Here's what I learned in my 825.8 miles of driving today: People in Iowa still wave at perfect strangers.
I was cranking along I-80 somewhere near Des Moines, the Caravan's 4.0-liter V6 mooing lightly. I'd locked in behind a hard-driving lady driving a ruby-red GMC Envoy. We'd swing left around slow-moving Buicks together and tuck back into the right lane together. We both used three blinks of the turn signal each time we made a move...
When I'd pull off the expressway to grab some gas, people walking down the street would wave. This dealt a mighty blow to my adolescent fantasy of looking vaguely menacing. How bad could a guy driving a new minivan be anyway? Next time I drive from Detroit to Santa Monica, I'm going to roll in a primer-gray 1971 Dodge Super Bee with blacked-out windows, and maybe get a scar for my face.
The van likes to go 75 mph, which suits me just fine. For those times when the speed limit happens to be less than 75, I have Inside Line's trusty new Passport 9500i Blue radar/laser detector. This handy device saved my bacon twice in Indiana alone. Plus, its readout is -- get this -- blue.
So all's well. The van's returning a decent 22 mpg. I managed to avoid filling its in-floor storage containers with fireworks and cheap cigarettes in Indiana. I saw the headquarters of two giants in the field of auto aftermarket along the road: Tire Rack and JC Whitney. One of which I've purchased products from. I found a nice little homestead in western Iowa (top picture). It's kind of a handyman special, but it has mature landscaping. Oh, and also I viewed what was advertised as the world's largest truck stop and a restaurant named Ox Yoke. So there's that. Tomorrow I will drive many more miles.
Daniel Pund, Senior Editor, Detroit @ 2,403 miles
tmanz says:
09:11 PM, 05/ 5/08
how far before you see the car do you get warnings on the KA band with that detector? I've got the 7500 and sometime it cuts it pretty close. It is especially bad on corners or if there are cars infront of the radar source.
SubyTrojan says:
09:41 PM, 05/ 5/08
I'm surprised Scott and the gang didn't plunk down for a V1. I think Chris has one.
cx7lover says:
10:46 PM, 05/ 5/08
I must have a passport after seeing this.
opfreak says:
06:23 AM, 05/ 6/08
high end passport is pretty equal to the v1. v1 has much more marketing behind it.
rick8365 says:
06:27 AM, 05/ 6/08
Nice tree house.
vacagrande says:
06:56 AM, 05/ 6/08
"I was cranking along I-80 somewhere near Des Moines, the Caravan's 4.0-liter V6 mooing lightly."
I love it, perfect description.
wcoy says:
08:57 AM, 05/ 6/08
My Dad has a new Passport 9500i and I put it against my Valentine 1 on a real world 2 hour road trip and my V1 trounced the Passport. True enthusiasts know that there is no substitute for a V1. All the Gumball Rally drivers use them, if that tells you anything.
skierx420 says:
09:41 AM, 05/ 6/08
Dude if I had only known you were going to stop at OX Yoke Interstate! (there are two OX Yokes the other is OX Yoke Amana) I live 30 minutes from there. Yes all of us Iowegians are friendly to people with minivans, pickups, PT Cruisers, primer gray muscle cars etc. If we see a scar we just assume its where a cow gotcha and still wave. Next time you guys come through my neck of the corn let me know would ya!
skierx420 says:
09:41 AM, 05/ 6/08
Oh one more thing. Did you notice that the 89 grade fuel is cheaper out here too?
bimmerjay says:
09:52 AM, 05/ 6/08
That's funny about the woman in the Envoy that waved to you.
I went to school in Indiana and my parents lived in the Detroit area. It was about a 5 hr drive home, much of it across the length of I-94 in Michigan. One time this Taurus followed me for at least 100+ miles on that interstate slog, also mimicing my lane changes. After a while we started letting each other in when passing semis, or hold a spot open. When I eventually got in the lane to take the split-off to go towards Ann Arbor, they zoomed up next to me and gave me a big smile and a "thanks - good-bye" wave!
mercedesfan says:
11:20 AM, 05/ 6/08
I too miss those simple gestures of motoring friendliness. I was born and raised in Oregon, but moved to California after graduating from college ten years ago. I can honestly say that there isn't a day that goes by that I don't miss the basic goodness of Oregon natives.
tlcruz says:
02:44 PM, 05/ 6/08
I love my radar detector! It did help ALOT in Nebraska, Indiana, Iowa & Ohio. Too many piggies :p
desmolicious says:
03:53 PM, 05/ 6/08
The V1's main bane is that it gives false alarms like crazy. So you ignore it. Which makes it useless..
Yup, I've used one. Maybe it's different if you're not in CA...
chrishs2000 says:
04:57 PM, 05/ 6/08
In my 6 years of owning a V1 I've never found it particularly challenging to ignore the low strength X and K beeps. I'd rather it gives me false alarms than nothing at all.
jq_s6 says:
05:43 PM, 05/ 6/08
mercedesfan - I miss those driving niceties as well... and I still live in Oregon! Sadly those days are behind us, even here. Its more and more like California with each passing year it seems. Except that the speeds people drive are still as low as they've ever been, so its like CA in slow motion.
greenpony says:
11:11 AM, 05/ 7/08
On country roads where traffic is negligible, people still may wave to each other. It's not a "hi howya doin hows the family" wave, but more of a polite "i see you" sort of wave. Sometimes just two fingers, other times three or four. It surprised me the first time I noticed it. Since I come from near Chicago, waving at other drivers is impractical -- your hand would be up all the time, and people would look at you weird. But out in the "country" it's perfectly normal.
nsu300zx says:
11:53 AM, 05/ 7/08
The v1 definately does not trounce the 9500. It's actually pretty equal in performance. Radarbusters has a great write up if you're interested. http://www.radarbusters.com/2007speedlabsintroarticle.cfm
desmolicious says:
01:43 PM, 05/ 9/08
Good reading, thanks for the link.
In the false alert tests, the V1 falsed between 4-8 times as much as the Escort 9500. And that was before they used the function to remember where the false alerts happen on the 9500.