To Stop or Not To Stop?

Stop means stop, right? The definition of “stop” is “to cease moving, progressing, acting, or operating; come to a halt”. Recently, we found ourselves in a situation that provided us the chance to observe a busy four-way stop intersection. We immediately noticed that the majority of cars that traveled through that intersection blatantly disregarded the stop signs. So, we decided to do our own informal study.

Over the span of about 20 minutes we counted 60 cars, give or take one or two. Of the sixty cars, only half dozen cars actually came to a complete stop. That means 90% of the cars did not stop. We noticed some slowed almost to the point of stopping, some slowed down slightly, and some just rolled on through.

We wondered a few things about what we had seen. Is this driving no-no as common at all stop signs? Did the intersection itself encourage disregard for the law and safety? Were there other factors that affected the behavior?

Following is an excerpt from the California Driver Handbook - Traffic Controls section:


An eight-sided red STOP sign indicates that you must make a full “STOP” whenever you see this sign. Stop at the white limit line (a wide white line painted on the street) or before entering the crosswalk. If a limit line or crosswalk is not painted on the street, stop before entering the intersection. Check traffic in all directions before proceeding.

This states clearly that a full stop is required.

Additionally, the California Driver Handbook – Laws and Rules of the Road section says:

An intersection is any place where one line of roadway meets another roadway. Intersections include cross streets, side streets, alleys, freeway entrances, and any other location where vehicles traveling on different highways or roads join each other. Driving through an intersection is one of the most complex traffic situations motorists encounter. Intersection collisions account for more than 45 percent of all reported crashes and 21 percent of fatalities according to the Federal Highway Administration. 

Pay special attention to that last statement “Intersection collisions account for more than 45 percent of all reported crashes and 21 percent of fatalities”. Forty-five percent? Almost half? 21% fatalities? More than one-fifth of people die from intersection crashes? We know not all intersection crashes are due to failure to stop at a stop sign. Even if only half of the accidents are due to drivers running stop signs, then these are some pretty staggering statistics. At PubMed.gov a study shows that of nearly 700,000 police-reported motor vehicle crashes occurring annually at stop signs, about one-third involve injuries. 33%? That’s a lot in our book!

So, why don’t drivers obey the law and stop when it could mean an injury or worse, death? One reason we discovered is that some stop signs are placed where they are considered to be unnecessary. This seems to cause an increase in drivers ignoring the sign. We also found that many drivers believe they do not have to stop unless a pedestrian, bicyclist, or another car is approaching. Additionally in our “hurry-up society”, many drivers with busy lives seem to rush at everything they do causing them to disregard speed limits and stop signs. Distracted driving also causes drivers to blow through stop signs without even realizing they have done so until it is too late.

Our research turned up other studies whose results indicated even more staggering numbers. They suggested zero cars come to a full

and complete stop at stop signs. So, what is the answer? The threat of a $100 ticket for first offense; and $500 and up for consecutive offenses doesn’t seem to be working. We speculated that a police officer standing on each corner would cause every driver to come to a complete stop; however, this certainly isn’t practical.

 

We don’t have the solution; but we do have a suggestion. Think about what it would mean to your family or someone else’s family if a loved one was lost. Most of us would say that would be devastating. So, why take such a big risk when it is so simple to avoid it? When you drive up to a stop sign in the future, STOP! Count three seconds before moving on. Doesn’t matter if you count Mississippis or something else. Personally, we prefer alligators…one alligator, two alligator, three alligator. Just give yourself the time to be sure it is safe to move on. It could mean your life!

Don’t Let Your Cell Phone Get You Killed

We’ve all seen it. Someone walking down the street while talking or texting on their cell phone totally oblivious to their surroundings. Or how about those you’ve seen talking on the phone while driving even though it is illegal in many places? Both of these situations are dangerous. Then there are those that talk or text in movie theaters, restaurants, or other public places with little regard for others. Have you ever invited a guest to your home with which you could not carry on a conversation because their attention was constantly drawn to their phone? We’ll put these situations in the annoying category. It seems it has even become commonplace for workers to be on their phone while they are doing their job. Lack of focus leads to a poor output at best. Cell phones are certainly a fixture in today’s world. Seems everyone has one; and wants to be connected to everyone and everything they know all the time. This can be a problem when it affects safety, is discourteous to others, or keeps an employee from doing their best.

USA Today reported in September 2013 that a recent study conducted by researchers connected to Ohio State University showed that pedestrian cell phone-related injuries more than doubled since 2005. The study found that in 2010, 1,500 pedestrians were treated in emergency rooms for cell-phone related incidents, as opposed to a mere 559 in 2004. The age group most at risk for cell-phone related injuries while walking is adults under 30 and chiefly those between the ages of 16 and 25, whose injuries ranged from falling off walkways or bridges to walking in front of moving traffic. Distracted walking can also lead to theft of your phone. Displaying your phone is like displaying cash to a thief. Using your phone while walking and not paying attention to your surroundings makes you vulnerable and your phone an easy pick. This type theft is a current trend; and thieves are on the lookout for anyone presenting an easy target.

It’s easy to get distracted while driving. Eating lunch, screaming kids in the back seat, an argument with your spouse, or a conversation with a friend is enough to disrupt your concentration. Some even attempt to put on their makeup while driving. None of these are good ideas while behind the wheel of a car; and should be avoided if at all possible. Talking or texting on a cell phone can ALWAYS be avoided. There is a reason that many states ban talking/texting while driving. If you are not 100% focused on your driving, your car potentially becomes a lethal weapon. Talking on the phone while driving causes your brain to focus on the conversation rather than letting you actually “see” the road. Texting draws your eyes away from the road more often and for longer periods of time. Both drastically increase the likelihood of a crash.

You worked hard all week; and just want to go out for a nice relaxing dinner. You get to your favorite restaurant, get seated at a lovely table, and order a delicious meal. Just when your food arrives a woman at the table next to you picks up her phone and makes a call. She talks loudly throughout your entire dinner. So much for relaxing. You shake it off; and head to the movie theater. You get your ticket, buy a box of Junior Mints, and locate a great seat. Just as the movie starts the cell phone of the guy behind you rings. He answers with a whisper; and you hope that since he was conscientious enough to whisper that the call will be short or better yet, that he will leave the theater. Neither happens; and he whispers on the call for way too long causing you to want to pull your hair out. Your guests arrive at your dinner party; and are seated at the stunning table you have set. You serve the delectable dishes that you meticulously prepared. All is well until a cell phone rings; and one of your guests answers a call. Seeing this, another guest pulls out their phone and sends a text message. Then another decides it must be a good time to check email. This type behavior has become very common. Unfortunately, it seems that all too often these days consideration for others goes out the window when a cell phone is involved.

We’ve noticed another disturbing trend with regard to cell phone usage. Our garbage man has passed us by when he was on the phone. Our mail carrier talks on her phone constantly. We get mail that does not belong to us; and our neighbors get our mail much too often. The clerk at the supermarket takes calls while checking us out. More and more we have encountered workers on their cell phones while on the job. It seems that since they have their phone at their fingertips all the time that they feel it is acceptable to let themselves spend work time on personal phone calls. Do employers feel the same? Doubtful! The fact is that focusing on the task at hand produces a better result. Most employers expect the best from their employees; and see those who make personal calls on company time as less than desirable.

Cell phones are certainly a convenience; and these days provide us with the ability to do much more than make a phone call. In emergency situations they are invaluable. In the situations discussed above, they can be annoying or potentially dangerous. If you are in a public place, be courteous of others. If you have to make/take a call, step outside until you are done. If you are a guest in someone’s home, keep your cell phone put away. If it’s the babysitter and you must take the call, excuse yourself and keep it brief. If you’re walking, keep your phone out of sight. If you must use it, it’s a good idea to stop. Always, be aware of your surroundings. If you are behind the wheel of a car, pull over to a safe place before talking or texting on your phone. If you are at work, get off the phone and do your job. Save the phone calls/texts for break time. Simply, use some good old fashioned common sense with regard to your phone. Be safe – be considerate– be smart!

Get Ready – Get Set – Get Organized!

The holidays are over, the New Year’s resolutions have been made, and winter is in full swing. Many of us like to spend the weeks leading up to spring getting organized so that the all important spring cleaning is easier. But, a lot of us just don’t know where to start. Here are a few tips to help get you on your way to having a place for everything and everything in its place.

You probably received some gifts during the holidays that you have no idea where to put. Every drawer, cabinet, and closet is full. So, it’s out with the old; and in with the new time. A great place to start getting organized is making space by eliminating everything that you don’t need or use. A good rule of thumb that many people use is to get rid of anything that you haven’t worn or used in the past six months. Personally, I like to apply the rule to anything I haven’t used in the past year. That way, I don’t throw out seasonal items I may want when that particular season rolls around again.

If you are someone like me who has trouble letting go of things, you may need to use a two step process. When going through your drawers and closets make three piles. The first pile is for things that you will definitely keep. The second pile is for things you will definitely discard. The last pile is for anything that you know needs to go because you haven’t used it; but just can’t quite let go yet. Put these items in a storage bin and store in your attic or garage. Keep them for six months. After that, if you haven’t used them they must go.

Once you have weeded out all the things that are just taking up space you will be able to organize what’s left. For instance, I like to hang my clothes in the closet with like items together; so it is easier and less time consuming for me to find things. One way is to hang all the dresses together, jeans together, etc. Another is to hang like colors together. You may not feel the need to go quite that far with your organization plan; but at the least you should hang, fold, or stack everything you are putting away neatly.

That takes care of the inside of your home; but what about those spaces like the attic and garage where we store seasonal decorations, tools, and items we don’t use often. Years ago, I just packed my Christmas decorations in various cardboard boxes and stored them in the garage. I never knew which box contained the lights and which contained the tree ornaments; and the boxes being different shapes and sizes never stacked well. So, I decided to start making my life easier by buying plastic storage bins for everything stored in my garage. I put seasonal decorations, extra linens, craft supplies, etc. in the bins and label each bin with a number. Every time I fill a bin I make a list of the items that I put inside. Anytime I need an item, I just refer to my list to find out which bin it is in. I use an Excel spreadsheet for my list which is easy to update anytime I discard an item or get something new. The initial set up took some time; but now it is easy peasy. I cannot begin to tell you how much easier this has made my life.

Once you have everything together that you don’t need anymore, call a local charity and donate all items that could be of use to someone else. Just because you don’t need it anymore doesn’t mean it isn’t just what someone else needs. This recycling will not only do some good for the environment; it will give you a sense of real accomplishment. Hopefully, these tips have inspired some great organizational ideas of your own. If so, let us know your ideas in the comments; and we will include your tips in our next organizational blog. So, what are you waiting for? Get up and get busy!

And Away We Go...

Just wanted to let everyone know our updated website is up and running. We are very happy with our new look; and hope you are, too. Please, let us know if you have any problems using the site. We would also really appreciate any suggestions you may have. We are always looking to improve.


Don't forget Mothers Day is just around the corner. We have lots of great gifts for moms, grandmothers, moms-to-be, step-moms, etc. We have lovely artisan crafted candle holders in stunning designs and vivid colors. If mom loves to cook we have cute two-in-one novelty aprons or quality kitchen tools by Cuisipro. All Cuisipro products have a 25 year warranty! If those items just aren't right for mom, we have a very large selection of lovely jewelry. We have brilliant sterling silver necklaces, gleaming gold earrings, vibrant gemstone jewelry, luminescent pearls, and much more! Remember all our jewelry items ship free!

Hope everyone has a great week! Happy Tax Day!

Hubcaps and Gravy is Getting a Facelift

We have been working very hard for the past few months on a new website design. We hope our new look will be not only aesthetically pleasing; but will also, enhance your shopping experience. It has been a tremendous amount of work to get to this point; however, with the launch just days away now we feel rewarded by our accomplishments.

Some things haven't changed. We still have the same quality products as before. You will simply find them in a different layout. Also, we will still be on the lookout for more great deals we can pass on to our customers. As always, we will strive to provide the best customer service; and do everything in our power to keep our customers happy.


We would appreciate any feedback that anyone would like to give regarding our new look. Leave your comments here or on our Facebook page. We look forward to hearing from you.

Lumber Selection

Once you have learned how to select and purchase lumber you also need to know how to pick out useable lumber. There are a few things you should know about before you select your material. Normally, you want to select kiln dried lumber. Wood not kiln dried is referred to as green lumber. In the construction trade kiln dried lumber is not common. In cabinet making and furniture making it is critical to use dried material. Wet wood will twist, shrink, and cup. Kiln dried can do the same; but the effects will most likely be very minimal depending on the water content.


Another thing that is important to know is that wood comes in the rough, S2S (surfaced two sides) and S4S (surfaced four sides). Wood in the rough has been run through saws; and is like it sounds, rough! Usually, wood in the rough can be found at a better price. However, it is not easy to tell what it will look like; and if it has imperfections. The amount of extra work trying to use wood in the rough is not worth the money you save when purchasing. S2S wood has been run through a planer on both sides; and is usually consistent in thickness throughout the unit of wood. With S2S you can see what your selection looks like; and have a good idea of the quality. S4S is the same as S2S but the edges are machined too. While S2S is good you will still need to machine the edges. S4S is usually ready to be used as soon as you buy it. Once you have decided whether to use material in the rough, S2S or S4S, there are a few more things to look for in your selections.

Unfortunately, even kiln dried lumber can have problems that you need to avoid whenever possible. You need to inspect every board for twists, cracks, cupping, bowing, and checking. Before you look at each piece of material, look at the stack of wood. Is the stack sitting flat or are there gaps in between each board? Are the top boards lying flat? Start by choosing a stack that is lying flat; and you will have a better chance of getting good material.

Select a board; and turn it on its edge, then, sight down the length. Is it fairly straight? If it has a dramatic bow, from end to end, select another one. Is the board flat? If the board is not flat or is cupped select another board. Splits on the ends of the board are fairly common due to the drying process but a long split is not good. Not only is it a waste of money but could keep splitting the longer it sits around.

Checking is another problem due to sloppy drying techniques. Checking looks like stretch marks or gouge marks on the face of the board. Worm holes should be avoided unless that is the look you want.

If you see powdery saw dust by the holes or on the face of the board then there is probably live worms eating away; and not a good idea to bring them back to your home or shop. Large holes in reclaimed wood can have live wasps and Carpenter Bees hibernating inside. If you bring reclaimed wood into the warmth they will come out to visit. Also, as you go through a stack don’t mess it up for the next guy. Go through the stack and restack the pile like you found it.

Repairman unravels telephone mystery

When is the last time you read something that made you laugh? Really laugh? The following is from Dennis Rockstroh's Action Line column in the Mercury News. Both Bruce and I practically rolled on the floor with laughter when we read this. We thought a Monday morning would be a great time to share this; and get everyone's week off to a great start.

"Action Line: Doggone; this could be a shaggy dog story

By Dennis Rockstroh
drockstroh@mercurynews.com
Posted: 02/04/2012 12:00:00 AM PST

I could not pass this up.

Q This might help Janet from San Pablo (Action Line, Jan. 31)

A Kansas farm wife called the local phone company to report that her telephone failed to ring when her friends called, and that on the few occasions it did ring, her dog always moaned right before the phone rang.

The telephone repairman proceeded to the scene, curious to see this psychic dog or senile lady. He climbed a telephone pole, hooked in his test set and dialed the subscriber's house.

The phone didn't ring right away, but then the dog moaned and the telephone began to ring.

Climbing down from the pole, the telephone repairman found:

1. The dog was tied to the telephone system's ground wire with a steel chain and collar.

2. The wire connection to the ground rod was loose.

3. The dog was receiving 90 volts of signaling current when the number was called.

4. After a couple of jolts, the dog would start moaning and then urinate.

5. The wet ground would complete the circuit, thus causing the phone to ring, which demonstrates that some problems can be fixed by "pissing and moaning."

Mark

A I've always believed that, Mark."

To read more of Mr. Rockstroh's columns, click http://www.mercurynews.com/action-line/.

Enjoy your week!