caldrail's Blog

It could be worse...at least you were greeted as "Mr. Guest." You could have been told to sod off by the computer.

No, british computers bring up a dialog informing you politely that it wasn't possible to log you on and that you may need to seek further assistance...

Oof, that's right, I forgot. Politeness above all. Even when telling you to sod off.

British politeness is a funny thing. I'm not known for being polite, yet people who use more direct language than me are. Its very much in the eye of the beholder isn't it? The real reason I'm not considered a polite person (besides my natural bluntness) is that I don't quite fit the expected ettiquete and protocol for the social group I happen to be with. Even the yobboes and grunts who swear like troopers and behave like animals can be considered polite because in an intuitive way they give deference (or at least enough of it) to their social seniors. I on the other hand have more anarchastic leanings and to me a 'man in a suit' is probably a con artist or a complete idiot, not the 'man in charge' that the yobboes see. So the man in the suit talks to me and is quietly astonished or upset that I don't visibly recognise his superiority, thus I'm not polite and the yobbo is. Men in suits like BMW's and Mercedes - they're considered suitable cars for a 'man in charge', whereas to me they're hoplessly boring luxury saloons I wouldn't buy if a gun was held to my head - and indeed, my love of sports cars has seen me lose more than one career for that very reason - that stupid human love of status symbols. You might argue the sports car is also a such a symbol. I wouldn't, although I do agree the sports car is often a genital extender, but again for me my choice of car is about my own personal enjoyment, the driving experience, not what it means to people I pass on the street or leave behind in my rear view mirror.

 

Its just a cross I have to bear

Feel better? Need a beer?

 

I'm blunt, direct, and honest. I'm fully capable of being, and in fact often am, diplomatic and tactful, but still will tell you directly what I think. As a result , I'm often labeled as being 'rough'...and it's just that I'm not prone to blowing smoke up someone's ass just to get ahead. Personally, I find it to be an asset, and don't plan on changing my ways.

 

You and I really need to sit down to some potent potables and hash out why the world revolves around slight dishonesty.

 

And for the record...me likey BMWs...quite a bit And all other sports cars. But I'm still a good person, honest!

In Britain BMW is trying to portray itself as the choice car of professionals, whilst half of those on the road are actually driven by out-of-work young afro carribeans. Currently, BMW outsell the Ford Mondeo, which is about as ordinary as a family car can get. Therefore the sales campaign is to win back the class they lost back in the 80's.

LOL I don't know about elsewhere in the country, but here in California, BMWs, Mercedes, Lexus and Infinity account for probably a third of the cars that I see every day. There are still quite a few SUVs, but those are becoming fewer and fewer; this is an environmentally friendly area, after all But the rest of us schmucks drive average cars, and do just fine.

 

But oh to dream...

Then again, I doubt the americans are paying nearly

Oh this is true...gas is at $4.00/gallon here in SF, and we're not happy about that. But I know full well that all of Europe is somewhere between $8.00-12.00/gallon. I don't know how car insurance compares, but I think overall it's easier/cheaper to have a car here in the States and all.

Difficult to compare insurance. So much depends on your driving record and the risk assesment of the vehicle you want to drive. I didn't realise petrol (sorry, gasoline ) was that expensive in the US.

It is, and going higher. But here in California, and in particular the San Francisco Bay Area, it's the highest. California puts the most taxes per gallon of any other state. And with land and cost-of-living extremely high, well, you get this current situation. Supposedly we were the first metropolitan area to average $4/gallon in the country, although I think LA, NYC and some others are about there now.

 

As for insurance...I know, it's tough to compare, even within the US. Each state seems to be different. All I know is that I pay less here in California than I did in Texas; the rationale I was told is that there are more uninsured drivers in Texas. Who knows, I just know that even living in a major city with no enclosed parking, I still pay per year almost what I paid for 6 months in the suburbs of a smaller city in Texas. Go figure!

Where you live matters. So does your occupation. Thankfully as a warehouseman I'm considered amongst the safest drivers

 

Its all down to the law of averages. If you're the slowest, safest, least accident prone driver ever born, if you drive a car regarded as risky you get hammered. Cars like the Ford Cosworth were regularly attracting quotes of