Author Topic: Overheard at Work  (Read 13252940 times)

Siobhan

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5750 on: December 09, 2014, 11:26:32 AM »
CW from page 112 and I are finally back in the office together (her from Morocco, me from visiting family) and the epic awfulness continues.

CW1: Man my 300 dollar shoes got so dirty in Morocco that I HAD TO throw them out (they were brand new and she wore them under 2 weeks)
Me:  Did you try throwing them in the washer?
CW!: No!  Why would I do that? It's not like they are going to look new again....all I could do was blink

Short while later
CW1: So I NEED a new iPhone 6, I wonder who is doing free upgrades
Me: all the phone companies stopped subsidizing phones this year so you won't get one
CW1: But ATT says it's only 199
Me: did you see their plans?  You pay X for your data and X monthly for your smartphone.  How much are you paying now anyway
CW1: 160/month for one line...but I get to keep my unlimited data!
Me:  Do you even USE enough to have unlimited data? (Me, I do, so for me it's a great deal...I'm a data hog for work, and work pays for mine, not hers)
CW1:  Probably not...I look at her phone, she averages a gig a month.
Me:  If you go to Tmobile (still fancy pants but she'd NEVER move to anything not in the big 4) you can keep your phone and lower your bill to like 40 a month and still get unlimited data (granted at slower speeds).
CW1:  Nah...I like ATT, and it looks like it's just leasing a phone, which means I can get a new phone faster...yay!!
CW2 (who is a VP):  Yea ATT is awesome, it's just like leasing...I leased 5 of em for the family, but then again, I lease everything, all 4 cars, the computer, the phones, HECK, I'd lease my house if I could!...this set off a large conversation among most of the office that's in today on the joys of leasing cars.

Fast forward an hour and CW1 is complaining that her parents aid asked for a 50c an hour raise for 2015...to 11 an hour...in NYC...because she couldn't afford it.  Yet in the past month she's spent an easy 10 grand between the trip, clothes, and now the new phone....she can't afford 8-10 dollar a week to give the woman that takes care of her parents part time so she doesn't have to deal with them...yet she can throw away a $300 pair of sneakers without the bat of an eye.....I seriously need out of this place

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5751 on: December 09, 2014, 11:27:21 AM »
Worth the expense is subjective. I mean, why are you there? I save a lot and occasionally pay for something expensive, right? I wouldn't blink at five hundred bucks to propose or something, money is pretty much irrelevant if that's what I'm thinking about. On the other hand, that's about the only reason I could see to drop five hundred bucks on a meal. But everyone is different. Maybe someone saves all year and eats rice to go there once a year. I think that's fucking stupid but whatever. I suspect for most people, no, no it is not.

Burgers appeal to our basest cravings. Burgers and beer even more so. The only thing missing is fucking someone right on the dinner table. It's got meat, fat, bread, salt, it's got everything that we want and everything that for pretty much all of history until recently we couldn't easily get, often had to fight large animals to get. It's not at all surprising many people would find a good burger better than... whatever it is you get at a restaurant like that. It's like sitting at home and listening to that song from when you were 16 and in love... versus paying $500 to go to an opera. One might be technically considered better, higher-class, whatever... but if it's not your thing, it's not your thing, and it's hardly surprising you might prefer the simpler option.

Albert

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5752 on: December 09, 2014, 11:38:58 AM »
Wow, that's one expensive restaurant. I'm guilty of occasionally spending very unmustachian amounts of money for eating out, but it's all peanuts compared to this place.

Can these places be worth the expense? I haven't been to a Michelin rated restaurant yet, but don't relish spending $100 for a tasting menu that while delicious, leaves me wanting another meal as soon as I get home.

One of my co-workers (French) is always saying that even if you are not that much into fancy food you should once in your life have a meal in a proper Michelin rated restaurant. I'm not old yet so maybe one day I'll do it as well. :)

What you like to eat depends very much on how you are brought up. No one gave me burgers when I was a kid so I'm not interested in them now either. I don't think I've eaten more than two dozen in my life. As far as simple food is concerned I'd go for meatball soup or red beat soup.

Dr.Vibrissae

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5753 on: December 09, 2014, 11:41:30 AM »
HECK, I'd lease my house if I could!...
Did you tell them that they can? It's usually called renting, and is how the many people keep a roof over their heads ;)

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5754 on: December 09, 2014, 11:47:06 AM »
HECK, I'd lease my house if I could!...
Did you tell them that they can? It's usually called renting, and is how the many people keep a roof over their heads ;)
I like how the most reasonable thing to lease is the only thing this person seems to not be leasing.

Siobhan

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5755 on: December 09, 2014, 11:58:02 AM »
Psh...renting is "below" him, he and his wife had to have the 4 million dollar house in northern VA

arebelspy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5756 on: December 09, 2014, 12:06:28 PM »
HECK, I'd lease my house if I could!...
Did you tell them that they can? It's usually called renting, and is how the many people keep a roof over their heads ;)

I LOL'd.
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MandalayVA

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5757 on: December 09, 2014, 12:08:30 PM »
Wow, that's one expensive restaurant. I'm guilty of occasionally spending very unmustachian amounts of money for eating out, but it's all peanuts compared to this place.

Can these places be worth the expense? I haven't been to a Michelin rated restaurant yet, but don't relish spending $100 for a tasting menu that while delicious, leaves me wanting another meal as soon as I get home.

You won't go hungry at the French Laundry.  The plates are small, yes, but you get a LOT of them; the meal is spread out over about five hours or so.  Mr. Mandalay and I went in 2005.  He's not a foodie but he STILL talks about that meal.  The service was absolutely exquisite to boot.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth every penny (about $700, which went mostly for wine).  It's like Albert wrote, even if you're not into fancy food you owe it to yourself to have one high-end meal at a super-fancy restaurant once in your life.

Le Barbu

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5758 on: December 09, 2014, 12:11:20 PM »
Worth the expense is subjective. I mean, why are you there? I save a lot and occasionally pay for something expensive, right? I wouldn't blink at five hundred bucks to propose or something, money is pretty much irrelevant if that's what I'm thinking about. On the other hand, that's about the only reason I could see to drop five hundred bucks on a meal. But everyone is different. Maybe someone saves all year and eats rice to go there once a year. I think that's fucking stupid but whatever. I suspect for most people, no, no it is not.

Burgers appeal to our basest cravings. Burgers and beer even more so. The only thing missing is fucking someone right on the dinner table. It's got meat, fat, bread, salt, it's got everything that we want and everything that for pretty much all of history until recently we couldn't easily get, often had to fight large animals to get. It's not at all surprising many people would find a good burger better than... whatever it is you get at a restaurant like that. It's like sitting at home and listening to that song from when you were 16 and in love... versus paying $500 to go to an opera. One might be technically considered better, higher-class, whatever... but if it's not your thing, it's not your thing, and it's hardly surprising you might prefer the simpler option.

Yeah, and when I use to work hard on my neighbor's farm nothing was better for lunch than CoolAid and white bread sandwiches (ham, jam, cheese, whatever)

Timmmy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5759 on: December 09, 2014, 12:36:24 PM »
Worth the expense is subjective. I mean, why are you there? I save a lot and occasionally pay for something expensive, right? I wouldn't blink at five hundred bucks to propose or something, money is pretty much irrelevant if that's what I'm thinking about. On the other hand, that's about the only reason I could see to drop five hundred bucks on a meal. But everyone is different. Maybe someone saves all year and eats rice to go there once a year. I think that's fucking stupid but whatever. I suspect for most people, no, no it is not.

Burgers appeal to our basest cravings. Burgers and beer even more so. The only thing missing is fucking someone right on the dinner table. It's got meat, fat, bread, salt, it's got everything that we want and everything that for pretty much all of history until recently we couldn't easily get, often had to fight large animals to get. It's not at all surprising many people would find a good burger better than... whatever it is you get at a restaurant like that. It's like sitting at home and listening to that song from when you were 16 and in love... versus paying $500 to go to an opera. One might be technically considered better, higher-class, whatever... but if it's not your thing, it's not your thing, and it's hardly surprising you might prefer the simpler option.

Best post ever!  Right on the dinner table...  The mental imagery is stunning and making me hungry. 

Seriously though, maybe I'm just not sophisticated enough to enjoy fancy restaurants.   I've been to many high end places for business purposes and I'd rather have a bacon cheeseburger with a fried egg on top from my favorite burger joint for less than $10 any day.  If I was paying, I don't think I could enjoy a meal at any of those places. 

eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5760 on: December 09, 2014, 01:05:54 PM »
CW from page 112 and I are finally back in the office together (her from Morocco, me from visiting family) and the epic awfulness continues.

CW1: Man my 300 dollar shoes got so dirty in Morocco that I HAD TO throw them out (they were brand new and she wore them under 2 weeks)
Me:  Did you try throwing them in the washer?
CW!: No!  Why would I do that? It's not like they are going to look new again....all I could do was blink

Short while later
CW1: So I NEED a new iPhone 6, I wonder who is doing free upgrades
Me: all the phone companies stopped subsidizing phones this year so you won't get one
CW1: But ATT says it's only 199
Me: did you see their plans?  You pay X for your data and X monthly for your smartphone.  How much are you paying now anyway
CW1: 160/month for one line...but I get to keep my unlimited data!
Me:  Do you even USE enough to have unlimited data? (Me, I do, so for me it's a great deal...I'm a data hog for work, and work pays for mine, not hers)
CW1:  Probably not...I look at her phone, she averages a gig a month.
Me:  If you go to Tmobile (still fancy pants but she'd NEVER move to anything not in the big 4) you can keep your phone and lower your bill to like 40 a month and still get unlimited data (granted at slower speeds).
CW1:  Nah...I like ATT, and it looks like it's just leasing a phone, which means I can get a new phone faster...yay!!
CW2 (who is a VP):  Yea ATT is awesome, it's just like leasing...I leased 5 of em for the family, but then again, I lease everything, all 4 cars, the computer, the phones, HECK, I'd lease my house if I could!...this set off a large conversation among most of the office that's in today on the joys of leasing cars.

Fast forward an hour and CW1 is complaining that her parents aid asked for a 50c an hour raise for 2015...to 11 an hour...in NYC...because she couldn't afford it.  Yet in the past month she's spent an easy 10 grand between the trip, clothes, and now the new phone....she can't afford 8-10 dollar a week to give the woman that takes care of her parents part time so she doesn't have to deal with them...yet she can throw away a $300 pair of sneakers without the bat of an eye.....I seriously need out of this place

You can start an eBay reselling business with her cast-offs! Used shoes sell really well on eBay. :)

mm1970

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5761 on: December 09, 2014, 02:04:37 PM »
My friends and I have a group chat (groupme). Just like a big group text where everyone can respond and add pictures and stuff.
Anyways, this went down as a few friends were complaining about Mondays:

Friend 1: Come to think of it, why did Garfield hate Mondays? He's a cat with no job. He should have no care about the days of the week.
Me: That's my life goal. Retire early so I don't have to complain about it being Monday!
Friend 2: By that time all you'll have to complain about are your ailments.
Me: Not when I'm 40 and retired!

Silence.

Conversation went on to how one of my friends father just retired and he's thrilled because he can help out on a friend's farm. Another friends father was an engineer and decided to go back to school to become a high school teacher. He LOVES his job now; he has the whole summer off where he bikes/canoes/does tons of outdoor stuff, plus he has all the snow days off!

Anyways, I can't believe that my friends are that out of hope when they're not even 30. They just expect that they're going to be working till they're old and out of shape and in pain all day.
In their defense, the joint pain, injuries, etc. started at 39.5 for me.

galliver

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5762 on: December 09, 2014, 02:11:17 PM »
Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(


I could name 6 bars on my college campus (not affiliated with the university though), and I'm probably missing a couple.  It was a fairly big party school though, but also had a good engineering program!  I went for the engineering program... Its University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign if you're curious.

Class of 2005 here. Off the top of my head -
Murphys
Brothers
Kams
CO's
Firehaus
Legends
Illini Inn
Clybourne

Then some more out of the way stuff, cowboy monkey and others. I feel like I'm missing some.

Green street/campustown is not part of campus...just adjacent. I don't think UIUC has an actual on-campus campus bar/pub. Many coffeeshops, though.

infogoon

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5763 on: December 09, 2014, 03:49:21 PM »
Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(

Someone's child might have gotten a hold of the keyfob with the remote starter button. It happens.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5764 on: December 09, 2014, 03:53:52 PM »
Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

flyfig

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5765 on: December 09, 2014, 04:10:15 PM »
Well, talk about a commute -

One of my coworkers lives in the Bay Area and works here on the Central Coast.  He used to stay in a hotel here and fly home weekly.  He's an engineer, and probably overpaid for his worth.  His wife makes 3x what he does in the Bay Area.

Anyway, he joined this new "all you can fly" service.  For only $1600-1800/month, direct flights (private charter), one hour.  So he flies home every night and flies back every morning.  Then again, a 1 BR apartment is about $1500, so maybe he's not all that crazy.

I actually looked into it as I and DH live in 2 different cities. It's only worth it if you want to commute by car+plane +car every day. We visit every 2 weeks um, no, not for us. http://www.surfair.com/

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5766 on: December 09, 2014, 04:18:20 PM »
Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(

Once about 15 years ago I met my parents for dinner and afterwards couldn't find my keys.  Went to see if I locked them in my car only to find the car both unlocked and still running.  My parents were a little worried as to what I was getting into at college after that.  Was winter too, with the heat running, the plastic parts were almost melting.  I had to ride home w/ the windows down due to the interior radiating so much heat.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

I've wondered that too, only thing I can figure is an electric pump keeps the oil flowing to the important parts when the ignition is on but the gas engine isn't running.

jordanread

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5767 on: December 09, 2014, 04:23:14 PM »
Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

I don't really understand the need. For the most part, I haven't found cops to be all that timely, or useful by the time they actually do show up. That however, is neither here nor there.

My little brother is a commercial truck driver, and for a while was over the road. One of the things that I thought was really cool was the way the engines were setup. There is like a 'sleep' mode for sleeping in the cab. It keeps the engine off, but when the temp drops, it starts it up in some weird mode just to make sure the driver doesn't freeze. Just a really neat piece of technology that I didn't even know existed.

Also, don't the newer Priuses (Prius', Pri-i, Priusi?) or some other hybrid have that 'feature' where they turn off at stoplights?

RyanAtTanagra

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5768 on: December 09, 2014, 04:27:56 PM »
Well, talk about a commute -

One of my coworkers lives in the Bay Area and works here on the Central Coast.  He used to stay in a hotel here and fly home weekly.  He's an engineer, and probably overpaid for his worth.  His wife makes 3x what he does in the Bay Area.

Anyway, he joined this new "all you can fly" service.  For only $1600-1800/month, direct flights (private charter), one hour.  So he flies home every night and flies back every morning.  Then again, a 1 BR apartment is about $1500, so maybe he's not all that crazy.

I actually looked into it as I and DH live in 2 different cities. It's only worth it if you want to commute by car+plane +car every day. We visit every 2 weeks um, no, not for us. http://www.surfair.com/

That's what I was thinking.  The hour flight time wouldn't be bad, it's like taking transit, you read/work/sleep whatever, but you still have to drive to and from the airport on each side of the flight, which has to be at least 30 minutes each with getting to/from your car and out of the airport.  If I could take an hour long helicopter ride from my work rooftop to my back yard, that would be acceptable.

dragoncar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5769 on: December 09, 2014, 04:55:19 PM »
Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(

Someone's child might have gotten a hold of the keyfob with the remote starter button. It happens.

remote starter = Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy

galliver

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5770 on: December 09, 2014, 05:00:35 PM »
So, the car was in a campus building (non-residential) parking lot. Probably not a child paying with it.  Not a cop car. Newer model.

I suppose if you're having battery/starter issues, you might leave your car to idle. Or by stupid mistake. But I seem to see cars idling around campus and on my way home all the time here. Almost every day (usually I'm just passing, though, so I have no idea how long it's there). Everyone can't have extenuating circumstances, can they??

Timmmy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5771 on: December 09, 2014, 05:09:36 PM »
Well, talk about a commute -

One of my coworkers lives in the Bay Area and works here on the Central Coast.  He used to stay in a hotel here and fly home weekly.  He's an engineer, and probably overpaid for his worth.  His wife makes 3x what he does in the Bay Area.

Anyway, he joined this new "all you can fly" service.  For only $1600-1800/month, direct flights (private charter), one hour.  So he flies home every night and flies back every morning.  Then again, a 1 BR apartment is about $1500, so maybe he's not all that crazy.

I actually looked into it as I and DH live in 2 different cities. It's only worth it if you want to commute by car+plane +car every day. We visit every 2 weeks um, no, not for us. http://www.surfair.com/

That's what I was thinking.  The hour flight time wouldn't be bad, it's like taking transit, you read/work/sleep whatever, but you still have to drive to and from the airport on each side of the flight, which has to be at least 30 minutes each with getting to/from your car and out of the airport.  If I could take an hour long helicopter ride from my work rooftop to my back yard, that would be acceptable.

BIL's boss actually does this.  It shaves over an hour off his commute IIRC.  He apparently wanted to live in the country but moving his business didn't make sense.  Commuting by helicopter makes the most sense.  He also volunteers with local law enforcement for search and rescue with it so it's labeled as a police heli. 

Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(

Someone's child might have gotten a hold of the keyfob with the remote starter button. It happens.

remote starter = Antimustachian Wall of Shame and Comedy

I drive about 100 yards and then enter the freeway.  I use my remote start to make sure the engine isn't ice cold when I merge in to 70mph traffic thereby extending the life of the engine.  I've had a few instances where the faster highway speeds cause water to freeze on my previously clear windshield causing me to have little to no vision.  I'll keep my remote start.

I also use it to keep my dogs warm/cool if I have to run in to a store on a road trip.

Eric

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5772 on: December 09, 2014, 05:50:52 PM »
Also, don't the newer Priuses (Prius', Pri-i, Priusi?) or some other hybrid have that 'feature' where they turn off at stoplights?

The Prius, like most (all?) hybrids, only uses the gas engine at higher speeds.  At lower speeds, it's an electric motor.  So when the car is not moving, the motor isn't running.  It's not a feature so much as how an electric motor works.

Zamboni

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5773 on: December 09, 2014, 06:34:21 PM »
If you let a Prius sit long enough with the key in the ignition, then the engine will cycle on and off periodically.  I discovered this by accident once:  arrived at my destination, got distracted fumbling about with something before getting out of the car, and then accidentally left the key in the ignition and in the on position.  That last part is easier to do in a hybrid than you think because yes, the engine shuts off when you stop moving, so there's no engine sound to remind you the car is on. 

Thankfully it was really short time inside before I realized I couldn't find my keys.  Went outside to see if I had left the keys on the car seat to find, to my horror, that the engine was running.  I'd feel like a total jackass for doing this, but my other half has also done it once with the Prius, which makes me feel slightly less senile.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5774 on: December 09, 2014, 06:48:46 PM »
Eric, as mentioned, it's not a Prius thing specifically. There are a lot of hybrids that turn the engine off when you stop, and even some non-hybrids. The idea of an electric motor that continues to push the oil makes sense. It's really a great feature if 1) it actually makes a real difference in mileage and 2) it doesn't fuck your engine.

jordanread

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5775 on: December 09, 2014, 08:11:52 PM »
Eric, as mentioned, it's not a Prius thing specifically. There are a lot of hybrids that turn the engine off when you stop, and even some non-hybrids. The idea of an electric motor that continues to push the oil makes sense. It's really a great feature if 1) it actually makes a real difference in mileage and 2) it doesn't fuck your engine.
But if it fucks your engine, don't you get a bunch of small engines? That seems lucrative.

Travis

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5776 on: December 10, 2014, 01:03:11 AM »
So, the car was in a campus building (non-residential) parking lot. Probably not a child paying with it.  Not a cop car. Newer model.

I suppose if you're having battery/starter issues, you might leave your car to idle. Or by stupid mistake. But I seem to see cars idling around campus and on my way home all the time here. Almost every day (usually I'm just passing, though, so I have no idea how long it's there). Everyone can't have extenuating circumstances, can they??

On my base here in Kuwait we have a pretty good sized fleet of civilian vehicles (mostly pickups and SUVs).  At the height of the summer I see vehicles everywhere idling in the parking lot because the driver doesn't want to lose the air conditioning whether they're at the store for 5 minutes or while they're eating lunch at the dining facility for 45 minutes.  The MPs will issue citations, but it happens so often they don't go after nearly enough of them.  For most of those drivers the US government is paying the bill and we get Kuwaiti prices.

LennStar

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5777 on: December 10, 2014, 03:19:42 AM »
Wow, that's one expensive restaurant. I'm guilty of occasionally spending very unmustachian amounts of money for eating out, but it's all peanuts compared to this place.

Can these places be worth the expense? I haven't been to a Michelin rated restaurant yet, but don't relish spending $100 for a tasting menu that while delicious, leaves me wanting another meal as soon as I get home.

You won't go hungry at the French Laundry.  The plates are small, yes, but you get a LOT of them; the meal is spread out over about five hours or so.  Mr. Mandalay and I went in 2005.  He's not a foodie but he STILL talks about that meal.  The service was absolutely exquisite to boot.  It was a once-in-a-lifetime experience and worth every penny (about $700, which went mostly for wine).  It's like Albert wrote, even if you're not into fancy food you owe it to yourself to have one high-end meal at a super-fancy restaurant once in your life.
If you fancy Michelin stars, get to Tokyo. City with the most of them.
Also city with the most unusual ones, like the 7-seat star-restaurant in a side entrance of an underground parking or the not much bigger noodle soup restaurant (you have to wait hours outside, though).
You really need a guide to find some of them :D

FoundPeace

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5778 on: December 10, 2014, 04:45:19 AM »
German-made cars as well as many high-end cars actually turn off the engine when you stop. I imagine that this will be a feature that many other car manufacturers will adopt. Once the engine is hot this can actually increase gas mileage quite a bit in city driving.

What is amazing to me is when the car senses that I am about to move and starts the engine (it starts by the time my foot moves from the brake pedal to the accelerator).

Rural

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5779 on: December 10, 2014, 04:50:46 AM »
German-made cars as well as many high-end cars actually turn off the engine when you stop. I imagine that this will be a feature that many other car manufacturers will adopt. Once the engine is hot this can actually increase gas mileage quite a bit in city driving.

What is amazing to me is when the car senses that I am about to move and starts the engine (it starts by the time my foot moves from the brake pedal to the accelerator).


That's all good until Hal decides he doesn't want to open the door anymore.


Or until he breaks.

GuitarStv

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5780 on: December 10, 2014, 06:12:54 AM »
Burgers appeal to our basest cravings. Burgers and beer even more so. The only thing missing is fucking someone right on the dinner table.

I have been trying to figure out what to ask the wife for for Christmas for ages now.  Thank you!

Rollin

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5781 on: December 10, 2014, 06:57:38 AM »
Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

Saw a cop in SB's at 5:45 A.M. working on a laptop, cop car sitting outside idling.  I left at 7:00 and it was still sitting there idling.  Not sure when he arrived or left, but 1 hour 15 minutes minimum!  Here I am riding my bike to work to save the world (and for other reasons :) and he's wasting all (and more) than I saved.

skunkfunk

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5782 on: December 10, 2014, 07:09:52 AM »
So, the car was in a campus building (non-residential) parking lot. Probably not a child paying with it.  Not a cop car. Newer model.

I suppose if you're having battery/starter issues, you might leave your car to idle. Or by stupid mistake. But I seem to see cars idling around campus and on my way home all the time here. Almost every day (usually I'm just passing, though, so I have no idea how long it's there). Everyone can't have extenuating circumstances, can they??

Every time I've done that, it is because I was working on the car and needed to warm it up to check it. A couple of times now I have walked off and left it, forgot about it, and it turned out I fixed the wrong part (water pump or whatever) and come back to antifreeze gushing everywhere.

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5783 on: December 10, 2014, 07:27:32 AM »
Last night I was walking from my office to the campus gym for yoga and saw an idling car. 1 hour later, it was still there. No one inside. I hope it wasn't actually on the whole time, but I suspect it was. :(

Someone's child might have gotten a hold of the keyfob with the remote starter button. It happens.

That's why remote starts will shut off after 10 or 15 minutes of running.  10-15 minutes is more than enough time to warm the engine and interior no matter how cold it is outside.

Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

Why do cops need to idle?

Travis

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5784 on: December 10, 2014, 07:34:15 AM »
Quote
Why do cops need to idle?

As I understand it, a lot of emergency services vehicles will keep their engines running so that there isn't a delay if they need to take off somewhere on a moment's notice.  With all the radios and computers they have on board nowadays it might also be to keep the battery from draining.

Timmmy

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5785 on: December 10, 2014, 07:54:31 AM »
Quote
Why do cops need to idle?

As I understand it, a lot of emergency services vehicles will keep their engines running so that there isn't a delay if they need to take off somewhere on a moment's notice.  With all the radios and computers they have on board nowadays it might also be to keep the battery from draining.

-There is often computer equipment that doesn't start up as fast as the engine.  So in order to have it be on and ready they leave the car idle.
-The cars radio systems are frequently repeaters for the radios that they wear on their belt. 
-Camera systems that are required to be on while on duty continue to run even if car is turned off.  Would drain battery in short order.
-Preparedness comes in to play.  It's not so much speed of departure, it's more like don't want to run out to the car to find that your car won't start and you can't respond to an emergency. 
-If they are a k-9 unit they may be keeping the car comfortable for the dog.
-It's essentially their office.  It's a bit complainy-pants but I could see not wanting to go sit down in your office after every call and have it be 140 degrees for 5 minutes. 
-Frequent stops and starts of the engine can accelerate wear and tear if the engine isn't designed for it.

Cheddar Stacker

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5786 on: December 10, 2014, 08:08:18 AM »
Eric, as mentioned, it's not a Prius thing specifically. There are a lot of hybrids that turn the engine off when you stop, and even some non-hybrids. The idea of an electric motor that continues to push the oil makes sense. It's really a great feature if 1) it actually makes a real difference in mileage and 2) it doesn't fuck your engine.
But if it fucks your engine, don't you get a bunch of small engines? That seems lucrative.

Engine farming, just like livestock. I like it jordanread.

eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5787 on: December 10, 2014, 08:27:22 AM »
Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

A lot of times cops get free coffee from donut shops. Owners like the presence at the shops. The cops work 12 hour shifts and sit in a car most of the time. But it is a little ironic and just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5788 on: December 10, 2014, 08:28:16 AM »
Quote
Why do cops need to idle?

As I understand it, a lot of emergency services vehicles will keep their engines running so that there isn't a delay if they need to take off somewhere on a moment's notice.  With all the radios and computers they have on board nowadays it might also be to keep the battery from draining.

I don't understand why there would be a delay.  They are inside another building for christ's sake.  How long does it take to actually start the engine and drive? Like a second? I can understand if it was sub-freezing out, and the engine had not been run at all that day, you wouldn't want to run out to that and start it and slam it in gear.  But once it is warmed up enough to function I don't really understand it.

I've had this discussion on other forums and many people insisted that all police cars and ambulances were required to stay running for the reasons you and timmy suggested.  But then other people that are ambulance drivers (no cops though) chimed in and said that was nonsense, there is no advantage to keeping the engine idling constantly, and that they are actually required NOT to run the engine because it is wasteful and serves no purpose.  If you perform regular maintenance on the vehicle there is no reason it should randomly not start when it is supposed to. 

Is there any truth that starting and stopping an engine causes premature wear?  I was under the impression that engines are designed to be started and stopped tens of thousands of times.  I mean I don't take the same precautions as police because I never have to get somewhere that it's potentially a life and death situation, but i've also only had a vehicle not start on me a few times in my life, and every single time it was either due to poor maintenance, or just a really old and worn vehicle, and constant idling would have not helped in either situation, only delayed the inevitable until the next time I had to start it.

eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5789 on: December 10, 2014, 08:29:23 AM »
Cop cars idle... all the time. On one hand, it annoys me, but on the other, I understand the need. Though I do laugh when I see one idling empty outside a donut shop.

I'll be glad when they're using newer engines that can start on a dime and give you power pretty much immediately. (How those work without drastically reducing the engine life is another question, but a different topic. I don't know enough so I'm pretty curious.)

But when normal people idle... bleh. A lot of towns/cities these days are putting in no-idle ordinances.

I don't really understand the need. For the most part, I haven't found cops to be all that timely, or useful by the time they actually do show up. That however, is neither here nor there.

My little brother is a commercial truck driver, and for a while was over the road. One of the things that I thought was really cool was the way the engines were setup. There is like a 'sleep' mode for sleeping in the cab. It keeps the engine off, but when the temp drops, it starts it up in some weird mode just to make sure the driver doesn't freeze. Just a really neat piece of technology that I didn't even know existed.

Also, don't the newer Priuses (Prius', Pri-i, Priusi?) or some other hybrid have that 'feature' where they turn off at stoplights?

YES! It's really eery. The first few times I drove my FIL's car I thought it died. You get used to it after a while though. It also uses a generator to help you slow down if you shift to the "B" mode. Helps recharge the battery and use less gas!

eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5790 on: December 10, 2014, 08:32:00 AM »
German-made cars as well as many high-end cars actually turn off the engine when you stop. I imagine that this will be a feature that many other car manufacturers will adopt. Once the engine is hot this can actually increase gas mileage quite a bit in city driving.

What is amazing to me is when the car senses that I am about to move and starts the engine (it starts by the time my foot moves from the brake pedal to the accelerator).

Uhoh, my grandma would be screwed. Still drives with both feet.

Le Barbu

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5791 on: December 10, 2014, 08:33:42 AM »

...just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).


being a cop doesn't mean you are a bad person XD

realy ? so, does it mean I don't have to run away or hide from cops (as an honnest person)?

XD

ketchup

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5792 on: December 10, 2014, 08:42:44 AM »
YES! It's really eery. The first few times I drove my FIL's car I thought it died. You get used to it after a while though. It also uses a generator to help you slow down if you shift to the "B" mode. Helps recharge the battery and use less gas!
It's incredibly unsettling how quiet a Prius is at a stop sign.  It freaks me out too.

On the flipside, recently I was driving with someone that learned how to drive on a Prius. I was teaching him how to drive a real car (manual transmission) and because he was so used to the car being silent at a stop, he wasn't always aware when he killed the engine, so he'd sometimes shift into first and try to go without the engine running.  Very bizarre.

eyePod

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5793 on: December 10, 2014, 08:43:41 AM »

...just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).


being a cop doesn't mean you are a bad person XD

realy ? so, does it mean I don't have to run away or hide from cops (as an honnest person)?

XD

Even though I think you're being facetious... Good people in a bad system still equals bad at the end. But you probably shouldn't ever run away from the cops, but you should NEVER EVER EVER speak to them without a lawyer. Really, it will never help you. They are always building a case against you even if they don't know it.

skunkfunk

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5794 on: December 10, 2014, 10:02:56 AM »
YES! It's really eery. The first few times I drove my FIL's car I thought it died. You get used to it after a while though. It also uses a generator to help you slow down if you shift to the "B" mode. Helps recharge the battery and use less gas!
It's incredibly unsettling how quiet a Prius is at a stop sign.  It freaks me out too.

On the flipside, recently I was driving with someone that learned how to drive on a Prius. I was teaching him how to drive a real car (manual transmission) and because he was so used to the car being silent at a stop, he wasn't always aware when he killed the engine, so he'd sometimes shift into first and try to go without the engine running.  Very bizarre.

Hilarious! The problems of the next generation foretold.

gimp

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5795 on: December 10, 2014, 10:16:41 AM »

...just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).


Y'all on this forum need to learn how to quote. I didn't say that, someone else did. I have no idea why quoting is so damn hard for some of you. Your response goes OUTSIDE the quote. Old people can't internet? I dunno. Get off my lawn^H^H^H^Hinternet!

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5796 on: December 10, 2014, 10:20:17 AM »

...just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).


Y'all on this forum need to learn how to quote. I didn't say that, someone else did. I have no idea why quoting is so damn hard for some of you. Your response goes OUTSIDE the quote. Old people can't internet? I dunno. Get off my lawn^H^H^H^Hinternet!


Dude chill out.   A quote-ception can get confusing.  Also: ain't nobody got time for that.

skunkfunk

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5797 on: December 10, 2014, 10:23:45 AM »

...just because they're a cop doesn't mean they're also a bad person person (or vice versa).


Y'all on this forum need to learn how to quote. I didn't say that, someone else did. I have no idea why quoting is so damn hard for some of you. Your response goes OUTSIDE the quote. Old people can't internet? I dunno. Get off my lawn^H^H^H^Hinternet!
umm

Dude chill out.   A quote-ception can get confusing.  Also: ain't nobody got time for that.

This took like 2 seconds including fixing all upstream mistakes, how is that confusing? Easier than anything else we're expected to do around here, that's for sure.

frugalnacho

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5798 on: December 10, 2014, 10:30:55 AM »
That's a joke, ah say, that's a joke, son.

Quote from: foghorn leghorn
That's a joke, ah say, that's a joke, son.

EDIT: fixed so you can understand this joke too.

skunkfunk

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Re: Overheard at Work
« Reply #5799 on: December 10, 2014, 10:33:38 AM »
That's a joke, ah say, that's a joke, son.

Quote from: foghorn leghorn
That's a joke, ah say, that's a joke, son.

EDIT: fixed so you can understand this joke too.
Quote
Quote
Quote
Quote
whoosh
dammit

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!