driving short distances

[etlsport]

as of late my neighborhood has been getting worse and worse.. i take a train that picks up about 1/2 mile from my house which i usually walk to but now am thinking about driving the VX there and back each day for safety reasons.. i remember reading driving short distances will tear your engine up quickly though.. i could drive into work for close to the same price (give or take 30 a month) but it would be much more of a pita and take about 15-20min extra each day... any thoughts?

[kpaske]

My thoughts: Take a self defense course and show those neighborhood punks who's boss. Save wear and tear on your VX and get some exercise at the same time! ;Db;

[etlsport]

hah.. ive been through those.. been boxing for 6 years.. couple weeks ago they paid off and i did teach some punks a lesson... id rather not have to do it again though because all i have to show for it is a black eye, a ripped tie and the stuff that was mine to begin with

[JHarris1385]

Or you could just move.....

[Techy-D]

Too bad that Dirty Harry is busy... I love it when he cleans up!

As for short drives. I use to drive one of my old cars to work (when I lived in Spokane). It took about 5minutes to warm it up and another 5 to get to work. When It was really cold I would leave the windows down and no defrost so it wouldn't ice over inside (If it iced over I would have to defrost for longer). I would still go on longer trips on the weekend and drive down to Oregon every couple of months, so It did get some road time. All in all I never had a problem with things gunking up or any noticable effects.

[kpaske]

...all i have to show for it is a black eye, a ripped tie and the stuff that was mine to begin withYou mean you didn't get their shoes? What 'hood did you grow up in? ;) Haha, I suppose if the battle is going to be persistent it's probably not worth it.

So in response to your question... the short trips are a little bit harder on the vehicle in general, but this can be minimized if you warm her up properly before taking off. You'll notice the biggest difference in your MPG I think, so if you can afford a little bit more for gas, I wouldn't expect the additional wear and tear to really be all that noticable over the life of the vehicle. If you want to be really safe, just follow the "extreme duty" maintenance schedule and you should be fine.

If the neighborhood is that bad, are you sure you want to park your VX there?

[Ldub]

Save your eye, save your tie...do the world a favor.



http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/data/500/glockskw.jpg

[etlsport]

its a strange neighborhood.. where my house is, i sit out front and work on the vx no problem, the cars there are all nice and we dont worry about them getting messed up (my vx.. roommates A4.. gf/s clean del sol..neighbors fully restored 65 mustang), old ladies walk their dogs without even looking over their shoulder, i cross to the other side of the train tracks and well, i start thinkin like Ldub haha

i probably will just drive into and out of the city from now on since 5 min to warm up the car for a 1 min drive seems kind of pointless to me..


yea J... i cant wait to move haha.. actually i can, i love my house, but its getting a little out of hand, so come march ill be movin back into philly where its safe LOL

[crager34]

Taser

[JHarris1385]

Karate chop

[Y33TREKker]

Take the train four days a week, then drive once a week so everything on the VX has a chance to get fully warmed up and lubricated on the way. How far is your commute?

[etlsport]

its only actually about 10 miles into the city.. but with traffic the vx will probably be running about 20-25 minutes.. mostly stop and go with about 2-3 minutes on the highway at 55 (give or take depending on the traffic that day)

[kpaske]

The VX isn't the best choice of vehicle for that type of driving, but you know what? You'll get to drive her every day. ;Db;

Mine was a daily driver for over 7 years until just recently when I bought an '06 VW Jetta TDi.

[nfpgasmask]

I'm with J. Time to move. No job is worth it, and its only a matter of time before bullets fly, and no amount of kung-fu is gonna stop lead.

I left Chicago for many reasons, but one of them is because, imho, the city was just getting too $|-|itty for me. I don't like worrying about my wife as she walks home from the bus stop, etc. I had grills stolen out of my backyard twice last summer, garage door tagged several times, and some seriously weird stuff going on with my neighbor who lived below me (cops coming by all the time, warrants, etc).

The sad truth is, most of the big US cities come with a certain amount of danger and crime. If you can live with it, rock on, but it ain't for me.

But all that said, the goblins are everywhere, its just nice to live somewhere with a seemingly smaller goblin population. :)

Bart

[etlsport]

The VX isn't the best choice of vehicle for that type of driving

;eekb; ::hands over ears::: LAALAALAAALAA i cant hear you
how dare you! if my vx was in the room youd REALLY be in for it...

haha im sure there are better vehicles for that kind of driving (like my vw rabbit ive been letting my sis keep/drive) but i dont mind driving the vx in those conditions, im used to it by now driving up and down 95 through baltimore and philly all the time.. just gotta be lighter on the gas to salvage a little gas mileage, hopefully my sis will get her own car soon and i can use the rabbit cause no way im gonna swap the vx for the rabbit!!

[kpaske]

The sad truth is, most of the big US cities come with a certain amount of danger and crime. If you can live with it, rock on, but it ain't for me.The suburbs aren't much better. You have to move pretty far from the city to escape it these days it seems, unless you can afford to live in one of those high dollar neighborhoods and want to deal with all that comes with that. That's one of the reasons I didn't move back to DC after getting out of the service. The area I live in is a much better environment for me and my family.

[etlsport]

its true.. i feel much safer in the city actually.. im livin in the burbs now and well i dont leave home without a knife and keep a 2' pipe in the vx, and am now thinkin about bringing my gun collection up here w/ me

[nfpgasmask]

Yup, that's the way it is in Chicago too. I tried both ways, burbs and city, and in the end I opted for the city because I couldn't stand the commute. My house in the burbs was only 28 miles away from my job, and it still took anywhere from an hour to an hour and half each way. I don't know about you all, but commuting more than 30 minutes a day is bunk.

I also got rear-ended in my Xterra by a semi commuting on the highway.

Now it takes me 15 minutes each way, no traffic, I am sooo happy. I even go home for lunch it is so close.

It was REALLY hard to move like I did, both physically and financially, but now that its done, the only things I miss are my friends...to hell with the big city life. :p

Bart


The suburbs aren't much better. You have to move pretty far from the city to escape it these days it seems, unless you can afford to live in one of those high dollar neighborhoods and want to deal with all that comes with that. That's one of the reasons I didn't move back to DC after getting out of the service. The area I live in is a much better environment for me and my family.

[vx spouse]

Etlsport, where in Philly do you live? This sounds alot like the neighborhood I work in: Wyndmoor, right outside Mt. Aire.

[pbkid]

taser! i agree...

[etlsport]

darby.. down near the airport

[nocturnalVX]

I know the VX isn't the best commuter car, but I drive it to work every day (when I'm not riding my motorcycle) and I'm only 6.3 miles from work. The trip is @ 10 minutes (part highway), and I only let the VX warm up for a minute or two when it's cold. No worries! The VX gets to stretch it's legs every once in a while on road trips (or rock climbing), but it's mainly been an urban assault vehicle since new.

[kpaske]

I don't know about you all, but commuting more than 30 minutes a day is bunk...

...Now it takes me 15 minutes each way, no traffic, I am sooo happy. I even go home for lunch it is so close.My next move, I hope, will be even further from the city. While I've considered trying to afford something decent in Seattle, I really can't imagine raising my kids and having them go to school inside the city. The commute would be GREAT though.

Ultimately I am going to start my own business and run it from an office in my home out in the sticks. Hopefully our city friends will still come to visit. ;)

[etlsport]

a year and a half later.. i have the means to get out.. I'm moving to the burbs this weekend! :_steering:dance: