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Thread: Tis the season to be jolly

  1. #1
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    Tis the season to be jolly

    ...but last night was a challenge

    I was on Long Island yesterday and left there to come home last night. Yesterday was an announced "grid lock" day---one that I have met in the past. Last night was the lighting of the Christmas tree in Times Square, which is a big thing. I seem to think I have heard attendance at about 1/2 a million souls.

    The number of people headed for that event is astounding when you see it. People walking north on 8th Ave from Penn Station up to Times Square literally overwhelm the street and it becomes impossible to cross 8th Ave or make a left turn off of 8th headed west. The horde of pedestrians do not obey the crossing lights and it is simply a moving river of people.

    Having had that experience in the past I picked the "great northern route" using the George Washington Bridge and the Cross Bronx Expresspark. Last night it was crawling along at the usual pace of 10 minutes/mile---until about a mile from the bridge when it slowed even more.

    I was soon to find the cause (most of the time I never even know what caused a slow down), A moving van (semi) in the left lane (of 3) had a tour bus trying to mate---and having some success. I would not joke about this but I am fairly sure the bus driver got way with nothing worse than a possible bloody nose and a terribly red face---from embarrassment. Because the van was much lower than a standard dry van trailer the back of the van fully accommodated the face plant of the bus. There were no cops there yet and the people were still on the bus!

    Eventually I got far enough into New Jersey to feel "safe"---not so! I got a warning of an accident ahead near the Delaware River that was closing two of three lanes west bound. At that point I was about 40 miles east of the river--and hoped it would be out of the way by the time I arrived.

    That didn't work out at all----but not to worry---by that point of my trip I am on familiar turf---I had this one covered. I continued on 78 well past where Waze was telling me to get off. I bailed out one exit before the traffic stopped!

    I was unencumbered by others on my familiar route and stopped at my normal pit stop (gas in NJ is much less than my other options of PA and NY). I went under 78 to get to my stop and could see the traffic on 78 was at a dead stop.

    Gassed up and drained I started for home---using my alternate route----until about 6 or 7 miles in I came up on a line of traffic that had no business there

    Not willing to risk that I did a U-turn and backtracked about 3 miles to alternate route 2---which took a dump after about 3 miles---it is closed for bridge construction!

    So--off to route 3---and that met with success---but not quickly.

    My normal 4 hour trip was 5 1/4 hours!

    Oh---the problem on I 78, which ultimately closed all three lanes, was caused by a semi fire---I have no idea when they reopened the highway. It closed at 5:45.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  2. #2
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    We have fun trips like that here, too. Just one of the reasons I'm looking for a place ~180 miles north.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  3. #3
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    Are you still not allowed to pump your own gas in NJ?

  4. #4
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    Quote Originally Posted by Phillbo View Post
    Are you still not allowed to pump your own gas in NJ?
    That is one of life's great mysteries---I pay less and they pump it!

    The true explanation is in a much lower state tax than is applied both in NY and PA.

    Regarding the attendant---I hope they never change that---the net result of that seemingly unimportant difference is that it provides jobs for thousands of people that are only marginally employable.

    We have, in our rush to "stream line" our lives, deleted opportunities for those on the margin to find jobs that could offer them a sense of worth and some income.
    Last edited by Dave Grubb; 12-05-2019 at 03:42 PM.
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  5. #5
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    If they pump it do they also check the oil, clean the windshield and check the tire pressure like in the good old days?
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    That is one of life's great mysteries---I pay less and they pump it!
    When the attendant pumps it will they accept my request to pump diesel all the way to the cap?...Since diesel fuel foams so much, I do this to get the maximum in my 52 gallon tank, and since there's no evaporative emissions control system to contend with, there's no harm to the environment...I can usually get an additional 5-6 gallons after the automatic cutoff...Or is that hoop a bit too high for the attendant to jump through?......Ben

    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  7. #7
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    They often do the windows---the regulars also know I will give them a tip. As to the rest of those benies---not so much
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Truckman View Post
    When the attendant pumps it will they accept my request to pump diesel all the way to the cap?...Since diesel fuel foams so much, I do this to get the maximum in my 52 gallon tank...I can usually get an additional 5-6 gallons after the automatic cutoff...Or is that hoop a bit too high for the attendant to jump through?......Ben

    It all depends on how much you want to spill on the ground
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    It all depends on how much you want to spill on the ground
    None gets spilled when I do the pumping, I was just wondering whether the NJ pump jockey is willing to do it......Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Truckman View Post
    None gets spilled when I do the pumping, I was just wondering whether the NJ pump jockey is willing to do it......Ben
    Willing---maybe---capable---that might be another issue
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty” ---Sir Winston Churchill
    "Political extremism involves two prime ingredients: an excessively simple diagnosis of the world's ills, and a conviction that there are identifiable villains back of it all." ---John W. Gardner
    “You can’t go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending.” ---C. S. Lewis

  11. #11
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mike View Post
    If they pump it do they also check the oil, clean the windshield and check the tire pressure like in the good old days?
    I might allow them to clean my windshield, but I'm not sure I could trust them to read a dipstick correctly, or get 100 PSI in all 7 tires......Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Grubb View Post
    Willing---maybe---capable---that might be another issue
    As I suspected...I'll continue to get my usual attendant to attend to those attentions...He's accustomed to having his outstretched palm ignored...He scrapes by with his precious metals business anyway...

    Diesel here is $2.51 a gallon...How much is it when they pump it for you in Joisey?......Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  13. #13
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    Something I noticed right away when fueling the 2013 F-350 is that it won't take much to top off after the pump stops. I don't know what Ford did because on my previous trucks I could get 3-5 gallons in after the pump stopped. The 2013 only lets me add about 1/2-1 gallon until the filler neck is full of liquid.
    The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible - Arthur C. Clarke

  14. #14
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    I remember reading the old Ford Diesel forum about a modification to vent the tank just for that purpose...I know there is also a similar method to vent Dodge tanks...I may look into someday when my tank is near empty...But it sounds like Ford finally got the hint and fixed it at the assembly line...Kudos to them ...Ben
    The future is forged on the anvil of history...The interpreter of history wields the hammer... - Unknown author...

  15. #15
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    In my experience, Diesel is self serve.. stop once or twice a year at the “J” at the Delaware Bridge (I-295) and the Valero or Shell at Port Jervis (I-84)..

    I-84 oddities.. when I-84 crosses the Delaware from Pennsylvania into New York.. take exit #1.. at the bottom of the exit ramp is the northern point of New Jersey and $0.20 a gallon savings on diesel.. ( not as much now but still less than New York or Pennsylvania).. another “oddity”.. my old F-350 and fifth wheel, 4 axles was almost $90.00 to cross the Hudson on I-95, George Washington Bridge (shortest way to New England).. twenty miles north the Tappan Zee (I-287) was almost $30.00 to cross.. so we used I-84. Another 20 miles north.. $6.50 to cross... that’s why I know about I-84.. my gateway to New England and the Maritimes

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