Everybody's Gone Surfin'

Photo by Loomis Dean, 1950.  Click image for larger.

Don't waste rubles on unnecessary ramps!

Politicians wake up to toll increase

Will billionaire Cuomo campaign donor Howard Milstein get away with his stake-through-the-heart Thruway toll increase?  Maybe not.  In the Finger Lakes:

You won't find any supporters of a proposed New York State Thruway toll hike among Cayuga County's state legislators...

The potential toll increase was criticized by Assembly Minority Leader Brian Kolb, R-Canandaigua, who said that it's another example of New York "not being open for business."

"It would increase the cost of goods and services and increase costs at a time that people do not need any more increased costs," he said.

Assemblyman Gary Finch, R-Springport, shared Kolb's position.

"At a time when we're trying to get the economy to come back, in addition to the high cost of fuel, we're putting an additional burden on trucks that will be reflected in the costs of goods and merchandise to the consumer," he said.

Assemblyman Robert Oaks, R-Macedon, and state Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, also oppose the proposed toll increase.

And from the remote Western New York outpost of Amherst:

Representative Kathy Hochul (NY-26) sent a letter to New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo expressing her opposition to a proposed 45 percent increase in tolls for trucks on the New York State Thruway stating that the increase would negatively impact Western New York’s economy.

In the letter Hochul writes: “If implemented, this would seriously hinder economic activity in our region. I spoke to truckers just today who say they will have no option but to either pass on the additional costs of the higher tolls to their customers, or to avoid the Thruway altogether by using secondary roads. The Thruway Authority’s proposal would make the cost of business in our state even higher, especially in rural communities that depend on trucks for freight service.”

We remind Rep. Hochul that people who depend on truck transportation are not confined to New York's rural hinterlands.  Every man, woman and child in the United States depends on trucks for the necessities and luxuries of modern life. 

Auburn prepares for zombies

While record high gasoline prices and ever increasing taxes force Auburn residents to cut back, their government rolls out the mother of all SUVs.

Small arms fire, anti-tank mines or alien invasion — the latest addition to the Auburn Police Department's fleet can handle them all.

APD Emergency Response Team Commander Michael Roden admitted that the Casspir armored vehicle, loaned to the city by the U.S. Department of Defense last October, probably won't face any of those conditions in Auburn, but it's still a useful tool.

 Photo:  Taisha Laird  

Earth Week

Iowahawk's 7th annual Earth Week Cruise-In is underway.  This year's planet-fest kicked off with the Australian F-650 family hauler pictured here.  We're sure the big Ford is "capable of being converted to biodiesel" (but don't hold your breath).

We'd love to see the Finger Lakes represented in this year's hydrocarbon extravaganza.  "Earth is in the balance" and "there's no time to waste," so get your entry in to Iowahawk today.

Not recommended

Spotted in Moscow.  As always, click pic for larger version.

Heavy Chevy

Deer guard?

Our correspondent in Iraq reports his SUV is powered by a Vortec 8100 V8.  Not the best gas mileage, but it's air conditioned and fully armored. 

Bulletproof

Looks perfect for getting a good space in Wegmans' parking lot.

Willin'

Southern Tier flooding

I 86/NY 17 at Exit 66, Apalachin/Campville Bridge.  More pics here.

Photo by Laurie

Syracuse Nationals

Over 80,000 people checked out over 7,000 cars at last weekend's Syracuse Nationals.  Bob O'Connor founded the annual event only 11 years ago, yet its already one of Upstates's most success enterprises.  Held under typical Central New York cloudless skies, with summer-like temperatures, this year's show had something for everyone.  In addition to Joanie Cunningham (Erin Moran), Henry Winkler (Fonzie) and Brock Yates (Brock Yates), there were a whole lot of cars. A few photos:.

Joanie

Aaaaaaay.....

Smokey in the dashboard

The Wall Street Journal reports that today's economic environment is changing the nature of the long haul truck driver's job.

Gary Vann pines for the days when he could put the pedal to the metal in his 18-wheeler and hurtle down empty stretches of highway at 100 miles per hour. "You talk about fun, man," the 34-year-old Tennessean said.

That was in the late 1990s, when Mr. Vann was a rookie truck driver and oil was cheap. Now, with diesel at close to $4 a gallon, trucking companies are moving to cap soaring fuel bills by tapping the brakes on their drivers.

Several big companies have tweaked the computerized governors on their trucks' engines in recent months, dialing down the top speed. Mr. Vann's employer, Titan Transfer LLC, cut it to 65 mph from 70 mph. Titan also drops extra cash on drivers who know how to get the best fuel economy out of their rigs, and puts extra pressure on the leadfoot.

Older drivers, who lived the 1970s trucker culture, are, needless to say, dismayed.

It's a good thing John Gilbert didn't have an egg under his accelerator in the 1970s. Back then, he often high-tailed it from Los Angeles to Baltimore at an average speed of 80 mph. Mr. Gilbert, now 69, would cross the country in three days, not the five his company gave him for the trip. That gave him two days to relax at home in Baltimore, with his bosses none the wiser.

The low-tech tools of the trade were catnip to rogue truckers. The CB radio helped drivers skirt speed traps. Faced with federal rules limiting the number of hours they could drive in a day, truckers kept written logs—sometimes several versions of them—to hide illegally long days from authorities' prying eyes.

Mr. Gilbert reminds us of a driver we knew.  Cue Jim Croce.

I drive a broke down rig on "may-pop" tires
Forty foot of overload
A lot of people say that I'm crazy
Because I don't know how to take it slow
I got a broomstick on the throttle
I got her opened up and head right down
Nonstop back to Dallas
Poppin' them West Coast turn-arounds

And they call me Speedball
Speedball Tucker
Terror of the highways
And all them other truckers
Will tell you that the boy is mad
To be drivin' in a rig like that

You know the rain may blow
The snow may snow
And the turnpikes they may freeze
But they don't bother ol' Speedball
He goin' any damn way he please
He got a broomstick on the throttle
To keep his throttle foot a-dancin' round
With a cupful of coal black coffee
And a pocketful of West Coast turn-arounds

One day I looked into my rear view mirror
And a-comin' up from behind
There was a Georgia State policeman
And a hundred dollar fine
Well he looked me in the eye as he was writin' me up
And said, "Driver, you've been flyin'!"
"And ninety five was the route you were on, it was not the speed limit sign."

Double bottoms will save the earth

When New York really was the Empire State

When Glenn Reynolds links to a freight story, even if its from the UK, and even if it involves the carbon scam,  as Uncle Andy would say, we're on it:

The UK's Department for Transport (DFT) has released the results of its study on the impact of longer semi-trailer trucks. The findings suggest that the use of longer trailers would slash emissions without compromising road integrity or safety.

The study proposes that by increasing the total length of articulated trucks by two meters (6.6 feet) while maintaining the UK's existing weight limit of 44 tons, carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by 13 percent. The increased length would boost capacity of the haulers and allow for the transport of up to 100,000 additional tons of "lightweight goods" per year.

Red Star B-Series Mack with Thruway doubles

Here at South of 5 and 20, we don't buy into the "climate change" hoax, but we do know that bigger trucks move more freight with less fuel.  Hemmings has the scoop on how double bottoms evolved, and how our own Route 20 played a leading role.  Lots of fallen flags in the post, including Auburn's Red Star Express.  In the 1970's, triple bottoms were tested on the Thruway, but the AAA freaked out and killed the experiment.

Gotta call Billy Fuccillo

"Voroshylovets"

Before Sputnik, the Russians built some serious SUVs.  More photos and info here.