Who are these "Americans" that you are labeling? The honest working tax paying class, The tax and benefit robbers, The "I will go to America and sent back benefits to my home country without putting into system". Be alittle more specific in your bitchin. If you are stating that "Americans" ,as in all - Go Fuck Yourself!
Quote from: lawson on December 09, 2010, 01:09:06 AM
Who are these "Americans" that you are labeling? The honest working tax paying class, The tax and benefit robbers, The "I will go to America and sent back benefits to my home country without putting into system". Be alittle more specific in your bitchin. If you are stating that "Americans" ,as in all - Go Fuck Yourself!
Wow. That's a bit harsh. Which post did you find offensive?
"Wow. That's a bit harsh. Which post did you find offensive? "
My thoughts as well...
:unknown: I don't get it?
(popcorn)
Quote from: Lotsokids on November 16, 2010, 08:33:08 AM
Another little story for you.
My wife and I were driving home at about 10:00 last Saturday night and as we were leaving a small village, we notice a very old lady trying to flag someone down. I pulled over (the 2 cars in front of me kept driving), and she was crying and very hysterical. The funny part is that the only people she got the attention of was the Americans - so unfortunately she couldn't tell us what was wrong. I had a feeling that her house was broken into, and I was correct. I called the police (Rendorseg), and they arrived within a few minutes. As we waited for the police, we went inside her house. She was a widow living alone. she literally owned only a cook stove, 2 chairs, a very small woodstove for heat, and a couch she slept on. We learned that some punk broke into her house while she was home, grabbed her arms and roughed her up a little, and stole her phone. One of the only things of value she owned. Made me want to track him down and teach him a lesson. Maybe I'll buy her a tazer... The whole situation makes me angry. :mad:
I think that this may be the part that lawson found offensive. I'm thinking that he hasn't read any of Lotsokids' posts to realize that HE IS AN AMERICAN who lives and works in Hungary, and that he and his wife were the Americans he was referring to in this post. Regardless, that seems to be a pretty disproportionate response to the context of his story.
While I personally live in a fairly large Mid-Western city filled with a diverse ethnic population that are currently sucking off of a system specifically engineered to support them, I still think that this is a pretty severe response to those who refuse to learn English and help to contribute. Personally, I'd like to send the lot of them packing, but since that isn't going to happen, I've learned to cope.
Lawson, perhaps you should take a deep breath and consider what you say before you say it. Like the yellow journalists in the USA, you need to investigate things which were said or done before commenting. I've certainly enjoyed lotsokids' posts about being an American living in Europe, and the strange differences between cultures. Calm down; you'll live longer.
must confess its been a good read,never been out of australia meself, still got 2 states and a territory to see before i go anywhere, but i have enjoyed the read and the journey. i do like the trabant to. up there with the messerschmitt and the bmw isetta. didnt know the fuel tank was above the engine. there was a cult following i beleive but i think it um ... faded away? the old guy at the crossing.... thats gold... what an awesome job! and i liked the kawasaki service centre. :yes:
Quote from: mikeholzer on December 09, 2010, 08:51:47 AM
I think that this may be the part that lawson found offensive. I'm thinking that he hasn't read any of Lotsokids' posts to realize that HE IS AN AMERICAN who lives and works in Hungary, and that he and his wife were the Americans he was referring to in this post. Regardless, that seems to be a pretty disproportionate response to the context of his story.
Lawson, perhaps you should take a deep breath and consider what you say before you say it. Like the yellow journalists in the USA, you need to investigate things which were said or done before commenting. I've certainly enjoyed lotsokids' posts about being an American living in Europe, and the strange differences between cultures. Calm down; you'll live longer.
Yes, thank you. His comment seemed mis-guided and out of nowhere.
Wow.. Put down the bong before posting..
I quite enjoy his posts and the ability to see into his world a little bit. Refreshing to read about such things.
Quote from: pdxfj on December 09, 2010, 11:00:01 AM
Wow.. Put down the bong before posting..
I quite enjoy his posts and the ability to see into his world a little bit. Refreshing to read about such things.
I agree with Garth .
Quote from: lawson on December 09, 2010, 01:09:06 AM
Who are these "Americans" that you are labeling? The honest working tax paying class, The tax and benefit robbers, The "I will go to America and sent back benefits to my home country without putting into system"...
BTW - Let's talk about "putting into the system." I retired in 2009 with 22 years active duty in the United States Air Force. I've endured family separation and deployments to "not-so-nice" areas. I signed my name and swore an oath to defend the U.S. with my life if necessary.
I thought it would add to the topic to give you my background. :hi:
With all that said, my intention is not to "bash" the Hungarians either. I understand that I am a guest here.
I still don't get it? It sounded like he was saying the only people to stop and help this old lady were Americans.
I must have been smoking the bong too, cause I can't seem to make the connection here. :pardon:
I do want to add (as if I don't add enough) that I too have enjoyed the thread, learned quite a bit about a country I will never see.
The 2-stroke car was cool. Never see them here, and never would have if it weren't for Lotsokids.
I also think it is pretty safe to say that Lotsokids is more American than most of us living in America.
Thanks for your service :drinks:
My comment wasn't about the topic in tread - Very informative and level of interest. What i was reflecting on is this casual off the tip on my tougue judgement that "The Ugly Americans" are labeled. Thorghout this tread , persons don't enjoy living in this country , Americans have a sense of entitlement , Arrogance describes any American driving on US highways and we are all "Prude" in our thoughts. Why should my reply get a "Wow" but not notice the generality label of Americans. Maybe saying that while driving in American behind this TYPE of person be aware that they are arrogent - Not Americans are arrogent. We all don't share these charactoristics. Why do we notice the "entitlement" behavior of the Americans - but turn our head when illegals claim they have rights? They are not describing me only - but you too.
Quote from: lawson on December 10, 2010, 02:08:07 AM
My comment wasn't about the topic in tread - Very informative and level of interest. What i was reflecting on is this casual off the tip on my tougue judgement that "The Ugly Americans" are labeled. Thorghout this tread , persons don't enjoy living in this country , Americans have a sense of entitlement , Arrogance describes any American driving on US highways and we are all "Prude" in our thoughts. Why should my reply get a "Wow" but not notice the generality label of Americans. Maybe saying that while driving in American behind this TYPE of person be aware that they are arrogent - Not Americans are arrogent. We all don't share these charactoristics. Why do we notice the "entitlement" behavior of the Americans - but turn our head when illegals claim they have rights? They are not describing me only - but you too.
I suppose I can see the last part of your point. However, if you really read through these posts carefully, you'll see that Lotsokids (forgive me, but I don't recall your name, so I will use your username) simply points out the differences he sees in Europe compared to The US. Many of the rest of us comment on similar experiences, whether on the the road, at the store, or in our homes. I myself commented on the "entitled" behavior of, as you put it, Ugly Americans. I stand behind that, too. America has become too litigious in my opinion. Everybody is entitled to be first in line, and when I don't get my way or something happens to me, then I'll sue. Only yesterday I read a story of a woman in Florida who was grated permission by a panel of "Liberal Judges" (words from the article; not my own) to sue the owners of a small roadhouse because the door on their toilet paper dispenser popped open and injured her hand. This is out of control.
Lastly, Mr. lawson, for somebody who is clearly so proud of being an American you have amazingly bad spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage skills. Is English your primary language? My boss is from Mexico City, nearly 40 years old, and has lived in the USA for 15 years. His grasp of the English language may be better than my own, and certainly better than yours. He just last week passed his American Citizenship Test and now holds dual citizenship in The US and Mexico. Take note: HE IS AN AMERICAN TOO.
Quote from: lawson on December 09, 2010, 01:09:06 AM
Who are these "Americans" that you are labeling? The honest working tax paying class, The tax and benefit robbers, The "I will go to America and sent back benefits to my home country without putting into system". Be alittle more specific in your bitchin. If you are stating that "Americans" ,as in all - Go Fuck Yourself!
Spelling != Intelligence
Read for the music, not for the notes.
Otherwise, any dyslexic is an idiot, anyone who is handicapped and finds it difficult to type without error is an idiot (and lazy, because they didn't fix their mistakes), and so on. Being bright means you can comfortably read for the ideas and not get caught up in the mechanical act of reading, or are you still doing it by rote?
I get it. But it shoots holes in my Australian version.I like qld, pretty place. qldrs collectivly? .? noooo cant handle that... but individual QLDRS i like.... my only come back when i lived there in defence of being a new south welshman..... is that if New South Welshmen come from New South Wales doe s that mean only Queens come from Queens land?.... chuckles.i get Lawsons point, it is wrong to generalise. Can i ask what you did in the Air Force Lotsokids? bit of an aircraft buff, always liked the f86 and the super sabre.........( and now i is parnood aboot my spilling und penctuaaations :wacko1:) and apart from that tell me more about your travels (popcorn) (popcorn) (popcorn) (popcorn) (popcorn) (popcorn) (popcorn) :good2:
and andy.... your just pearls of wisdom...i like it :good2: chuckles and wanders off for a cuppa and a lie in doggo
Quote from: lawson on December 10, 2010, 02:08:07 AM
...Why should my reply get a "Wow" but not notice the generality label of Americans. Maybe saying that while driving in American behind this TYPE of person be aware that they are arrogent - Not Americans are arrogent. We all don't share these charactoristics.
Yes, I'm obviously comparing in general terms. I'm not going to post, "On July 17th I got stuck behind these two people that plugged up traffic... " and so on. I GENERALLY find it
radically different comparing driving on I-5 to Seattle to driving on the M-1 to Budapest. If you've done both, you know exactly what I'm talking about. I'll try to insert the word "generally" more often so you're not offended. I think your original reply was pretty harsh. Seems like you're justifying it.
And yes, the grammar and spelling throw me off also. I have to read it three times to understand what you are saying. :unknown:
Something to meditate on: Since 1978 the German Autobahn has a consistent decrease in yearly fatalities compared to their consistent increase in average speed. They [generally] take driving very seriously here in Europe. Compare that [generally] to the U.S.
Quote from: andyb on December 10, 2010, 06:27:30 AM
Spelling != Intelligence
Read for the music, not for the notes.
Otherwise, any dyslexic is an idiot, anyone who is handicapped and finds it difficult to type without error is an idiot (and lazy, because they didn't fix their mistakes), and so on. Being bright means you can comfortably read for the ideas and not get caught up in the mechanical act of reading, or are you still doing it by rote?
Andy, you make an excellent point. I guess I am making an assumption that the poor spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage are the failings of our educational system and not some other issue. The egg is on my face.
You are right, though; the content is of far greater significance than the delivery. I only wanted to point out in my responses that I disagree with the sentiment that any of this is anti-American. I was born and raised here, and there is no place on Earth that I'd rather live. That being said, regardless of somebody's ethnic origin or what they choose to do with the money they've earned, America has always been a place for people of other cultures to come to to form a better or different life for themselves. My grandparents immigrated here from Germany shortly after WWI when there was still a lot of anti-German sentiment, and they worked hard to become "Americans."
Although I can understand lawson's angst over the lack of tax paying and general abuses of the system provided for them, he fails to recognize that some of the comments in this thread are anything but anti-American. Instead, they are just observations (mostly mine, but some others, too) of the lack of consideration of some people here (which I see as cultural), specifically in traffic. As somebody who commutes 50 miles each way to work on a daily basis, I see some of the most inconsiderate driving almost constantly.
But I surrender. I am not anti-American, and I'm sorry if any of my comments may have been construed as such. :flag_of_truce:
Quote from: mikeholzer on December 10, 2010, 08:04:35 AM
Quote from: andyb on December 10, 2010, 06:27:30 AM
Spelling != Intelligence
Read for the music, not for the notes.
Otherwise, any dyslexic is an idiot, anyone who is handicapped and finds it difficult to type without error is an idiot (and lazy, because they didn't fix their mistakes), and so on. Being bright means you can comfortably read for the ideas and not get caught up in the mechanical act of reading, or are you still doing it by rote?
Andy, you make an excellent point. I guess I am making an assumption that the poor spelling, punctuation, grammar, and usage are the failings of our educational system and not some other issue. The egg is on my face.
You are right, though; the content is of far greater significance than the delivery.
I've been attempting to make this point with Klavdy, for some time now. Where is that convict when others are making my point for me??!! This post took longer than it should have as I had to run it through spell check.... :)
Dan
well screw you all!!! BTW my comment is not about the topic in this thread but about the hidden condescension shown to my fellow Commonwealth member from Australia, and by extension to all members of the Commonwealth!!! :ireful:
Quote from: fjrpierre on December 10, 2010, 03:33:10 PM
well screw you all!!! BTW my comment is not about the topic in this thread but about the hidden condescension shown to my fellow Commonwealth member from Australia, and by extension to all members of the Commonwealth!!! :ireful:
God save the Queen
(popcorn) :music: (popcorn)
Man, it's like that time of the month for the forum. Maybe I'll just sleep on the couch until the hormones settle down.
Quote from: carsick on December 10, 2010, 10:48:13 PM
Man, it's like that time of the month for the forum. Maybe I'll just sleep on the couch until the hormones settle down.
Yeah - that's the same guy who had that other issue with the guy selling his FJ who I ended up banning (the one and only person I've ever banned). It seems that drama follows him wherever he goes... :negative: Obviously it is now clear that he provokes it. Our job is to not bite...
Quote from: Marsh White on December 10, 2010, 10:55:26 PM
Our job is to not bite...
Definitely. It's bad for business if you're a fluffer. :shout:
At least it helped Dan make his point. Great site - bit of a "click" to it , but I would still recommend. It served its purpose. You can delete info - Thanks
That "click" is the sweet sound of a round being inserted in....... oh sorry wrong thread :mocking:
"clique".
You morons! j/k :)
pierre: If you goe click when you insert it, you're undoubtedly doing it wrong.....
On a more serious note, the reason why some of us express a disdain towards certain people has nothing to do with their origin, nationality, ethnicity, nor their race. It's because they happen to be a cunt. Big difference.
I'm not scared to say it..............Americans drive like idiots.
the only time it doesn't bother me is when I am on the FJ, and I can pass at will.
the norm over here is pulling out in front of fast moving cars and driving 10mph under the speed limit, the game seems to be who can make the longest line of cars behind them............ It would be so nice if people could figure out what "Slower traffic keep right" means Maybe they are just too stupid to read and understand the signs. After all English seems to be our second language.
I can't drive out of this state without road rage, everyone seems to think the passing lane is for Sunday drives.
They shouldn't have to move over you should drive around them.
or the people that drive in the middle lane totally oblivious to the cars passing them on both sides, that is safe. :sarcastic:
one in ten good drivers in the US = Americans can't drive for shit.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it
These are my own personal observations, and not meant to be critical of anyone in particular.
I see alot of poor driving here in Iowa.
The left lane is the "Hammer Lane" and that means if you are doing the max speed limit or slower, you still belong in the right lane...GET IT? LOL!!
It's almost comical the things I see on my 25 mile commute to work each day.
And night time drivers that gain on me on a 2 lane black top at a high rate of speed, but then refuse to be brave enough to make the pass, just piss me off with their damn headlights shining in my mirror.
I even slow to make it easier for them to go around, and they still don't.
And forget about speeding up, because they will just speed up with me...WHY?
Just alot of rude and inconsiderate people out there, locked into their own little world with no regard for the other people around them..
At least when I'm on the FJ I can easily overtake, out run these troubled drivers and separate myself from what could become a bad situation.
Not many car drivers are going to ring up 130 mph on the speedo to stay in the fight.
I like my separation while traveling, no matter where I'm going, and I will make adjustments to provide myself with clear distances ahead and behind me, making my own 'safe' zone.
There are idiots everywhere on the road, and it's those that make driving a challenge.
Be safe out there guys, and hold back on the road rage, it will be your undoing.
Concentrate, use your head, and pick your battles, the one you give in to may be the one that saves your life.
Leon
Funny thing is, lawson will be back again, trolling for info when something breaks or needs fixing on his FJ.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT0OqHr3wHQ
Quote from: 1tinindian on December 11, 2010, 01:32:48 PM
Just alot of rude and inconsiderate people out there, locked into their own little world with no regard for the other people around them..
At least when I'm on the FJ I can easily overtake, out run these troubled drivers and separate myself from what could become a bad situation.
Not many car drivers are going to ring up 130 mph on the speedo to stay in the fight.
I like my separation while traveling, no matter where I'm going, and I will make adjustments to provide myself with clear distances ahead and behind me, making my own 'safe' zone.
There are idiots everywhere on the road, and it's those that make driving a challenge.
Be safe out there guys, and hold back on the road rage, it will be your undoing.
Concentrate, use your head, and pick your battles, the one you give in to may be the one that saves your life.
Leon
Well said, Leon. While on my way home from work when I lived in Tacoma, WA, there is a 3-lane exit. The far right peels off and connects to another road, then the other two exit left and under the freeway. I was in the center lane (that exits left) and a car came up on my right and at the last minute, merged left INTO MY LANE, pushing me left toward the car to my left. Picture going into a corner riding the center line BETWEEN TWO CARS. That will make a person angry. This happened to me not once, but on
TWO occasions. All I could do is gently let off the gas and get out of that situation! Then after-the-fact I think of how I could have got his attention by kicking his driver's door. Who knows... :ireful:
agreed. the problem is no longer a problem if its behind you. i reckon thats why cagers dont get bikes.... most dont create space cos they are "in" a space. but the flip side of the coin is everyone just tends to see "motorcycle hooligan speeding past". and lotsokids apologies for not reading your profile properly and seeing you were an eniginecycle instructor. bit of an aside.... having never kicked a door to get attention... i d like to knock up a holster and a super soaker type water pistol that holds brake fluid. likes paint i believ that stuff.... chuckles ... or the old handful of ball bearings over the shoulder.... but im not that silly to actually provoke cagers like that, because, although they are perhaps driving dangerously its not my job to help them kill them selves. get out get past get away and enjoy the ride. :good2:
When wifey and I visitied the US last year, we drove 5000 miles, from California through to Texas. We were quite impressed with the way people drove over there, except maybe in New Mexico, where they resembled some of the lousy drivers where I live (nothing against New Mexicans, btw, some of them are relatives).
My favourite "revenge" on errant drivers who upset me when I ride, is to knock off their off-side mirror.
Bill.
Quote from: 1tinindian on December 11, 2010, 01:32:48 PM
The left lane is the "Hammer Lane" and that means if you are doing the max speed limit or slower, you still belong in the right lane...GET IT? LOL!!
Best drivers I've ever seen were actually in MO around St. Louis. People would see you catching up and actually move. It was lovely. Worst may have been in SD, where the speed limit was considered far too fast, setting my cruise at the limit meant I passed nearly everyone.
As far as the hammer lane, 294/190 (or whatever it is, the n/s bypass in chicago) is insane. Posted 65mph, and anything under 80 will get you blown off the road, in any lane (5 each way). Really fun to play on it with a good bike though, the cars don't have nearly the thrust at those speeds :)
Quote
And night time drivers that gain on me on a 2 lane black top at a high rate of speed, but then refuse to be brave enough to make the pass, just piss me off with their damn headlights shining in my mirror.
I even slow to make it easier for them to go around, and they still don't.
And forget about speeding up, because they will just speed up with me...WHY?
Because they're not good drivers, they're on autopilot. It's very common for someone to stop watching their actual speed, and instead "lock on" to the car in front of them, where they will maintain whatever speed that car does. It takes about 25mph over their default speed to get them to realize that they're really going faster than they want to. It drives me absolutely batty, also; it means there's someone out who's not paying attention.
As far as idiots on the road, yes, they're out there. I must say that I feel much safer on a bike than in a cage though, because I'm blessed with hugely better brakes and power when I need them. Almost every wreck I hear about can be attributed to the rider doing something wrong. Defensive driving/riding isn't about going slow and being annoying, it's about not putting yourself in a position where someone else's inattention can hurt you (and minimizing the odds when you absolutely don't have any choice).
When I had a Miata, I drove it in the winter months on icy, slick roads. Being a light RWD car, it was a bit of a handful, but it was so controllable that if you didn't mind being a little sideways constantly it was a total riot to drive. What annoyed me was people in their great big SUVs or trucks who would sit right on my bumper while I drove through town, as they very obviously were thinking "hurry up, I've got 4wd, this isn't that hard!" The reality is their 4wd means that they have four wheels to accellerate with, but the same two to turn and the same two doing the bulk of their braking as I did. So I'd often intentionally slide sideways for a good distance, and you could see them thinking "Holy shit, this guy is one of those idiots that I've always heard about, I'm going to give him a LOT of room so he doesn't hit me!" whereas in reality I just wanted them to back the hell off. Usually worked really well, and then I'd have a nice pocket to drive home (safely, albeit a pinch sideways) in.
The best part of having that car was the RWD, by far. A car was riding on my bumper through town one summer, and I knew that a road was under construction and gravel for the construction, so I turned onto it and their nice shiny caddy impatiently went by... right as I mashed down my right hoof and coated them with gravel :) Silly, silly....
QuoteYeah - that's the same guy who had that other issue with the guy selling his FJ who I ended up banning (the one and only person I've ever banned). It seems that drama follows him wherever he goes... negative Obviously it is now clear that he provokes it. Our job is to not bite...
...Go somewhere else Lawson, we've all had enough of your drama.
Quote from: andyb on December 12, 2010, 08:41:44 AM
Being a light RWD car, it was a bit of a handful, but it was so controllable that if you didn't mind being a little sideways constantly it was a total riot to drive.
I had one of those also. You actually steer with your gas pedal on slick surfaces. Ha ha! :crazy: