Among Friends

[Shanus]

---

@ECBG wrote:

---

@Shanus wrote:

@SeaMaiden   Yes, the rear window seems smaller and the side windows already have Molly's lip and tongue  prints...what I call DOG ART.

---

@Shanus 

We love the babies, don't we?

I got a kiss at 3:30 am!!!!

---

Oh yes @ECBG , I got a wet kiss the other morning at 4AM. She has a dog door to go out. Why wake me up?  She just loves me, but I wasn't loving her at that hour!🤣

[ECBG]

@Shanus 

Gotta love our babies!!!!!

[Shanus]

@ECBG   😊

[hckynutjohn]

@Shanus 

I stopped my FF through a commercial to show it to my wife. The brand advertised I have forgot  but makes no difference. This thing had about at least a 15" screen on the dash, part of it which had to block the view of the driver.

Most of these other "digital nonsense" so called upgrades? Said to my wife, "unless they are adding safety features, all these other things like a 15" screen? Back up/side camera/GPS/Computer access are just more nonsensical gadgets that distract from driving".

To my over my 66 years of driving, accident free! 100% of my focus was/is driving. Not looking at a screen or camera at any angle. I have outside rear view mirrors and one inside reverse mirror. I did add another mirror to each outside mirror to see the blind spots.

All these things, most of which are "optional equipment"! I have no need or use for, much less pay more money for something that blocks part of my view! I may be nuts to many, but I take my driving seriously. Be it when I was driving my Race Cars, or towing them to the Race Tracks. 

Now it's mostly to the hospital and ice rink, but 100% of my focus is on driving. What's in front of me or beside me. Behind me drivers, I have no control over that facet of driving safely.

hckynut 🇺🇸

[Shanus]

@hckynutjohn I so agree John. If I had a choice of purchasing another "safe" car without all the stuff, I would have. I think mine has less than a few other brands. As long as there's room left on the dash, wheel or console, the manufactures will find something else we don't need to put there and it is definitely distracting!!!

I always appreciate your no BS replies.

[chiclet]

We went many years without buying a new car.  Our old ones were garage parked and low mileage.  Then two years ago we decided at our age if we were ever going to do it the time was then.  We have gadgets I know we will never know about or use but love the ones we have figured out.  At first all the beeping drove me crazy but now I know when it does that I am doing something wrong.  I like the computer screen to use when backing up etc.  Glad we bought the car.  

[ID2]

OP, What's wrong with driving a truck? I drive a F250 full size truck everyday. Easy as pie.

[ScrapHappy]

I drove a mini van for 11 years and didn't know how everything worked.  I remember right before selling it how the back lift could be opened a different way.  I have a Highlander with all the bells and whistles and my husband gets so frustrated that I simply don't use a lot of the gadgets because I don't know how they work.  And yes, I read the manual.  It's so complicated.

[jlkz]

@Shanus 

The newer cars have way too much technology programmed into single buttons with multiple options.  We have a 2020 Sienna and when I drive it, there are only a few basic things that I use.

The placement of buttons in some cases are so close that it is easy to accidentally hit the wrong button and change something that is really important to you.  Fumbling with the buttons is distracting and could cause an accident.

The 2 things that I love and would like to get " retrofitted " on my much earlier Avalon would be the backup and lane change cameras.

The Avalon I got used had sat for 3 years in the owners garage after his daughter decided she didn't want it.  It had 300 miles on it and smelled brand new in 2010.  I love this car....it has the clean dashboard with old fashioned displays and buttons.  Does not waste millions of computer chips to provide unnecessary info !

With the new car you now have, @Shanus, practice just what you need as you're doing....it gets easier !

[Shanus]

---

@ID2 wrote:

OP, What's wrong with driving a truck? I drive a F250 full size truck everyday. Easy as pie.

---

@ID2   I call the first SUV he came home with the "truck", because it was the largest SUV I've ever seen or driven. It was too big for me to even get into and too large for me to park and/or handle. Nothing wrong if a truck if that's what you choose to purchase and drive.