January 2013
2 posts
4 tags
"Cheese fire causes traffic meltdown in Norway"
Remember the spilled yogurt tragedy of 2012? Now another dairy related traffic incident has taken place- this time in Norway.
I think BuzzFeed said it best:
Read about the incident here.
7 tags
Text away your road rage
Or parking rage that is.
Ever witness another driver who has completely disrespected the concept of parking spaces? Now there’s a way to let this person know how you really feel!
In the caveman days (i.e. up until now) drivers with words to say about your parking would have to resort to scribbling a profane message on the back of a crumpled receipt to leave on your windshield. Or if...
December 2012
1 post
3 tags
Thousands in Russia caught in 3-day, 100-mile...
Ignore what I said yesterday about wanting to be a commuter in Russia.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/04/world/europe/russian-traffic-jam-strands-drivers-for-3-days.html?ref=global-home
November 2012
1 post
3 tags
Trampolines: the preferred way to travel.
Thinking about moving to Russia after hearing that people are commuting via a trampoline path. So rad.
May 2012
1 post
3 tags
"None of this is a metaphor."
April 2012
1 post
4 tags
A SIMPLE SOLUTION
Tired Of Traffic? A New DOT Report Urges Drivers: ‘Honk’
March 2012
1 post
2 tags
Jerks
February 2012
1 post
5 tags
THE COBE CAR- THE END OF AN ERA
As excited as I am about my new MINI cobe, it’s not easy to say goodbye to the original Cobe Car, the car I grew up with, my Mazda Protege. Time to get emotional.
That car got me to 1st period on time (almost) every day in high school. That car earned me my first (and so far, my only…) speeding ticket. Led me to concert venues to see bands I’m too embarrassed to mention now....
January 2012
2 posts
3 tags
COBE CAR ARTIFACTS
When I brought MINI Cobe home, my parents resumed ownership of the Mazda, in hopes that they could get a few hundred bucks for it from CarMax. But first I had to clean it out.
When it comes to my car, I generally try to avoid using the backseat as a closet. I kept it fairly neat and free of debris. So imagine my surprise when after all is said and done, I walk away with this collection of...
3 tags
GOODBYE COBE CAR, HELLO MINI COBE
When I first set out to find a new car, I did not imagine that I would be writing a down payment check 8 days later. I fully planned to take my time, consider all of my options, go for multiple test drives, read reviews, do the math to anticipate financing scenarios, and everything else that goes into making a completely rational decision.
That clearly didn’t happen the way I thought it...
December 2011
2 posts
4 tags
CAR SHOPPING, DAY EIGHT - THE FINALE
On the Eighth day of car shopping, the car gods gave to me:
Eight (ish) seconds to accelerate
Seven inch center speed-o
Six air bags for safety
FIVE. HOURS. OF. Paperwoooooork
Four cylinders
Three cup holders
Two doors with a hatchback
and one MINI with great fuel economyyyyyyy!
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CAR SHOPPING, DAY FIVE-DAY SEVEN
After spending hours online researching cars, I’ve narrowed down my “short” list to the following vehicles:
Honda Fit Mini Cooper Kia Rio Toyota Yaris Hatchback Mazda 2 Mazda 3 Subaru Impreza Volkswagen Golf Ford Focus
Now, it’s time to get serious.
In the last 3 days, I’ve visited over 8 car dealerships, test driving each of the above cars. With the exception of...
November 2011
10 posts
4 tags
CAR SHOPPING, DAY FOUR
Not gonna lie, kind of tempted to get a Kia Soul just so I can buy a pet hamster to ride shotgun with me at all times.
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CAR SHOPPING, DAY THREE
Let me just say that I kind of hate car manufacturer websites.
I’ve been to every website of almost every make of car I think I might consider. And I can’t remember which ones I like and which ones I don’t, so I have to go back to the website to figure out what were the pros and cons of each.
Almost all of them seem to have some type of comparison tool, but of course they...
2 tags
CAR SHOPPING, DAY TWO
Day two: Creating my consideration set.
To help me narrow down my list, there are few things I have determined to be mandatory and not at all mandatory for my perfect car.
Things I’m looking for:
-Hatchback (had to start somewhere, and I like the way they look.) -Automatic transmission (I’d love to drive a manual for the cool-factor of knowing how to drive a manual, but...
2 tags
CAR SHOPPING, DAY ONE
Day one of my car shopping experience started with a phone call to the always trustworthy and reliable Mamacobe and Papacobe.
I think it’s a universal rule that parents know more about everything than their children, especially when it comes to cars. And I had absolutely no idea where to start.
Here’s a summary of the questions floating through my mind:
What’s the advantage of...
2 tags
CAR SHOPPING, AN INTRODUCTION
Like I mentioned in my previous post, I’ve decided that the time has come to start getting serious about buying a new car.
Let me preface this by saying that I have zero experience in purchasing a vehicle.
The original Cobe Car was bought by my lovely parents, Mamacobe and Papacobe, in 2002 when I was 17 years old. It was a used car, but was in excellent condition and had very few miles...
4 tags
WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 16
I’m not the most thoughtful driver when it comes to car maintenance.
Case in point: In the last year, I’m pretty sure I’ve only had 1 or 2 oil changes (Come to think of it, it was almost one year ago exactly). Which probably isn’t good for my car. But today I woke up extra early (meaning I set my alarm extra early but still woke up at the same time I normally do…),...
3 tags
MONDAY NOVEMBER 14
Traffic was slowed down this morning due to an interesting collection of road debris.
Clothes.
Clothes strewn all over the highway.
Makes me wonder about the different scenarios that could have caused such a catastrophe.
Potential explanations:
1. An innocent man, accused of horrendous crimes, says goodbye to his wife, who is carrying his unborn child. In order to save his family and ...
3 tags
MONDAY NOVEMBER 7
Yes America, sometimes I tweet while driving.
4 tags
MONTHLY GAS EXPENDITURES SEPT-OCT
Below you might notice a change from my typical bar graph. In September I spent $40 for $50 worth of bus fare passes as motivation to start taking the bus to work more frequently. (One-way bus fare is $2.50, so theoretically I paid for 16 round-trips and got 4 free.)
Out of curiosity to see how much gas money I save as a result of riding the bus, I have accounted for my bus fare, represented by...
4 tags
EATING IN CARS. PART TWO: MOTIVATIONS
Hey. Remember two months ago when I said I was going to write a four part series on eating in cars and then never followed through? I’m going to try again.
Starting with Part Two: Motivations that justify eating in the car.
Eating while driving has become a bit of a pastime for me over the years. But admittedly the meals/snacks/treats I’ve enjoyed in the Cobe Car are rarely...
October 2011
1 post
2 tags
TUESDAY OCTOBER 25
September 2011
11 posts
3 tags
OBSERVATIONS ON CLASSIC ROCK RADIO STATIONS
Unfortunately, the adapter that plays my iPod through my car stereo has died.
I spent the first drive sans iPod in cold silence, reflecting on my loss.
But in my effort to move on, I’ve spent the last few days dialed into the classic rock radio station in my area, and I now feel like an expert on the subject and would like to serve up the following tips on how to start your own classic...
3 tags
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 20 - WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 21
I celebrated my one year anniversary at McKinney on Tuesday September 20, which appropriately was also the day of my first “business trip.”
I was naively excited, like a child going to the state fair for the first time— at first everything is bright and shiny, and then you notice the dried puke on the rusty rollercoaster. Not fun.
On Tuesday morning, I sprung out of my bed at...
3 tags
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 26
I left my sweater on the bus this morning. womp womp.
If found, please return.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHQqqM5sr7g
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FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 16...
was the day we’ve all been waiting for:
I’d like to thank Interstate 85 North for giving me the opportunity to reach this monumental milestone, and all of my supporters - I could not have done it without you.
4 tags
3 tags
BREAKING NEWS
Best to stay off the roads today folks.
Special thanks to field correspondent, Matt Hisamoto for bringing this story to my attention.
3 tags
EATING IN CARS. PART ONE: AN INTRODUCTION
Before I pass along my wisdom re: eating in cars, I must first establish my expertise in this area.
If you think about it, 10 years of driving means that theoretically I’ve had over 3,000 opportunities to eat meals in my car. (9,000 if you follow the 3-meals a day norm…and exponentially more if you factor in non-meals/additional meals!)
Realistically, I know there is absolutely no...
2 tags
MONTHLY GAS EXPENDITURES JUNE-AUGUST
You may have noticed that it’s been a while since I’ve updated my monthly gas expenditures chart. For the past few months I’ve been tearing apart my desk at home and my desk at work trying to find the piece of paper with my beautiful hand-drawn bar graph. I finally gave up on my hope to recover it and decided to start over. So imagine my surprise this morning when I open up my...
3 tags
EATING IN CARS, PROLOGUE
After two days of riding the bus, I have to switch back to my norm of driving for a couple weeks. Work is just too busy right now and my schedule is rather unpredictable to be able to leave the office at the same time everyday.
Hopefully soon I’ll be a regular on the bus, but for now I thought I’d spend my time on the road pondering a very important subject that is near and dear to my...
2 tags
COMMUTING GOLD.
I wish I could say that I was fortunate enough to see this happen in person. Thank you Rizwan for sending my way.
3 tags
THURSDAY AUGUST 18
Thanks for this gem, Matt. This reminded me that I have a running list of vanity plates I’ve been taking note of that I need to share here soon!
4 tags
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 17
Day two of riding the bus and I already have a dramatic story to tell!
[Scene] The bus approaches the second stop on the route. There are currently less than 7 passengers sitting quietly, some drinking coffee, some reading the newspaper, others staring absently through the window . It is approximately 8:10am.
[Enter] 3 or 4 more passengers, who quickly pay their fare and take their seats...
3 tags
TUESDAY AUGUST 16
Well everyone, it finally happened. I took the bus to work.
I live about 3 blocks from the bus stop, which equates to a ten minute walk at a leisurely, comfortable pace.
This is awesome for two reasons: 1. It’s a manageable amount of exercise. Not quite hard enough to break a sweat or raise my heart rate, but enough walking to justify my lifestyle choices of not having a gym membership...
August 2011
12 posts
6 tags
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 10
I’m not sure if I’ve mentioned this before, but I happen to work directly across the street from the Durham Bulls baseball stadium.
(No, I haven’t been to a game yet, but I can see the field from the window closest to my desk.)
Being that the office is directly across the street from the stadium, it makes sense that our parking garage is used for attendee parking, at $4 per...
2 tags
TUESDAY AUGUST 9
Last Friday, I gave my pal Emily a ride into work. Emily usually rides the bus into work and has been doing everything in her power to convince me to join her. I’m seriously considering it.
Check out the trending topic on Twitter today. I think it might be a sign…
2 tags
MAN THIS IS ACCURATE
Captures my sentiments exactly.
Click through to read this piece on Thought Catalog.
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THURSDAY AUGUST 4
This morning’s drive was rough.
Not because of traffic, but because of my aching body.
I consider myself to be a moderately clumsy person, but living in a new, unfamiliar place makes me completely more accident prone. I’m sure I’m not the only one who has bumped into a piece of furniture in the dark because I forgot it was there, or accidentally dropped a box of books on my...
1 tag
WEDNESDAY AUGUST 3
So I did the math (literally), and I’m thinking Route A is not going to be my best option.
Today I tried another possibility.
Let’s call this one Route B.
At first glance, it doesn’t look that drastically different from Route A. But I’d like to call attention to the most significant change from yesterday’s map…no driving on Western Boulevard!!
Pros of...
3 tags
TUESDAY AUGUST 2
Monday and Tuesday, my first two drives into work from the new house, I relied on my GPS to make the decision about how to get there.
Relying on the GPS is probably a mistake.
Let’s call this… Route A.
Pros of Route A:
There is a Bojangles drive-thru conveniently located within the first 15 minutes of departure.
I drive past the WRAL studio and we all know that I have a crush on...
3 tags
MONDAY AUGUST 1
Fair warning ahead: I’m going to be one of those people who say something along the lines of: it’s a new week! it’s a new month! new beginnings! fresh start! blah blah blah etc.
But seriously.
Not only is it Monday, and the 1st of a new month, and my first post in god knows how long, but it’s also Day 1 of commuting to work from MY NEW HOUSE.
Yep, I moved!
But...
2 tags
GAZ GUZZLERS
Welp, at least I can say that I’d only be saving $5 a month if I still lived in Richmond…
Thanks to Mike the intern for sending this my way!
June 2011
2 posts
2 tags
MONTHLY GAS EXPENDITURES - MAY
As we say goodbye to May and say hello to Summer, we can also say hello to a brand new bar chart for my gas expenditures! I’ve also chosen a more exciting and innovative way to color in my bars, as you will see below. Please enjoy.
But alas, my excitement about this new chart is counterbalanced by my devastation at how much money I spent on gas this month.
In the month of May, I hit a...
3 tags
THURSDAY MAY 26
Bumper stickers, air fresheners, license plate frames, window decals, hanging dice, vanity license plates, dashboard bobbleheads.
What do all of these things have in common?
They are all simple additions one can add to their vehicle to make it feel a little more personalized, a little more reflective of their personality, and occasionally easier to spot in a crowded parking lot.
I fully support...
2 tags
WEDNESDAY MAY 18
On May 10th, I wrote a few (hyper-emotional) thoughts on why cars are perfect for crying.
This week I’d like to dedicate equal airtime to a few thoughts on why cars are perfect for laughing.
After my introspective rambling on crying in cars I started paying more attention to my emotional outbursts behind the wheel, and realized that I have a severe lack of LOLing in my commuting life.
I...
2 tags
Welp, this explains a lot.
