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Friday 26 February 2010
Monday 22 February 2010
My oh my how gyms have changed!
Having rejoined a local gym recently, I thought I’d break from the norm and write a non-automotive, lifestyle blog for a change.
Now first of all I need to be honest. I’ve always found the gym a slightly awful place which has the unmatched ability to potentially cause me either a great deal of pain if I actually display some physical exertion, or a considerable amount of shame and general self-loathing if I get on any elliptical and zone out for a completely useless 30 minutes. Basically a lose:lose situation in my mind. Yes I know, it's healthy, endorphins, blah blah blah.
So this has usually always been my starting point upon entering this so-called fitness haven. But, having been out of it for a while, my first visit back has now reminded me of all the other things I seriously don’t like about the gym; in no particular order:
Men on ellipticals: Given my innate laziness (which actually goes flawlessly with a heavy dose of vanity), I have a particular love for the elliptical, especially the one's with TV's on them so I can multi-task physical fitness with mindless television. What I don't like is finding that there are none available and I will have to actually run because all of the machines are filled with men! Sorry guys, but I always thought it was an unspoken rule that the ellipticals are reserved solely for women. Apparently not any longer it seems, and as I'm looking at all these men I'm thinking "Find a bike! Run in the cold! Go crush some weights. But get off my bloomin’ cardio machine!"
People walking on treadmills: In my opinion treadmills can only be used for two credible reasons: running above a 5-6 speed, and walking a very steep incline at rapid pace. Any other activity should be strictly prohibited from treadmill usage. There is nothing more annoying than seeing no empty machines and someone leisurely strolling on the treadmill. I want to shout out "Go outside and do that and get some fresh air whilst you're at it!"
Germaphobes v the very sweaty: I am all for keeping the gym as sanitary as possible, but the people who spend six years wiping down a single weight machine, use it for 30 seconds and then spend another few minutes re-sanitising it are seriously deluded. Now I understand if there is sweat dripping off the tricep machine for example, but hey, it is a gym after all! There are germs and lots of sweaty people in these places...and these germaphobes are holding up the natural line of weight machine progression by spraying (what I'm sure is only dirty tap water any way) on every station and giving it the complete rub down. Of course, on the flip side of my coin, I wish the "serious sweater" would realise that while I can take the fact that their grimy hands were all over the same machine that I'm about to use, I'm really not into touching weights lubed up with their sweat and I feel my head screaming at them "For pity’s sake, bring a towel will ya!"
And so to my final honorary mentions:
1. People being too comfortable with nudity in the changing room;
2. People chatting relentlessly and very loudly in the sauna;
3. Rather obese people with revealing, tight fitting workout gear 3 sizes too small for them;
4. Men in head-to-toe under-armour (it is a gym after all and not American football);
5. People talking on mobile phones while on a machine.
Hmmmm, I wonder if these are the same peeps who park across two parking spaces, hug the middle lane doing 65mph, use their mobile phone whilst driving (without hands-free), and do a week’s worth of shopping at the local petrol station whilst leaving their car at the fuel pump?
I think I'll stick to swimming.....
Now first of all I need to be honest. I’ve always found the gym a slightly awful place which has the unmatched ability to potentially cause me either a great deal of pain if I actually display some physical exertion, or a considerable amount of shame and general self-loathing if I get on any elliptical and zone out for a completely useless 30 minutes. Basically a lose:lose situation in my mind. Yes I know, it's healthy, endorphins, blah blah blah.
So this has usually always been my starting point upon entering this so-called fitness haven. But, having been out of it for a while, my first visit back has now reminded me of all the other things I seriously don’t like about the gym; in no particular order:
Men on ellipticals: Given my innate laziness (which actually goes flawlessly with a heavy dose of vanity), I have a particular love for the elliptical, especially the one's with TV's on them so I can multi-task physical fitness with mindless television. What I don't like is finding that there are none available and I will have to actually run because all of the machines are filled with men! Sorry guys, but I always thought it was an unspoken rule that the ellipticals are reserved solely for women. Apparently not any longer it seems, and as I'm looking at all these men I'm thinking "Find a bike! Run in the cold! Go crush some weights. But get off my bloomin’ cardio machine!"
People walking on treadmills: In my opinion treadmills can only be used for two credible reasons: running above a 5-6 speed, and walking a very steep incline at rapid pace. Any other activity should be strictly prohibited from treadmill usage. There is nothing more annoying than seeing no empty machines and someone leisurely strolling on the treadmill. I want to shout out "Go outside and do that and get some fresh air whilst you're at it!"
Germaphobes v the very sweaty: I am all for keeping the gym as sanitary as possible, but the people who spend six years wiping down a single weight machine, use it for 30 seconds and then spend another few minutes re-sanitising it are seriously deluded. Now I understand if there is sweat dripping off the tricep machine for example, but hey, it is a gym after all! There are germs and lots of sweaty people in these places...and these germaphobes are holding up the natural line of weight machine progression by spraying (what I'm sure is only dirty tap water any way) on every station and giving it the complete rub down. Of course, on the flip side of my coin, I wish the "serious sweater" would realise that while I can take the fact that their grimy hands were all over the same machine that I'm about to use, I'm really not into touching weights lubed up with their sweat and I feel my head screaming at them "For pity’s sake, bring a towel will ya!"
And so to my final honorary mentions:
1. People being too comfortable with nudity in the changing room;
2. People chatting relentlessly and very loudly in the sauna;
3. Rather obese people with revealing, tight fitting workout gear 3 sizes too small for them;
4. Men in head-to-toe under-armour (it is a gym after all and not American football);
5. People talking on mobile phones while on a machine.
Hmmmm, I wonder if these are the same peeps who park across two parking spaces, hug the middle lane doing 65mph, use their mobile phone whilst driving (without hands-free), and do a week’s worth of shopping at the local petrol station whilst leaving their car at the fuel pump?
I think I'll stick to swimming.....
Monday 15 February 2010
Total recall....enough already!
So Toyota now admit that their infamous accelerator pedal fault may be more widespread than they first thought, with seven of their UK range now under recall including their relatively new Aygo (automatic) and iQ models. The recall is reportedly going to cost them over £1.2 billion and it has no doubt made a significant dent in their share price too.
Interestingly, a manufacturer’s decision to recall a vehicle is made under a “voluntary” code of conduct where they must first have found “substantial evidence” of a particular defect and then consulted with VOSA, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency set up to improve the roadworthiness of cars. Once all are in agreement the recall is sanctioned and issued under the category of either “safety” or “non-safety”.
In 2009 there were over 665,000 cars recalled in the UK, with the average usually being around 1m. Wow, that’s a lot of cars! But to put this into context, there were over 942,000 total recalls in the UK made up of both cars and other components, such as fridges and freezers. And more importantly, particularly for the second-hand car buyer, safety recalls are not recorded on the vehicle V5 registration document so the reliance is on the main dealership entering the details in the service book and this being passed on when a vehicle is sold.
But whilst everyone else is heavily debating Toyota’s failings over their own perfections, or else they’re wondering whether their treasured RAV4 is going to be next on the hit list, I thought it might be more helpful to talk about what you should actually do if your accelerator pedal gets stuck.
Well the first thing to remember is that it doesn’t mean your brakes don’t work…okay that is unless you’re unlucky enough to own a Prius! The perception is to the contrary of course, brought on by sheer panic. But by pressing the brake firmly and then the clutch to take your car out of gear (or to go into neutral in an automatic), this will disengage the drive. And as you can still steer too, it’s then just a matter of finding somewhere safe to pull over, stop and turn the ignition off. So a stuck accelerator pedal isn’t necessarily the disaster is sounds - easier said than done in an emergency situation I know - but at least you’ll know what to do if and when it happens, as well as of course remaining as calm as possible.
I actually take my hat off to Toyota, where they have had the balls to put driver safety above profit and reputation. Until now, their reputation has been one of solidness and reliability; and it will be again.
Renault (among others I could mention) with their bonnet catch fiasco do not deserve such a grand gesture from me in this cold weather when I prefer my woolly hat to remain firmly on my head.
Some of my customers started contacting me with concerns over their Renault Clio II over two years now. The problem being when you’re happily driving along minding your business and then suddenly your bonnet flies open, shattering your windscreen and thus obscuring your vision. Not funny when you’re doing 70mph on the motorway! After Toyota’s brave move, the pressure is now growing for Renault to follow suit, although to date both Renault and VOSA have denied that there is a significant fault, blaming the bonnet catch fault (where it remains open if pulled hard) on “driver error”. Nice!
Renault has, however, written to owners asking them to take their Clio into the dealership to have the catch examined. Now call me stupid, but isn’t that a recall?
Interestingly, a manufacturer’s decision to recall a vehicle is made under a “voluntary” code of conduct where they must first have found “substantial evidence” of a particular defect and then consulted with VOSA, the Vehicle & Operator Services Agency set up to improve the roadworthiness of cars. Once all are in agreement the recall is sanctioned and issued under the category of either “safety” or “non-safety”.
In 2009 there were over 665,000 cars recalled in the UK, with the average usually being around 1m. Wow, that’s a lot of cars! But to put this into context, there were over 942,000 total recalls in the UK made up of both cars and other components, such as fridges and freezers. And more importantly, particularly for the second-hand car buyer, safety recalls are not recorded on the vehicle V5 registration document so the reliance is on the main dealership entering the details in the service book and this being passed on when a vehicle is sold.
But whilst everyone else is heavily debating Toyota’s failings over their own perfections, or else they’re wondering whether their treasured RAV4 is going to be next on the hit list, I thought it might be more helpful to talk about what you should actually do if your accelerator pedal gets stuck.
Well the first thing to remember is that it doesn’t mean your brakes don’t work…okay that is unless you’re unlucky enough to own a Prius! The perception is to the contrary of course, brought on by sheer panic. But by pressing the brake firmly and then the clutch to take your car out of gear (or to go into neutral in an automatic), this will disengage the drive. And as you can still steer too, it’s then just a matter of finding somewhere safe to pull over, stop and turn the ignition off. So a stuck accelerator pedal isn’t necessarily the disaster is sounds - easier said than done in an emergency situation I know - but at least you’ll know what to do if and when it happens, as well as of course remaining as calm as possible.
I actually take my hat off to Toyota, where they have had the balls to put driver safety above profit and reputation. Until now, their reputation has been one of solidness and reliability; and it will be again.
Renault (among others I could mention) with their bonnet catch fiasco do not deserve such a grand gesture from me in this cold weather when I prefer my woolly hat to remain firmly on my head.
Some of my customers started contacting me with concerns over their Renault Clio II over two years now. The problem being when you’re happily driving along minding your business and then suddenly your bonnet flies open, shattering your windscreen and thus obscuring your vision. Not funny when you’re doing 70mph on the motorway! After Toyota’s brave move, the pressure is now growing for Renault to follow suit, although to date both Renault and VOSA have denied that there is a significant fault, blaming the bonnet catch fault (where it remains open if pulled hard) on “driver error”. Nice!
Renault has, however, written to owners asking them to take their Clio into the dealership to have the catch examined. Now call me stupid, but isn’t that a recall?
Friday 5 February 2010
Potholes – the new speed bumps!
Now that the snow and ice have gone from many of the roads in the UK, they have left another hazard for motorists – potholes. With temperatures hovering around freezing for much of the past few weeks, the conditions have been just right to allow many potholes to form.
Potholes pose a danger to all road users, caused when water gets into cracks in the road surface and then freezes and expands, eventually creating void spaces under the road surface, which shatter the tarmac and cause it to collapse. The sudden jolt you get from driving or riding over one could be a distraction at just the wrong moment, or it could even mean you lose control of your vehicle.
Yes I’ve been “Googling” again! In early 2009, a report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (the body which represents asphalt producers and contractors), said there was already a 13-year backlog of pothole repairs across the UK. 13 years! And with the recent cold weather it is likely this backlog has now increased.
According to Devon County Council, Devon has 8,000 miles of road which is the highest of any authority in the country. The council says over 40,000 potholes have been filled since last April - more than double the usual amount. And the problem has been made worse by the recent severe weather where “26 gangs, each with two to three members, have been filling in around 1,000 potholes a week”.
But let’s face it, I don’t think it is all down to the poor condition of our roads that results in the costly suspension and tyre problems that I see on a regular basis. A lack of driver concentration or understanding can be, on occasion, equally to blame. So let me explain.
On the way to drop off a customer to their workplace the other day my passenger chortled and pointed ahead at the T-junction at a white car on the other side of the road: “Look, he’s in a pothole!” Sure enough, the blue car had one back wheel embedded in the offending hole, his whole car at an angle as a result. We watched as the driver very carefully accelerated and climbed out before proceeding, completely unaffected but giving us a smile as he passed. Smart guy! He obviously does what I do and approaches every puddle in the road as a potential lake and goes through them slowly and carefully. After all, who knows what craters lurk beneath! So, he slowly goes into them, and he can slowly emerge.
Alas others are not so smart. I drove past a car last week which, five minutes earlier, had screamed past me, dodging potholes into oncoming traffic, and terrifying everyone else on the road. However, I could not resist feeling slightly gratified - actually I even gave a cheeky grin and a cheery wave - as I passed him further down the road where he was mournfully surveying a tyre as flat as a pancake from being whacked on the sharp edges of a pothole.
Potholes have been a recurring problem over the last few years, but they are much worse this year because of the amount of rain we’ve had. Car tyres and suspension repairs can be expensive, so people swerve like lunatics, protecting their vehicles before they protect their (and our) lives. I fear it is quite literally real-life dodgems out there.
This year we can add the joys of power cuts to the driving experience. Imagine if you will a combination of potholes and no traffic lights working!
In my opinion the fools who slam across the roads at all angles avoiding potholes are the same fools who hold their breath and foot-flat through blank traffic lights (unlike my customer who inches to the edge of the T-junction). Frankly, I just want to stay alive, but it sometimes feels as if the road forces are conspiring against me.
I feel I have to add another ‘how to survive’ traffic example I experienced recently to explain myself : I happily drove towards a green light and was going through (fortunately slowly because of the potholes) when a fancy car swooped past me, narrowly missing my front bumper. He slowed down and stuck his head out the window and yelled at me:. “You %^!! cow! Where did you buy your licence!” Then he revved his engine and stormed off. I was stunned: “What had I done wrong?”
It was only when I then saw more cars were hurtling towards me that I decided I’d better reverse out of the junction and get out of their way. It was then that I noticed that while my side was showing ‘green for go’, their side was totally blank. All the cars coming towards me at speed were assuming the lights were not working and doing the usual foot-flat through the lights. I had, rather naively, driven right into the storm.
So to summarise I have written a list, which goes as follows:
1. Watch the potholes and be vigilant for those dodging them;
2. Go through non-working traffic lights very, very carefully;
3. Approach working traffic lights with extreme caution, because you never know when it’s just an illusion!
But what to do? Well I'm very glad you asked. I have developed a strategy which should sit well with some council authorities. It’s the introduction of a scheme whereby potholes will not be filled in with new tarmac, instead just left as they are. This new scheme will aim to cut down on speeding, particularly in villages, which will warrant drivers to be more cautious in order not to crash and damage their cars, scare other unsuspecting drivers with their dodgem antics, or swerve into any crossing pedestrians at dark on the unlit roads. The scheme will be suitably named "doing nothing".
Potholes pose a danger to all road users, caused when water gets into cracks in the road surface and then freezes and expands, eventually creating void spaces under the road surface, which shatter the tarmac and cause it to collapse. The sudden jolt you get from driving or riding over one could be a distraction at just the wrong moment, or it could even mean you lose control of your vehicle.
Yes I’ve been “Googling” again! In early 2009, a report from the Asphalt Industry Alliance (the body which represents asphalt producers and contractors), said there was already a 13-year backlog of pothole repairs across the UK. 13 years! And with the recent cold weather it is likely this backlog has now increased.
According to Devon County Council, Devon has 8,000 miles of road which is the highest of any authority in the country. The council says over 40,000 potholes have been filled since last April - more than double the usual amount. And the problem has been made worse by the recent severe weather where “26 gangs, each with two to three members, have been filling in around 1,000 potholes a week”.
But let’s face it, I don’t think it is all down to the poor condition of our roads that results in the costly suspension and tyre problems that I see on a regular basis. A lack of driver concentration or understanding can be, on occasion, equally to blame. So let me explain.
On the way to drop off a customer to their workplace the other day my passenger chortled and pointed ahead at the T-junction at a white car on the other side of the road: “Look, he’s in a pothole!” Sure enough, the blue car had one back wheel embedded in the offending hole, his whole car at an angle as a result. We watched as the driver very carefully accelerated and climbed out before proceeding, completely unaffected but giving us a smile as he passed. Smart guy! He obviously does what I do and approaches every puddle in the road as a potential lake and goes through them slowly and carefully. After all, who knows what craters lurk beneath! So, he slowly goes into them, and he can slowly emerge.
Alas others are not so smart. I drove past a car last week which, five minutes earlier, had screamed past me, dodging potholes into oncoming traffic, and terrifying everyone else on the road. However, I could not resist feeling slightly gratified - actually I even gave a cheeky grin and a cheery wave - as I passed him further down the road where he was mournfully surveying a tyre as flat as a pancake from being whacked on the sharp edges of a pothole.
Potholes have been a recurring problem over the last few years, but they are much worse this year because of the amount of rain we’ve had. Car tyres and suspension repairs can be expensive, so people swerve like lunatics, protecting their vehicles before they protect their (and our) lives. I fear it is quite literally real-life dodgems out there.
This year we can add the joys of power cuts to the driving experience. Imagine if you will a combination of potholes and no traffic lights working!
In my opinion the fools who slam across the roads at all angles avoiding potholes are the same fools who hold their breath and foot-flat through blank traffic lights (unlike my customer who inches to the edge of the T-junction). Frankly, I just want to stay alive, but it sometimes feels as if the road forces are conspiring against me.
I feel I have to add another ‘how to survive’ traffic example I experienced recently to explain myself : I happily drove towards a green light and was going through (fortunately slowly because of the potholes) when a fancy car swooped past me, narrowly missing my front bumper. He slowed down and stuck his head out the window and yelled at me:. “You %^!! cow! Where did you buy your licence!” Then he revved his engine and stormed off. I was stunned: “What had I done wrong?”
It was only when I then saw more cars were hurtling towards me that I decided I’d better reverse out of the junction and get out of their way. It was then that I noticed that while my side was showing ‘green for go’, their side was totally blank. All the cars coming towards me at speed were assuming the lights were not working and doing the usual foot-flat through the lights. I had, rather naively, driven right into the storm.
So to summarise I have written a list, which goes as follows:
1. Watch the potholes and be vigilant for those dodging them;
2. Go through non-working traffic lights very, very carefully;
3. Approach working traffic lights with extreme caution, because you never know when it’s just an illusion!
But what to do? Well I'm very glad you asked. I have developed a strategy which should sit well with some council authorities. It’s the introduction of a scheme whereby potholes will not be filled in with new tarmac, instead just left as they are. This new scheme will aim to cut down on speeding, particularly in villages, which will warrant drivers to be more cautious in order not to crash and damage their cars, scare other unsuspecting drivers with their dodgem antics, or swerve into any crossing pedestrians at dark on the unlit roads. The scheme will be suitably named "doing nothing".
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