Warning! Nearly Half of Millenials Can't Identify This Dashboard Warning Symbol!

Safety
61

You think that because of advancements in technology people still don’t do those things? I’m very tech savvy, and we sew our own buttons and cook our own meals and write things down (although there are very nice reminder apps that can be shared among family). You should try embracing technology sometime. Tech can enhance your life. I didn’t have GPS when my oldest started playing Soccer. Some of those soccer fields are damn near impossible to find without GPS. You can’t look at a map and memorize the 20+ left and right turns needed to navigate to the field. Trying to get to one of those fields to watch my daughter play was sometimes a nightmare. I had to stop 2-3 times to look at the map. And in MA and NH at that time you better have an up to date map because of the constant construction going on.

Texting is probably my one big complaint about over use of a technology. But you can easily turn off any alert messages when driving. Hands free talking is good. Hands free voice navigation is great.

Has that ever happened…maybe. But it’s extremely rare. Less then .000000000001% of all the safe navigation events that ever happened. And I’ve seen that happen with someone using a map. With GPS from my phone I was notified about a bridge being closed for removal the day it happened. Your paper map is probably 5+ years old, and the next map that will show the bridge out won’t be printed for at least another year.

62

@common_sense_answer. At 77, I am a product of the “good old days”. I serviced my own radios, high fidelity system, and television set. In fact, I went to college with my my only electronic device a clock radio. I didn’t have a record player. I purchased a record changer for $25 and reasoned that every radio had an amplifier section and a speaker, so I figured out how to install a jack and switch to be able to play records through the radio. Later, when I had a little money, I purchased a used Eico amplifier and preamp both for $25, bought a $25 12" speaker, spent $3 for a sheet of celotex and built a speaker enclosure. I then had a good sounding high fidelity system. I bought my first television for $25. It was a little Philco 14" screen portable. The sound would cut in and out and the original owner had it in the shop a couple of times and the shop couldn’t find the problem. I opened it up and found a cold solder joint on the volume control. Two minutes with my soldering iron and it was fixed. I used my television and high fidelity set for years. Please understand that in the early 1960s, the $100 I spent on my high fidelity system and television set was a lot of money–probably equivalent to $700-800 today. I replaced spark plugs and ignition points in my car and set the timing by ear. I was able to replace the water pump and fuel pump and do other maintenance.
Today I feel as though I have lost control. On the 2011 Toyota Sienna minivan used to own, the engine had to be raised to replace the water pump at a cost of $975. I was in Walmart a couple of days ago. There were new 32" flat screen television sets on sale for $99. The 1960 equivalent is probably less than $15. If the $99 television quits working after the warranty expires, it is tossed on the scrap heap.
I was more self reliant in the “good old days”. I bought a bottom of the line 1965 Rambler Classic 550 with 7000 miles on the odometer in 1965. I ran that car 8 years and over 100,000 miles until the rust finally was doing it in. I fixed s lot of rust places with a fiber glass kit, bondo, and and spray paint in an aerosol can. I couldn’t do this kind of body repair today with the clear coat finish and have it look right. I could make the body repair on the 1965 Rambler look reasonably acceptable. Yes, I was more self reliant in the “good old days”. Do I want to go back to those days?
NO!!!

63

Heh heh heh. Yeah it was. Tuition at a private college was $425 a semester and if you paid an extra hundred dollars in a deposit, you could freeze the rate for four years. I think it was up to $575 when I left. Three of us that roomed together went in on a used $25 TV too. I don’t remember what it was but got handed down to the last man standing for the $8 share.

Way before that in I think it was about 1962, the Ward’s store advertised a used TV for $5 for Washington’s Birthday sale. I wanted it but I was in school but dad was working nights so he had the morning off and was elected. Yeah he was there and he said you never saw such a line of people waiting to rush the door when they opened. He claimed it was a near death experience but he got the TV. I still feel guilty about putting him through that for an old TV, but hey was was the only kid in the neighborhood with a TV in his room.

I think it was karma though because I was sent to the grand opening of the Mall of America in Bloomington to get a basketball backboard that was on sale. Same thing like the multitudes of hungry people after the last few scraps of food. Turned out to be no good deal at all but at least I was there paying my penance.

64

Although I’m just a young pup, 70, I did all those things (including soldering bad joints in an RCA TV a guy wanted $50 for), too, and still do.

Although I can easily afford any problems that arise, I just can’t help not paying somebody for something I can do for myself. It keeps me going. I thrive on it. Keeping my brain active makes it a little better.

Yesterday, I was on a bike ride and got a flat rear tire east of Sarasota, early in the morning (hit a very bad R/R crossing and pinched a tube) about 8 miles out. I considered calling AAA as they now cover bicycles, but couldn’t bring myself to feel that helpless/reliant.

I considered an S-CAT bus with bike carrier on front. I was at a stop and as the bus approached I asked a lady about the bus service. Holding my emergency $20 bill, the lady looked at it and said, “You know they won’t give change?”. That was out. I continued to walk the bike.

Almost called my wife to rescue me, but she’d miss Water Aerobics, ha, ha. Don’t want my problem to become hers. That was out.

I tried googling bike shops, but I hate using my phone for that… one bike shop didn’t open until noon, etcetera! I didn’t have a Sarasota county map with me and walked the bike west back into Sarasota. I asked passersby if they knew of any bike shops. They fell into 2 categories, most were tourists and couldn’t help and others gave me wrong info causing me to walk further. That was out.

Back to googling… I remembered crossing Osprey Blvd where 2 bike shops were to my south. I literally walked a few more miles and went to Village Bikes & Coffee Bar.

Tyler was very helpful and sold me the exact tube for an almost reasonable $8. When I inquired I was told it was an addition $10 for installation. TEN DOLLARS! Couldn’t do it.

Tyler let me borrow a pump and I sat outside on a bench and had the new tube installed, inflated, and mounted on the bike in under 5 minutes without any tools! TEN BUCKS! 5 minutes!

I’m retired, the day was sunny, warm, and beautiful! I had nowhere to be and looked at the whole situation as an adventure and what I call “an exercise opportunity.” The only thing on my daily schedule was to go with my wifeand meet her sister and BIL at a beach on Anna Maria Island at 2:00. I called my wife because I was supposed to return home and go with her. I told her to bring me a swim suit, beer, and lots of food with protein and go to the beach, alone! I’d be there.

Besides the walking, I logged a bike ride of 33.04 (Garmin Edge GPS) miles (half riding on keys and islands) in paradise. It was a wonderful day. That’s just how I am, I guess.
CSA
:palm_tree::sunglasses::palm_tree: