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[QUOTE=KongKing;2176506]Oh well, we have Facebook's new Dating App launched this week to fill the gap. "This is going to be for building real, long-term relationships not just hookups," Zuckerberg said. So "hookups" seem to be within his sphere of interest.[/QUOTE]Dammit Zuck. I'm all about the hookup.

[QUOTE=KabulGuy;2176001]
I noticed that they now sell load. It is sold at a 5% discount as well. I bought 1000 p load and it was there in a minute or so and only cost me 950 on my credit card.[/QUOTE]With a good exchange rate?

Sometimes inspections and questions have nothing to do with you. Could be about numbers, quotas, budgets, funding and grants.

I can remember years ago after leaving a AMP I was pulled over for a "seat belt" violation by an unmarked police car with 4 officers. After the dance around where I was coming from and what I was doing, I asked what did they really want? I told them that unmarks with 4 officers do not pull people over for minor infractions.

The guy in charge said he saw me leave the AMP and wanted to know who the masseuses were. After a few minutes of more questioning and I confirmed that they were all Vietnamese and not Koreans, they just took off. They had no interests in the Vietnamese. It turns out this was a task force working under a Federal grant to stop Korean [url=http://isgprohibitedwords.info?CodeWord=CodeWord908][CodeWord908][/url]. Those in SF will remember when the KMP's were busted left and right. There were some people charged with HT but never a conviction.

My take away from that encounter was LE like other organizations has to show numbers and results to maintain grants and funding. Don't ever think it is all about enforcement and compliance.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2177060]My take away from that encounter was LE like other organizations has to show numbers and results to maintain grants and funding. Don't ever think it is all about enforcement and compliance.[/QUOTE]And sometimes it's about priorities and fads, political and otherwise. I know of a police department in a city near my home that recently decided to buy a bunch of black SUVs. Apparently the brass decided they would blend in easier for unmarked speed trap operations. If they'd asked the patrol officers they would have learned that the officers already had plenty of tricks for hiding their speeding operations with regular patrol cars. So the department bought a bunch of these more expensive vehicles, equipped them with all sorts of WiFi and other features--and subsequently disabled the systems when they got sticker shock over the monthly costs for the service. Don't ever think LE is an inherently rational business.

After riding a few luxury busses, SUV's private cars, taxis and Grab cars + SUV's in Philippines, I have noticed the drivers will step on the gas pedal and then let up and coast. Gas it again and coast. Even on the expressways going 90+ kph. Is this the norm for saving on fuel? I personally don't think it saves on fuel as they are coasting in gear.

It drives me crazy that they shift gears way too early causing the cars to lug. Using more fuel than they think they are saving.

3rd thing, why do they use the parking brake sitting still in traffic on a level street?

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2177528]After riding a few luxury busses, SUV's private cars, taxis and Grab cars + SUV's in Philippines, I have noticed the drivers will step on the gas pedal and then let up and coast. Gas it again and coast. Even on the expressways going 90+ kph. Is this the norm for saving on fuel? I personally don't think it saves on fuel as they are coasting in gear.[/QUOTE]I always assumed it's because they are so accustomed to stop-and-go traffic that they never have confidence to be able to hold the accelerator at a constant speed. They also contribute to the stop-and-go with their incessant lane-switching. The one basic rule for right-of-way is that whoever gets the nose of his vehicle ahead of another vehicle, even if coming in from a side street, has right of way. So the incessant lane-switching appears to be motivated by some silly notion of getting ahead of every other vehicle. Sometimes this results in straddling two lanes so the driver can preserve opportunities to surge ahead in either of the two lanes. The actual outcome of all the lane-switching is that traffic flow suffers a continuous accordion effect, and this slows everybody down collectively as compared to what they'd experience if drivers generally stayed in one lane. So the on-and-off with the accelerator may be related to peripheral vision and looking for opportunities to change lanes to get ahead. If they truly wished to be fuel efficient they would focus on the flow of vehicles five or six vehicles ahead in the lanes ahead of them, instead of looking for small openings with just enough room for one vehicle in the lanes to their right or left.

Soapy,

This is on the open road without any traffic with professional drivers. One example is on the first class Victory Line bus from Baguio to Manila. On the open Tplex and Nlex with no traffic in front the driver would let off on the gas and coast for 5-10 seconds and then hit the pedal again. Possibly on a Diesel engine you might be able to coast better.

Another is on the way to the airport T3 I paid for the skyway assuming it would be faster. The grab driver drove around 40 KPH with no traffic ahead of him. I assume he had a fixed price fare he would save on the gas.

Other times I have had taxi drivers reluctant to use the skyway even though I was paying for it. I now believe they think the skyway uses too much fuel.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2177604]This is on the open road without any traffic with professional drivers. One example is on the first class Victory Line bus from Baguio to Manila. On the open Tplex and Nlex with no traffic in front the driver would let off on the gas and coast for 5-10 seconds and then hit the pedal again. Possibly on a Diesel engine you might be able to coast better.[/QUOTE]I have been driving standard transmission vehicles with rear-wheel drive for more than fifty years. My foot is big enough that I put the left side of my right foot on the accelerator and the right side up against the center drive train column. Bracing against the column helps me maintain steady pressure on the accelerator. In my experience Filipinos' feet are comparatively smaller. If their feet are too small to brace against the column, then the only pivot or brace point they have is the heel. Hence the up and down motion. Just a thought. I am well aware of the on-again-off-again accelerator pattern you describe. I've known lots of American women who drive that way, presumably because their feet are smaller. Not much of a problem nowadays with automatic transmission and cruise control.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2177528]After riding a few luxury busses, SUV's private cars, taxis and Grab cars + SUV's in Philippines, I have noticed the drivers will step on the gas pedal and then let up and coast. Gas it again and coast. Even on the expressways going 90+ kph. Is this the norm for saving on fuel? I personally don't think it saves on fuel as they are coasting in gear.[/QUOTE]This behavior has already been discussed on this board some time (one year?) ago. Back then someone came up with a rather technical explanation. If I recall correctly he said that in the past the Filipino's had to do this to keep the gasoline flowing into the engine. However nowadays this is not necessary anymore because their cars and the fuel injection have become better. So it's just an old habit.

[QUOTE=Dg8787;2177528]3rd thing, why do they use the parking brake sitting still in traffic on a level street?[/QUOTE]It's a safety thing we are taught in the UK, when stationary to apply the Parking Brake, in case of a care from behind shunting you into the car in front. I moved to California a few years ago, and got told to stop doing it mid-way through my driving test by the examiner. So different countries / cultures have different standards to securing their vehicle when at a standstill.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2178002]This behavior has already been discussed on this board some time (one year?) ago. Back then someone came up with a rather technical explanation. If I recall correctly he said that in the past the Filipino's had to do this to keep the gasoline flowing into the engine. However nowadays this is not necessary anymore because their cars and the fuel injection have become better. So it's just an old habit.[/QUOTE]It was me Mog.

It traces back to jeepney drivers having to pump the low-grade sh*t engines in the jeepneys to keep them going. Somehow it transferred across to all drivers who were taught wrongly.

I was sick and tired of having to re-train company drivers to NOT keep pumping the throttle (accelerator pedal).

Sorry Soapy. Nice try but its got nothing to do with small feet or delicate ankles. It's the way they have been trained.

When I tried to re-educate my drivers, I was given that infuriating filipino response: "But Sir, we've always done it this way".

Once they learn that the engine won't cut out if they don't keep pumping the pedal they are really quite pleased about it.

[QUOTE=PBtoCobra;2178011]It's a safety thing we are taught in the UK, when stationary to apply the Parking Brake, in case of a care from behind shunting you into the car in front. I moved to California a few years ago, and got told to stop doing it mid-way through my driving test by the examiner. So different countries / cultures have different standards to securing their vehicle when at a standstill.[/QUOTE]I would add that it's a courtesy thing too: having brake lights glaring at you in front when stopped at traffic lights can be painful, so using the hand brake (as they usually are in UK cars, in between the two front seats) is a nice thing to do. Not that many do, of course.

I also moved to California from the UK. It's a whole different world of driving. And California isn't even that bad in relative terms compared to, say, NYC.

Driving in Negros (not brave enough for Manila) it is nuts, and you do need 360 degree vision and fast reactions, but rarely does anybody get angry.

[QUOTE=Mogwai;2176547]With a good exchange rate?[/QUOTE]I am not a tourist. I live here and have local accounts.

I used my peso credit card.

Your exchange rate and foreign usage fees are between you and your bank.

I have also transfered load via WorldRemit but fees are expensive there.

[QUOTE=Simmer;2178149]I would add that it's a courtesy thing too: having brake lights glaring at you in front when stopped at traffic lights can be painful, so using the hand brake (as they usually are in UK cars, in between the two front seats) is a nice thing to do. Not that many do, of course.

I also moved to California from the UK. It's a whole different world of driving. And California isn't even that bad in relative terms compared to, say, NYC.

Driving in Negros (not brave enough for Manila) it is nuts, and you do need 360 degree vision and fast reactions, but rarely does anybody get angry.[/QUOTE]Manila drivers would have be 2 meters behind a car to have glaring taillights in their face. If there were 2 meters of space, 5 motorbikes, 2 Trike's, 3 taxis and 1 bus would cut in front of him! Joking I write this.

The other day I was in a private paid car and I notice the front windshield was tinted. Not the curtain tint but regular tint. Same dark tint as on the side and rear windows. This was at night and I was sitting in the front seat. It was clear his vision was reduced. In addition to the danger of walking in front of vehicles, be aware of the extra danger of tinted windshields.

As much as I hate EDSA blvd in Manila, the other day riding in a luxury bus on a holiday whereas traffic was way down, I got a good look at EDSA businesses. It was a sunny day and I was surprised that EDSA looked good without the impaired vision of trucks, buses and black smoke spilling jeepneys. Truly a day that taillights were able to glare.

Thanks Red. Makes sense.

I took my driver's test at age 16 in New York State. It was a very tough test compared to what I've seen in other states. I don't know whether it still is. We were expected to parallel park behind another vehicle (without touching the curb and ending up with tires within six inches of the curb. For left and right turns we were expected to use hand signals in addition to the electric turn signals. We also did a three-point turn on a two-way street on an uphill. Not easy with standard transmission. First pull to the right curb (obviously the correct side of the street), using both hand and electric turn signals to the right. Then hand and electric left turn signals, proceeding to the other side with front tires coming to rest gently on the opposite curb. Then reverse and proceed the opposite direction. Coming to a stop in traffic and for the three-point turn we were expected also to give a hand stop signal: left hand out the driver's window, along the side of the door, with palm facing to the rear. When stopping at the curb for the three-point, parallel parking, and end of the exam, we were expected to put the vehicle in neutral and set the handbrake. Times have changed, perhaps largely because of automatic transmissions.

There was an unwritten practice of failing boys on their first attempt, not so with girls unless they were truly haphazard. I was lucky to have passed the first time.

I was taught to simply keep the clutch depressed at red lights. A dozen years later I learned that it's better to put the transmission in neutral and let the clutch pedal back to save wear and tear on the throw-out bearing. Defensive driving schools now teach putting standard transmissions in neutral and foot on the brake at stop lights as defense against somebody plowing into you from the back. For automatics it's put the vehicle in park.

Sim, in my experience Boston driving is worse than NYC. Perhaps related to all those absent-minded, self-centered collegiate types.