Had my first driving lesson
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I've just got back in from my first driving lesson; it was quite good. I don't really like this business of a 'biting point', but overall it was enjoyable. The major thing I noticed was the proliferation of absolute IDIOTS on the roads. I was practising some push and pull turns, doing figures-of-eight in a car park and some person decided that they would prove that they can drive well by doing about 35 mph through the car park. Apparently I had a good sense of humour, because I asked if I could mount a machine gun and targeting sights on the bonnet of my driving instructor's car. It would appear that he thought I was joking. On a related note, is there any way to completely electrify the outside of the car on demand?
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
Can't find a link, but some one in here in the UK already tried electrifying the surface. He did a proper job, made sure that it wasn't leathal etc and it ramped up, so accidental touches would be ok, only repeated touches would cause the voltage and current to increase, put warning signs on the car etc. He was still ordered to remove by the police, health and safety issues...can't injure the scum while they nick your car/radio/valuables, you have to report it, wait ages for a responce, then spend the next 3 months arseing around with your insurance company to actually pay up on your policy.
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Yeah, the problem being they're normally bigger than the car. Actually most of the classic Tesla coils I've seen use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Graaff_generator[^]. Some (was going to say several but it's more than that) stories tall. Largest capacitors I've seen that are commercially available (at least a few years ago) were 1F (farad) and were roughly 3"x3"x8" blocks. Someone dropped a screwdriver across the terminals of one of these when it hadn't been fully discharged and the majority of the screwdriver (not a small one) vapourised.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
Forget the Van de Graaf generator then, I want an array of those capacitors! Fire them at a tailgater's rear axle, vaporise it (slightly), pull it back in and recharge. While recharging, I can use the harpoon gun
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
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So I could theoretically mount it in the centre of the car, so that it would run through the middle? It would still stick out a bit, but would be short enough for the car to to go through a tunnel. If it helped, I could even paste a note on the back of the car: "Impatience fries cars" As for the power source, I don't know. Maybe an array of capacitors around the wheel arch, and a magnet on the axle. Wouldn't that charge them enough during driving to be able to power the coils for a short burst (maybe a few seconds - enough to ward those other motorists off)?
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
please tell me you drive a black opel, i can't wait to see all the people trying to get themselves on streetview then bzzzzzzzzzzzz :cool:
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Miszou wrote:
You will find that the presence of "L" plates on your car causes everyone around you to act like a complete asshat.
I just try to stay well clear. I was once sitting at a set of traffic lights, on a hill, behind (a couple of feet more than I'd usually stop) a learner. When the lights changed to go the reverse light came on. I think the instructor realised in time and used the dual controls to stop the car going too much further as my car and his only had minor bump. Mostly a transfer of dirt which was easily cleaned off - thank goodness. It could have been much worse.
User group: Scottish Developers Blog: Can Open... Worms? Everywhere! Quote: Man who stand on hill with mouth open wait long time for roast duck to drop in.
people driving automatics sometimes scare me at roundabouts when they move from P to D which normally goes through R and you get a quick flash of reversing lights just before they pull away.
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Having just noticed that you're in the UK there's plenty of advice that I can give you (seem to be covering a huge mileage at the moment) but one thing I do implore you is: When you get to drive on the motorway PLEASE don't hog lanes. Seriously driving down the M4 I've been in 7 mile queues all because of one car who refuses to drive in the outside lane and the majority of other drivers would prefer to overtake legally and safely on the inside lane. The lanes on motorways don't have "speed-limits", by this I mean it doesn't matter what speed you are doing, if the lane to the left of you is free then use it. Just because you're doing more than 60mph doesn't mean that the left-hand lane is out of bounds. This holds true more so in heavy traffic and 9 times out of 10 you'll see the left-hand lane moving faster than the right-hand side because everyone's trying to get into it. Also (this might be slightly biased) but the people who typically drive in the outside lane are lorries and "proper" 4x4s (i.e. Defenders, Shoguns, basically anything that isn't capable of high speeds for a 4x4) and we/they prefer not to have to change gear the whole time so because we can see further will keep moving along at a consistent pace rather than stop/starting the whole time and usually move through the queues better. Also a pet-peeve, be considerate to lorry drivers (well I'm speaking for the native ones), the majority of them are far better drivers than you'll ever be. After all they spend most of their lives on the road. I usually find, especially in heavy traffic, if you're considerate to lorry drivers all the ones around you become considerate to you.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
:thumbsup:
Java, Basic, who cares - it's all a bunch of tree-hugging hippy cr*p
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people driving automatics sometimes scare me at roundabouts when they move from P to D which normally goes through R and you get a quick flash of reversing lights just before they pull away.
Why would you even go into P at a roundabout, or any junction? You keep your foot on the brake and you're stopped. You take your foot off and you start going.
User group: Scottish Developers Blog: Can Open... Worms? Everywhere! Quote: Man who stand on hill with mouth open wait long time for roast duck to drop in.
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Why would you even go into P at a roundabout, or any junction? You keep your foot on the brake and you're stopped. You take your foot off and you start going.
User group: Scottish Developers Blog: Can Open... Worms? Everywhere! Quote: Man who stand on hill with mouth open wait long time for roast duck to drop in.
I really have no idea but i have seen a lot of people doing it.
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Quite possibly :) But I don't think it's too much to ask for people to indicate which way they plan to go, or to observe speed limits in built up areas
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
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Yeah, the problem being they're normally bigger than the car. Actually most of the classic Tesla coils I've seen use http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_de_Graaff_generator[^]. Some (was going to say several but it's more than that) stories tall. Largest capacitors I've seen that are commercially available (at least a few years ago) were 1F (farad) and were roughly 3"x3"x8" blocks. Someone dropped a screwdriver across the terminals of one of these when it hadn't been fully discharged and the majority of the screwdriver (not a small one) vapourised.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
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Computafreak wrote:
On a related note, is there any way to completely electrify the outside of the car on demand?
I have a vague recollection that a few years back the South Africans developed something to combat car hijacking, can't recall details but I think it may have involved electrification or flame throwers. Just did a quick search couldn't spot anything, maybe someone from SA can remember.
Multi famam, conscientiam pauci verentur.(Pliny)
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Just wire the caps in parallel and you can get arbitrary maximum capacitances.
The European Way of War: Blow your own continent up. The American Way of War: Go over and help them.
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Computafreak wrote:
I'm glad that it comes instinctively in time
Lots of things become instinctive over time. Like what gear to be in... My dad was always telling me I was in the wrong gear. This from a person who overtook a slower moving car while in second gear at 70MPH. He had a Toyota Carrena E at the time, the engine made a wonderful roaring noise but I did notice that various warning lights I never knew even existed also lit up his dashboard. Probably because he was 1500RPM past the red line. I tried the same on my Yaris. Pfft... The engine just cuts out. No fun at all!
User group: Scottish Developers Blog: Can Open... Worms? Everywhere! Quote: Man who stand on hill with mouth open wait long time for roast duck to drop in.
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Having just noticed that you're in the UK there's plenty of advice that I can give you (seem to be covering a huge mileage at the moment) but one thing I do implore you is: When you get to drive on the motorway PLEASE don't hog lanes. Seriously driving down the M4 I've been in 7 mile queues all because of one car who refuses to drive in the outside lane and the majority of other drivers would prefer to overtake legally and safely on the inside lane. The lanes on motorways don't have "speed-limits", by this I mean it doesn't matter what speed you are doing, if the lane to the left of you is free then use it. Just because you're doing more than 60mph doesn't mean that the left-hand lane is out of bounds. This holds true more so in heavy traffic and 9 times out of 10 you'll see the left-hand lane moving faster than the right-hand side because everyone's trying to get into it. Also (this might be slightly biased) but the people who typically drive in the outside lane are lorries and "proper" 4x4s (i.e. Defenders, Shoguns, basically anything that isn't capable of high speeds for a 4x4) and we/they prefer not to have to change gear the whole time so because we can see further will keep moving along at a consistent pace rather than stop/starting the whole time and usually move through the queues better. Also a pet-peeve, be considerate to lorry drivers (well I'm speaking for the native ones), the majority of them are far better drivers than you'll ever be. After all they spend most of their lives on the road. I usually find, especially in heavy traffic, if you're considerate to lorry drivers all the ones around you become considerate to you.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
I think you're confusing "inside" and "outside", but otherwise: well said! Move out to the fast lane to overtake, come back in afterwards. Overtaking good, undertaking is called that for a reason, and no-one wants to have to do it. One thing I learnt when towing: if a lorry or other long vehicle passes you, it's considered polite to flash them back in. You can see when their rear has passed you safely far more easily than they can. Still, if that was the first lesson, motorways are a fair way off in the future.
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Forget the Van de Graaf generator then, I want an array of those capacitors! Fire them at a tailgater's rear axle, vaporise it (slightly), pull it back in and recharge. While recharging, I can use the harpoon gun
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
You would also need a mechanism for isolating your car from the resulting emp.
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Until you run out of money. I do seem to remember they were about £500 a piece...
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
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I've just got back in from my first driving lesson; it was quite good. I don't really like this business of a 'biting point', but overall it was enjoyable. The major thing I noticed was the proliferation of absolute IDIOTS on the roads. I was practising some push and pull turns, doing figures-of-eight in a car park and some person decided that they would prove that they can drive well by doing about 35 mph through the car park. Apparently I had a good sense of humour, because I asked if I could mount a machine gun and targeting sights on the bonnet of my driving instructor's car. It would appear that he thought I was joking. On a related note, is there any way to completely electrify the outside of the car on demand?
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
Back in my college days, which are fading from memory fast, I read a short story by, I believe, Larry Niven. In it he wrote of a future society in which virtually all vehicles on the road were armed and armored. The only exception was any public transportation vehicle which, by law, were off-limits. Otherwise it was every man for himself. Car owners treated their armament much like teen-age boys did their car customizations in the fifties and sixties. It was a practical matter but pride was taken in just how well you built your transportation. Otherwise, back during those same days, my brother claimed that he had a switch under his dash that he could flip such that it would direct the charge on the coil to the body of the car. In theory, anyone who touched it would get a nasty jolt. I never tested it and I never questioned how he managed to open the car himself. Of course, anyone who was really intent on stealing the car just had to ground the body.
I'm not a programmer but I play one at the office
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Back in my college days, which are fading from memory fast, I read a short story by, I believe, Larry Niven. In it he wrote of a future society in which virtually all vehicles on the road were armed and armored. The only exception was any public transportation vehicle which, by law, were off-limits. Otherwise it was every man for himself. Car owners treated their armament much like teen-age boys did their car customizations in the fifties and sixties. It was a practical matter but pride was taken in just how well you built your transportation. Otherwise, back during those same days, my brother claimed that he had a switch under his dash that he could flip such that it would direct the charge on the coil to the body of the car. In theory, anyone who touched it would get a nasty jolt. I never tested it and I never questioned how he managed to open the car himself. Of course, anyone who was really intent on stealing the car just had to ground the body.
I'm not a programmer but I play one at the office
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I think you're confusing "inside" and "outside", but otherwise: well said! Move out to the fast lane to overtake, come back in afterwards. Overtaking good, undertaking is called that for a reason, and no-one wants to have to do it. One thing I learnt when towing: if a lorry or other long vehicle passes you, it's considered polite to flash them back in. You can see when their rear has passed you safely far more easily than they can. Still, if that was the first lesson, motorways are a fair way off in the future.
True, did post it after a long day in the office. I was obviously thinking of the inside being the nearer to the inside of the motorway. The one which bugs me is how they now refer to the driver's side as the near side and passenger-side as off-side. What's wrong with driver's side? Clearer meaning.
Jane Williams wrote:
One thing I learnt when towing: if a lorry or other long vehicle passes you, it's considered polite to flash them back in. You can see when their rear has passed you safely far more easily than they can.
That's another example of instinct, I automatically do it.
I doubt it. If it isn't intuitive then we need to fix it. - Chris Maunder
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Computafreak wrote:
The major thing I noticed was the proliferation of absolute IDIOTS on the roads.
If most everyone on the road is an idiot, but you...You might just be the problem. :)
Gary Kirkham Forever Forgiven and Alive in the Spirit The men said to them, "Why do you seek the living One among the dead? He is not here, but He has risen." Me blog, You read
If most everyone on the road is an idiot, but you...You might just be the problem. I assume everyone else on the road is an idiot and drive and react accordingly, which means I am not caught unaware when people do stupid things around me.
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I've just got back in from my first driving lesson; it was quite good. I don't really like this business of a 'biting point', but overall it was enjoyable. The major thing I noticed was the proliferation of absolute IDIOTS on the roads. I was practising some push and pull turns, doing figures-of-eight in a car park and some person decided that they would prove that they can drive well by doing about 35 mph through the car park. Apparently I had a good sense of humour, because I asked if I could mount a machine gun and targeting sights on the bonnet of my driving instructor's car. It would appear that he thought I was joking. On a related note, is there any way to completely electrify the outside of the car on demand?
Between the idea And the reality Between the motion And the act Falls the Shadow
Computafreak wrote:
I've just got back in from my first driving lesson
I sometimes foget how long I've been doing this programming thing. Posts like this remind me :)
Computafreak wrote:
On a related note, is there any way to completely electrify the outside of the car on demand?
Story I heard from back when I was learning to drive (can't remember where anymore) was to use the ignition coil from an old Model-T. Apparently, they had some sort of internal buzzer like design to create the voltage for the spark. Drag a chain for a ground. Its only a few KV though. Don't ask me if it would work.. all the Model-Ts were long since gone even when I was a kid (computers aren't that old).
patbob