Daily Annoyances

[Arragonis]

SQL Server Reporting Services - you are cr@p.

[Piwoslaw]

I just read that with the cold spell here, Warsaw's city busses are left idling all night. The drivers aren't happy about it, and the people who live next to the shop have had enough of the noise and emissions, even the maker of the busses is surprised, but the shop's officials say everything is under control. According to one side of the conflict, the busses aren't kept in tip-top working order and might not start after a cold night. If a bus can't start and doesn't do its rounds then the shop has to pay a fine. Supposedly the extra fuel cost is less than that fine.

Some numbers: Each bus uses 3 liters per hour when idling, and idles for at least 5 hours per night. This bus company has 1100 busses, but it's not clear whether all of those busses idle through the night or only the busses at that one shop.

[Frank Lee]

You'd think it would pay, if not to fit/have/use plug-in heaters, to have a guy run them for a while (5 minutes? 10?) then shut down for- oh- three or four hours, then run 'em a bit more. He could go right down the line and do that all night.

[tumnasgt]

You'd think block heaters would be cheaper than running the engines overnight.

~$25US/night * 14 nights a year (?) * 10 years = $3500US. I don't know what a block heater for a bus costs, but it's gotta be cheaper than $3500.

[Piwoslaw]

The bus drivers proposed investing in engine warmers, for example electric, but the higher-ups know better, don't they?
A block heater could be used to improve start-up fuel consumption year-round...

[d0sitmatr]

working/rebuilding on my computers...


uhg...

[larrybuck]

I like a lot of things that VW, does but the old combo lugnut/stud in 1 can be a pain!

At night, w a flat; you'd just about have to hold a flashlight in your mouth, hold the tire/wheel up w one hand in just the right spot, to start the nut/stud w your other.

Pretty awkward, I'd say! Nothing against women, but even a very competent one;
could you imagine her struggling in that night scene w this; and the happy remarks
one would hear about it from her later???

[Arragonis]

Originally Posted by d0sitmatr

working/rebuilding on my computers...

I find a good rebuild from scratch every now and again quite theraputic - for me and the machine

Originally Posted by larrybuck

I like a lot of things that VW, does but the old combo lugnut/stud in 1 can be a pain!

At night, w a flat; you'd just about have to hold a flashlight in your mouth, hold the tire/wheel up w one hand in just the right spot, to start the nut/stud w your other...

+1 - its not just VW, they all seem like that these days. What was wrong with the old arrangement ?

[320touring]

Originally Posted by Arragonis

I find a good rebuild from scratch every now and again quite theraputic - for me and the machine



+1 - its not just VW, they all seem like that these days. What was wrong with the old arrangement ?

bmw toolkits have a locator that you can slot in to line up the wheel, then put in one of the bolts..easy

[Arragonis]

Yeah, but it comes with a BMW attached....

...good idea though