# How far we have come **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussion\ **Created:** [July 17, 2025, 1:34pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056 "2025-07-17T13:34:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![bloody\_knuckles](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@bloody\_knuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bloody_knuckles)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 3:17am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/21 "2025-07-19T03:17:10Z")
You can’t plan a crash. ---
**Author:** ![Purebred](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/purebred/32/46796_2.png) [@Purebred](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Purebred)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 11:28am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/22 "2025-07-19T11:28:35Z")
Yes you can😀 ![IMG_2961](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/e/d/edee651a33b6a02ad4e840a2848187b46471269a.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 12:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/23 "2025-07-19T12:57:59Z")
> [@bing](#): > > many people have come to depend on them This ^ Back when brakes couldn’t send you through the windshield and steering was a lagging request, I saw a lot less people willing to weave through traffic with little to no room for error, tailgating within inches or pulling out right in front of oncoming traffic etc. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 1:57pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/24 "2025-07-19T13:57:09Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > Back when brakes couldn’t send you through the windshield I’ve always been a fan of luxobarges (New Yorker, Ninety Eight, Coupe DeVille) from the 60’s and early 70’s. You want an invigorating driving experience? Try standing on the brake pedal with 2 feet so hard that your butt is off the seat and wondering “Why isn’t this car slowing down?” ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 2:36pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/25 "2025-07-19T14:36:26Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > Try standing on the brake pedal with 2 feet so hard that your butt is off the seat and wondering “Why isn’t this car slowing down?” Yup! Back in “The Good Old Days”, a co-worker thought that she would give me a treat by allowing me to drive her nearly-new Lincoln Mark V when we went to lunch. I had gotten used to the fantastic 4-wheel disc brakes on my Volvo, so I was shocked by just how crappy the brakes on that Lincoln really were. The Volvo wasn’t in the league of sports cars when it came to handling, but its brakes were incredibly effective. Having to adjust to her luxo-barge–which handled like a tugboat and whose brakes gave a mere _suggestion_ of slowing the car–was a revelation. And, every time after that, I politely refused when she offered to let me drive her Lincoln. ---
**Author:** ![davesmopar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/davesmopar/32/41750_2.png) [@davesmopar](https://community.cartalk.com/u/davesmopar)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 4:02pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/26 "2025-07-19T16:02:10Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > Try standing on the brake pedal with 2 feet so hard that your butt is off the seat and wondering “Why isn’t this car slowing down?” No no no NOOOOO!!! Drum brakes for those vehicles were far superior to todays Disc brakes, your mind MUST be clouded by the _Good Ole Day_s… 🤦‍♂️ Nothing like hitting the brakes and you felt like you sped up… 🤣 ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 4:18pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/27 "2025-07-19T16:18:42Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Nothing like hitting the brakes and you felt like you sped up … or driving through a big puddle and suddenly finding-out that your crappy drum brakes are now even crappier… until they dry out. I did become fairly adept at lightly applying the brake with my left foot while I drove, in order to dry-out wet brake shoes, but even with that routine, the brakes were pretty bad until they fully dried-out. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/28 "2025-07-19T16:35:31Z")
Not just the big cars but the little cars too. Yeah I stood on the brakes of my vw but still went up over the curb. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 6:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/29 "2025-07-19T18:07:14Z")
> [@Old-Days-Rick](#): > > Im just trying to point out that insurance costs are thru the roof because damage in small fender benders has reached a new peak cost. Insurance costs are through the roof because insurance companies are making record breaking profits. ---
**Author:** ![VDCdriver](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/vdcdriver/32/48514_2.png) [@VDCdriver](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VDCdriver)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 6:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/30 "2025-07-19T18:14:53Z")
> [@MikeInNH](#): > > Insurance costs are through the roof because insurance companies are making record breaking profits. … and because medical/hospitalization costs are sky-high. ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 6:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/31 "2025-07-19T18:24:38Z")
> [@davesmopar](#): > > Nothing like hitting the brakes and you felt like you sped up… Followed by cranking the steering wheel all the way and wondering why is the car still pointed straight ahead. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 6:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/32 "2025-07-19T18:38:40Z")
Well I have State Farm and from what I see the premiums have not gone up much and the profits don’t seem too unreasonable. Your results may vary as they say, depending where you live. It is a mutual company though so shared results. I have noticed they are building a reserve fund. It would not be unusual to have a town or two leveled during the season. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 7:09pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/33 "2025-07-19T19:09:52Z")
> [@bing](#): > > Well I have State Farm and from what I see the premiums have not gone up much and the profits don’t seem too unreasonable. As the saying goes - “Location, Location, Location”. It really depends on where you live and what if any auto insurance regulations are there. My State farm insurance hasn’t gone up much either, but I know people in FL who’s insurance has increased a lot. [8 States Where Car Insurance Rates Are Rising Fastest | Kiplinger](https://www.kiplinger.com/personal-finance/insurance/car-insurance-rates-keep-rising) ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 19, 2025, 11:40pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/34 "2025-07-19T23:40:58Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > You want an invigorating driving experience? I lived it back then. I still have some what are now vintage cars. But I upgraded them all to front disc. Back then you had to plan for braking 😄 ---
**Author:** ![asemaster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@asemaster](https://community.cartalk.com/u/asemaster)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 6:26am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/35 "2025-07-20T06:26:38Z")
> [@TwinTurbo](#): > > Back then you had to plan for braking And so did everyone else. It was a level playing field. But a few decades later things changed. As a stupid young man (with a group of friends equally stupid), I was tailgating my buddy in his CRX while I was in my Ninety Eight with several passengers. One remarked that the CRX could stop a hell of a lot faster than I could. I replied “Yeah, but we won’t feel a thing running over him.” My braking may have been worse, but on a straight boulevard 0-60, my 69 Olds beat the 85 CRX quite handily. 😀 ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 12:54pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/36 "2025-07-20T12:54:21Z")
> [@asemaster](#): > > And so did everyone else. It was a level playing field. Going back to the original topic, that is why I pointed it out. People were less likely to play stupid games and win stupid prizes back then because the cars were far less capable than they are today… ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 4:42pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/37 "2025-07-20T16:42:15Z")
I’m certainly not against all the new safety devices but looking back, I can’t recall exactly when, but at some point it was like a switch was pulled, and everyone was huddled and afraid of their shadows. We must never be at risk. It maybe had something to do with the female takeover and emasculating of males. I dunno. I know I’ve read sociological studies on the whole thing but just haven’t thought about it much. We had pretty much open buildings not restricted to the public. Of course wehad a theft problem. Guys could come in and within a couple minutes steal purses and be out the door. Instructing people to lock their purses in their desks didn’t help. Finally I had to lock all the doors with key card access only for people to feel safe. Like I said, I read one draft proposal with the final goal of eliminating all injuries in Minnesota. And they were serious. The bubble people. So I just react to the total fixation on safety at all costs forgetting that life is not safe, and living requires some risk. We are engineered as self healing folkz. At his funeral, I thank Pete for helping me off the ice when it broke under me. He took a risk. I remember missing the helicopter crash by a few days, the hunting mishap, the accidents avoided, and those not avoided. Safety features are important but we shouldn’t lose sight of the importance of living. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/38 "2025-07-20T17:15:02Z")
> [@bing](#): > > It maybe had something to do with the female takeover and emasculating of males. I dunno. Maybe you were. I know many men who have a hard time dealing with women in the workforce doing the same job at the same pay as they do. > [@bing](#): > > I’m certainly not against all the new safety devices but looking back, I can’t recall exactly when, but at some point it was like a switch was pulled, and everyone was huddled and afraid of their shadows. It wasn’t all of a sudden. It had been building for DECADES and people decided that enough is enough. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 5:32pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/39 "2025-07-20T17:32:40Z")
> [@bing](#): > > It maybe had something to do with the female takeover and emasculating of males. I dunno. Funniest thing I’ve read in a long time, thanks. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2025, 5:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056/40 "2025-07-20T17:35:58Z")
Don’t read more into it. I have a problem working for male or female making more, doing less, and knowing less than I did, and making stupid decisions. After the place becoming about 75% female I remember the boss telling a director before a hire, “can’t you find a qualified male?” She couldn’t. Being white, male, and 50 was dangerous. In fairness though being black, male, and 50 was equally dangerous. Before he left a black friend told me they almost destroyed his marriage over what they put him through. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056.md?page=1) [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/how-far-we-have-come/201056.md?page=3)