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layabout
11/25/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
Mini for the win,we make em tough in England.
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Murilee Martin
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
The Mini Cooper does seem to be pretty good at taking a hard impact; I've rear-ended one at a pretty good clip in an old Tercel (admittedly my fault for following too close on wet pavement- lesson learned: got to allow enough following space for distracted drivers with ABS to glance up from the cellphone readout and panic-stop for a nonexistent red light). The Tercel looked like it had hit a brick wall, while the rear bumper of the Mini looked like a brisk scrubbing with a scouring pad would remove any signs of damage.
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weatherman
11/25/08

@Murilee Martin: It doesn't sound to me like you actually have learned your lesson, actually. In my mind there's no excuse for hitting someone from behind. You weren't following at a safe distance, you weren't paying attention, and you weren't in control of your vehicle. Case. Closed.
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Mike the Dog is sitting by the door with a pair of cow slippers, and a very sad face.
11/25/08

Sorry to pile on Murilee, but I'm with weatherman on this one. Rear end collisions are almost always the following driver's fault.

We (as superior drivers) must always remain extra vigilant for the impending moronic actions of the great unwashed. Never forget this.
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DoctorNine
11/25/08

@Mike the Dog: "..We (as superior drivers) must always remain extra vigilant for the impending moronic actions of the great unwashed. Never forget this..."

Well said.
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MushyHeirloom
11/25/08

@DoctorNine, Experimental Vehicle Type II B: What he said. Rehearted, Mike.
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Novaload
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
Engage Mini-Me! Ramming speed!

Tallyho, Tahoe!
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SiktaNymph
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
a man big can trip over a small cat if afraid to step on it
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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/25/08

@SiktaNymph: That was almost like a haiku of some sort. Nice use of anastrophe.
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kg23
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
"The driver of the Tahoe ... did get a ticket."

Great. A ticket. That'll learn 'em!

What about "The driver of the Tahoe instantly lost their license for 12 months for gross negligence."

Red light running is ridiculous.
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MushyHeirloom
11/25/08

@kg23: The only excuse for it (if you can call it one) is just not seeing the light. I've encountered my share of confusing traffic lights that don't appear to apply to the road/lane/street you're on/in. (There's a nice one in, I believe, Westminster, MA.)
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bzr
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
I remember when the Mini came out, one of their advertising slogans was: "Bruce Lee was 5'0"."

Apt.

Oh, and there's this:
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CypressCarNut
11/24/08

@bzr loves you long time: Do you think that if Bruce Lee had not died, we would be now commenting on his campy television series "Mr. Chang, Hong-Kong Special Police Officer"
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bzr
11/24/08

@Veni Vidi Propello-got tired of the old handle, now asking ...: It's movies like those that ensure that Jackie Chan still has a career.
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Murilee Martin
11/24/08

@Veni Vidi Propello-got tired of the old handle, now asking ...: He'd probably be in a campy San Francisco cop show, since Bruce was an SF native and all.
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DoctorNine
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
Just be glad you bounced off, man. It could have been unfortunate.

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jark
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
When I was 18 I smashed my '92 Integra in a head-on accident with an Expedition. I got thrown into the seatbelt so hard that it snapped my left collarbone. That and a few bruises were my only injuries though. The front end was completely smashed but the passenger compartment was intact. From the A-pillar back you wouldn't know it was in an accident at all. Crumple zones work.
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MushyHeirloom
11/24/08

@jarque: How'd the upside-down Expedition do?
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Deartháir II
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
Why am I expecting an interview from the MINI something like you hear from sport celebrities?

"Well, you know Jim, I feel pretty good about it, I think a lot of people going into this fight thought that I was mismatched. I heard from a lot of you media types that it was a fight I couldn't win, that I was in over my head. In some ways, I guess they were right, but you know, I spent a lot more time in development than my opponent. I made sure to surround myself with the best engineers, trainers, and researchers, and I tried to do everything they told me. You know, I think it just comes down to a lot of hard work and time invested. I know some people are going to say I was just lucky, but my dad always told me, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. I'd like to thank John Cooper, really, he's responsible for making me who I am today, and also thank my sponsor, BMW. You know what they say, Jim, they're the Ultimate Driving Machine. And if my wife, Rolls, is watching, I love you honey, I'll be home soon."
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shoyo
11/24/08

@Bronx Mowgli Deartháir: Nice. Props.
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Deartháir II
11/25/08

@shoyo: Word.
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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/25/08

@Bronx Mowgli Deartháir: Is it too late for COTD? I don't even know what day it is.
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IN THE FACE!
11/26/08

@mr.chophoppers: Seconded, on both counts...

*thump*zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
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IN THE FACE! was starred IN THE FACE! was unstarred

tenbeers
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
well this certainly says something about centers of gravity.

though I'd bet that tahoe, once kicked back over onto its wheels, could drive away.
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P161911 probably shoudn't have
11/24/08

@tenbeers: The nice clear view of the suspension and drivetrain shows very little if any damage to anything but the bodywork on the Tahoe. If was mine I'd have the tow truck pull it back over and see if I could drive it home for the insurance company to sort it out.
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Elhigh
11/25/08

@tenbeers: I bet it's got a shorter turning radius to the right, now. Seein's how it's bent halfway 'round already and all.
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MushyHeirloom
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
Poor widdle S. Is it totaled? Looks fixable to me.

Also, this.

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tenbeers
11/24/08

@FuzzyPlushroom: run away!
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Paul Y. can't get in the club; gotta parking lot pimp
11/24/08

@tenbeers:

I think this is how Yukotahoburbalade drivers picture themselves, subconsciously.

...until they have to pay attention to the road to avoid flipping over and dying.
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MushyHeirloom
11/24/08

@civicdrivr: He meant "SHE was also insured."
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MushyHeirloom
11/24/08

@FuzzyPlushroom: Dammit! I HATE this new threaded system sometimes...
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Elhigh
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
I think this goes a long way toward proving that it isn't what you drive, or how big it is, or whether it has airbags...

It's all about whether there's an inattentive dumbass coming toward you.
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coupeZ600
11/24/08

@Elhigh: When I first got my Coupe Z, my wife took one look at it and said, "There is ABSOLUTELY no way I'm letting you put the kids in that thing!" I told her while pointing at the driver's seat, "The most important safety feature in ANY car sits right there."
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
11/24/08

@coupeZ600: There's still nothing you can do to avoid idiots, no matter how good of a driver you are. Sometimes the cards just don't fall in your favor.

Hence why I'll never ride a motorcycle cross-country.
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DoctorNine
11/24/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?:

Cross country isn't dangerous. It's city/freeway traffic that kills.
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bagseed
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
most suv drivers are idiots and i am glad to see when they are in unfortunate situations because it makes me feel better than them
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Mad_Science
11/24/08

@bagseed: Generalizing a group of people as idiots while failing to punctuate or capitalize your sentence doesn't really make for a convincing argument.

Just sayin'.
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damnelantra™
11/24/08

@Mad_Science: the grammar police have once again returned

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bagseed
11/24/08

@Mad_Science: the joke was that i was generalizing them

english is a living language
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
11/24/08

@bagseed: "english is a living language"

Not when you're done with it, it's not.

Although I like your sense of humor. I clicked that little heart thingy. Does that mean we're married now?
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alowishus wants to run a Saab Sonett III at LeMons
11/25/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?: "Not when you're done with it, it's not." I lol'd!
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Mr.choppers - Delenda Carthago Est
11/25/08

@alowishus: I had to drag people over here to show them. Haha!
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damnelantra™
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
3,ooolb curb weight cars: 1

6,ooolb curb weight cars: 8,455,123
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
11/24/08

@damnelantra™: I with you. This doesn't exactly invalidate 1/2*m*v^2, does it?
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Grive
11/24/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?: Of course, that equation doesn't really say anything. Yes, the bigger vehicle has more energy.

No, that doesn't mean it's going to cope better. It's a bit like them old malaise era cars. When you are the crumple zone, you're the one who will lose, no matter what.

It has a LOT more to do with design and how efficient the car is at dissipating it around you.
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
11/24/08

@Grive: You keep your seriousness out of this. I was making a point.

Bigger usually equals safer. If you weigh 6000 pounds and hit an object that weighs 3000 pounds coming the opposite direction at the same speed, you're going to have a 50% reduction in speed, while the other vehicle is going to have a 150% reduction in speed. Less energy to dissipate.

See, that's the problem with us engineers. We use equations like everyday words (here, as a generalization) and forget there are normal people out there in the real world.
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dusanmal
11/24/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?: Strangely for engineer you use extremely idealized collision... What Grive points out works in engineering very well (and I might be alive due to that factor): if collision is not ideally elastic parts of each vehicle can absorb kinetic energy and store it in form of deformation. So, if my 1600 lbs Honda CRX is able to convert huge amounts of kinetic energy in deformation and in the same time direct that deformation away from the passenger compartment I can happily survive collision with the 30000 lbs jacknifed tractor-trailer. As I did. Without any injury. And was able to open driver side door properly, while the rest of the car was destroyed and crumpled to a fraction of its previous size. That is how good safety engineering works on small cars.
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alowishus wants to run a Saab Sonett III at LeMons
11/25/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?: I'm sorry sir, but YOU ARE WRONG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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weatherman
11/25/08

@Grive: actually, faster cars have more energy.
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weatherman
11/25/08

@alowishus: not really a fair test. Try crashing a large modern car against a small modern car and see how they fair. I think you'd find that a large car with similar safety equipment and design would do better.
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Unevolved has three moving parts.
11/25/08

@alowishus: About which part was I so terribly wrong? Are you saying 1/2mv^2 is inaccurate? Or did you just feel like jumping in the middle of the conversation to prove us wrong with the internet.
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nataku8_e30
11/25/08

@dusanmal: You might as well think of it as a partially inelastic collision where each vehicle will have to dissipate a fairly equal amount of energy. The smaller car will certainly "bounce" more, which will cause the occupants to see higher accelerations. High accelerations rarely result in decapitation or broken limbs, however - these are usually caused by vehicular deformation compromising the passenger cabin. Presumably, if each vehicle were required to dissipate the same amount of energy through inelastic deformation, the larger vehicle should be able to achieve this with less deformation, validating the point that a 6000 lb vehicle is safer than a 3000 lb vehicle. This only holds as long as the larger vehicle is actually designed to dissipate energy as well as the smaller vehicle. In addition, it ignores the probability of rolling, etc... For my money, I'd go with the smaller, shorter, better designed vehicle - less chance of rolling and better chassis dynamics would help keep you out of a collision, while a nice unibody frame with crumple zones as well as a full compliment of air-bags will keep you safe if you do get in an accident. That's the problem with engineering though - you have to be able to gauge which factors are important and how to properly estimate their effects. Your inelastic collision sounds more like freshman physics than engineering...
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DoctorNine
11/25/08

@nataku83: While high accelerations may not cause decapitation or amputation of limbs, they are responsible for the majority of internal organ injuries such as liver/spleen laceration or contusion, and rupture of the aorta, which is a common cause of death in frontal impact collisions. (Used to work in the state Medical Examiners office long times ago. Saw lots of MVA deaths.)
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IN THE FACE!
11/26/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?:

Reality check:

Usually =/ Universally
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IN THE FACE!
11/26/08

@Deck the halls with unevolved?: You equation for kinetic energy fails to take a multitude of factors into consideration.

It's like saying e=mc^2. Where's my Mr. Fusion, bitch?
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Dr. H. F. Danger
11/24/08

In reply to Chevy Tahoe Messes With Texas Mini Cooper, Pays Price
-HALP!
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