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Showing posts with label Traveling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Traveling. Show all posts
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
My Near Death Experience
... and what you can learn from it!
Sometimes I like to post about happenings in my life, and I feel like I have to tell you all about my near death experience this weekend. This story should prove to you why it is CRUCIAL to have your tires checked often. I used to think that it wasn't that important; but after this experience, I will not be going out on the road without double checking them.
My friend and I were on our way back to school from Easter break. It was getting to be late at night (10ish) and she was too tired to drive so I took over the wheel. Her car drives very differently from mine and vibrates constantly. She assured me that this was normal, but I knew that it shouldn't be. I lost control of the vehicle at 70 mph and swerved off the side of the highway. Thinking that we had just had a flat tire, I look out on my side to notice that the bumper is hanging on the ground!! Here is what we found...
Yes, at first we thought that someone had swerved into us and hit the bumper... but that was not the case. After calling a guy friend that was only 10 miles ahead of us (THANK THE LORD!), he turned around to come to our aid. We were able to make it off the side of the highway and to a gas station were we could better evaluate the situation.
The conclusion was made that our accident had been cause by improper tire care. The entire tread to the back tire is sitting on the highway somewhere in Nashville right now! I am sure you are wondering how we limped back to school?! Well... we had a full spare, so we changed that. Then we needed to address the bumper issue. Duct tape is one of the single best inventions. Check out our body work... and the tape even blends in with the paint color! ha!
Now for the moral of the story. Here is an article that I found from Popular Mechanics on the top 5 reasons that your tires could fail. Please make sure to have your tires maintained and properly inflated so that you don't have to almost loose a bumper (or something worse!).
As the old TV commercial says, there's a lot riding on your tires. Indeed, tires could well be the most important system on your vehicle, given that they affect every performance parameter from handling and acceleration to braking and ride comfort. So it's no surprise that maintenance on your tires should command as much respect, if not more, than on all the other parts and systems of your car. Trouble is, most drivers just don't think about the condition of their tires. As I've mentioned before in discussing the whole Barack Obama tire inflation thing, a Department of Transportation study dating back to 2001 features some pretty eye-popping numbers: 60 to 80 percent of cars on the road are running tires underinflated by as much as 10 percent, 20 to 50 percent of them are driving with tires down in pressure by as much as 20 percent, and 10 to 30 percent of these cars have tires with pressure as low as 30 percent of the recommended pressure. Underinflation is just one reason a tire can fail. Here are four more. —Mike Allen
Sometimes I like to post about happenings in my life, and I feel like I have to tell you all about my near death experience this weekend. This story should prove to you why it is CRUCIAL to have your tires checked often. I used to think that it wasn't that important; but after this experience, I will not be going out on the road without double checking them.
My friend and I were on our way back to school from Easter break. It was getting to be late at night (10ish) and she was too tired to drive so I took over the wheel. Her car drives very differently from mine and vibrates constantly. She assured me that this was normal, but I knew that it shouldn't be. I lost control of the vehicle at 70 mph and swerved off the side of the highway. Thinking that we had just had a flat tire, I look out on my side to notice that the bumper is hanging on the ground!! Here is what we found...
Yes, at first we thought that someone had swerved into us and hit the bumper... but that was not the case. After calling a guy friend that was only 10 miles ahead of us (THANK THE LORD!), he turned around to come to our aid. We were able to make it off the side of the highway and to a gas station were we could better evaluate the situation.
The conclusion was made that our accident had been cause by improper tire care. The entire tread to the back tire is sitting on the highway somewhere in Nashville right now! I am sure you are wondering how we limped back to school?! Well... we had a full spare, so we changed that. Then we needed to address the bumper issue. Duct tape is one of the single best inventions. Check out our body work... and the tape even blends in with the paint color! ha!
Now for the moral of the story. Here is an article that I found from Popular Mechanics on the top 5 reasons that your tires could fail. Please make sure to have your tires maintained and properly inflated so that you don't have to almost loose a bumper (or something worse!).
As the old TV commercial says, there's a lot riding on your tires. Indeed, tires could well be the most important system on your vehicle, given that they affect every performance parameter from handling and acceleration to braking and ride comfort. So it's no surprise that maintenance on your tires should command as much respect, if not more, than on all the other parts and systems of your car. Trouble is, most drivers just don't think about the condition of their tires. As I've mentioned before in discussing the whole Barack Obama tire inflation thing, a Department of Transportation study dating back to 2001 features some pretty eye-popping numbers: 60 to 80 percent of cars on the road are running tires underinflated by as much as 10 percent, 20 to 50 percent of them are driving with tires down in pressure by as much as 20 percent, and 10 to 30 percent of these cars have tires with pressure as low as 30 percent of the recommended pressure. Underinflation is just one reason a tire can fail. Here are four more. —Mike Allen
1. They're Old
Check the tire sidewall for the manufacturer's date code. It will be in the form of a four-digit number, stating the month and year the tire was produced. Unfortunately, there's no equivalent to an expiration date. And it's not a good idea to install tires on your vehicle that have been sitting on a warehouse shelf for many years. A decent rule of thumb is not to purchase tires more than five years old. And five years in service on your vehicle is plenty, totaling 10 years. Your mileage may vary.2. They're Underinflated
Tires that have too little pressure in them run hot—much hotter than properly inflated ones. The pressure in the tire keeps the tread and sidewalls from flexing. Friction from this flexing generates heat, and that degrades the rubber and the fabric construction of the tire. And don't be fooled by the appearance of the tires. It's impossible to see if your tires are underinflated without using a tire pressure gauge. The proper pressures are printed on a sticker on the driver's door frame or inside the glovebox. They are also in the owner's manual.3. They're Overinflated
The tire inflation pressures printed on the tire sidewall are the tire manufacturer's maximum permitted pressure, not necessarily what the vehicle manufacturer recommends. Overinflated tires will have poor grip, and the tread will wear prematurely in the center.4. They're Deteriorated
Ozone, road chemicals and ultraviolet light degrade the rubber. But this is probably more of a problem for RV and trailer tires mounted on vehicles that are stored outside in the sun, especially in the Southwest. Tire covers will keep the UV rays at bay longer. Avoid ozone damage by not storing unused tires near any ozone sources like electrical equipment or motors, pool chemicals or the like—especially indoors. Tire sidewall rubber is permeated with oils that are designed to leach out slowly and protect the rubber. Detergents or aftermarket protectants will remove these oils prematurely. A certain amount of weather-checking (alligator-like cracks in the sidewalls) is normal. If the cracks are down to the fabric sidewall plies, it's time to retire that tire.5. They're Damaged
Any foreign object that penetrates the tire far enough to cause a leak is sufficient reason to require the tire to be removed from the rim and inspected by a tire technician for damage to the inside of the carcass. An externally applied plug or worm should be considered a temporary repair. A proper repair involves patching the tire from the inside with a plug that not only holds air but prevents water from infiltrating into the carcass's belt plies. Water in this part of the tire will make it weaker. It's not really possible to repair a tire sidewall.Saturday, February 14, 2009
I am WAY too excited!
LPW is headed to NYC to meet Martha!!!! This e-mail was by far the best Valentine's gift a girl could ask for. I cannot wait to see the entire audience dressed in Lilly! All I can think about is what I am going to wear and what kind of segments they are going to talk about. Who knows... maybe LILLY herself will make an appearance?!?!?!
Hopefully my professors will understand that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get to go to this, and they will have to let me reschedule the 2 exams I will be missing. I have never been to NY before, but this will have to be a quick trip. Too bad they couldn't have scheduled it during my Spring Break, which is the very next week!
There was only one person that I could think of that would appreciate a Lilly/Martha experience like this one. So I called G to tell her the fabulous news, and she was totally up for it! G is as obsessed with Lilly as I am, and she often displays her Martha abilities. I knew that she would be the perfect person to go with.
PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE, professors, let me go!!!!!!!!! Maybe my pleading will eventually hit a nerve with them :) Now, does anyone have any ideas of where to stay and where to go eat??
Monday, January 26, 2009
I need help from people that travel!!
I am leaving to go on a business trip this week, and I am having a slight problem with luggage. The only piece of rolling luggage that I own is a hot pink bag that I have had since the 7th grade. It has always served its purpose, because it is easy to spot at luggage claim! Now that I am entering the real world, since the pink is not really "business-like" I was thinking that it is time to trade it in for something new!
Most of the time, I will be going out of town for only 2-3 days at a time, so I am thinking that carry on size would be the best. Also, since they have started to charge for checking luggage, that would save a few dollars here and there.
So here is what I am thinking... my Vera Bradley collection is this pink and brown pansy pattern. I would like whatever I find to coordinate, since I will be carrying these pieces together a lot. Espresso brown seems to be the most logical answer, because it will not get dirty and is still different enough from the black, navy, and hunter luggage everyone else has.
Here is what I found at TJ Maxx for around $50 each. I'm not sure if I can get away with the 25" size for carry on, but I know that the bottom two are the right size.
The small one on the right caught my attention with the blue lining (which matches the blue on my Vera Bradley pattern). I know all this really doesn't matter in the end, but it is nice when things match! Let me know what you think I should go with; or if you can think of a better option, I am all ears!
Most of the time, I will be going out of town for only 2-3 days at a time, so I am thinking that carry on size would be the best. Also, since they have started to charge for checking luggage, that would save a few dollars here and there.
So here is what I am thinking... my Vera Bradley collection is this pink and brown pansy pattern. I would like whatever I find to coordinate, since I will be carrying these pieces together a lot. Espresso brown seems to be the most logical answer, because it will not get dirty and is still different enough from the black, navy, and hunter luggage everyone else has.
Here is what I found at TJ Maxx for around $50 each. I'm not sure if I can get away with the 25" size for carry on, but I know that the bottom two are the right size.
The small one on the right caught my attention with the blue lining (which matches the blue on my Vera Bradley pattern). I know all this really doesn't matter in the end, but it is nice when things match! Let me know what you think I should go with; or if you can think of a better option, I am all ears!
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