Another explosion reported in Austin, TX

[OriZ 3,157]

1 hour ago, Steeleballz said:

 

  Those are global stats. It's about 37000 per year in the USA. We could compare either way but since we started out with US statistics, best to compare apples to apples. To your main point though, yeah you are far more likely to be killed in a motor vehicle accident.

What I'd really like to know is how in 1899 26 people died...

 

Slightly off topic but not completely, always found it interesting how so many people are afraid of flying, when you have literally x1,500 the casualties per year on the roads.

[Jacque67 7,328]

Bomber identified as Mark Anthony Conditt.

[Steeleballz 7,550]

1 hour ago, OriZ said:

What I'd really like to know is how in 1899 26 people died...

 

Slightly off topic but not completely, always found it interesting how so many people are afraid of flying, when you have literally x1,500 the casualties per year on the roads.

 

  Seats are getting smaller, people are getting bigger, lines are getting longer. I tell people I don't like flying, but it's not the flying part I don't like. I still say double cheeseburgers and the rest of the standard American diet are more dangerous than anything else we have discussed in this thread. It's just that people don't see that one coming.

  

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 hours ago, Bill & Katya said:

Sounds like the main suspect offed himself as police closed in.

 

https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/21/us/austin-explosions/index.html

“The bomber was white” was the only identification they would give initially.  How random.

[OriZ 3,157]

12 minutes ago, Steeleballz said:

 

  Seats are getting smaller, people are getting bigger, lines are getting longer. I tell people I don't like flying, but it's not the flying part I don't like. I still say double cheeseburgers and the rest of the standard American diet are more dangerous than anything else we have discussed in this thread. It's just that people don't see that one coming.

  

Exactly. It's a silent bomb waiting to explode inside people's bodies.

 

I also understand the argument of "on the road I'm in control, when flying I'm not". I get that most people don't believe they will end up being part of the road statistic because they are in charge of it themselves, while over half of plane crashes are due to pilot error and your life is in their hands. I'll still take those statistics over the road ones though. Planes usually don't just fall out of the sky for no reason - ironically, my wife and I's favorite parts are the ones considered most dangerous - takeoff and landing.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

58 minutes ago, OriZ said:

Exactly. It's a silent bomb waiting to explode inside people's bodies.

 

I also understand the argument of "on the road I'm in control, when flying I'm not". I get that most people don't believe they will end up being part of the road statistic because they are in charge of it themselves, while over half of plane crashes are due to pilot error and your life is in their hands. I'll still take those statistics over the road ones though. Planes usually don't just fall out of the sky for no reason - ironically, my wife and I's favorite parts are the ones considered most dangerous - takeoff and landing.

Just the other day, I was driving around town.  Small town, little traffic, no high speeds at all.  Had to swerve out of my lane twice within 30 minutes because people nearly drove right into me.  One was a camaro behind me, right on my tail.  He needed to turn left, so pulled into the left turn lane and sped up to get past me.  As fate would have it, the left turn lane was for an immediate left turn, with a concrete barrier that separated it from the left turn down at the light.   He then chose to swerve into my truck instead of going over the curb (in a camaro) or trying to stop. I had to swerve right to avoid him.  Thankfully there was a gap in traffic and I didn't hit anyone.  

 

Careless hurts more than speed in my experience.  Two close calls in less than an hour.  Think it's been 6 month or more since the last person tried to hit me.

[OriZ 3,157]

10 minutes ago, IDWAF said:

Just the other day, I was driving around town.  Small town, little traffic, no high speeds at all.  Had to swerve out of my lane twice within 30 minutes because people nearly drove right into me.  One was a camaro behind me, right on my tail.  He needed to turn left, so pulled into the left turn lane and sped up to get past me.  As fate would have it, the left turn lane was for an immediate left turn, with a concrete barrier that separated it from the left turn down at the light.   He then chose to swerve into my truck instead of going over the curb (in a camaro) or trying to stop. I had to swerve right to avoid him.  Thankfully there was a gap in traffic and I didn't hit anyone.  

 

Careless hurts more than speed in my experience.  Two close calls in less than an hour.  Think it's been 6 month or more since the last person tried to hit me.

ALOT more, yes. 6 months or more? you're lucky. Seems to me here it's almost every day. I wish they would get people like that more often rather than speeders. Then again here I tend to see even the cruisers not always using their turn signals, so how can I expect drivers to drive properly?

Edited March 21, 2018 by OriZ

[yuna628 9,528]

6 hours ago, OriZ said:

What I'd really like to know is how in 1899 26 people died...

 

Slightly off topic but not completely, always found it interesting how so many people are afraid of flying, when you have literally x1,500 the casualties per year on the roads.

Odd.. was just talking about this to my mom yesterday. She'd rather take a cruise to England, even if it would take a week, rather than fly (tbh it probably would be safer knowing her health issues).. because she's scared of flying. I said.. well think of it this way - I'd rather die instantly rather than dying a slow drowning death. Statistically people would die in a plane crash pretty quickly I'd expect. I hate flying of course, it's not the act itself.. but it's the painful ear pressure, the air-sickness, and turbulence, the tiny seats, and the horrible food. 

 

Every day he comes home furious and tells me how some crazy person in a vehicle almost hit him. He hadn't been here but six months when the guy totaled the back end of our car. He absolutely loves driving... but loathes our drivers.

 

--

 

I'm glad the scum is dead. Sounds like the typical profile of domestic terrorist, with anarchist supremacist traits and it's possible he had some buddies too. Wasn't the brightest bulb though... left a big internet trail.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

Sounds like the perp blew it at the last moment.  

 

But yeah, glad to hear he is finished, and didn’t take anyone out with him.  Good riddance.

[OriZ 3,157]

2 hours ago, bcking said:

The most important factors for "safe speeding" (driving at 80+) are proper following distance and no erratic (my phone tried to autocorrect that to erotic...) sudden changes.

 

If everyone wants to drive 80 that's fine, but then there should be a distance between each car that allows for time to stop in an emergency. I almost never see the proper following distances.

 

That is not only unsafe but it also leads to horrible traffic when people all tap their brakes repeatedly.

I try to keep a safe distance, but I hate when someone switching lanes thinks I did it for them. It's a safe distance for me but not for them. So annoying.

 

3 hours ago, bcking said:

I tend to separate speeding (and most aspects of driving) into highway and off highway.

 

I have less of an issue with speeding (on its own) on the high way. I think in the perfect world if we everyone was responsible and followed every OTHER safe driving practice, going 100 mph could be safe. As long as we all followed with a safe distance, we didn't enter a lane and break that safe distance, we had order to which lanes were for which speeds etc... I agree that on its own speeding isn't that dangerous on a highway. However the reality is speeding is not in isolation. Even if you are a perfectly excellent driver, that doesn't mean other people are. You may break no other rules but if you are speeding and someone else is an idiot, that significant impacts your ability to avoid a collision and if there is a collision, it will be at higher speeds. Yes it wouldn't be "your fault" necessarily, but honestly I care more about the risk and loss of life in a situation like that then placing blame. 

 

Off highway I think is slightly different. I think speeding is inherently, on it's own, risky. With traffic lights, more intersections, more cars in usually fewer lanes, cars parked, pedestrians etc... I have a much lower tolerance for speeding. The guy in Switzerland, IIRC, was driving 60 in a 30 zone in a village. That is unjustifiable. There may be some large roads in towns with medians, barriers, no parking, infrequent intersections/traffic lights where maybe a faster speed would be okay, but generally speaking I think it is far more important to adhere to speed limits on roads, off the freeways. If there is a collision on a normal road the risk of involving a pedestrian is much higher, and it doesn't take much speed to kill a person. If you are going 50 and need to slam your brakes, you may end up hitting the person at 30 mph and that would be enough. If you were going 30 and slammed your breaks, even if you hit them you may be going significantly slower and they would survive. 

 

But yes - For freeways I would support more regulations and restrictions on safe driving practices over speeding. I think if we were all responsible drivers the speed limits on freeways could be increased in many places. The problem is, we aren't (as a population - I'm sure you and I both are).

I have actually never gone 100 mph. I've gone 90-95 and do anywhere from 80-95 quite routinely, but I was never one of those to test the limit just this one time for the heck of it and never do it again so never made it up to 100. How I drive is how I drive, then, now and in the future. Our interstate speed limit, depending on that part, is between 55 and 65 which is ridiculous imo. Like I said I feel I can most times go safely 80-95, but it also depends on traffic and road conditions of course. Wouldn't do it during rush hour or a blizzard.

 

Regarding your comment on expert drivers, I get what you're saying and my wife even always reminds me say when it's snowing, it's not me she's worried about it's the other drivers, but I tend to disagree. I think if you truly are an 'expert' driver, you can learn to anticipate, maybe not always but 99% of the time what other idiots will do before they even know it. So many times I know for a fact certain situations, had it been a different driver on the road than me, would have ended up in an accident, as one example I can give that one time when it was snowing heavily, and I knew the driver in the right lane was going to suddenly try to get into mine which was the left one at the time. I started braking a second or so before they moved, which was the only reason I didn't end up sliding. Being aware and prepared is key and if you're not, you can't tell yourself an expert driver. Most accidents can be avoided if at least one side is aware enough of their surroundings. I also always constantly scan with my eyes for pedestrians or other issues and have my mind and foot ready to hit the brakes should something(or someone) pop up, even if I'm going "relatively fast" I believe I'd be able to brake in time. It's all about preparedness which I think most people sorely lack. 

 

Within city limits honestly I think most that I have done is in the 50-60 range, if it is a wide road and conditions allow. I'm not saying you should do it in a little neighborhood with one lane each way, then it's usually much less. I do hate though how people here don't tend to like minding their own business and even if I'm going 15 in an area where the speed limit is 15, or I'm going 25 in an area where the speed limit is 25, they will try to signal me to slow down, as if I'm doing something wrong. It's none of their business, just because they might not be able to handle going at these speeds and being careful at the same time, doesn't mean I can't handle it, and they know nothing about my day - what if I need to get someone to the hospital? what if I'm a half hour late for a meeting? I like to mind my own businses so telling someone else how to drive is something I can't fathom. Moreoever, not everyone's brain processes information at the same speed. People here seem very slow to move(usually takes them at least 5 seconds to even start moving after the light turns green). Most days I swear I can be completely sleep deprived(which in fact I am 90% of time and still drive 20 hours a week) and have a couple beers and still my decision making would be faster and better than the drivers around me. If someone ran into the road, I am confident I can react alot faster than they would.

 

1 hour ago, yuna628 said:

Odd.. was just talking about this to my mom yesterday. She'd rather take a cruise to England, even if it would take a week, rather than fly (tbh it probably would be safer knowing her health issues).. because she's scared of flying. I said.. well think of it this way - I'd rather die instantly rather than dying a slow drowning death. Statistically people would die in a plane crash pretty quickly I'd expect. I hate flying of course, it's not the act itself.. but it's the painful ear pressure, the air-sickness, and turbulence, the tiny seats, and the horrible food. 

 

Every day he comes home furious and tells me how some crazy person in a vehicle almost hit him. He hadn't been here but six months when the guy totaled the back end of our car. He absolutely loves driving... but loathes our drivers.

 

--

 

I'm glad the scum is dead. Sounds like the typical profile of domestic terrorist, with anarchist supremacist traits and it's possible he had some buddies too. Wasn't the brightest bulb though... left a big internet trail.

I haven't had the ear pressure issue for many years. Maybe it's because I just got used to it. One of the last times we flew I actually asked my wife if she still gets that because I thought well it's the 21st century maybe they are somehow doing things different wasn't sure if it was just me. But realized it was when she said she does still feel it. Last time I felt it was probably 10 years ago or so. I agree with you the food is horrible; turbulence doesn't tend to bother us.

 

I love driving generally, but yeah the terrible drivers out there really take that outta ya. I was actually trained by a professional driver and one of the rules of thumb I was taught is if you are changing lanes and can't see the other car's headlights in your REAR VIEW mirror before you do, you're too close.

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

27 minutes ago, OriZ said:

.

I haven't had the ear pressure issue for many years. Maybe it's because I just got used to it. One of the last times we flew I actually asked my wife if she still gets that because I thought well it's the 21st century maybe they are somehow doing things different wasn't sure if it was just me. But realized it was when she said she does still feel it. Last time I felt it was probably 10 years ago or so. I agree with you the food is horrible; turbulence doesn't tend to bother us.

 

I love driving generally, but yeah the terrible drivers out there really take that outta ya. I was actually trained by a professional driver and one of the rules of thumb I was taught is if you are changing lanes and can't see the other car's headlights in your REAR VIEW mirror before you do, you're too close.

No, the pressure thing hasn’t changed, nor will it ever.  Modern aircraft start out at ground pressure (wherever the ground happens to be), and as the plane climbs and the atmospheric pressure decreases, the plane uses hot compressed bleed air from the engines to increase the pressure within the cabin as the plane climbs and the outside pressure decreases (overall, the pressure is dropping as you go up, but the system increases pressure to maintain O2 levels where they need to be).  You will typically fly around at what equates to 8,000 pressure altitude in most jets.

 

It is more noticeable on the way down for most people.  As the plane descends from say 30,000’, the cabin pressure slowly decreases from 8,000 down to landing elevation.  Usually somewhere around 10,000 feet, your cabin altitude will feel like 1000-1500’ at the landing airport.  This increase in pressure can be anywhere from mildly annoying to very painful, especially in babies and those with clogged sinuses (it’s not just the ears that feel the pressure, unless your sinuses are “normal”).

 

As to why you don’t feel the pressure, it could be perforated eardrums, or perhaps your muscles have changed such that your ears allow the pressure to “leak” on the way up/down, and you just don’t notice it.  Not sure if you get in the water much, but if you do, try diving down to about 8-10 feet and see if you feel it then.  The pressure change happens much faster under water, of course, and so will be more evident.  (Wouldn’t suggest this if you know you have perforated eardrums).

[OriZ 3,157]

1 hour ago, IDWAF said:

No, the pressure thing hasn’t changed, nor will it ever.  Modern aircraft start out at ground pressure (wherever the ground happens to be), and as the plane climbs and the atmospheric pressure decreases, the plane uses hot compressed bleed air from the engines to increase the pressure within the cabin as the plane climbs and the outside pressure decreases (overall, the pressure is dropping as you go up, but the system increases pressure to maintain O2 levels where they need to be).  You will typically fly around at what equates to 8,000 pressure altitude in most jets.

 

It is more noticeable on the way down for most people.  As the plane descends from say 30,000’, the cabin pressure slowly decreases from 8,000 down to landing elevation.  Usually somewhere around 10,000 feet, your cabin altitude will feel like 1000-1500’ at the landing airport.  This increase in pressure can be anywhere from mildly annoying to very painful, especially in babies and those with clogged sinuses (it’s not just the ears that feel the pressure, unless your sinuses are “normal”).

 

As to why you don’t feel the pressure, it could be perforated eardrums, or perhaps your muscles have changed such that your ears allow the pressure to “leak” on the way up/down, and you just don’t notice it.  Not sure if you get in the water much, but if you do, try diving down to about 8-10 feet and see if you feel it then.  The pressure change happens much faster under water, of course, and so will be more evident.  (Wouldn’t suggest this if you know you have perforated eardrums).

Gee what are you, a pilot?

 

Yes, I didn't really figure it has changed, it was more half jokingly, but I needed to know if it was just me. You kinda never know these days if they ended up with a way to do things different that I never heard of or something lol. I remember the days when I was a kid and my parents would always give me gum...I need none of that stuff now. I feel N O T H I N G. On the way up, or down. I've been on dozens of flights in my life, so I'm assuming it's the muscles. I know I'm not the only one and I know for a fact it's not my eardrums. Do I get in the water much? Dude, you know I scuba lol. I actually do still feel the pressure when I scuba though, just not when I fly. 

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

4 minutes ago, OriZ said:

Gee what are you, a pilot?

 

Yes, I didn't really figure it has changed, it was more half jokingly, but I needed to know if it was just me. You kinda never know these days if they ended up with a way to do things different that I never heard of or something lol. I remember the days when I was a kid and my parents would always give me gum...I need none of that stuff now. I feel N O T H I N G. On the way up, or down. I've been on dozens of flights in my life, so I'm assuming it's the muscles. I know I'm not the only one and I know for a fact it's not my eardrums. Do I get in the water much? Dude, you know I scuba lol. I actually do still feel the pressure when I scuba though, just not when I fly. 

No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 

 

You're one of the lucky ones then.  I feel it, but can clear with very little effort by just flexing my jaw a little.

[OriZ 3,157]

32 minutes ago, IDWAF said:

No, but I stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night. 

 

You're one of the lucky ones then.  I feel it, but can clear with very little effort by just flexing my jaw a little.

haha. now mind you I'm just talking about pain from the pressure, that's not to say that afterwards I don't get all those "poppings"

[Voice of Reason 10,298]

3 minutes ago, OriZ said:

haha. now mind you I'm just talking about pain from the pressure, that's not to say that afterwards I don't get all those "poppings"

Yeah, that's different.  Honestly, I think diving and the associated Val salvas changes us internally.  Like you, I don't have a problem clearing in a plane.  Sometimes I hold myself still just to let the pressure build, but as soon as I stop concentrating, it clears on its own.