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Ski
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 10:48 am 
Chief Joseph wrote:
"... battery cut off switch ..."
When I was working on a parts counter - long ago and before that gizmo was on the market, I used to see various home-made devices installed for the same purpose, the simplest of them being a single wire lead connected to the positive side of the coil, routed to a simple toggle switch mounted in a hidden location (usually inside the wheel well) which grounded the ignition system. Easy peasy, and cheap (provided you have some degree of mechanical aptitude.) I don't really worry much about somebody stealing my truck - it's got a stick shift and a bitchy clutch. Most people wouldn't get far in it.

"I shall wear white flannel trousers, and walk upon the beach. I have heard the mermaids singing, each to each."
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altasnob
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:00 am 
Cyclopath wrote:
The idea, like Uber and Lyft, is that the will be fleets of autonomous cars owned by some company. I'll get a ride from Seattle to Rainy Pass and reserve a ride home. The car will shuttle thru hikers between the PCT TH and Mazama, or backpackers from the restaurant in Winthrop to their trailhead, until it's time to pick me up and take me home. It would be too expensive to send the car home and then have it come pick me up again, empty both ways, to do as a matter of course.
Sounds great in theory. But the the only way people would voluntarily switch to this practice is if the cost, time, and overall convenience is the same as driving yourself. Seems unlikely to occur in any of our lifetimes.

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Randito
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:10 am 
altasnob wrote:
The idea being the car drops you off, drives back home, and picks you up when you are done?
It appears that you are assuming that these types of vehicles will be individually owned and powered by fossil fuel. How about a fleet of electrically powered autonomous mini-buses (10-12 passegers) that ply the major highways and then fleets of smaller EVs that carry people to trailheads. Post COVID-19 of course. Also this scheme will work more effectively once the StarLink system is more in place -- so that internet connectivity is everywhere.

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Randito
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:21 am 
altasnob wrote:
But the the only way people would voluntarily switch to this practice is if the cost, time, and overall convenience is the same as driving yourself.
Agreed
altasnob wrote:
Seems unlikely to occur in any of our lifetimes.
Perhaps -- but who thought in 2010 that EV's with a range of 300+ miles would be available in 2020 or that North America would have a network of charging stations extensive enough that coast to coast travel in an EV would be not only possible, but practical.

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Cyclopath
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:31 am 
Randito wrote:
Also this scheme will work more effectively once the StarLink system is more in place -- so that internet connectivity is everywhere.
This is probably the #1 impediment, after send driving cars themselves. Uber and Lyft are hugely popular in all cities, because driving is so unpleasant and because parking is such a hassle. (It's also often cheaper to pay for two rides than for parking.) If I could make productive use of the 6+ hour round trip drive to good hikes, that would be a game changer. Not having to worry about theft, parking, or damage while parked would be the icing on the cake. I bet this will take off almost immediately after it becomes possible.

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Cyclopath
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:40 am 
altasnob wrote:
Here's the problem I foresee. If you drive without proof of insurance or proper registration, it is an infraction (just a fine). If you drive with a suspended license, it is a crime. For instance, with two prior offenses, driving with a suspended license in the first degree carries a mandatory sentence of at least 180 days in jail (so it can be a pretty serious crime). If a person who had a suspended license wanted to drive, they could drive their friend's car, with their friend's insurance and registration, and superimpose their photo on their friend's driver's license. If pulled over, the officer would not easily realize the driver had a suspended license because everything would appear correct (except, unknown to the officer, the photo had been changed). You can't really do that with a plastic license, but could possibly do so with an electronic copy.
Thanks for that. Seems like the same problem exists with keeping your insurance documents on your phone, you can just change the end date. (That's a problem with paper too though. I got rear ended at a red light by somebody who had a seemingly valid insurance card, but when I filed the claim I found out it had been cancelled the day they sent the cards.) I've photographed all three documents. I'm not going to stop carrying my license, it will identify my body if the bears ever rise up against the hikers. But things get lost, and officers have broad discretion.

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D. Inscho
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 11:40 am 
Quote:
I don't really worry much about somebody stealing my truck - it's got a stick shift and a bitchy clutch. Most people wouldn't get far in it.
My truck is manual transmission. It speaks to the likely age of the would be thieves. Anyway, a lot of damage can be done before they realize your clutch sucks too much to steal your truck.

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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kiliki
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 12:15 pm 
Thanks for the heads up about this trailhead. I do appreciate knowing the trouble spots. We regularly rent a particular cabin in Mazama (actually Lost River, past Mazama). Last year we were told, the Okanogan Co meth heads have discovered Mazama. Don't be lackadaisical anymore about locking the cabin and other safety measures. I suppose it goes on in a particular spot until that group is caught.

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D. Inscho
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 12:23 pm 
kiliki wrote:
Thanks for the heads up about this trailhead. I do appreciate knowing the trouble spots. We regularly rent a particular cabin in Mazama (actually Lost River, past Mazama). Last year we were told, the Okanogan Co meth heads have discovered Mazama. Don't be lackadaisical anymore about locking the cabin and other safety measures. I suppose it goes on in a particular spot until that group is caught.
What a beautiful place to be a meth-head wink.gif

http://david-inscho.smugmug.com/ The key to a successful trip is to do the planning during work hours. -- John Muir “My most memorable hikes can be classified as 'Shortcuts that Backfired'.” --Ed Abbey
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Cyclopath
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 12:45 pm 
Weren't the Mazama meth men caught and sent off to club fed for a string of break ins along highway 20? Or maybe they just got out and they're back to old tricks. frown.gif

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JonnyQuest
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 1:26 pm 
Ski wrote:
I don't really worry much about somebody stealing my truck - it's got a stick shift and a bitchy clutch. Most people wouldn't get far in it.
Ah, a millennial anti-theft device. My vehicle is equipped with one of those as well, and so far so good...

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uww
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PostMon Oct 12, 2020 2:11 pm 
I have a Prius, which is also a good anti-theft device. But that doesn't stop it from being rifled through at an unbelievable rate.

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Anne Elk
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PostTue Oct 13, 2020 3:37 am 
If trailhead break-ins are as regular in this as the OP suggests, why doesn't local LE do a stakeout? Back in the "good old days", a FS employee told me they tried that at the Barlow Pass parking lot, although the miscreants they were after from Darrington (and the FS was pretty sure they knew who they were), weren't as dependably active. Of course, back in the good old days, LE had more $$ and could actually do stuff like this. frown.gif

"There are yahoos out there. It’s why we can’t have nice things." - Tom Mahood
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Chief Joseph
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PostTue Oct 13, 2020 8:54 am 
I always thought it would be fun to catch them in the act and pelt them with paint balls..

Go placidly amid the noise and waste, and remember what comfort there may be in owning a piece thereof.
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kiliki
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PostTue Oct 13, 2020 2:25 pm 
Cyclopath wrote:
Weren't the Mazama meth men caught and sent off to club fed for a string of break ins along highway 20? Or maybe they just got out and they're back to old tricks. frown.gif
Recently? I remember some people being busted for break ins on 20 a few years ago (?) but the Mazama warning to me was this year. The Lost River development has a lot of new signage about trespassing, residents and guests only, etc etc, which I imagine is due to break ins.

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