire