A year in the new car
Sorry PT fans, this is a blog about driving. I’ve had the new car, a 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer bought brand new, a year now, and have got to just on 10,000 kilometres so far. The average in Australia is...
View ArticleCar costs
Yes, I still have a car, the same one I bought in 2018, used for trips not convenient by PT, including about half-a-dozen trips each year into regional areas. It’s annual service and insurance and...
View ArticleNew keyring
I don’t know why it took me so long to realise these two things: 1. My keys are bulky and heavy to carry – but that’s because of the car key, which is bigger than everything else. In fact a car key is...
View ArticleKing in your car
Tony Abbott, in a way, was right: “The humblest person is king in his own car.”Tony Abbott, Battlelines I can see his point here. I don’t know about them being humble, but (especially as a pedestrian...
View ArticleHey Google, tell me where to go
My car has a spot in the central console area thingy that looks like it has been designed to store your mobile phone so you can kind of see the screen while driving, for navigational purposes. At...
View ArticleA year in the new car
Sorry PT fans, this is a blog about driving. I’ve had the new car, a 2017 Mitsubishi Lancer bought brand new, a year now, and have got to just on 10,000 kilometres so far. The average in Australia is...
View ArticleThe monetary cost of driving
One of the issues that contributes to excessive car use is that it’s not straightforward to calculate the cost of driving. Once you have the car, the cost of each additional trip you take in it is...
View ArticleThe desire to drive, and how we must counter it
I am discovering that there’s some powerful psychology going on when you get a new car. Playing into this for me is that my old car was wearing out, and was getting difficult to drive, plus the change...
View ArticleRetail therapy
Just a quick few points while I work on a more complicated post that’s (inevitably) transport related… Shopping bags Many major retailers are phasing out single-use plastic bags. Or to be precise,...
View ArticleI finally bought a new car
Apologies for the following long ramble about buying a car. The costs of cars (Do I even need one?) My prolonged hunt for a new (used) car got me thinking about how much they have cost me… and how long...
View ArticleCar sizes, and safety: New vs used
I mentioned last year I was thinking about upgrading my car, which is frequently unused during the week, but still needed on occasions. Car share hasn’t reached our area yet. Buying cars is not...
View ArticleMelbourne’s landmark intersection is a debacle, and authorities are doing...
I’ve posted about Rule 128 before. Rule 128 says: Entering blocked intersections A driver must not enter an intersection if the driver cannot drive through the intersection because the intersection, or...
View ArticleDash it all! Why intersection markings are changing
You may have noticed that some intersection markings, including pedestrian crossings, are changing. Solid white lines are becoming dashed white lines. Ditto turning lines at intersections. This change...
View ArticleCyclists on the footpath
I described this on Twitter the other day, but I’ll expand on it here. I was heading out in the car on Saturday afternoon. Got in, beeped, looked behind me, slowly backed-out of my driveway. BANG! A...
View ArticleStay in your lane
Intersections on curves can be tricky. Even slight curves. Every time I pass the Astor on Dandenong Road in a car, particularly eastbound, I watch what happens. It’s not uncommon for vehicles to veer...
View ArticleTime for a car upgrade?
I’m thinking it might be time to upgrade my car at some stage soon. Some people turn them over every few years. Not me — I’ve been driving a 2000 model Astra hatchback since 2008, almost nine years....
View ArticleLearning to drive
Masters Hardware couldn’t launch a viable business against Bunnings, and only a couple of years after launching, have closed up all their outlets. As this photo shows, they also couldn’t construct a...
View ArticleWhy is this road rule never enforced?
Those of you who follow me on Twitter will know I see a lot of motorists blocking intersections, including pedestrian crossings. Here’s road regulation 128: Entering blocked intersections A driver must...
View ArticlePedestrians in the car park – often there’s no choice
I sometimes wonder if motorists driving in and out of car parks get irritated by pedestrians walking through. Often the pedestrians have no choice. These pictures are from Caulfield Plaza – with the...
View ArticleDon’t park on a yellow line
I’ve often thought that we have too many parking restriction signs in Melbourne. Some streets have them every few metres. One way around that is to use line markings. As a long-time watcher of British...
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