[jeallen01]

@Bigmackcam
"backside"/ "tailgater" - I confess to have been one of those a lo****ng" time ago (late 1970's) , but I learned my lesson when I VERY nearly hit someone on the M4!

In reality, it wasn't totally my fault - we were all doing around 70mph, until we caught up on a total idiot doiing around 50-60 mph in the outside lane of three, and then everything "concetiinaed". I suddendly realised that I was NOT going to slow down enough to not hit the Ford Cortina in front of me - so, I swerved left into the middle lane, JUST in front of a Shell petrol tanker (!!!!), and by the time I had slowed down a bit I had passed the idiot at the front - a Vauxhall Dormobile doing 50 mph in the outside lane

BTW, I was driving a Morris Marina - notably known as one of the worst-handling/ braking vehicles of the era. Only reason I, and all the others behind that idiot, survived was because I had fitted decent Koni shockabsorbers/dampers on the front of the Marina, and so managed to change lanes without simply rolling the car at 70 mph!. Thus I am still HERE

PS: I also have VERY fast reaction times as well - that has saved me and/or "various things" quite a few times over the years

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Last edited by jeallen01; 09-29-2018 at 03:08 PM.

[MarkJerling]

It was a lovely day, Mark, thank you

He's awfully opinionated and judgemental, and he frustrates me - but I know I frustrate him too.

Sounds pretty normal to me!

[BigMackCam]

@Bigmackcam
"backside"/ "tailgater" - I confess to have been one of those a lo****ng" time ago (late 1970's) , but I learned my lesson when I VERY nearly hit someone on the M4!

I don't know how old you were at the time, but I think most young guys have that tendency. In my first few years of (licensed) driving, I know was just as bad

In reality, it wasn't totally my fault - we were all doing around 70mph, until we caught up on a total idiot doiing around 50-60 mph in the outside lane of three, and then everything "concetiinaed". I suddendly realised that I was NOT going to slow down enough to not hit the Ford Cortina in front of me - so, I swerved left into the middle lane, JUST in front of a Shell petrol tanker (!!!!), and by the time I had slowed down a bit I had passed the idiot at the front - a Vauxhall Dormobile doing 50 mph in the outside lane

You were very lucky, but it also sounds like you dealt with the situation remarkably well. But, yes - that kind of thing definitely gives you a new perspective

BTW, I was driving a Morris Marina - notably known as one of the worst-handling/ braking vehicles of the era. Only reason I, and all the others behind that idiot, survived was because I had fitted decent Koni shockabsorbers/dampers on the front of the Marina, and so managed to change lanes without simply rolling the car at 70 mph!. Thus I am still HERE

Oh, I remember the Marina very well. I was a young boy and hence too young for driving when it was a current model. Not really a great car in general. And yet, engine from the 1.8L twin-cam version was surprisingly good. A friend of my grandfather built a Marlin kit car roadster, and used that engine. It was surprisingly nippy, and had plenty of torque!

As a young man, my first ever car was a Citroen 2CV, followed quickly by a 1966 Volkswagen Beetle, then just as quickly by a 1982 Ford Cortina 1.6L (lovely), and finally a really nice red Ford Capri 2.0L. Then I left home for London, and all sorts of things happened... stories for another time, but cars are involved in some of them

[Racer X 69]

And it's closer to American-style bacon, but no matter how much I cook it under the grill, it doesn't come out the same. So... what's the secret?

I get thick cut bacon.

Then I cook it in a cast iron skillet.

Never crispy.

Just cooked enough.

Makes a great BLT.

[Racer X 69]

Going back, the traffic was much busier, and there were the usual idiots on the roads, including a guy in a white Audi A5 coupe who drove right up my... er... "backside" for several miles before overtaking me in one of the 50mph zones. He was weaving in and out wherever there were gaps. Ill-advised, at best. There were several tailbacks coming to standstill, but they didn't last for long. A little while later, we went past that same Audi on the hard shoulder, front end all smashed in. I suspect (though I'm only guessing) he was driving too close to the car in front (as he did with us), and when everything stopped he went into the back of it. It looked serious, but not life-threating. I hope he was OK

People who drive like that get a toot of the horn and a hearty laugh when I drive by their wreckage. They are idiots with more money than sense. They get their due.

Too bad for those they victimize by their bad behavior.





I have driven cars very fast, in large groups of other cars.

Under "controlled conditions", on a race track, with other highly trained and skilled drivers. Sure, sometimes we bump or rub, and once in a while it gets ugly. But we are all on the same page, know and accept the inevitable.

And I admittedly drive a bit aggressively on the street.

But I also drive for existing conditions, and in heavy traffic I am in the slow lane, putting along, relaxed and easy.

I don't ever want to be "that guy" in the Audi wadded up on the shoulder.

[jeallen01]

@BigMackCam
Don't remember the Marina ( I eventually had 2 over about 10+ years!) as ever having a twin-cam 1.8l motor - probably a very good thing as, at the time, one of my mates was a British Leyland (they made "Morris" branded cars then) salesman when the first 1.8 Marinas came onto the market. He told us that he doing a "quite a few mph" down the A40 East of Oxford and wanted to slow down to take the slip-road to off to Aylesbury - but he didn't /couldn't as that car had front drum brakes (and pretty poor ones at that!). They fitted front disc brakes to the whole range pretty soon after that!

[Racer X 69]

. . . . . . . and then everything "concetiinaed".

Everything what?

Is that some kind of English swear word?

[BigMackCam]

Everything what?

Is that some kind of English swear word?

I believe our friend meant to type "concatenated"

Come on, Racer, surely you can read the following?

I cnduo't bvleiee taht I culod aulaclty uesdtannrd waht I was rdnaieg. Unisg the icndeblire pweor of the hmuan mnid, aocdcrnig to rseecrah at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mttaer in waht oderr the lterets in a wrod are, the olny irpoamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rhgit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whoutit a pboerlm. Tihs is bucseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey ltteer by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Aaznmig, huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghhuot slelinpg was ipmorantt! See if yuor fdreins can raed tihs too.

[Racer X 69]

I believe our friend meant to type "concatenated"

That is the only word I could fit in to the idea presented in the paragraph that made sense.

Although I certainly wouldn't want to be in a car that was getting concatenated with other cars.

[BigMackCam]

That is the only word I could fit in to the idea presented in the paragraph that made sense.

Although I certainly wouldn't want to be in a car that was getting concatenated with other cars.

You can't concatenate cars, 'cause that could cause considerable carnage....

[robtcorl]

When I used to visit the US on business, the hotels and diners always had thin strips of very crispy bacon at breakfast, and I loved it. Now, we can get "streaky bacon" here, and in fact that's what I usually buy. And it's closer to American-style bacon, but no matter how much I cook it under the grill, it doesn't come out the same. So... what's the secret?

Our bacon comes from the pig's belly with more fat than lean.
Yours is from the loin and more like ham.
Pay no attention to Racer, belly bacon needs to be cooked crisp, or very nearly so.

edit, it looks like streaky bacon is belly bacon.
start frying it in a cold skillet, medium heat, flip and cook until desired crispyness.

[Racer X 69]

You can't concatenate cars, 'cause that could cause considerable carnage....

Yes it would.









I saw carnage like this frequently while at the wheel of Monstro and compnay.

Idiots can't seem to get it through their pea heads that when conditions demand it, they need to slow down and spread out.

[Racer X 69]

. . . . . . . flip and cook until desired crispyness.

Or uncrispyness.

[BigMackCam]

Our bacon comes from the pig's belly with more fat than lean.
Your's is from the loin and more like ham.
Pay no attention to Racer, belly bacon needs to be cooked crisp, or very nearly so.

LOL

So, our "streaky bacon" - the kind I like best at home - is from the side and belly. I think that's pretty close to your regular bacon, though our pre-cut slices might be thicker than yours. But how do you cook it to get it so flat and crispy?

edit, it looks like streaky bacon is belly bacon.
start frying it in a cold skillet, medium heat, flip and cook until desired crispyness.

OK, just got that. So you fry rather than grill? (Note: "grill" in the UK is to cook under a heated element or flame). Do you drain the fat as it cooks, or leave it in there?

[Racer X 69]

But how do you cook it to get it so flat and crispy?

Desecrate it on the altar in your kitchen.

Until it doesn't oink anymore.