"Carl's Lounge" (Off-Topic Discussion, Traditional Knife "Tales & Vignettes")

The newer the vehicle, the better the safety features and cheaper the insurance. My son bought a 2021 Toyota 4 runner and the insurance is less than his old 2012 Honda Pilot.
Every car made in the last 25 yrs (at least) has had a key fob, no big deal there.
 
Ramrodmb said:
The newer the vehicle, the better the safety features and cheaper the insurance. My son bought a 2021 Toyota 4 runner and the insurance is less than his old 2012 Honda Pilot.
Every car made in the last 25 yrs (at least) has had a key fob, no big deal there.
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That's not correct. I have a 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011 and none of them have fobs. The '08 and '11 have chipped keys, but that's not a fob,
 
mbkr said:
That's not correct. I have a 2002, 2003, 2008, 2011 and none of them have fobs. The '08 and '11 have chipped keys, but that's not a fob,
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Every one I've had (or seen). 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011 chipped keys AND a fob. ymmv
 
I think people might be using "fob" to refer to what I consider two different devices. I think Mark is referring to the keyless entry device (I always called it a "remote") that has been available for years for operating the power locks remotely. I think Mike is referring to the device needed, along with an "ignition button" inside the car, for keyless starting of the engine (in addition to keyless entry). I've only used the latter kind of device when I rented a car a few years ago after I flew to Denver on a work-related trip, and they certainly were not available for the 2005 Civic and 2007 Focus that are the most recent vehicles I've had.

- GT
 
FOB is short for “place to put another knife”. Can do a lot of that stuff with an iPhone app on newer models too, Lock/unlock, climate control, remote start on colder mornings. I have a 2020 Subaru Outback.
 
5K Qs said:
I think people might be using "fob" to refer to what I consider two different devices. I think Mark is referring to the keyless entry device (I always called it a "remote") that has been available for years for operating the power locks remotely. I think Mike is referring to the device needed, along with an "ignition button" inside the car, for keyless starting of the engine (in addition to keyless entry). I've only used the latter kind of device when I rented a car a few years ago after I flew to Denver on a work-related trip, and they certainly were not available for the 2005 Civic and 2007 Focus that are the most recent vehicles I've had.

- GT
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Thanks GT. :thumbsup:
Yes, both are fobs. One is a keyless start fob, the other an entry fob.
To add to the confusion- what I call a "remote" refers to the add on remote start fob.;)
 
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Thanks Gary. I was referring to the "fob" as that chunk of plastic you have to have to start the car. It replaced an actual key apparently. The 2003 van I inherited does have a separate fob to unlock the doors and for "panic", but it doesn't start the car or do anything else, and is unnecessary to for operation of the vehicle. The 2002 just has an ordinary key with no fob of any kind and the 2008 and 2011 have chipped keys that also can unlock the doors. To me those are "keys". So I guess the 2003 does have a "fob", but the rest don't.
I'm not sure I want a car controlled by my phone. The rise of the machines is surely imminent 🤖
 
mbkr said:
I'm not sure I want a car controlled by my phone. The rise of the machines is surely imminent 🤖
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Yeah, I have some of that. I drew the line at a bunch of fancy ”safety” features that to me are a nuisance and conflict with how I drive. It is unsafe IMO.

I disabled traction control, beeping at you when you cross a lane or someone is in a blind spot. I was floored when someone cut in front of me on the interstate and it applied the brakes on its own — to me that is more dangerous. I have a foot and middle finger, thank you very much. Disabled all that garbage. Had a rental one time that wouldn’t shut up every time I exceeded the speed limit.

I don’t want a car that nags.
 
btb01 said:
I messed around with that function a couple days ago. I like that it's available, but the results are a little bare bones. (To be fair, I didn't try out all of the different file formats, some of which I've never heard of, but the default HTML file didn't seem to be much better than plain text.)

I've been saving mine as WebArchive files for a few years now, which I like because creates a file that looks and acts exactly like viewing the message here on the forum. Unfortunately, I think that file format might be specific to and only compatible with the Safari browser on Mac. I don't know if there's a PC equivalent, but if you have a Mac, it's the way to go.
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Yeah, I didn't recognize any of those other prefixes. I don't mind the simple text file look of the HTML, but if there are pictures in the posts, I guess I have to save them separately.



As to key/start fobs... 🤬 They must be cheaper to make (and much more expensive to fix) because I don't know one person who actually prefers them. I see no advantage to pushing a button rather than turning a key, and now I have another thing to carry that can't survive a go in the washing machine.

The guys at the dealership kept trying to show me how to sync my phone to the car, and I kept saying No. The phone will go to voice mail, and I'll deal with it when I'm off the road. "Hands free" is still distracted driving, and it takes my full attention to watch out for all the other drivers whose hands are free, but their minds are elsewhere.

I do like the backup camera, though, so I'm not a total luddite. I use it to back into parking spots easily, making it safer for pulling out into traffic.
 
r8shell said:
I do like the backup camera, though, so I'm not a total luddite. I use it to back into parking spots easily, making it safer for pulling out into traffic.
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The loaner van had one of those. I think it will come in handy on my next car. I got whiplashed a few years ago and its coming back to haunt me. I was just talking with a friend on Friday and mentioned that I had lost a couple of degrees of rotation when turning to look back over my shoulder. Been practicing using mirrors to back up.
 
r8shell said:
The guys at the dealership kept trying to show me how to sync my phone to the car, and I kept saying No. The phone will go to voice mail, and I'll deal with it when I'm off the road. "Hands free" is still distracted driving, and it takes my full attention to watch out for all the other drivers whose hands are free, but their minds are elsewhere.
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This is a good point, Rachel. :thumbsup::thumbsup:
I know that we used to listen to "books on tape" in the car on family vacations when my daughter was much younger, and if I was driving in heavier traffic, I'd have to request that the tape be rewound once traffic became less busy, because I couldn't listen to the tape while concentrating on driving. I guess I'm just not a multi-tasker, but at least I prioritized driving safely over listening to the "infotainment"! :rolleyes:;)

- GT
 
My friend and I have an ongoing conversation where we discuss how we are morphing into the people from WALL-E, the ones who live in a recliner being fed a constant stream of advertisements, food, and drink.

iu


It seems that we have an obsession with everything constantly getting easier and easier for us. The day that I can't be bothered to turn a key is the day I stop driving. My last three vehicles came with fobs to unlock the doors, which I promptly discarded. I recently had to replace my truck, and was thrilled to find a replacement with a manual transmission. I'd rather spend a couple minutes trying to find a destination than listen to some computer lady tell me where and when to turn. I much prefer a knob with a blue wedge at one end and a red at the other to a screen with a temperature on it. In my wife's car I have to choose a temperature and it decides whether I want A/C or heat. I spend most of my time trying to find the sweet spot where it's just a fan.

On the other hand, I love that I can hop on my computer or phone and order up whatever my little heart desires without actually having to leave the house. I love that I can see a knife here and within second be reading pages and pages of information on the pattern, manufacturer, blade steel, and any other aspect of the knife that might spark some interest in me. I like that I can order up a pizza without having to pick up a phone and talking to somebody.

To me it's an odd phenomenon that I happily embrace progress in some areas of life and absolutely abhor it in others.
 
Well-put, Cory! :thumbsup: :cool::cool::thumbsup:
Have you been reading my mind (or soul o_O)??;)
I have exactly the same seemingly-contradictory reactions to those examples of technology.

- GT
 
All of these electronic bells and whistles put on cars now remind me of when electronic cameras first appeared and had all sorts of features which you didn’t really need, but which made it more difficult to do the ordinary things you wanted to do. The technical expert for one of the photography magazines referred to it as, “Answering questions which haven’t been asked.”
 
Cory Hess said:
To me it's an odd phenomenon that I happily embrace progress in some areas of life and absolutely abhor it in others.
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It makes sense to me. We like the things that are fun or useful to us, and the rest is just extra complications and inconvenience.
I was disappointed I couldn't find a new car with automatic transmission, but roll-up windows.
 
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