I got called in for jury duty this week.  I’ve been summoned a few times, but never had to actually report.  Some of the highlights:

• I was assigned to the Hayward Hall of Justice.  Merely calling it the “courthouse” would not suffice; instead it sounds like something out of a comic book.
• I do not miss commuting.  At all.
• You have to go through airport-style security to get into the building, which makes sense given the number of (alleged) criminals coming inside.  Yet there was only one screening station and quite a back-up:

• The person in charge of “juror orientation” spoke English as a second language, and had a time with his “Rs”.  And wouldn’t you know it, they put 2 of ‘em in “juror”.  Cruel, but it sounded a lot like, “Thank you again to all the Jews who came out this morning.”
• I was immediately chosen for the 1st pool of prospective jurors.
• The judge explained the nature of the case — can’t say the details but it was pretty juicy stuff.  The defendant looked like a normal guy, until the judge read all the bad stuff he allegedly did.  Then he looked like a total sleaze.
• After that, the judge explained the how in a criminal case, the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.  If I was giving the spiel, I would move that part ahead of the rap sheet, so people are primed to not jump to any conclusions.
• I tried to go in with a positive attitude, excited for the learning experience and the chance to be a part of the judicial system and see how it really works from the inside.  You know, civic duty and all that jazz.
• The judge then explained that this particular trial, if all went well, should be wrapped up by June 9th.
• Whoa easy there, turbo! OK I’m all for civic duty when it lasts a day or even two or three days, but being forced to take 3 weeks off from the biz would be bad news bears.
• The judge interviewed some potential jurors.  Most people answered honestly, but some clearly stretched the truth in obvious attempt to get dismissed.  I saw people get dismissed for speaking poor English, being pregnant, and even for having to go to the bathroom.  What?
• People came up with some pretty convoluted reasons why they might have a hard time being impartial.  When the judge rolls his eyes, that’s a good indicator you’re trying too hard.
• I submitted a written request for dismissal, on the grounds that jury service of this length would be a financial burden for a self-employed business owner like me.
• Thankfully the judge agreed and I was dismissed.  I was really grateful.  I didn’t know what to expect; I’ve heard stories of judges being really unforgiving and not giving a crap about people’s business obligations.
• At that point, I was a free man.  Well after an inexplicable 20-minute traffic jam in the parking lot, I was a free man.

Hayward Hall of Justice, it’s been real.  See you next year.

-Nick

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Road construction near our exit has given us this gem.  It’s hard to see, but the sign says “Short Merge, Speed Limit 55.”

I think notifying drivers about the short merge is a fine idea, but the speed limit not so much (the real speed limit is 65).

It’s unclear whether the reduced speed limit is aimed at drivers in the right lane or merging drivers entering the freeway.  Either way, it’s unsafe.  Don’t screw up traffic for everyone else by trying to merge at 55 when the common speed is 65+.

A better sign would say “Short Merge.  Better step on it.”

-Nick

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Last week I drove to Santa Barbara and back for CJU 2010.  On my way home I thought I would try and set a new record: 400 miles on one tank of gas.   My previous best in my Escape was 380ish, to Tahoe and back.

I was doing great on the way home, the miles were flying by.  I had 300 miles at the 1/4 tank mark, so I knew I would have a chance, but that it was going to be close.

At 375 miles, the gas light came on.  No biggie.

A few miles later, a sign on the side of the road warns, “next services 16 miles.”  I laugh at your 16 miles.

Then, driving through the middle of nowhere, I start to think about how much it would suck to actually run out of gas.  How far will I have to run along the highway before I come to a gas station, and then run back?  And then (more importantly) how late will I be late for softball?  And so the stress sets in.

The 16 miles is taking forever.  The needle is no longer just grazing the E, but fully covering it.  I’m starting to do things like unplug the Garmin (does that even use gas?), turn off the A/C, and even reduce my speed to the posted limit, which only prolonged the time.

Finally I come to an exit with a gas station — and now it’s decision time: get off now and surrender, or continue another 5 miles in my quest for the glorious 400?

I wussed out and got gas.

Made it 394.9 miles, still enough for a new record.  The tank accepted 14.5 gallons, also a new record.  That calculates out to about 27 mpg, which I think is pretty good since most of the drive was at or above 70 mph.  The factory sticker rated it at 28 mpg highway, and I think I could definitely get over 30 mpg if I drove 55.

According to one website, the 2006 4 cyl. Escape has a 15 gallon capacity.  So I probably could have squeezed another 5 miles out of that last half gallon and made it to 400.  In hindsight of course, chasing a meaningless number seems like a pretty dumb reason to risk stranding yourself on the side of the highway.  Does anyone else play these games on road trips?

-Nick

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I believe a person’s car says a lot about them.  Which is exactly what car marketers want me to think.

Unfortunately in the case of Mercedes Benz, the association is 100% negative.  For whatever reason, no other luxury make carries the same stigma in my mind.  When someone pulls up in a Benz, here’s what I think, right or wrong:

• The driver is amazingly self-centered
• The driver thinks they’re better than everyone else
• The driver’s husband makes more than your husband

Basically driving a Benz is a shiny, expensive way to tell the world you’re a jerk.  Maybe I’m the only person who thinks of Mercedes drivers in this way.  But I’m right way too often to be the only one.  And it’s no fault of the car company*, I’m sure they build a fantastic automobile.  It’s their customers that are giving them a bad name.

My most recent example of my stereotype being proved in real life was this week at the grocery store.  Ms. Real Housewives of Dublin CA unloads her groceries and then leaves her cart in between parking spaces, and drives off in her Mercedes.  The cart return was literally 10 feet away.

But again, why should she burden herself pushing an empty cart a few extra steps?  They only put that out there for the non-Mercedes-driving customers.

Do you drive a Benz?  You’ve got to work extra hard to reverse the terrible image the public has of you.  It shouldn’t be too much trouble; you can start by returning your shopping carts.

*Actually the company has a bit of a chip on their shoulder too.  Rather than comply with federal fuel efficiency guidelines, they opted to just pay the fine.  $30 million!  Perfect example of rich, self-centered, better-than-everyone-else thinking.

-Nick

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When gas was $1.21, mid-grade cost $1.31, and premium $1.41.  Now gas is $3.21, mid-grade is $3.31, and premium $3.41.  The 20-cent upgrade from regular to high-octane premium has remained in place, despite the overall increase in cost.  Percentage-wise, it’s a much better deal today than it was 10 years ago.

Regular gas has gone up 165%, but premium has only gone up 140%.  In the first example, premium gas cost 16.5% more than regular.  In the second, just 6.2% more.  So now that it costs “less,” do more people buy it?

No.  From what I could find, aside from a few fluctuations, premium gas usage has held pretty steady at around 9-10% of total unleaded fuel sales.  I think people for the most part are looking to fill up as cheaply and safely as possible, looking at the absolute cost instead of which fuel grade offers the most bang for the buck.

Certain cars recommend or require high octane fuel, which is not necessarily “premium” in any way other than having a higher resistance to premature combustion.  I think these drivers represent the vast majority of premium gas purchases.  The other purchases are from people who are convinced it helps their cars run better.  I would have expected these customers to push the premium gas purchase-rate beyond the 10% mark now that it’s a “better deal.”

Of course if your car doesn’t need it, paying even $0.01 more for premium gas is not a deal at all.

I can remember buying premium gas… or maybe mid-grade… one time.  I had a BP coupon that required a higher grade to be eligible for whatever the discount was.  And you know what?  Placebo sure is a strong influence; that ’86 Celica ran like a dream for the next 350 miles!

-Nick

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Ever slam on your brakes to stop for a yellow light, only to have the intersection remain clear for several more seconds.  You totally could have gone through safely!

With the increasing popularity of red light cameras, it’s not usually worth the risk of a steep ticket.  By installing cameras that discourage drivers from running yellow lights, cities are contradicting their eco-friendly commitments.  To be fair, running a blatantly red light is reckless, dangerous to yourself and others, and should remain illegal.  But if you enter the intersection while the light is still yellow, I think you’ll be perfectly safe and it’s the green thing to do.

Since fuel efficiency is measured in miles per gallon, and cars still use fuel when idling at a stop light, stopping is by definition the least efficient use of resources.  Zero miles traveled divided by any amount of gas is still 0.  Plus stopping kills any inertia energy you’d built up, and accelerating again after the stop is definitely not the optimum operation for your engine.  Cruising at a constant speed maximizes efficiency and running yellow lights can prolong your time spent at that speed.

Slamming on the brakes to stop for yellow results in increased rear-end-collisions and creates unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicle.  Cars at idle burn fuel and create emissions without any benefit — after all they’re not going anywhere.

A yellow light typically lasts 5 seconds.  Then you’ll typically have an “all-red” time of 2-3 seconds, when no one is allowed to go, which is intended to allow the intersection to safely clear.  And then you’ll have another 2-3 seconds before cross traffic drivers react to their new green light and reach the middle of the intersection.  So in total, you have about 10 seconds from when the light turns yellow to when another car could possibly hit you.

In 10 seconds, a car traveling 40 mph will go a distance of 586 feet — almost the length of two football fields!  I think you can make it safely through the intersection.  Maybe even the next one.

So there you have it, running yellow lights is the safe and green thing to do.  If you get a ticket, just tell the officer about this inconvenient truth.

-Nick

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After the wedding, we made our way toward Yellowstone via the Beartooth Highway.  This stretch of road has been called the “most beautiful drive in America,” and is only open a few months out of the year because of snow and other extreme weather conditions.  It reaches nearly 11,000 feet in elevation at the summit!

We stopped at a few places along the way, including this scenic vista at about 9200 ft.

And then again at the top:

Very cool drive, definitely recommended.

-Nick

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Angle-in parking certainly is easier, but it’s inefficient; you end up with wasted space on both ends of the row.  And then there was this guy who parked next to me at Trader Joe’s on Sunday.

Sure, nobody parks perfect 100% of the time.  But I’m amazed anyone would park like this on a busy Sunday and think, “I’m good.”  I was in the stall to his right, wanting deeply to somehow leave a huge scrape on his passenger side without damaging my ride as I eased out with an inch of clearance.

Your compact pickup with canopy says, “I’m hardworking, but practical.”  Your Vallejo license plate holder suggests a blue-collar upbringing and perhaps a built-in respect for others.  But your actions say, “I’m lazy and don’t give a shit about anyone else.”  You’re an enigma, sir.

I guess it was a victimless crime so it’s really not a big deal.  But seriously what a toolbox.

-Nick

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I’ve been seeing some “minimum fine” signs like the one below, and it made me curious.

Other common ones are “Red light violation: minimum fine $438″ or “Blocking the intersection: minimum fine $297.”

I was curious:

• If that’s the minimum fine, what is the maximum?
• What determines any fine amount above the minimum?  Sir, the court finds you guilty of premeditated handicap parking…
• Who decides the amount of the fine?
• Do these signs really work as deterrents?

And here’s what I found:

The minimum fine is generally assessed for first time offenders.  Habitual handicap parking violators, for example, can see increasing fines or even be sentenced community service.   The fine is substantially greater if you’re caught with a fake disability permit.  I guess it’s risk and reward… you’re less likely to get cited, but if the officer checks your disability credentials and they come back negative, it’ll cost you.

I’ve also heard the rumor that if the parking lot is otherwise full, it is OK to park in one of the handicap spots.  I could find nothing to confirm that, so don’t do it.  As soon as one of the other spots opens up, the cop will never know.

The fine assessed is determined by the ticketing officer, and is also dependent on the “severity” of the offense.  For example someone caught blocking an intersection during gridlock traffic would likely be given the minimum fine.   It was probably an honest mistake, he thought he had enough room.  But the driver that blocks an intersection during gridlock traffic and then for some reason abandons his car there would be given a steeper fine.

I couldn’t find any data on the deterrent effect of such minimum fine signs.  I imagine they are fairly effective though.  If someone was trying to save a few seconds by parking illegally in the handicap spot, they would probably think twice about it after learning about the risk of a $250 fine.  Personally I’ve gone through some Livermore intersections as the yellow turned to red, looked up to see that $438 fine sign glaring me in the face, and slammed on the brakes at the next intersection.  Slamming on the brakes is probably the less safe of my two choices, but less likely to result in a fine… kind of messed up.

Also I imagine the deterrent effect of the minimum fine signs varies with income.  To a millionaire, $250 stings a little but really is meaningless.  To a minimum wage earner, it could be a week’s pay.

-Nick

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I have a hypothesis that most stop signs could be safely turned into de facto yield signs, and generate tremendous gains in time, energy, and money.  I’m not advocating blowing through stop signs at 70 mph, I’m just saying if the intersection is clear at 10 mph, it will still be clear at 0 mph.

Time

Let’s say the average driver encounters 6 “yield-able” stop signs each day, and that each unnecessary stop costs drivers 5 seconds.  Each day, that’s an extra 30 seconds of life we’ll never get back.  It’s not a lot, but multiplied times 200 million drivers and say a 60 year lifetime of driving, as a society we’ll give up nearly 2.2 trillion days stopping at empty intersections by 2070.

I believe there is a better use for those 2.2 trillion days than wastefully obeying stop signs.  I believe we could use them to find a cure for cancer, fight global poverty, and make earth a better place to live.  Or play more Dr. Mario.

Energy

Kinetic energy is a function of the square of a car’s speed.  So reducing a car’s speed from 20 mph to zero costs exponentially more kinetic energy than from 20 mph to 10 mph.  In fact, in this example, it requires 4x the force.  Similarly, the force required to re-accelerate after a complete stop is exponentially more than a driver would use had he safely coasted through.

Let’s return to our average driver and the 6 “yield-able” stop signs.  Based on the physics of coasting through, drivers use roughly 1/4 the amount of fuel they would use compared to making a complete stop.  And while these stops make up a relatively small portion of driving time and fuel economy, it adds up to millions of barrels of wasted gas across society and over time.

If the 6 stops/day add up to an eighth of a mile, it results in 45 miles of unnecessary stopping/starting per driver per year.  I’ll make some fuel-economy estimates and say a full-stop strategy costs each driver about 4 gallons more than a coast-through strategy, resulting in 48 billion gallons of gas.  Extra fuel burned also means more pollution.

Just as stopping at stop signs is costing us more time than we ever imagined, it is costing us dearly in terms of our limited oil resources and clean air.  Chevron and Exxon are happy, as is OPEC.    But everyone else?

Money

Those 48 billion gallons certainly have a huge economic cost, not to mention the cost of increased wear-and-tear on our brakes, and cost of police officers dutifully ticketing California stops.

Your Responsibility

It is amazing the gains we can achieve on the road without sacrificing safety.

The next time you get pulled over by an unenlightened cop for not being a responsible driver and obeying the stop sign, just say this:

“I’m sorry Officer.  You see, I’m a pragmatist and an environmentalist, and coming to a complete stop would have been a terrible waste of resources; much like what you’re doing now, having pulled me over for a victimless crime.  Now who’s being irresponsible?”

-Nick

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