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#11
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I think I'm going to replace the station wagon with a mini-van,
and join the 1990s. It will be well-used, but I can ask the dealer for particular features to try for. I'm thinking that a center aisle is preferable to a bench for the second-row seats. Is there something in favor of a right-side aisle I'm not considering? Any reason not to have captain's (swivel) front seats? Any reason not to have a left-side back door? Do any models have opening windows for the second row? How often are swing-out doors available, and do they offer advantages? (There was a tragic accident where a kid was killed by a sliding door around here a few years ago.) I suppose sliding doors open more and take less room; are they harder to close well? What are the best options for carrying bicycles (1 adult and 3 kid-sized) with a mini-van? -- - David Chesler > Iacta alea est |
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#12
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On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 16:25:30 -0400, David Chesler
> wrote: > How often are swing-out doors available, and do they offer >advantages? (There was a tragic accident where a kid was killed >by a sliding door around here a few years ago.) They offer DISadvantages, especially if you transport kids around. Little kids do things like smack their doors into the car parked next to you when they get out. Sliding doors avoid that little problem. |
#13
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"David Chesler" > wrote
> I'm thinking that a center aisle is preferable to a bench for > the second-row seats. Is there something in favor of a right-side > aisle I'm not considering? You seem to be confusing 2nd and 3rd. 2nd row seat options are individual chairs, or a bench (usually with r-hand access to the 3rd row.) > Any reason not to have captain's (swivel) front seats? AFAIK, no minivan offers swivel seats. They are forward- facing only. > Any reason not to have a left-side back door? Cost, model year. > Do any models have opening windows for the second row? Very few middle (2nd row) windows open. Almost always the rear 3rd-row windows open in a vent manner. None have roll-downs in either 2nd or 3rd row. > How often are swing-out doors available, and do they offer > advantages? (There was a tragic accident where a kid was killed > by a sliding door around here a few years ago.) I suppose sliding > doors open more and take less room; are they harder to close well? Sliding is the only way to go. IIRC, only Mazda had/has swingers. > What are the best options for carrying bicycles (1 adult and 3 > kid-sized) with a mini-van? Trailer hitch mounted rack. Floyd |
#14
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John S wrote:
> > David Chesler wrote: > > > > Many police in Massachusetts consider any object hanging from a rear > > > view mirror to be an excuse to stop a car. > > > > Some property management companies issue parking placards designed to > > be hung from the rear view mirror, as does the Registry itself for > > handicapped parking placards. > > Right, but I assume it is only a problem when the car is being driven. I > can't think of a reason to hang a parking pass or a handicapped parking > permit when driving. I do see a lot of people driving around with their > handicapped placards dangling from their mirrors though. Sometimes I > almost feel that I am the only one without one. Worst things -- beautiful prismatic crystals which can momentarily blind people in other cars. > It is probably a good idea to remove obstructions from your line of > vision. It's illegal here to put anything on your rear window except in the bottom farthest-from-driver corner. I also use the spot on my pickup rear window directly behind my head -- if anybody thinks I can see out that spot they've watched The Exorcist way too many times. -- Cheers, Bev =============================================== Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts! |
#15
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"Scott en Aztlán" wrote:
> > On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 16:25:30 -0400, David Chesler > > wrote: > > > How often are swing-out doors available, and do they offer > >advantages? (There was a tragic accident where a kid was killed > >by a sliding door around here a few years ago.) > > They offer DISadvantages, especially if you transport kids around. > Little kids do things like smack their doors into the car parked next > to you when they get out. Sliding doors avoid that little problem. Wouldn't it be better to just beat the children? A friend's Astrovan has a sliding door. Over the years it's gotten harder and harder to open and close, and now it actually hurts my arm to do it. So much for the tender ministrations of Jiffy Lube. -- Cheers, Bev =============================================== Last night I played a blank tape at full blast. The mime next door went nuts! |
#16
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Around 7/24/2005 2:48 PM, fbloogyudsr wrote:
> "David Chesler" > wrote > >> Do any models have opening windows for the second row? > > Very few middle (2nd row) windows open. Almost always the > rear 3rd-row windows open in a vent manner. None have > roll-downs in either 2nd or 3rd row. I saw one just the other day that had roll-down second-row windows, but I didn't notice what make it was. -- ~/Garth |"I believe that it is better to tell the truth than a lie. Almgren | I believe it is better to be free than to be a slave. ******* | And I believe it is better to know than to be ignorant." for secure mail info) --H.L. Mencken (1880-1956) |
#17
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David Chesler wrote:
> John S wrote: > >> Right, but I assume it is only a problem when the car is being driven. I >> can't think of a reason to hang a parking pass or a handicapped parking >> permit when driving. > > > The placard has a 7-year or so expiration. After 2 years of flipping > it on and off the mirror it's already getting worn out. > > Putting it on and off is just one more pain-in-the-ass thing to > worry about -- sometimes leaving it up is not worth the extra > visibility. > > Since I'm able-bodied, I don't want to appear that I took the > spot when I wasn't entitled, so I want to leave it up the entire > time I'm in the spot, which includes some time that I'm driving. > (The placard is issued to my wife, who has radiation-therapy-induced > pneumonitis [She can still use her right ankle quite well, when > she's driving.] If we parked in an HP spot but she's not in the car, > it usually means she didn't feel she could walk all the way back to > the car, and I've gone round to get the car and pick her up.) > > >> I do see a lot of people driving around with their >> handicapped placards dangling from their mirrors though. Sometimes I >> almost feel that I am the only one without one. > > > Almost anybody aged or infirm can probably get the requisite > doctor's note. > >> It is probably a good idea to remove obstructions from your line of >> vision. > > > Is that why you've taken a Dremel to the day/night paddle on the > bottom of your mirror? day/night paddle, what's that? My car's mirror dims automagically, and even before that wonderful invention came along I can't recall my vision being obstructed by anything. I have had a (not handicapped) parking pass hanging off the mirror and if I forget to remove it before starting the engine, I've ripped it off by the time I've exited the parking garage because I don't feel comfortable with a piece of plastic obstructing my view while I'm driving. I've never found it to be a pain in the ass to do, and I've never put any wear/tear on it either. I just store it in a handy place in my car while not in use. |
#18
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#19
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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1 On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 12:21:46 GMT, 223rem > wrote: >I'm all for ticketing people who hang those felt dice >from their mirrors. There was a coalition formed to have them exempt, but no dice. -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: PGP 7.1 iQA/AwUBQuQ4IQIk7T39FC4ZEQLyYACgid+MJWNxTyKrfRztcbnxDo gwYuYAoMY5 Oyf9rQC5zThjtHHLQVl6A+8j =9aM4 -----END PGP SIGNATURE----- -- -john wide-open at throttle dot info |
#20
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On Sun, 24 Jul 2005 16:25:30 -0400, David Chesler , said the following in
rec.autos.driving... > I think I'm going to replace the station wagon with a mini-van, > and join the 1990s. > > It will be well-used, but I can ask the dealer for particular > features to try for. > > I'm thinking that a center aisle is preferable to a bench for > the second-row seats. Is there something in favor of a right-side > aisle I'm not considering? The passengers heading for the back row not having to climb over the seat to get to the aisle. > Any reason not to have captain's (swivel) front seats? You'd want a fullsized conversion van for captians chairs. I doubt most minivans would have room for them, but I could be wrong. > Any reason not to have a left-side back door? None that I know of if it is an option for the vehicle. > Do any models have opening windows for the second row? If this is important, you might want to consider joining the 2000's and getting a SUV. ;-) Seriously, I've never seen a minivan with roll down rear windows (just the driver and front passenger's windows), but most SUV's do have rolldown windows for the second row if they are 4-door SUV's. First, you might want to evaluate what you need the vehicle for. The station wagon (if you can find one these days) or one of the new "crossover," vehicles that are comming out would probablly be able to do what you need, including hauling the bicycles (with proper equipment, ofcourse). -- Paul Self-appointed unofficial overseer of kooks and trolls in rec.autos.driving. |
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