Car Analogy

Harsh winter. Worst pothole season ever. Our cars have been hibernating, and the weather is starting to get nice, we are itching to get our cars on the road again, just waiting for some more rain to wash away the remaining salt, sand and grit leftover on roads and parking lots.

But there are potholes and huge frost heaves everywhere. Its like an obstacle course out there. The DD is getting hammered. You can't see them all, and sometimes your tire falls into a big one. You know its bad when it hurts, literally causes you physical pain.

What will this do to our S? It will be worse if you are lowered. Not a pleasant thought.

Its a dilemma. The weather is begging us to venture out. Do we risk damage to our cars by driving them anyway, or risk damage to our phsyche by leaving them parked?

cosmomiller

All I can do is mutter "Pothole, what are potholes?" and head for the road top down. Panoramic highway north of San Francisco and Point Reyes. This weekend will be Petaluma for a cheese festival. Staying at the Coast Guard Station there. Spring is spring.

Spagolli94

I have the same dilemma. I live in Center City, Philly and our roads are never in very good shape. After this epic winter, many roads resemble the surface of the moon. The country roads far out of the city are probably okay. But my fear is getting the car out of the city without blowing a tire, bending a rim or throwing the alignment out. I guess it wouldn't hurt to let the car sit for another few weeks and give the city a chance to patch of the craters. After all, it's still pretty cold out anyway.

I'm VERY jealous of pics from the West Coast. I'm currently thinking about opening a West Coast branch of my business. I was considering San Diego and San Fran. I've never been to SD and only been to SF once. My criteria, however, make it hard to find an ideal city. I run a design business so a cool location with an urban vibe is a must. Plus, my GF is a city girl. She despises the burbs and doesn't want to live in a city where she needs a car. Also, the city needs real, authentic culture. Not fake facades and phony, themed restaurants. So from what I can tell, that kind of rules out San Diego. However, I'm not sure I could deal with all the cold, foggy weather in San Fran. Plus, in order to live in an urban hot spot, it's going to VERY $$$$. I have a kid and need a home office space, thus I'd need a 3-bedroom. I think I'd need to win the lottery first. I guess I could always consider the outskirts of SF, but without the urban experience I don't think my GF would be happy and it would be harder to find young talent to work at my studio - those types are often city dwellers.

So for now, I'm stuck on the east coast. With the potholes.

Sorry for the long rant!!!

cosmomiller

No, no, NO! I grew up in San Diego (Coronado actually, across the street from the beach) and I now live just 2 hours east of San Francisco. I went to college here too. San Diego is the opposite of San Francisco. San Diego is the original Navy town/beach town with the best weather in the United States. Nothing is made up or phony baloney there. It has grown like crazy and is no longer the inexpensive place it was. San Francisco is liberalism run amok, very, very expensive and crowded. Regulations and taxes are over the top. Lots of friends and family will move there and then move away permanently when they experience true life there (especially with kids). Nice place to visit and eat but you would not want to live there. (I always carry when I am there)

Rethink your business decision. Might even consider Sacramento if cost is a big factor. PM me if you want, I will be happy to talk with you.

AZS2KDancer

If you move to California, the GF will need to learn how to drive, just about anywhere you choose to live. Public transportation exists in most cities, but we have freeways out here for a reason.

Spagolli94

She actually knows how to drive and enjoys it. What she doesn't like is the concept of having to drive. So many American cities (and my childhood) fits pretty much the same mold. Everybody lives in single family houses, with yards or barriers to their neighbors. Then we all get in our cars and drive to work, the store or the gym. And drive home again. And drive to go out at night or to see friends. And drive to the park. On and on and on.

A few years ago, after my divorce, I moved into the city. After all, I didn't want to sit alone in the burbs, staring at the trees in my backyard. I currently live and run my business in Philly. While the outskirts of the city are crime ridden wastelands, the Center City is quite nice. Charming old row homes and consistently ranked as one of the countries most walkable cities:

https://www.walkscore.com

Point behing, you can walk to work, then walk by the market, stop for drinks and see some friends on the way home. I walk my dog to work as well. During the summer it's great. Very vibrant. Streets are full of people out walking there dogs, eating at sidewalk cafes, biking, etc. I believe most of the big cities on the East Coast are similar. But the winters. My god the winters. Ughgh.

I escaped the cold by living in Tampa for 8 years. Too hot in the summer though. And very boring land topography (no curvy roads for my old CBR). Also, very few people actually live IN the downtown section of Tampa. It is (or was) by in large a business district. People would go to work, then go home to their homes and apartments in the burbs. Sure, there were a few places to live downtown, but the streets weren't exactly bustling. Weekends in Ybor City were fun. But again, people would come down for the night, then drive home.

So it's tough. Only the cities in the NE fit the feel and experience we're after. Chicago might work too, but it's way too cold. San Fran is really the only place that seems to fit the bill out west. But the chilly fog, astronomical prices and over-the-top liberalism make it less than ideal.

I do drool over your roads out west though! Driving the S out there with the top down and ocean views must be heaven.

tiger1964

Pothole Season seems to come as a surprise to everyone just about every year; I love the TV news articles -- what, you were unaware this happens? For me the only frustrating part is living in a county with a $17.38 total annual budget for road repair.

One plus is that now we both drive cars with relatively wide tires and one can often cross the small potholes without dropping down into them.

zeroptzero

This has been the coldest season on record, frost has been deeper this year. The only harm would be cracking my lightweight rims if the rim takes a direct hit. Pothole season is in full bloom here.

tangoray

potholes are rife here in the UK, particularly in manchester where i am, it seriously is a joke.... i mean i pay my taxes and this shit never seems to improve, it just gets worse year after year!!

Mark355

Upstate NY here. You folks who do not experience below freezing for a month straight with lows on the minus side have no idea what frost heave is. You can catch air where I live. Worst winter I can remember in terms of relentless. It was too cold for too long with no mid-season thaw. The roads are destroyed and most need to be dug up and repaved. Forget patching, it's like putting a band-aid on a severed limb. Last year was severe too with the polar vortex and our aging infrastructure cannot handle two successive extreme winters.

Still plenty of snow to melt so it'll be late April before the car comes out. Pondering selling it.