While most of us were ringing in the new year, California police officers were preparing for the text-messaging law, SB 28, that went into effect on January 1. It bans writing, sending, or reading a text-based communication while driving on the highways of the golden state as posted on the Department of Motor Vehicles’ web site.

Frankly, I’m amazed that such a law was needed. I mean, common sense should have made it unnecessary. But apparently a wake-up call to the swerving clueless among us was needed. Texting has become a big deal, especially among teens, but I hadn’t noticed until recently just how many of them do it while driving. Maybe I wasn’t paying enough attention to fellow drivers with whom I share the highways before the law went into effect, but I am now and what I’m seeing scares me.

Bear in mind, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger just signed the hands-free cell phone law in September although the fines, if you’re caught in violation, aren’t very steep. Yet, now that I’m paying closer attention, I’m noticing that a lot of people — and not just teens — are talking on hand helds or texting in the lanes next to me.

It’s as though they’re thumbing their collective noses at law enforcement. Or maybe they’re rich and aren’t swayed by the prospect of shelling out the bucks for fines if they’re caught. Or maybe they’re just too stupid to realize they’re putting other people’s lives — yours and mine — at risk. Maybe they just don’t give a damn.

In any event, I wonder what can be done about it. There aren’t enough police officers available these days to nab red light runners or drunk drivers, so I imagine texters are way down the priority lists of the few officers we do have. Would it help if we called 911 and reported abusers? Or would that be considered a non-emergency call?

I don’t have the answers. If anyone does, I’m all ears.

Harley Davidson motorcycles are as American as apple pie, a part of our culture. Noted for their unique engine sound and retro styling, they have risen from near bankruptcy in the 80’s to a vibrant and profitable company.

To maintain growth, Harley has been trying to enter the Indian market but, with import tariffs nearly doubling the cost of the bikes to Indian customers, entry into that market has been a tough nut to crack. But India recently agreed to allow Harleys to be sold through dealers rather than directly to wealthy Indian consumers, a step in the right direction.

Some speculate it’s only a matter of time before exports to India become a reality. And once Harley establishes an Indian presence, look for the company to move toward manufacturing in that country. Some components are already being purchased from India so it wouldn’t be a huge leap. However, some loyal Harley enthusiasts fear that complete outsourcing might follow and that an Indian made Harley just wouldn’t be the same.

That concern led to the creation of this humorous PowerPoint illustration I received from my cousin Mike. Click on the image (requires MS PowerPoint or compatible presentation software and speakers) and follow the instructions. It’s a 2.2 Mb file, so allow ample time for it to download.

…eight years ago, when Southwest Airlines Flight 1455 from Las Vegas overshot the runway at Burbank, crashed through a metal blast wall and then through the airport perimeter wall and came to rest on Hollywood Way, a four-lane city street, near a Chevron gas station.

Amazingly, only two passengers received serious injuries. Even more amazing, check out the gas prices!

H.T. to Mike!

Oil prices are at record highs. The overwhelming dependence of our cars and trucks on oil strains family budgets, threatens our national security and contributes to global warming. Plug-in electric vehicles have the potential to significantly reduce the United States’ dependence on oil. Yet can this potential be realized? If so, how? Is there a national interest in putting millions of plug-in vehicles on the road soon? How should policymakers in Washington, D.C., respond?

On June 11 and 12, the Brookings Institution and Google.org hosted a conference titled “Plug-in Electric Vehicles 2008: What Role for Washington?” The conference placed a spotlight on plug-in electric vehicles, examining their potential, their viability, and the pros and cons of different federal policies to promote them.

Transcripts and videos will be posted on the site soon. Meanwhile, I’ve been checking into available electric cars as a possible replacement for my gas guzzling Range Rover. Honda’s Civic Hybrid delivers an estimated 45 mpg, but with a gallon of gasoline approaching $5, it’s not as attractive to me as it might have been when a gallon ran a mere $3.25. There are several concept electrics in the pipeline, but none seem quite ready for prime time. However, I think I’ve settled on this one…

Click to read more ...

I suppose it was only a matter of time. Philadelphians opened their newspapers Friday to ads trumpeting new airline Derrie-Air’s announced policy to charge passengers “by the pound” reasoning that “it takes more fuel to move heavier objects.”

Derrie-Air’s sample rates range from $1.40 per pound to fly from Philadelphia to Chicago, to $2.25 per pound to fly from Philadelphia to Los Angeles. Philadelphia Media Holdings spokesman Jay Devine said “there’s already buzz about the campaign…”

It’s a radical plan, but not surprising with fuel prices sky-rocketing and airlines scrambling to eek out a profit. Other airlines have announced plans to charge passengers for second checked bags, with one airline planning to charge for each checked bag.

Derrie-Air claims to be the world’s only carbon-neutral luxury airline, and it justifies its fare policy by pledging to plant trees to offset every pound of carbon its planes release into the atmosphere. That may help appease green travelers, but other passengers may not be as receptive.

You can read more at flyderrie-air.com and in this SFGate news story.

As locals know, Caltrans has been gearing up to repair the “Boat Section” of Interstate 5 that runs through downtown Sacramento. The project begins today and will last about seven weeks. The aggressive schedule, aimed at completing the project months sooner than would normally be the case, involves closing lanes so that repairs can be performed around the clock, seven days a week. That means traffic snarls for commuters as they struggle to get to and from downtown Sacramento during construction.

The California Trucking Association created a helpful construction calendar to help motorists plan their movements through this essential corridor and my good friend, Michael, was kind enough to offer it to IM readers that may be impacted. (Download a pdf copy.) For more information about construction, lane closures and commute alternatives visit fixI-5.com. Visitors can register for email alerts, view live camera images, link to commute alternatives and monitor the up-to-date project schedule.

Davey says, “Following the recent crash landing at London’s Heathrow Airport, there have been some modifications to runway lighting…”

These are purportedly photographs (click to enlarge) of the worlds largest helicopter, sighted on the tarmac in Dease Lake, B.C., a couple weeks ago. It was apparently being used to move mining equipment and cargo to Galore Creek, a new mine in that area. Called the Utsky and owned by a Russian company, the behemoth chopper couldn’t land at the unpaved air strip at Bob Quinn Lake (its rotor wash blows 12-inch rocks around like leaves!) so it had to land at Dease Lake until the landing site north of Bob Quinn could be inspected. It’s probably bigger than anything ever seen at the Dease Lake Airport, including the terminal building!

Stats (unverified):

• Russian crew of 6 (2 pilots, 1 navigator, 2 engineers (mechanics), 1 cargo person)

• Carries 75 troops

• Consumes 2000 litres of fuel per hour

• Range: 580 km

• Rental rate: $30,000/hr

• Length: 40 metres

• Rotor: 8 blades, each about 2 feet wide

Thanks Davey!

Last Thursday, as Dawn and I waited for the O Street RR crossing arms to be raised, we watched a young man on a bicycle lift the arm and move inside. Almost immediately, the train sped through with him standing there straddling his bike. Had there been an extension on one of the rail cars, it surely would have decapitated him! The second the train had passed, he crossed the tracks, rode around the opposite crossing arm, crossed in front of traffic and peddled on his merry way, probably imagining that the 20 seconds he’d just saved would make all the difference in his busy day. And the “coolness” factor! Let’s not forget that! What was he thinking?

So when I saw this PSA video on RT Driver’s site, I thought it worth sharing. As Jon points out, “Next time you ponder walking or driving around the crossing arms at a train crossing, remember that you never know what train is coming from what direction…”

I’m almost embarrassed to admit that I haven’t ridden public transportation since high school. Oh, there was the time a few years ago when, during record freezing temperatures, wifey and I found ourselves stranded at Chicago’s Adler Planetarium (they were closed) and couldn’t get a cab company to answer our frantic phone calls, let alone rescue us. In desperation, we set out on foot toward Lakeshore Drive, only our eyes peeking out from behind heavy scarves, and worried about frostbite. (Those of you in or from Chicago know what I mean.) Suddenly, from out of nowhere, a city bus magically appeared and welcomed us aboard. Never were two people more relieved to see a bus than we!

Anyway, we haven’t ridden public transportation since. (Head down, tail between legs.) And its a shame, because Sacramento apparently has a pretty decent Regional Transit system . We’ve told ourselves for the last couple years that we would try our wings on the light rail between Folsom and somewhere in Sacramento, then ride it back, just to get our feet wet. And we will. Maybe even this weekend. I’ll let you know how that goes.

Coincidentally, I recently met (online) an RT driver (his web site is aptly named RT Driver) and feel like I now have “a guy” — you know, an insider — who can point us in the right direction, show us the ropes so to speak. As you know, having “a guy” is important in getting good sporting event seating, premiere concert tickets and, I assume, the inside scoop on riding the RT.

I’ve also discovered a local who embarked on a quest to leave his car at home and commute using public transportation, a brave soul for sure. He writes about his experiences on another aptly titled web site: RT Rider (No, I don’t think they’re related.) I can probably gain some insight from him as well.

So I found it particularly timely to learn that one of the folks participating with me in this year’s Partiot’s Journey commutes via public transportation in Portland. I enjoy her writing and found this short post (The problem with public transit is the public) light and fun. Give it a read.

So now you know my dirty little secret. Be gentle…

Michael sent this nice collection of 40 aviation images ranging from commercial to military to aerobatic. I extracted them from the Powerpoint file so they could be posted here. Click on the image below to view them all (Click  any image to enlarge.)

Davey sent this photo of a radial engine motorcycle built by JRL Cycles taken at the 2006 annual EAA Fly-in in Oskosh, WI.

For more images of this attention getting machine, visit Mark Forman’s site. I especially like the pyro background added in Photoshop on one of his images.

The world’s largest passenger airplane, the Airbus A380, made a near perfect landing at Los Angeles International Airport Monday. Hundreds of spectators lined up to see the plane,  arriving non-stop from France, land and roll out on the northernmost runway of LAX. A second A380 had landed just moments earlier at New York’s John F. Kennedy airport after its non-stop flight from Frankfurt, Germany. 

The landings were part of a PR move on the part of Airbus officials who so far haven’t landed any orders for the behemoth A380 from U.S. carriers.  Perhaps they wanted to prove that the monstrous eight-story double-decker, with a wingspan the length of a football field and described by some as a sperm whale with wings, could actually fly.

But LAX, who in recent years has lost market share to competing terminals,  is spending billions in upgrades, some of which are designed specifically for the A380. For example, the southern-most runway has been closed for an entire year while construction crews completely remove it and build a new one just 55 feet further south. The reason? The A380’s wingspan is 50 feet greater than the 747. It’s a big bet on an airplane that may not be as successful as the competing Boeing product. But if Los Angeles wants to remain competitive, they’ve got to spend money to make money.

As it stands now, there are no orders for the cargo version of the A380, and only 150 or so orders for the passenger version, none from U.S. airlines, presumably due to the A380’s history of wiring problems, weight issues (how very American), and long delays.

But the airplane is certainly impressive; in single class configuration it can carry as many as 853 passengers. Of course, I’m not aware of any airline interested in using that configuration. Launch customer Singapore Airlines settled on a three-class 485-seat configuration and Quantas a 500-seat arrangement. With those numbers, the advantage over the 747 is far lower than it initially appeared.

Still, it’s an impressive airplane, even more so because of the multi-national conglomeration which overcame the inefficiencies of administrative overhead and diverse geography to build the thing in the first place.

Airbus claims the A380 will yield a 35 per cent savings in per passenger operating costs while being faster and quieter than competing aircraft. It remains to be seen whether some of that will translate into lower air fares.