Re:Brake Upgrades, IML: Imperials, Safety, and Defensive Driving

["Jerry hesch" <jerryhesch@xxxxxxx>]

Paul, et al,
Thank you for your advice re safe driving.
   Opinion: An upgrade to improve braking in any car (in which it can be 
done) makes very good sense from the perspective of safety.  Keeping old 
parts can allow a retro if one wants to have the potential for return to 
originality.  The safe driving you describe is right on target.  Our typical 
American driving style is a sad reflection on our "McDonalds" culture.  Of 
course ALL Imperial drivers are safe and very considerate - or at least the 
5 that I have seen are:).  How great it would be if our culture endorsed 
courtesy and genersosity, and concern for safety of others in our 
non-Imperial driving culture.  I regret the folly of my youth and by the 
grace of God; never brought harm to anyone via unsafe driving.  And...when I 
bought my Imperial I always allowed lotsa braking distance (had to!).
   A person who near and dear to me (myself)  had 3 low back surgeries and 
2 neck operations and time will tell if a 3rd will be mandated; over a 
period of 11 years.  Why?  Because of the cell-phone driving you describe 
except it was a woman who was speeding at a much higher rate than posted 
while leaning over, replacing her CD.  Did she apologize-no.  Was litigation 
possible? yes but only after the 1st surgery and it sounded like something 
between 15 and 25K.  We walked. The income I have lost over the past 10 
years, the medical bills the loss of relationships and of professional 
potential cannot be expressed, much less measured.  Yes, the medical workup 
the 1st 9 years was grossly inadequate. Yes, for me; hope springs eternal. 
I earn my living teaching Physical Therapist to rehabilitate a specific type 
of low back and hip pain, albeit part-time, and am grateful to contribute. 
People in chronic pain do not want to bitch.  They are however bewildered at 
what has become of them and sometimes they simply want to explain what they 
experience or why they fail to be fully present, or why they cannot do this, 
that or the other thing.  Unintentional failure is part of the 
no-return-policy package that was not ordered. "Sympathy" has never reduced 
chronic pain.  Simple empathic or reflective listening however, is an 
extreme kindness that is rare.
   Paradoxically, one of the gifts of chronic pain is a very deep sense of 
gratitude.
Simple things like reading today's Imperial Club posts (and photos!), can 
bring much pleasure and kindle the passion for this hobby.
   So thats it for the long paragraph.  Were I to belabor the above 
experience, it would be a thick book.
        If the above example is inappropriate for this club, I apologize. 
If the above encourages/manifests safe/safer Imperial/non-Imperial driving, 
my 2cents and 3 minutes of posting were worthwhile.
Mea Culpa Grandisimo,
Jerry Hesch

---- Original Message ----- 
From: <RandalPark@xxxxxxx>
To: <mailing-list@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Saturday, January 22, 2005 4:22 PM
Subject: Re: IML: Imperials, Safety, and Defensive Driving


> I will stress for the last time that great new style brakes do not replace 
> a safe following distances and slower speeds. It may be extreme, but when I 
> drive my Imperials (or any of my cars) I pretend that they don't have any 
> brakes at all. I always WANT them to work, and do my best to keep them 
> working perfectly. My Driver's Education teacher in Southern California 
> said that if we are depending on our brakes to save our lives, then we are 
> not driving defensively.
>
> If a driver is always having to make "Panic Stops" then it isn't the 
> traffic as much as the driver, that is causing the problem.
>
> Buses and trucks don't stop very well either, yet considering how many of 
> them are on the road, they seldom rear end other vehicles. I believe that 
> is because they are "professional drivers". We could all use lessons on 
> brushing up our driving skills, but most of it is patience and common 
> sense. Everday I see people driving down the road at 70 mph talking on the 
> phone. They couldn't possibly be prepared for an emergency. I find it 
> offensive that these folks think that driving is so unimportant that they 
> think it is a waste of time to concentrate on what they are doing. There! 
> Now that I have said it I will shut my trap!
>
> Paul




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