Just can't get a good basic truck, like the old days!

[ultrarunner]

I was surprised to learn utilities are now leasing equipment… at least here where older diesels must be repowered to be commercially used.

Maybe this will change if the EPA directors statements hold true for California?

A friend had quite a good export business buying forced retirement California Diesel Generators and reselling outside the state including internationally.

Well maintained low hour units from hospitals had to be replaced.

 

[paulsharvey]

I was surprised to learn utilities are now leasing equipment… at least here where older diesels must be repowered to be commercially used.

Maybe this will change if the EPA directors statements hold true for California?

A friend had quite a good export business buying forced retirement California Diesel Generators and reselling outside the state including internationally.

Well maintained low hour units from hospitals had to be replaced.

Our company vehicles are 100% lease. It comes with a maintenance plan, and I think we are charged by mile? Anyways, it eliminates the need to have people specifically tracking maintenance, milage, ect. Also, it simplified book keeping, every vehicle is strictly a bill; not a depreciation asset, mixed with expenses. On top of that, its easier to divide the vehicle to different jobs/charge numbers.

 

[JRH02]

I have owned my 1930 truck for 40 years got a report to CHP notice???

It was reported I had passenger car tag on a truck???

Well, yes… trucks older than 1935 are registered as passenger… no commercial plate required…

Often, those enforcing don’t know the regulations they are paid to enforce and my registration flagged.

License plate erroneously entered and then it becomes innocent owner’s job to prove innocence.

Cancelled checks have saved me over the years…

One year I received a letter from the California Franchise Tax Board saying my income tax is subject to lien for non payment of vehicle registration…

Not only did I have my cancelled check, I also had received the tag and registration…

Hours on the phone with leave your number and we will call you back but at closing time after waiting several hours no call back.

It took intervention by my elected representative to get it straightened out…

I asked how could this happen and the answer a processing glitch…

The first notice I tossed because it said if you have paid disregard.

The second notice said the same but I had my tag already.

The third said my state income tax refund would be liened.

City fire inspector sent my a violation for vegetation in proximity of chimney…

My only chimney is in the center of my home…

I asked for a picture and was sent a picture of my neighbors house…

Only a live person was able to correct.

Don’t get me started on how the city determines if a property is vacant or not… vacant parcels including buildings and homes and lots are subject to an additional 6k annual vacant parcel tax…

OK, now I understand the direction of your comment.

The only thing I can say is that if I had property in SF, Oly and Salzburg and had dual citizenship, I'd be renting the U.S. properties or washing my hands of them and only coming back to the U.S. to visit. I love my country and I could continue to love it from Salzburg.

 

[JRH02]

OK, now I understand the direction of your comment.

The only thing I can say is that if I had property in SF, Oly and Salzburg and had dual citizenship, I'd be renting the U.S. properties or washing my hands of them and only coming back to the U.S. to visit. I love my country and I could continue to love it from Salzburg.

Three days ago the wife and I went out for an early supper (Hood River, OR) after a Dr appmt and the barkeep asked what we wanted to drink. I asked what they had for a heavy, dark beer. He asked what that means ?!? I almost said it is the same as eating a pork chop but refrained because he would think I was orderng food. So it ended up being a local brew amber IPA. There are local brew pubs that have some wonderful full flavored darks, on occasion. But pretty rare so I get 'em when available.

My gosh, a run of the mill tap beer in Deutschland is, to me superior in every way. And while visiting and dining I am dumbfounded that a family sits down together for a meal and EVERYONE gets a 'beer'. Including the children to mid teens. It is part of the culture and a normal part of the meal. It is no surprise that children don't do binge drinking when they are away from Dad and Mom in Germany. It's cultural.

I wonder if a person in Salzburg bays registration on a vehicle not driven on the public roads?

 

[ultrarunner]

OK, now I understand the direction of your comment.

The only thing I can say is that if I had property in SF, Oly and Salzburg and had dual citizenship, I'd be renting the U.S. properties or washing my hands of them and only coming back to the U.S. to visit. I love my country and I could continue to love it from Salzburg.

No dual citizenship for me… Austria is very restrictive as compared to say Ireland we here my high school friend got an Irish passport through his grandparents but at 24 had never set foot in Ireland…

As to rentals… the SF Bay Area and Olympia have become so restrictive I advise against it.

Owners have all the responsibilities and fee rights compared to tenants… it was not this way 45 years ago when zip started…

 

[ultrarunner]

Three days ago the wife and I went out for an early supper (Hood River, OR) after a Dr appmt and the barkeep asked what we wanted to drink. I asked what they had for a heavy, dark beer. He asked what that means ?!? I almost said it is the same as eating a pork chop but refrained because he would think I was orderng food. So it ended up being a local brew amber IPA. There are local brew pubs that have some wonderful full flavored darks, on occasion. But pretty rare so I get 'em when available.

My gosh, a run of the mill tap beer in Deutschland is, to me superior in every way. And while visiting and dining I am dumbfounded that a family sits down together for a meal and EVERYONE gets a 'beer'. Including the children to mid teens. It is part of the culture and a normal part of the meal. It is no surprise that children don't do binge drinking when they are away from Dad and Mom in Germany. It's cultural.

I wonder if a person in Salzburg bays registration on a vehicle not driven on the public roads?

In Salzburg it goes one better… one licensee plate can be used for up to 3 vehicles paying fees for the most expensive with the theory being you can only drive one on the raid at a time..,

Some have winter buckets and nice summer cars… some may have a collector car but all tied to a single license plate.

Pickup style trucks are rare there but I did see a full size VW pickup…

 

[sunandsand]

Something that has always mystified me - and I'll be 79 in a few days - is this: People ALL OVER the world have good ideas . . . why don't we adopt some of them? Costs nothing to do so and it would improve our lives. No nation has a monopoly on smarts, is there a problem with copying successes?

One of the things I am thinking of is the glow-in-the-dark paint mixed into road surfaces, Norway, I think. Wonderful safety item, and essentially free other than the cost of the additive.

I did some business (years ago) in central Africa. Three small countries merged their DMVs for cost savings. Any reason small states (for instance RI, NH, VT etc.) couldn't merge for the same reasons? Just a thought . . .

Best Regards,
Mike/Florida

 

[RB5]

FWIW, there should be in the manual a provision for disabling auto lock because manufacturers understand their trucks are (occasionally) used for work.

The auto lock doesn't bother me, but the seat belt chime is disabled on my trucks.

Seatbelt chime disable instructions were in my F150 manual. The auto lock feature made me nervous that I would get locked out of my truck with it running.