Do you hate cars?

[GreatSpirit]

I do. I find them to be a source of great stress, not to mention eating up your cash via gas, general maintenance, insurance....and last but not least...the dreaded repairs. If you're good working w/cars, then congrats, as you really have a big advantage in which you are more likely to do your own repairs, hence you will save much more money.

Anyway, I did get my car fixed finally (2008 Suzuki Forenza). Due to it overheating last year, the mechanics failed to realize that it needed a new intake manifold gasket. It was always misfiring on a cold start which always baffled me since the spark plugs were ok, wires and ignition coil were fine. The engine coolant was always going but the hoses were fine and the oil didn't look milky. But thank God for Youtube and by some miracle I came across a video which explained the
symptoms to the T. I then bought the $9 gasket.....and it was fixed. I also had a coolant flush done and purchased a new fuel rail w/injectors.

I was so happy that it wasn't acting up again.....until the other day the check engine light came on. I'm like you SOB!!!!! So I have a code reader and it came up P0455 EVAP purge valve gross leak. I'm like you gotta be kidding me!! More money and more stress now. I'm hoping this is just due to the gas cap and when I filled up the gas tank before the code came up, I guess I may have put a little too much in because the crappy gas station can't invest in modern pumps.

Cars just seem to be one problem after another, no matter how new or who makes them.

[Patrick]

Interestingly, driving is what is providing me with the most difficult catalysts not to react negatively to.

I can't wait for self driving cars.

[ada]

Is there a reason I should love them?

[sjel]

yes. i feel low down in my soul when i see a busy boulevard, and a musty, gross feeling in the air. and the cars never stop coming do they.

[Jade]

I've been working on driving catalyst pretty strongly for the past year and a half now (living 10 miles outside of the city makes each drive quite extended!!) I've been able to work on it a lot. I dislike driving strongly, and was even in an accident a month and a half ago that totaled my car (extremely low speed), which is frustrating because they found me at fault so my liability policy didn't cover it. We just purchased a new car, on the cheap, and took a gamble - so car catalyst will continue to be interesting in this house for a while. We bought a '97 Subaru Legacy with 380,000 (!) miles on it - it has been towed behind an RV for much of its life. My husband named it The Professor so I guess I'd better cultivate some affection for it. The test will be if it can get us camping and back next weekend - I'll update this thread then with whether or not I hate cars. Until then, jury is still out.

[AnthroHeart]

Isn't Subaru an Australian company?

[WanderingOZ]

Isn't Subaru an Australian company?

Yep, it's a cousin of the kangaroo. lol

WanderingOZ

[APeacefulWarrior]

Well, I really enjoy the act of driving itself, but I dislike just about everything else involving car ownership. Especially the extent to which a car needs nearly as much care (and feeding) as a pet or baby. I'm leery of any piece of equipment which requires that much emotional investment.

[Bourbon Betty]

A speeding construction car went long on a hill turn a few whiles ago, it missed the turn and rolled down a slope hitting a dog park, 2 pedestrians were in the way one of which jumped out of the way into the bushes the other one I never heard from again, it stopped rolling down the hill some 200-300 meters away, at the yard of a kindergarten/church/pre-school. The damages are probably in the several dozen million range and include a minimum of 2 hospitalizations and from what I've heard, 10 would not be pushing it by much, the locals took it upon themselves to rent construction cars and park them on the sides of every minor and major road in the area, one of the locals destroyed a bulldozer at a nearby construction site and ended up on the national news.

Can you ask me this after the people distribute the news that we've banned car traffic in cities and trunk roads.

[native]

Interestingly, driving is what is providing me with the most difficult catalysts not to react negatively to.

It's tough! Driving honestly is one of our greatest teachers or thermometers to measure and exercise our understanding, or way of perceiving things.

At first I was totally against self-driving cars..it felt like an aspect of control. But I love public transportation and it only makes total sense to me now. Imagine going on a long trip and just being able to sleep or read the entire way? Ideally though I think it makes sense to have less cars on the road and more of a mass network of trains, trolleys, or buses. Or instead of getting in a big car to go from point A to B, just jump on a fun scooter. Unless the weather's bad or you're hauling something, cars are really pointless.

[Patrick]

http://www.dw.com/en/self-driving-cars-m...a-19206523

...
self-driving cars could lead to a steep decline in fossil fuels - and in personal car ownership. Smart electric vehicles will pick you up, drop you off, and mostly look after themselves
...
"It might be a battery-powered closed-shell tricycle, with separately banking wheels for optimal stability," said Templeton. "You're not going to own it. You probably don't own a car – you buy passenger-miles, not cars or motorbikes, and you call up whatever sort of vehicle you need at a given time."
...

 
 

[YinYang]

The test will be if it can get us camping and back next weekend

Hey it looks like you can definitely go camping with the Subaru Legacy! Lol!



My dream car is a Jeep Wrangler, and that has stayed unchanged since my teens. They are just VERY expensive here!

[native]

http://www.dw.com/en/self-driving-cars-m...a-19206523

Never thought of it like that..it's a good idea.

By the way my first comment wasn't directed towards you or your understanding..it was a general statement

[outerheaven]

I love cars and motorcycles, and knowing how to do your own repairs is an awesome feeling of empowerment -- and will save you a ton of money very quickly. Half the job is having the right tools, so start collecting . Once you've found your way under the hood of one car, you've basically seen them all.

But I'm not a big fan of driving, actually; at least not on town/city streets, because other people's driving scares the crap out of me. But it's rare that I get mad behind the wheel. When I drive, I operate under the assumption that every other driver out there is paying 0 attention, does not see me, and in fact is on a mission to kill me -- so react accordingly! (Just kidding. Sort of.)

But this is a useful mindset for riding a motorcycle. Too many times I've seen cars blow through a stop, or merge without even seeing me on my bike -- and the sight is always accompanied by a sickening feeling that if I wasn't a defensive rider, I would've been nailed. I sold my last motorcycle in '09 because that feeling started to overshadow my enjoyment. I guess I'm just not 'crazy' enough to ride anymore. My girlfriend misses it though.

I also love riding bicycles. Despite my packed garage, bicycles were actually my primary mode of transportation for three years. But a series of bike-related 'catalyst,' and then moving to NYC where hellnoIwillnotride, shook my confidence. It's mostly a leisure activity for me now. Also, see above RE: distracted drivers, those wonderful zombies who can't stop staring at their cell phones.

... Cell phones, though, those I hate.

[Jade]

I must say though, driving is such excellent catalyst. I do feel we are moving into the self driving era but it'll be a few more steps. We're really close though. I think a lot about how when we are driving, most of us are operating unconsciously anyway - our minds are wandering, our lizard brain is controlling the steering wheel. This is really fascinated at extremely high speeds, how we all keep to our space and no one (hardly) loses control. A busy highway is similar to a school of fish or a flock of birds - the group is traveling cohesively and reacting to the slightest movements of the other, in the moment. I think we take this for granted.

The road also involves dealing with patience, sharing, and competition - and certainly also towards the forefront, LIFE AND DEATH. People DO die from car accidents every day - and when someone cuts you off, your anger is actually frustration with them jeopardizing your safety in such a way. Immediate ping to the red ray. I find all this catalyst extremely useful for balancing.

[Minyatur]

Well, I really enjoy the act of driving itself, but I dislike just about everything else involving car ownership.  Especially the extent to which a car needs nearly as much care (and feeding) as a pet or baby.  I'm leery of any piece of equipment which requires that much emotional investment.

I own a 1999 toyota camry and this car required just so little personal investment over the years it is quite amazing. I'd really have a hard time on a car that needs lots of time put upon, so I feel really in harmony with mine and appreciate the ever realibility.

Driving is a great thing and driving high (which is most of what I do) is an even greater thing.

[Patrick]

http://llresearch.org/transcripts/issues...draft.aspx

...What is faith? Can you catch it from another? Can you learn it as at school? We might suggest that it is by far the quicker entry into a faithful life to begin accepting what is precisely at that moment. If you at that moment when you decide to commit the self to faithful living are in the midst of traffic, then your first act of faith is to experience the beauty of all that is seen in the hustling, bustling street. By faith you suddenly experience sitting more lightly in your car, touching with love and reverence the steering wheel, the gears. It simply needs to be deeply accepted by the self. Then comes the long, long pilgrimage of deepening that faith of living, ever aware that faith, not words or manifestations, offer the truer suggestions and solutions to the very complex and often troublesome living environment of the incarnation. Only when the pilgrim is solidly and firmly devoted to a life in faith so that the open heart’s energies flow and flow and flow without stop or hindrance is it time to consider wisdom...

A car analogy from Q'uo.

This whole session is extremely good, by the way, for those wishing to read it in full...

[BlatzAdict]

15 hour 1 way drive to Kentucky from Austin Texas. I am not looking forward to the drive, and at the same time I'm more excited to do it each passing day, intense excitement that cannot be contained.. AAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH


On one hand I dislike cars, and think we should have flying cars, but to be in the now where there is no such access to any such thing, I appreciate the freedom that it affords, then again I wonder if people in the US have it spoiled since everything in Europe is under all these different countries.

[Syro]

Cars scare me. The only kind of cars I like is the band "The Cars" hehe.

[Ashim]

Here in my car, I feel safest of all...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faraday_cage

[isis]

i love them, they can be so beautiful.

[ada]

I'd love to hear Earth's opinion 'bout dis.

[Dekalb_Blues]

For best results, it's important to have a car that matches the mystic vibrations of your particular incarnational background. This one, for instance, would be perfect for those of us who were involved in esoteric pursuits in ancient Egypt:


 
Vintage one-horsepower model (racing stripes and leopard mascot are extra-priced custom options):




 The actual point, au fond, of the (suitably price-pointed) automobile? No comment.

Here's the car I had in high school, a drop-top '66 Ford Galaxie 500 XL, a hell of a boat with a 240 hp 352 mill in it (not a toy motor by any means, but conservative for the time -- you could opt for a big-block 428 with 360 horse, pretty damn serious). And a bangin' 8-track. Spacious enough interior to dance in. Trust me, the previous video has a lot of truth to it, as I first found out with this particular vehicle.



My second car was an '80 Peugeot 505 turbodiesel sedan. Like riding on a motorized cloud (comme monter sur un nuage motorisé https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt_M36YgfxM). The seats in this thing were more comfortable than any in my house -- I used to go and sit in it just to read and listen to the wonderful sound system. Of course, these early Peugeots had the minor drawback of randomly powering-up their glow plugs (red-hot electric igniters for the diesel fuel, usually energized only briefly when starting the car) when parked with the engine off, and burning themselves up. But it was still a nice car.

Having caught the luxury bug, things escalated rapidly after that...





 




  
"So I'm puttin' me a bar in the back of my car and drivin' myself to drink..." -- Marvin Rainwater, "So You Think You've Got Troubles" (1957) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAVvacwJZjU

[Manjushri]

A busy commute four times a week to and from a big city for many years now has taught me that yes... I hate cars. I hate our "modern" transportation system. I hate just about everything about it.

But as others have mentioned above, the opportunity for catalyst and energy balancing is more intense than any other experience I can think of on this planet at this time.

The moment a "road rage" feeling occurs it always starts in the tummy and will immediately try to move to the heart. Learn to stop it from entering the heart. Or probably more correct - learn to diffuse it before it enters the heart as a jolt of hate. This results in great control in all aspects of life - not just driving.

[Minyatur]

Not sure driving ever is much of a catalyst for me so much, especially in regard to emotions because the feeling ever is plain nice.

The last year I've been driving a lot less because I can take public transportation to go to my workplace (1 hour 30 mins going) and so yesterday I went driving for a few hours in directions and places I never went to just to see my car's milleage turn into 400000 kms. Had a lot of fun driving, good music, saw the sun go near all the way down and also a golden moon rise, stars and saturn, fields and forests in different intensity of light, etc.

Was definitrly a fun ride and sometime "soon" I'll probably get to see 444444 kms of milleage which also is fun.

[native]

Not sure driving ever is much of a catalyst for me so much, especially in regard to emotions because the feeling ever is plain nice.

Dare I say it's probably the weed, dude!

[Minyatur]

Not sure driving ever is much of a catalyst for me so much, especially in regard to emotions because the feeling ever is plain nice.

Dare I say it's probably the weed, dude!

I drove a long time before doing that and never had anxiety or anything so much, especially not rage against other drivers which is common.

It sure does make road blockages a lot more fun, they can last and you won't mind.

[native]

I'm messing with you. It is a lot of fun.

[Dekalb_Blues]

I'm messing with you. It is a lot of fun.

Ah, the halcyon days of carefree motorized youth on the mindless move, just cruising and playing the radio, with no particular place to go. Often somewhat neurochemically-augmented for improved situational awareness. 



How far ya goin', man?



Just your average clean-cut kids having some good clean fun along the highways and byways...


 (Precursors of the feral sociopaths Beevis and friend.

Sometimes -- what with one thing and another -- interesting situations would arise somewhere along the road and a little creative thinking would be called for in regards to establishing a certain rapport with our esteemed boys in blue, out there risking life and limb to Serve Us Better...

 



 
I don't suppose anyone here is old enough to have had their innocent child-mind irreparably warped in the early '60's by Daddy Roth's motor-head-maniac-rodent creation...

  Theme song.

 An icon of American rowdy-motorhead culture.

  The quintessential public-relations formula dealing with the felt-sense of the adherents of the modern cyborg-cult of the internal-combustion-powered-machine/man symbiotism (naturally and fittingly portrayed by a maniacal man-sized purple rodent astride a flame-emitting chopped Harley).

 Still relevant!! Obviously trumps The Donald and can raise more and better hell than Hellary!


Happy motoring. Cheers.