Divine Retribution
Offline So I conducted my first secular wedding ceremony on Friday. Driving back down the M1, get just shy of Watford Gap services, travelling at, er, ludicrous speed and the gearbox on the Audi decided that it would be a good time to shuffle off this mortal coil.
85mph, 4000rpm, from 5th to 3rd without engaging clutch or downshifting. Holy fuck was that scary. More so was pulling over, trying to change down (at a much slower speed) and found myself coming to an abrupt stop as the thing put itself into reverse.
Point, the issue was that the bastards the previous owner was having the car serviced by never topped up the oil in the gearbox. Last service was in January, before I'd got this booking. As a result, my life and those of the people around me was endangered.
A fundy relative has since pronounced it "divine retribution for desecrating the holy sacrament of marriage."
What a cocknozzle.
Stop that... It's silly.
- Login to post comments
...Begging your pardon, but perhaps some of the responsibility for the endangerment of yourself and those around you rests on your shoulders for exceeding a safe velocity in the first place?
- Leon Trotsky, Last Will & Testament
February 27, 1940
It's not divine retribution, you're right. It's Gaia's retribution (read humour) and the result of your own negligence.
/rant
BigUniverse wrote,
"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."
I get annoyed with people that expect everyone to be a mechanic. I can't drive due to my healt, but if I did I would have no idea how to do anything other than fill the gas tank. My mechanical ability is limited to changing a light bulb (only regular- can't figure out the flourescent kind.) I would have no idea anything was wrong with a car unless a light came on or it stopped, belched out black smoke, etc. Some of us just don't "get" that sort of thing.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
I proclaim it natural selection trying hard to work, but failing on account of good safety features.
Next time you buy a car, either make sure it works yourself, or pay someone to do it. No sense in being a speed demon AND driving an unsafe vehicle. Remind me not to get on the road near you. I like living.
Atheism isn't a lot like religion at all. Unless by "religion" you mean "not religion". --Ciarin
http://hambydammit.wordpress.com/
Books about atheism
It's a good thing you don't own a car, Matt. I'm no mechanic. In fact, a cursory knowledge of how a car functions is good enough to be able to assess the condition of a car prior to purchasing or driving it. I don't own a car, MattShizzle, and not 'getting' it is no excuse. Picking up the manual that came with your car and reading it cannot be that hard. Nor can it be too difficult to chance a thought at what might in a car require oil. Unsure of what oil to use or if it needs it at all? Refer to manual purchased with car. Not 'getting' it is such a cop-out.
BigUniverse wrote,
"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."
Well, those manuals read like a foreign language to me and I wouldn't have the slightest idea where to put the oil. That's why the Flying Spaghetti Monster invented AAA.
My dad actually tried to show me how to change a bicycle tire when I was 14 - I could not comprehend the first step. I am literally totally clueless about anything at all mechanical.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
I would highly recommend you not think at all, ever, under any circumstance, about how your breathe; you are likely to die.
BigUniverse wrote,
"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."
That's silly, you can't effect an involuntary biological function like that (you could concievably hold your breath, but you it would be very difficult to last until you lost consciousness and once you did you would begin breathing again.) I have no problem with other complex things, but there's a huge mental block to anything at all mechanical - I actually have difficulty with anything at all physical though - extreme poor coordination, not strong enough, terrible perceptual abilities, etc.
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
Firstly, I agree: don't exceed the speed limit. It's illegal for a reason.
But second, if we are talking divine retrobution, point out to your religious relative, that nobody got hurt. How can it be divine retrobution if you were so lucky as to NOT get hurt?
Had this happened to a religious person the case would ofcourse be the reverse. God would have interventioned to SAVE him, and it would be a miracle, rather than God's wrath.
Well I was born an original sinner
I was spawned from original sin
And if I had a dollar bill for all the things I've done
There'd be a mountain of money piled up to my chin
How true! If one person survives out of 350 in a plane crash, that's a "miracle" but nothing is said if everyone died - of course if it was a private plane going to an atheist conference you KNOW it would be considered "God's wrath."
Matt Shizzle has been banned from the Rational Response Squad website. This event shall provide an atmosphere more conducive to social growth. - Majority of the mod team
Psalm 14:1 "the fool hath said in his heart there is a God"-From a 1763 misprinted edition of the bible
Argument from Sadism: Theist presents argument in a wall of text with no punctuation and wrong spelling. Atheist cannot read and is forced to concede.
Dude, that graphic is sooooooo funny ! ( ...no offense, Matt )
i was an ase certified mechanic pre-chair... actually i still have valid certifications but i haven't worked on a car in 4 years.
i understand that some people aren't mechanically inclined. fine. that doesn't negate the responsibly that comes along with operating a motor vehicle. if you can't do it yourself, pay a professional to check out your car on routine intervals. reckless driving (which is the charge at 20 MPH over the speed limit here in VA) is irresponsible. period. if you insist on being irresponsible do it somewhere where you aren't risking the lives of others.
To clarify a few things;
Car had a full service history, last service carried out in January. I bought it in May with 3000 miles on it since that service. I have put another 1000 miles on it in that month.
Gearbox is manual (1994 Audi Coupe 16V) Transmission oil/fluid is not that easy to check out without putting it on a lift or over a pit. It only became apparent that there was near focal oil in it when the mechanic drained it, iron filings et al.
ABS
Advanced driving course (did it to reduce my insurance and it is damned handy in a tight spot like the one that my gearbox issues precipitated.)
UK motorway speed limit is 70mph. I was doing 85mph. Unless you're willing to do 40mph behind a truck in the slow lane (something that has its own hazards over here), 70mph is incredibly hard to stick to at 8pm on a Saturday on the M1, when almost every other motorist is doing 85/90mph in the center lane. 100mph+ in the fast lane.
I appreciate that this view may not run with that of the group, but I would rather be doing the same speed as my fellow motorists and not have some knob within 6 feet of my rear bumper at 70, flashing his lights. And truckers over here are a mix of left-hand drive foreign trucks who ignore their rear-view mirrors, overly aggressive British drivers who pass the time by overtaking each other on their limiters with little care for the smaller vehicles behind & around them and other truckers who are for the most part, responsible. Assuming the lowest common denominator is the safest bet when negotiating oneself around and amongst trucks.
Wedding was a fantastic experience, BTW.
Stop that... It's silly.
I am an engine builder, mechanics is always a simple pain in the ass, and the freeway fast lane here moves at 80 mph .....
surf city H.B. , So. Cal. U.S.A. hang ten ! .... 2 girls for every guy !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSS5xujeRaY
the awesome B bender Guitar
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjofELo03Ak
the Original was ,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQaneAGdLxs&feature=related
the answer is YES , we love !
PROOF !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gsle8Y-fc4M&NR=1
"every where I go ! wishing to make your dreams come true !
Atheism Books.
Let's see...
In the news today, Child Rapist doesn't have to worry about execution, A man who tortured and raped a woman for 4 hours can't be bothered to attend his own trial, Man on trial for staging live 'Sex Shows' with children.... God can't seem to be bothered with any retribution on these...
But perform a wedding.... HOOOOOO Boyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!
LC >;-}>
Christianity: A disgusting middle eastern blood cult, based in human sacrifice, with sacraments of cannibalism and vampirism, whose highest icon is of a near naked man hanging in torment from a device of torture.
point taken but you did begin the thread with "Driving back down the M1, get just shy of Watford Gap services, travelling at, er, ludicrous speed and the gearbox on the Audi decided that it would be a good time to shuffle off this mortal coil. (emphasis added)" so i think we made some fair assumptions in our responses.
You're a tool for speeding. I saw some idiot decapitate himself and crush his wife in half after crashing into the back of a truck because he was speeding on a highway. People like you who recklessly endanger the lives of others in a desperate attempt to feel like a man should not have a license. Oh and then you try and justify your stupidity with the 'but everybody else does it' line, I would like to see you try and spew out that bullshit when your head is laying on the side of the road.
If Jesus was born today he would be institutionalized as a schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur.
People seem to get really upset about speeding. How odd.
Gosh, I know. Now that we're aware of the actual condition under which he was speeding it would seem that his speed was inconsequential. In fact, studies show that there is largely no difference or a decline in death and injuries where roads have high speed limits (risen to 70mph in some US states, for instance). It is also far safer to travel at the speed of those around you than to go slower. The 401 Highway here has a posted limit of 100kmph, however, traffic typically moves as much as 20 kmph faster with some motorists exceeding 130 kmph (80-81mph). It's unwise to drive at the posted limit because of the traffic volume and the fact that driving slower makes you an obstacle. 100kmph (82mph) would appear to be considered unreasonably slow by the vast majority of motorists on that highway.
BigUniverse wrote,
"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."
Oh wow, studies show, well that settles it I conceded because you used those two magic word 'studies show'. I am sure for every study you come up with that suggests speeding is fine somebody can come up with a counter study that suggests speeding is bad. Studies mean nothing; you will always have contradicting studies.
I like to look at things logically; going 40 kmph over the posted speed limit give you less control of your car and less time to react to dangers. The speed limits are there for a reason anybody who thinks that going the limit is too slow should not be on the road. I am guessing you too will change your mind when you see a woman crushed in half and a human head laying on the side of the road. Oh and this one, maybe you will change your mind when you are going 15kmph over the limit and you hit and kill a 15 year old girl because you were not able to break in time. I saw that happen when I was 15, her brains poured out onto the middle of the road......... but ey screw human lives the limits are too slow, cutting 10 min off your arrival time is what's important.
If Jesus was born today he would be institutionalized as a schizophrenic with delusions of grandeur.
"Congress laid the groundwork for mass-producing and popularizing fuel-efficient cars in 1974, a year before the Chevette hit the assembly lines, with The Emergency Highway Energy Conservation Act. It prescribed a national 55 miles per hour speed limit to reduce gasoline consumption."
The number 1 cause of car accidents is rubbernecking. Not speeding. True some speeders are aggressive drivers which cause accidents. But I seriously doubt maintaining the same speed as the cars around you increases the chances of a wreck. And if a girl walks out on an interstate where people are driving 85 mph...well it's not the driver's fault.
"I am an atheist, thank God." -Oriana Fallaci
I never said that the studies show that speeding is fine. The studies show that places where the speed limit was increased to 70mph in the US saw a decline in deaths and injuries. The studies are based on absolute numbers, so I fail to see how a contradicting study could be produced in this case.
In fact, I don't drive anyhow, so I won't have the chance to speed, thanks. For the record, however, I feel safer flowing with traffic, even if that means speeding, when I am in a car than going slower than the surrounding traffic and there's evidence that I feel safer for good reasons.
Being able to break in time has to do with reaction and how far the thing you might hit is from you at the time you begin breaking, including a number of other factors. If a car is travelling 50kmph on a residential street (the posted limit in Ontario) or 70kmpm (as a majority of motorists approach) the stopping distance difference at those speeds is so minute that any object that might be hit at 70kmph would also be hit at 50kmph (virtually all production vehicles are rated to stop within 45m from 100kmph). Further, there's no reason to assume someone hit by someone doing the speed limit won't be as badly injured as someone exceeding the speed limit.
BigUniverse wrote,
"Well the things that happen less often are more likely to be the result of the supper natural. A thing like loosing my keys in the morning is not likely supper natural, but finding a thousand dollars or meeting a celebrity might be."
Define "safe velocity". Sudden mechanical failure even at the speed limit could get you killed.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
Your vehicle is designed to handle safely well over the established speed limit. All but one of the "Oh Shit!" moments I've had were caused by inattentive, easily panicked drivers going the speed limit. If you're in the U.S. and you're scared the granny lane is all the way to the right.
Maybe it wasn't so much Gods wrath as it was Gods warning shot.
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
If you keep up with the flow of traffic your reaction and stopping times will be on par with everyone around you. If you're not paying attention to the truck slamming on it's breaks you will likely be decapitated at 40, 60, or 80 mph (or whatever the metric equivalent is) regardless. If the driver who hit this girl did not lose control of his vehicle when he hit this girl then some questions have to be asked : Why was she in the middle of the street? Did she look both ways before entering the street? Did she appropriately guage the speed of oncoming traffic? If the answer to questions 2 & 3 is no, she could have ended up in that condition anyways regardless of the vehicles speed. That's what happens when you don't PAY ATTENTION. It's always a bad idea to challenge two tons of steel. People have died falling off the curb. Is it the construction workers fault for making it to high?
"Faith, Faith is an island in the setting sun,
but proof, proof is the bottom line for everyone."
Proof, Paul Simon
Nothing this hard should taste so beefy.
Driving through a residential area at 40mph is fucking dangerous, for precisely the reason above. Momentum's a bitch.
I think the point here is that you should drive to the conditions. If the motorway is wet or visibility is impaired, you slow down and turn on your lights. If you're in an area where you might hit a pedestrian, you drive slowly to mitigate the effect if one jumps out at you. If you are surrounded by vehicles doing 85-90mph, you keep up with them.
I have seen and helped at my fair share of gruesome accidents - paramedics in Zimbabwe are a little thin on the ground or just plain won't turn up until you can guarantee payment. Everyone helps out. I know what driving badly in adverse conditions can do. Worst was an old mini cooper bombing down the Lomagundi Road in Harare. Went under an 18-wheeler at about 70mph. Driver was cut in half. Her 2 year old was in the back and lived. Had she been doing the prescribed 30mph, she'd have likely been able to brake to a point where she may have survived or stopped in time.
Stop that... It's silly.
Well of course they would say, "God is all merciful! He was giving you a warning that you must change your ways or suffer the eternal hellfire!"
SKEPTIC: Science & Knowledge Empowering People to Intelligently Choose
A Student Organization at The George Washington University