Ford is planning to increase fuel economy by increasing its of 6-speed automatic transmissions. Weren't they recently complaining about higher CAFE standards being unfair? Funny what $3.50 + per gallon has on industry.
While 6-speed automatic transmissions are significantly more fuel efficient than four- and five-speed automatic transmissions, switching to CVT transmissions can save even more fuel. That's exactly what Nissan did -- the majority of their non-manual transmissions are currently CVT.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Vancouver
Obviously, I haven't bothered to update this blog in a while. The last post I made was enroute to Vancouver via a weekend back home (San Francisco). I spent a couple of weeks here settling in, and the rest of my time enjoying myself. What a fine town Vancouver is. And it's not at all as rainy as I expected it to be.
Sure, it rains, but it doesn't pound rain. It's more like frequent drizzles here and there. And we've had snow a few times, which is a few times more than normal according to what the locals tell me. But the many sunny days we've had here have been fantastic. It rarely gets above 6 to 10 degrees C (50 F), but it's really not that cold, since it's not very windy (at least compared to the Bay Area).
And there are women here. Lots and lots of young, attractive women. I'll just leave it at that.
The food is excellent. Especially the East Asian cuisines. The Chinese food, especially the Hong Kong fare, is fantastic, the best in North America some would say. The reason behind this is that many HK people emigrated away in the late 80s/early 90s, as they feared the 1997 takeover by China. So many came to Vancouver, since Canada has very lax immigration laws. Along with the HK masses that came to Vancouver came the chefs and restaurateurs, who brought their high standards with them.
The Japanese cuisine here is also very good. It definitely seems more authentic than the Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, probably because of the many Japanese students who come here to study demand authenticity when they go out to eat. And the few times I had sushi were fantastic.
There are many other non-Asian options for dining as well. I've eaten at a fare share of western joints, and have enjoyed many meals. But there wasn't anything that was special enough to warrant a trip up here, especially from metro areas like the Bay Area, LA, or NYC.
That's all for now. Off to eat :-) I'll try and keep this blog updated more often that not.
Sure, it rains, but it doesn't pound rain. It's more like frequent drizzles here and there. And we've had snow a few times, which is a few times more than normal according to what the locals tell me. But the many sunny days we've had here have been fantastic. It rarely gets above 6 to 10 degrees C (50 F), but it's really not that cold, since it's not very windy (at least compared to the Bay Area).
And there are women here. Lots and lots of young, attractive women. I'll just leave it at that.
The food is excellent. Especially the East Asian cuisines. The Chinese food, especially the Hong Kong fare, is fantastic, the best in North America some would say. The reason behind this is that many HK people emigrated away in the late 80s/early 90s, as they feared the 1997 takeover by China. So many came to Vancouver, since Canada has very lax immigration laws. Along with the HK masses that came to Vancouver came the chefs and restaurateurs, who brought their high standards with them.
The Japanese cuisine here is also very good. It definitely seems more authentic than the Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area, probably because of the many Japanese students who come here to study demand authenticity when they go out to eat. And the few times I had sushi were fantastic.
There are many other non-Asian options for dining as well. I've eaten at a fare share of western joints, and have enjoyed many meals. But there wasn't anything that was special enough to warrant a trip up here, especially from metro areas like the Bay Area, LA, or NYC.
That's all for now. Off to eat :-) I'll try and keep this blog updated more often that not.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Charlotte Airport
I was in Charleston, SC for a couple weeks, and am now on my way home. My United Airlines flight from Charleston to Washington Dulles was delayed by several hours, so the United agent booked me on a US Airways flight from Charleston to San Francisco via Charlotte, and I have to say that Charlotte airport is far larger than I would have ever imagined. The best part? The free wi-fi, especially considering that most other airports charge a fee to access their wi-fi network.
I'll consider using US Airways the next time I fly down this way. Charlotte airport has been a pleasant surprise so far.
I'll consider using US Airways the next time I fly down this way. Charlotte airport has been a pleasant surprise so far.
Monday, January 7, 2008
Dulles Greenway is also retarded
The toll rates on the Dulles Greenway is just as silly as the toll collection methods of its sister highway, the Dulles Toll Road. I drove on the Dulles Greenway the other day, and was surprised to be charged $3.30. What an odd fee. Not only does this make toll collection labor intensive, but it's also such an odd number that it would seem unlikely that anyone would have exact change, effectively slowing down traffic at the toll booths.
To make matters worse, at $3.50, the weekday toll is higher than the weekend toll. I can see the reasoning behind this, but it would only seem to make traveling on the road more confusing than it should be.
Personally, I'd rather see the weekday toll at $4, and the weekend toll drop to $3. But that's just me. You see, I have this thing for nice, round numbers.
To make matters worse, at $3.50, the weekday toll is higher than the weekend toll. I can see the reasoning behind this, but it would only seem to make traveling on the road more confusing than it should be.
Personally, I'd rather see the weekday toll at $4, and the weekend toll drop to $3. But that's just me. You see, I have this thing for nice, round numbers.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Washington DC to New York via Chinatown Bus
I finally got to do something I've been wanting to do for some time. I took a Chinatown to Chinatown bus from Washington DC to New York. This is budget travel at its best.
There are several bus companies operating this route. I went with Apex Bus, as they have the most frequent departures.
My reason for taking the bus was purely economical, in terms of both time and money. Since I'd be stuck in Washington DC for some time, I had decided that I should take a trip or two to NYC. There's only so much to do in the Washington DC metro area, after all. And New York is a fun place to visit, though I'd never want to live there for an extended period of time.
I had thought about making the 4 hour drive up to Manhattan, parking the car and leaving it there for the weekend while I roamed the city by subway, and then driving back to DC the following day. After thinking things over, I realized the following:
There are several bus companies operating this route. I went with Apex Bus, as they have the most frequent departures.
My reason for taking the bus was purely economical, in terms of both time and money. Since I'd be stuck in Washington DC for some time, I had decided that I should take a trip or two to NYC. There's only so much to do in the Washington DC metro area, after all. And New York is a fun place to visit, though I'd never want to live there for an extended period of time.
I had thought about making the 4 hour drive up to Manhattan, parking the car and leaving it there for the weekend while I roamed the city by subway, and then driving back to DC the following day. After thinking things over, I realized the following:
- Gas would cost $60 round-trip
- Tolls would cost around $35 round-trip
- Parking would be free if I could find street parking in SoHo - otherwise it'll run $60 to park in a lot for two days
- Hotels in Manhattan are expensive this time of year
So we're talking in the neighborhood of $300-400 for a weekend in Manhattan all by myself. I finalized my plans to do a day trip, which was a no brainer from a financial standpoint:
- Gas to DC and back is $5
- Tolls on the Dulles Toll Road is $2.50
- Bus is $35 round trip
- Parking in DC is $20, though they initially told me $10. Whatever, still a bargain.
- Earliest bus leaves DC at 3:30am, arrives in Manhattan Chinatown by 7:30am
- Buses leave Manhattan Chinatown practically hourly through most of the day, so I opt for the 9:30pm bus, returning to DC by 12:30am
A grand total of $62.50 for a very full day in Manhattan. And I get to sleep on the bus both ways. And I could have as many cocktails as I wanted before returning home (as long as I sobered up before picking up my car). Not a bad day to spend a day, if you don't mind dragging your ass out of bed at 2:30am!
Some thoughts about the bus ride...
Since this was a Chinatown bus, I expected the bus to be dirty. Quite the contraty. The buses were fairly clean and well kept. Sure, there was a grease mark on the window from a previous passenger's greasy head, but otherwise all was well. There was no trash or litter anywhere, which could be attributed to the plastic garbage bags they place on the armrest of every row. The seats were in good condition. The toilet was pretty funky, but that's to be expected, especially when you have half-asleep, groggy old men using it while the bus is driving on city streets in stop-and-go traffic.
The bus stopped a couple of times (I have no idea where, maybe Baltimore?) to pick up more passengers. My biggest complaint was that the bus driver would stop at a parking lot, open the doors, and start yelling in Chinese to the boarding passengers while all of the other passengers were sound asleep. I have no idea what he was saying, probably something like "are you going to New York?" and what not. At one stop though, the driver got into an argument with a boarding passenger and the screaming went on for a good 4 to 5 minutes. The argument continued to intensify, and the boarding passenger got off the bus and the driver drove off. Great, just what I need at 5am!
As for parking, I think I was lucky that they allowed me to park there. Their parking lot is small, and can only fit a couple dozen cars. They seem to offer event parking for the Verizon center, so if you want to park there and take a bus departing during an event, you'd probably be SOL.
My alternative parking spot would have been Union Station in Washington DC, which is about a mile away from Chinatown on foot. Union Station has a parking lot open 24/7, and it costs $18 to park there for 24hrs. Not a bad deal, if you don't mind the walking. There are a few other parking lots in the vicinity of Chinatown, but I hadn't researched their rates.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
The Dulles Toll Road - Virginia State Route 267 - SUCKS!
I hate the Dulles Toll Road (VA SR 267). Not that I'm opposed to paying tolls, but the way they have it set up is pretty lame.
When I first arrived at Dulles Airport a couple weeks ago, I got my rental car, and found my way to my hotel in Herndon by luck. The directions I had from my hotel seemed fine enough, but the signage leaving Dulles Airport didn't jive with my directions. I got onto 267 and off at exit 10 (where my hotel is) without having to pay toll.
A few days ago, I drove into DC. On my way back to Herndon, I got onto 267 towards Dulles Airport. I figured this was the correct way to go, since my hotel was only a couple exits away from the airport.
Wrong.
There are two dedicated lanes that go from DC to Dulles Airport (and vice versa) that are partitioned off from the rest of the highway. There's basically no way to exit until you get to the airport. The good news is there's no toll either. I ended up spending an extra 10 minutes driving to the airport, turning around, and going back to my hotel. At least I saved $1.25 in tolls, right?
Wrong again.
I tried to find my way back to my hotel from Dulles Airport. Confusing signage again, no map or directions this time either. So I was going by memory. Knowing my hotel was only two exits away, I stayed in the right lane to avoid being trapped in the dedicated barriered lanes to DC. Next thing you know, I approached a toll booth, just past exit 9B. Two lanes were marked EZ Pass Only, which as an out-of-towner, I don't have. The other two lanes were marked Exact Change Only - 50¢. Unfortunately, I didn't have any coinage. And none of the booths were staffed.
WTF?
I slowly approach the booths, only to see another vehicle pulled over on the shoulder. I decide to join him. As I dig around my pockets for change, I see many vehicles approaching the booths, some stopping a good 50 feet away due to what appears to be confusion. A couple other cars pull up to the booths, stop for a good minute or so, and go right on through the red light, buzzer ringing and all.
I contemplate my options. Can I back up? No, I'm already several hundred yards into the turn off. What if I just go through the EZ Pass lanes? Well, I'll probably get my photo taken, and a ticket in the mail. Same with the Exact Change lanes. I pretty much felt like I had found my way into one of those traps that allow rodents to enter with no way out. The Exact Change lanes seem to be my only option. Maybe I'll just stick a dollar bill in the bucket and see what happens...
So I did. The light never turned green (which I suspected). I looked into the bucket, and there were a couple other dollar bills sitting on top. I went ahead and shoved all of the dollar bills into the neck of the bucket so that no one else could take them. I checked my mirror, and cars were starting to line up behind me, so I went ahead and blew threw the red. A buzzer sounded, and off I went back to my hotel, a single exit away.
After doing some research, I found out that the state of Virginia give out fines in the amount of $25 for failure to pay a toll. How is someone coming flying into Dulles Airport supposed to know to carry exact change before getting on the stupid toll road? It makes absolutely no sense to me that they don't staff at least one Full Service booth. Apparently, during the daytime, they do staff these booths. The evenings are another story all together.
The conspiracy theorist in me believes that by not staffing the booths and requiring exact change, the state of Virginia can hand out more tickets, increasing their revenue. Somehow that would seem illegal, but not surprising. There are enough people out there who would simply bend over and pay the $25 without a fight.
I called the folks at the Virginia Dept of Transportation (VDOT), and told them my story. I bitched about their lame system. I complained that this whole experience felt like entrapment. I let them know that I refused to pay any fines, since I technically paid my toll (a dollar, which is double the normal fine, and a whole dollar more than it would have cost if they had better signage - as I said earlier, there is no toll between Dulles Airport and Exit 10 if you stay in the left lanes bound for DC just long enough).
The guy at the VDOT was nice enough. He was sympathetic to my situation, and he said he'd do what he can to rectify it. So far, there was no record of my rental car license plate in their system, but it could take 72 hours for it to show up. He agreed to follow up on it and let me know sometime during the week.
What a horrible system. And what a hassle to go through. At least I was able to get a real person on the phone at the VDOT very quickly. I was seriously afraid that I'd have no options, except to write a letter.
My suggested improvements to the Dulles Toll Road include:
When I first arrived at Dulles Airport a couple weeks ago, I got my rental car, and found my way to my hotel in Herndon by luck. The directions I had from my hotel seemed fine enough, but the signage leaving Dulles Airport didn't jive with my directions. I got onto 267 and off at exit 10 (where my hotel is) without having to pay toll.
A few days ago, I drove into DC. On my way back to Herndon, I got onto 267 towards Dulles Airport. I figured this was the correct way to go, since my hotel was only a couple exits away from the airport.
Wrong.
There are two dedicated lanes that go from DC to Dulles Airport (and vice versa) that are partitioned off from the rest of the highway. There's basically no way to exit until you get to the airport. The good news is there's no toll either. I ended up spending an extra 10 minutes driving to the airport, turning around, and going back to my hotel. At least I saved $1.25 in tolls, right?
Wrong again.
I tried to find my way back to my hotel from Dulles Airport. Confusing signage again, no map or directions this time either. So I was going by memory. Knowing my hotel was only two exits away, I stayed in the right lane to avoid being trapped in the dedicated barriered lanes to DC. Next thing you know, I approached a toll booth, just past exit 9B. Two lanes were marked EZ Pass Only, which as an out-of-towner, I don't have. The other two lanes were marked Exact Change Only - 50¢. Unfortunately, I didn't have any coinage. And none of the booths were staffed.
WTF?
I slowly approach the booths, only to see another vehicle pulled over on the shoulder. I decide to join him. As I dig around my pockets for change, I see many vehicles approaching the booths, some stopping a good 50 feet away due to what appears to be confusion. A couple other cars pull up to the booths, stop for a good minute or so, and go right on through the red light, buzzer ringing and all.
I contemplate my options. Can I back up? No, I'm already several hundred yards into the turn off. What if I just go through the EZ Pass lanes? Well, I'll probably get my photo taken, and a ticket in the mail. Same with the Exact Change lanes. I pretty much felt like I had found my way into one of those traps that allow rodents to enter with no way out. The Exact Change lanes seem to be my only option. Maybe I'll just stick a dollar bill in the bucket and see what happens...
So I did. The light never turned green (which I suspected). I looked into the bucket, and there were a couple other dollar bills sitting on top. I went ahead and shoved all of the dollar bills into the neck of the bucket so that no one else could take them. I checked my mirror, and cars were starting to line up behind me, so I went ahead and blew threw the red. A buzzer sounded, and off I went back to my hotel, a single exit away.
After doing some research, I found out that the state of Virginia give out fines in the amount of $25 for failure to pay a toll. How is someone coming flying into Dulles Airport supposed to know to carry exact change before getting on the stupid toll road? It makes absolutely no sense to me that they don't staff at least one Full Service booth. Apparently, during the daytime, they do staff these booths. The evenings are another story all together.
The conspiracy theorist in me believes that by not staffing the booths and requiring exact change, the state of Virginia can hand out more tickets, increasing their revenue. Somehow that would seem illegal, but not surprising. There are enough people out there who would simply bend over and pay the $25 without a fight.
I called the folks at the Virginia Dept of Transportation (VDOT), and told them my story. I bitched about their lame system. I complained that this whole experience felt like entrapment. I let them know that I refused to pay any fines, since I technically paid my toll (a dollar, which is double the normal fine, and a whole dollar more than it would have cost if they had better signage - as I said earlier, there is no toll between Dulles Airport and Exit 10 if you stay in the left lanes bound for DC just long enough).
The guy at the VDOT was nice enough. He was sympathetic to my situation, and he said he'd do what he can to rectify it. So far, there was no record of my rental car license plate in their system, but it could take 72 hours for it to show up. He agreed to follow up on it and let me know sometime during the week.
What a horrible system. And what a hassle to go through. At least I was able to get a real person on the phone at the VDOT very quickly. I was seriously afraid that I'd have no options, except to write a letter.
My suggested improvements to the Dulles Toll Road include:
- Staff at least one booth 24/7. If staffing costs too much, raise the toll by a quarter during off-peak hours for those requiring Full Service. This will have the added benefit of encouraging other local drivers to buy into the EZ Pass system, thereby requiring less Full Service staffing during peak hours, and also relieving the toll booth areas of congestion.
- Have a change machine at the Exact Change only booths. Change machines are so sophisticated these days that they can easily accept bills up to $20 and give change in a combination of bills and coins.
- Accept credit card payment. Credit card transactions don't cost what they used to for high volume merchants. Self-pay parking lots in San Francisco and other communities accept credit cards for transactions as small as one dollar (I believe Union Station in Washington DC is no different). If needed, add a 25¢ surcharge for credit card payment. Those too cheap to pay the surcharge will either carry exact change or will get an EZ Pass. Those visiting from out of town will gladly pay an extra quarter than deal with the hassle of contesting a ticket.
I have now been stockpiling my quarters in the coin compartment of my rental car.
Friday, December 7, 2007
What a rough week... Washington DC, Singapore, Vancouver, ...
It's been a roller coaster of a week. As of last week, I was scheduled to come to Washington DC, stay 'til January, then go to Singapore for a year. As you'll see, I convinced myself that this was going to be the best year of my life. The food, the warm (but muggy) weather, the weekend getaways to Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, and the people/culture. Excellent.
I arrived here in DC on Monday evening, only to find out that my plans have changed. Singapore is cancelled. I'll still be going overseas, but the location has not yet been determined. I might be leaving as soon as this coming weekend, a full month before initially planned.
Holy crap.
I've been staying at my hotel, scared to unpack my suitcases for fear of immediate deployment. And the weather here is pretty damn cold. Ahhh, walking around Singapore in shorts and sandals, stopping off for some hawker cuisine for dinner, sitting outside by the waterfront on a warm evening,... these all sound really great right about now. Roti prata, chicken rice, BBQ pork slices, chicken rice, durian (yes, even durian)... Ahhhhh, nice.
But that won't be happening.
Instead, I am to be kept in suspense for a few days. At this point, I am so frustrated that I'm ready to go back home to San Francisco. But I'll wait it out and see what happens.
On Wednesday, I'm told that some possible places I can go to in lieu of Singapore are Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, Sri Lanka, India, Oman, and Vancouver. Well, I'm only interested in going to Hong Kong, Shanghai, Taiwan, or Vancouver, in that order. Any of these would be fine. Anywhere else, don't bother asking me again.
Shanghai and Taiwan would have been the most adventurous. Vancouver would be the easiest. And not unlike Singapore, Hong Kong would be the ideal balance between those extremes. It's where East meets West, where cultures are exotic enough to keep things interesting, yet Western enough to provide enough comforts from home. Of course, I didn't end up with Hong Kong. Or Shanghai. Or Taiwan. I ended up with Vancouver.
Cold, wet, and dark during the winters, at least compared to Singapore. Not a bad town, but not terribly exciting either. Especially for a West Coast American like myself. In fact, it sounds flat out boring right now. Why did I volunteer myself for Vancouver? What the hell was I thinking? At least it'll be comfortable. Easy. Close to home. And unfortunately, it's gotten more expensive with the weakening of the US dollar.
I can find a pretty tasty meal in Singapore for around $5 USD. Cross over to Johor Bahru and that price gets cut in half. Okay, I need to get over it. I'm not going to Singapore...
At least the food in Vancouver will be decent, I hope. The Chinese food will be better than San Francisco, which is saying a damn lot. There's all kinds of Asian, European, and fusion cuisines, which should round out my dietary requirements nicely. Last I remember, it seemed to be a youthful, hip town. And at least it's close to some great skiing. And there's lots of outdoors stuff to do in the summer as well. Which means I'll have to go home sometime after arriving in Vancouver to pick up my skiing, fishing, and camping gear. So much for the tropical beaches of eastern Malaysia. Whistler it is. Whistler it'll have to be.
Sigh.
I shouldn't complain. I should be happy to have this opportunity. My big regret is that I didn't go anywhere new this year for vacation. I was planning on exploring bits of Indonesia and Malaysia while in Singapore. At least there's lots around Vancouver that I haven't seen before. Sadly, it'll be nowhere near as exotic or adventurous as Southeast Asia.
They waited until today to tell me about Vancouver. I had a week's worth of some serious suspense and anxiety. And I'm all the more neurotic because of it. I'm just happy it's Friday. And I'm happy that I don't have to leave for another month. Despite not being terribly excited about the DC metro area, especially during the winter season, I'm pleased that I'll be able to stay put. I have a nice, large suite at my hotel, and I plan to spend a lot of time in it relaxing and winding down. Time to finally unpack.
I really have to convince myself that Vancouver will be a great experience, or I may end up insane.
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