Ferrari Mailing List: Re: Not So "Smart" Car (was Tulsa Event)

[BRIGANDBAR (BRIGANDBAR]

In a message dated 10/14/2007 10:19:54 A.M. Central Daylight Time,  
ferrari-request [at] ferrarilist.com writes:

What are  the statistics?  Most (80 to 90% of all trips are within  
>  25 miles



Tom (& Brit, I'm sorry you believe that I, or my argument against the  
"Smartcar" are "stupid), I'll work on that IQ problem as quickly as I can,  
perhaps 
along with the rest of GWB's "no children left behind" group);
 
I believe that this >25 miles is where, statistically, most of the fatal  and 
non-fatal automobile accidents occur. 
 
Yes, perhaps my 348 is not the best vehicle to be in when in conflict with  
something like my F-350 but then again I drive it for reasons other than  
commuting, and being a daily driver. And, with you, Tom, being in OK which is  
fine 
stopover point for all of the illegal aliens transiting to some of the  
"sanctuary cities" might even give this a second look. 
 
I'm wagering on the ability of my children and grandchildren being  
intelligent enough to advance science so that they are not forced into  
automotive 
purgatory in the form of the (not so)"Smart"car or one of its soon to  be 
ubiquitous (your opinion, not mine but I'm willing to allow it to persist in  
arguendo) clones. If not, so be it, they deserve the punishing environment in  
which 
they will exist.
 
And many, though not all, Europeans, as well as residents of Great Britain,  
do not realize (they may know it intellectually) how different it is to drive 
in  the U.S. While some of the major cities may replicate traffic conditions 
in  London or Paris, geographically at least, driving in the U.S. will probably 
 involve transiting long distances, I don't want to go through a "Mapquest"  
exercise to find exact driving instances, but the distance from many points in 
 Texas simply to the state capitol of Austin, or driving in Kansas from 
Topeka to  Colby, on I-70, will greatly exceed the distances that EU members 
drive 
from  their home to their national capitols (just an example of distance). I 
think  that the Silver State annual event in NV is longer than some EU members 
can  drive in a straight line across their entire nation, if not, the distance 
from  El Paso to Texarkana certainly is so those of us in the "Red States" 
have  little need of microcar (except, as previously noted, to carry in the bed 
 
of our pickup trucks in case we run out of fuel or otherwise "fail to 
proceed").  Stupid, perhaps but we have built what even our enemies in the 
Former 
Soviet  Union acknowledge what is the world's only Superpower so I'm not 
worried 
about  it.
 
My generation is pretty much a sandwich generation in any event, so I'm  just 
not going to buy into the "Global Warming is the end of mankind" BS, even  if 
that disqualifies me from winning a Nobel Prize. The "Greatest Generation"  
left us with the largest Ponzi scheme known to man, Social(ist) Security and 
now  want to ban the most productive of us, who have contributed the most 
monetarily  to this "pot of gold" from receiving our full, earned benefits 
using 
such things  as "Means Testing" to disqualify us, and our children's generation 
believing  that it is our obligation to provide a "safety net" for everybody, 
including the  criminals that invade our country through the porous border to 
the South and  through fecundity manage to overpopulate our nation and their 
spawn, and leave  them a perfect world, at our generation's expense of course, 
and solve all of  the problems of the future so that they will not be burdened 
with continuing  with what Darwin well recognized as a requirement for the 
advancement of the  civilized world. I guess I "stupidly" don't buy into all of 
this and just think  that I am not mentally challenged for spending what my 
children may erroneously  consider "their' inheritance.
 
If you like those silly little cars, want to drive a motorcycle as your  
daily driver rain, sleet or snow included, surrender our civilization's means 
of  
advancement through the "First World" countries by voluntarily falling victim 
to  the Kioto (sp?) Accords (Treaty?) and surrendering the hard-earned rights 
of  these countries (Brit, yours is included here) to produce carbon 
byproducts to  sustain their quality of life that is okay with me as long as 
you don't 
try and  push off your hypotheses and goals on me. Go ahead and enjoy saving 
those  dollars, petroleum reserves, etc., for future consumers, and of course 
for those  "stupid" folks such as myself. Personally, I have hope for the 
future of the  civilized world, and its continued scientific advancement, so I 
want 
to leave  some challenges for those who come after us. Heck, if I don't they 
will spend  their days idly driving around the country in their 348's, MB 
G-Wagons,  Excursions, private aircraft and who knows what else that we 
developed 
for  ourselves but declined to use them due to their consumption of resources, 
all of  which belong to future generations.
 
Dr. Steve  

1964 Rolls  Royce Silver Cloud III 1975 Pontiac GV Conv.
1980 MB 450SL 1982 RR  Corniche
1985 MB 280 GE G-Wagen 1988 Rolls Royce Silver Spur
1990 Cadillac  "Eagle" Hearse 1994 F-350 Powerstroke 4x4 
1995 Ferrari 348 Spyder 1996  Bronco
2000 Lincoln Town Car 2004 Excursion
+ Audrey's 2x  MB's


Dr. Stephen B. Spies, CES, CFI
Director,  Forensic Sciences Laboratory
Explosives Engineering  Technologies

Legal Notice:

This message does not constitute  legal or other professional advice, nor 
does it create an Attorney/Client, or  other confidential or fiduciary 
relationship between the sender and/or any other  party

Confidentiality Notice: This e-mail (including  attachments) is covered by 
the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U. S.  C., Sections 2510-2521, 
and 
is intended only for the person or entity to which  it is addressed, and may 
contain confidential or privileged material. Any  unauthorized review, use, 
disclosure, dissemination, copying, forwarding or  distribution is prohibited. 
If you are not the intended recipient contact the  sender by reply e-mail and 
destroy all copies of the original message. If you  are the intended recipient 
but do not wish to receive communications through  this medium please so 
advise the sender immediately.

Electronic  Transmission Security Notice: E-mail transmission cannot be 
guaranteed  to be secure or error-free. The sender does not accept liability 
for 
any errors  or omissions in the contents of the message that arise as a result 
of its  electronic (e-mail) transmission.



************************************** See what's new at http://www.aol.com