|
Yeah, wow - 30 seconds would've been OBSCENE, though!!! (NOT)
Years ago, early in my quest to find "economical driving techniques" to try, I remember reading that turning off the engine at a "stop" wouldn't be worthwhile unless it was under a MINUTE. Well, I thought, some of these blasted "slow lights" around here were undoubtely MANY minutes. So I'd start experimenting, turning off my engine & then hitting the stopwatch to see how much I might expect to save (which would be the amount in excess of that one minute threshhold, right?)
Well, imagine my shock when I discovered even the most tortuously slow stoplights in town were SELDOM over a minute!!! I mean, if I was stopped a minute & 15 seconds, that was VERY unusual. But it sure seems like an eternity if you want to go, and are forced to just sit there & wait "for nothing". I expect that's what your office speed demon was feeling, even though it was only 4 seconds!!
Nowadays, if I understand right, for "modern" fuel injected cars that start easily, 10 seconds is the new "break even point". I must confess I'm STILL a bit surprised at how little over 10 seconds some of these "long lights" are, even so.
.... funny how perceptions vs. reality can be, huh? ...
|