Expensive to Fix

[turboAWD]

There was a big discussion of native colonization of Australia on ARS Technica last week - how the natives got there 80,000 years ago. The consensus (backed by Aussies) seems to be that all wildlife in Australia is so dangerous because the natives that have been there for 80K+ years and the more recent settlers have killed off / fished off / eaten all the not-so-dangerous wildlife

 

[Ozstung]

There was a big discussion of native colonization of Australia on ARS Technica last week - how the natives got there 80,000 years ago. The consensus (backed by Aussies) seems to be that all wildlife in Australia is so dangerous because the natives that have been there for 80K+ years and the more recent settlers have killed off / fished off / eaten all the not-so-dangerous wildlife

We have the worst rate of animal extinction in the western world. The care factor amongst Politicians and shock jocks is zero. Sad.

 

[Flameangel]

WTF! Where does a spider the size of medium size dog get into these cars!? Please tell me because when I get back home I’m plugging that hole right up! I’ll expand foam the whole car if I have to.

And thanks - now I’m never going to Australia

@Last Lemming Alive you can relax and come over for hols, it happened a few years ago when I had a Ford Falcon, nothings ever got into my Optima and hopefully not in my soon to be Stinger

 

[Flameangel]

We have the worst rate of animal extinction in the western world. The care factor amongst Politicians and shock jocks is zero. Sad.

It didn't help that after the first fleet, the English decided to introduce non native spieces to carry on their hunting traditions, so in came Foxes, rabbits and different birds.Resulting in large scale predation on our poor native fauna, that now mixed with feral cats, goats,Donkeys,Horses,Camels, Deer and Pigs.Foxes and feral cats are the worst predators and the feral herbivores eat up the grass etc for the Kangaroos and wallaby spieces.

 

[turboAWD]

Ugh. Seems I hit a sore spot. My bad. My apologies.

 

[Doel]

It didn't help that after the first fleet, the English decided to introduce non native spieces to carry on their hunting traditions, so in came Foxes, rabbits and different birds.Resulting in large scale predation on our poor native fauna, that now mixed with feral cats, goats,Donkeys,Horses,Camels, Deer and Pigs.Foxes and feral cats are the worst predators and the feral herbivores eat up the grass etc for the Kangaroos and wallaby spieces.

If it makes you feel any better, the rest of the world isn't far behind you. With the rate of climate change, animal extinctions worldwide is only getting more and more frequent.

 

[Flameangel]

If it makes you feel any better, the rest of the world isn't far behind you. With the rate of climate change, animal extinctions worldwide is only getting more and more frequent.

Yeah, it's so sad, habitat loss, climate change the animal species is so vulnerable and humans are overpopulating the world.Humans are the greatest predators of all, the other species don't stand much of a chance unless we do something but it might already to be too late.

 

[Kamauxx]

It didn't help that after the first fleet, the English decided to introduce non native spieces to carry on their hunting traditions

To be fair the most problematic non-native species to be introduced to Australia was the English themselves.

 

[MerlintheMad]

Lol. This went OT pretty fast. Sort of analogous to the asserted speed with which humans are driving off the cliff to extinction.

 

[Flameangel]

To be fair the most problematic non-native species to be introduced to Australia was the English themselves.

True, very problematic to the Indigenous communities, my hubby has indigenous heritage on his maternal side so some of his ancestors have been here for over 40,000 years. They kept the land in balance as did the native Americans, then the English came ........

 

[MerlintheMad]

They kept the land in balance as did the native Americans, then the English came ........

I have to dissent. There were never enough humans on earth prior to modern times to change anything ecological. They did not work to keep nature in balance. Our species was simply IN balance because there were so few of us. Anywhere that we got a bit numerous we had an impact, a negative one, because we are just as centric to our self interest and survival as any other species: added to imaginative thought that sees into the potential future and plans for it (the only species that does this). Native Americans (before the horse) would form extended lines, advance on buffalo and drive some separated animals off the edge of a cliff. Then they'd take what they could use and leave the rest to rot. Fact. Nothing about "keeping nature in balance" was even a thought in their minds. All that came much, much later after the White Man all but made the buffalo extinct. And whole tribes along with them.

Now we have a future of too many of us for the resources supplying our lifestyle; which means either we'll defend the "haves" and deprive the "have nots" (out of self preservation), or we'll work to reduce human population going forward. It's time for a worldwide dialogue on how to do that (after we determine how to eradicate nuclear weapons in "private" hands: they - or their higher tech replacements - should be taken with us into outer space to defend ourselves; but here on Earth they should be kept by the Worldwide Fed to persuade those not joining the "Federation of Sovereign Nation States" in the First World Congress, and its subsequent convenings, to "play nicely").

 

[TwiceStung]

Emergency braking won’t work at slow speeds. It’s not meant to prevent running into a wall at 2mph. It’s meant to prevent running into a car at 30mph.

So let me imagine this scenario.....pulling into a garage at 30mph and our cars will stop? Sounds like a cartoon.

 

[DaJackson]

So let me imagine this scenario.....pulling into a garage at 30mph and our cars will stop? Sounds like a cartoon.

Yes. I don’t know what the speed threshold is (is very likely in the manual) but above that speed the car doesn’t see a garage it sees something you are about to crash into and will take action.

 

[MisterMac]

@LadyStinger, I am so sorry for your troubles! I know how embarrassing this type of situation can be, so thanks for sharing. Now we all know the emergency braking won't save our behinds at low speeds in our garage!

Back in 1981 I was in H.S. drivers ED training. The date was March 30th. I remember that because the radio was on and someone had just attempted to assassinate President Reagan.

Nonetheless, my instructor (Mr. P.) had me pull the brand new Cutlass Supreme into a McDonald's parking lot so another student could drive. The lot was basically empty and there were no discernible lines, so I parked perpendicular to the curb, released my seatbelt and was ready to exit the car when Mr. P, said STOP! Scared the crap outta me....

He didn't like the way I parked because way in the back was an employee car parked on an angle. Re-park he says. I say "why?" He says because I should park same way as the other car.... Fine I said, put it into reverse, backed out, and parked on an angle. He says to do it again because my angle was wrong. By now I am peeved. Your typical 16 year old hot-head...

So, I put her into reverse, accelerate quickly in reverse, slam it back into drive, and quickly accelerate forward. My plan was to slam the brakes when I finished parking. My plan worked until my foot slipped off the brake pedal and back onto the accelerator. BAM, right into the cement base of the light pole.... It happened so fast Mr. P, couldn't even apply his teacher brake pedal to stop us....

I don't remember the amount of damages, but my nickname the rest of that year was "crash". Amazingly, he attributed my distress to the assassination attempt, scolded me, and still let me pass the class...I haven't had an accident since Driver's ED.

 

[LegacyGTv2.0]

In the manual it actually says that the emergency braking is disabled below 6mph.
At that point the system hands off to the parking sensors, and assumes the person behind the wheel knows what they're doing.
There's a lot of situations where at low speed you don't want an erroneous sensor reading slamming on the brakes.

 

[Legendsk]

Australia is so wonderful that I would have been happy to stay there after spending a month working there. But alas, I couldn't talk my wife into it. In spite of every living thing there (except the people) trying to kill you, it's still my favorite place.

 

[Ozstung]

Thank you for your kind words. Thought I'd rustle up a fresh photo from a trip to the big smoke today as a reminder. Feel free to stick it under your wife's nose.

 

[toonmal]