Suzuki Samurai was Re: [geeks] SPARC proprietary (MAJOR RANT)

[Joshua D. Boyd]

On Tue, Oct 14, 2003 at 08:20:40AM -0400, Kevin wrote:

> park.  Things such as skid control and actually looking
> where you are going (as opposed to where you ARE)
> should be emphasized.  Teach them that standing on the
> brake is rarely the appropriate reaction to any
> situation.  Teach them to know when their right rear
> tyre is 15 PSI under-inflated.

Care to say more about that bit?  I have frequently found standing on my
brakes to work well (note, I have ABS, obviously just standing would be
a bad idea if I didn't).  Now often, there may be a bit of steering
involved with the braking, but somehow I seem to get into situations
where there isn't really anywhere to steer to, i.e. being stuck between
someone cutting me off and a wall.  
 
> Hell send them all to Skip Barber or Bondurant, make
> 'em get SCCA licenses.... just do something.  In my
> experience most people just don't know how to control
> their vehicle.

I want to both go to Skip Barber and get an SCCA license at some point.
However, I want my wife to do them with me, and I wonder if she would be
ready (Skip Barber says you need to be able to drive stick before
entering, but how good do you really have to be with stick?).
 
> And all of this goes double for people who insist on
> driving behemoth SUVs.  If i see one more damn soccer
> mom driving 90+ on the rain talking on the cell phone i
> should have the right to pull out the DE .50 and tag
> one of her tyres.  Then we can actually see how well
> she can handle skid control.

Aren't SUV drivers often required to have a special license in many
states?  I've heard reports that the Ford Excursion technically requires
something called a class B license (between a regular license and a
regular CDL) in PA, but that it's not enforced.  Don't know if that's
true or not though.