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Moral Hazard: EV operations

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by bwilson4web, Apr 13, 2017.

  1. bwilson4web

    bwilson4web BMW i3 and Model 3

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    So about 1 AM this morning, I was stopped by a cop at 34.646769 N -86.569928 W, as I was planning to cut behind the strip mall buildings headed north to home:

    "Sir, even though there is no other traffic, when the school opens (it is under construction to the southwest half a mile away) the speed limit is 25 mph."

    No ticket, just a warning and it might have been seeing my wife's dogs that also got the young man to 'have a heart.'​

    The moral hazard is free from pocket book constraints, in EV mode, I'm driving like (or worse/better than) the rest of my fellow drivers. That certainly was what happened at 1 AM.

    EV miles in Huntsville cost about half the price of gasoline miles. When driving in hybrid or range extender mode, my parsimonious nature means I'm driving efficiently using the shortest distance routes to minimize fuel burn. Often this is at or slightly under the posted speed limit with careful attention to engine warm-up. But in EV mode like our Prius Prime Plus and especially the pocket rocket, BMW i3-REx, cost per mile no longer has any moderating effect like early this morning. For example, my drive home that morning with a bag of tacos for my wife, her dogs, and me.

    I made a left turn, 34.642667 N -86.573663 W, headed northwest along the straight by the school construction site and scampered to the stop sign quickly. I then made a right turn and was scampering towards where I planned to cut behind the strip mall, north towards home when he finally caught up and turned on his lights. I was already slowing and my left turn signal on.

    Upon reflection, he was probably there 'protecting the job site' versus set up for a speed trap. Then this white BMW i3-REx scampers by at a considerable but unmeasured speed. At 1 AM, what else to do but see why this small, white elephant like, BMW i3 is doing . . . and it breaks up the monotony.

    Regardless, this exposes the moral hazard that when the cost to drive is driven so low that efficient driving no longer holds a reward, well the temptation may lead to traffic stops.

    Bob Wilson
     
    #1 bwilson4web, Apr 13, 2017
    Last edited: Apr 13, 2017
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  2. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    I'm going with the tangent of school zone speed limits.

    On one of my trips down to my parents, I ended up on suburb streets outside of Baltimore. Came to a school a school zone with a 45mph limit. Since it was Christmas day, I didn't slow down from the 50 I was doing. Turns out the speed limit was enforced by an unannounced camera.

    I except the need for lower speed limits in school zones when children are present. That is how it is in Pennsylvania. The limit is 15mph during the hours of school operation; it could even be just around the time of opening, lunch, and closing at some locations. Flashing yellow traffic lights let drivers know when the slow down for children safety, and traffic isn't unnecessarily impeded during times when no kids are around.
     
    #2 Trollbait, Apr 13, 2017
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  3. jerrymildred

    jerrymildred Senior Member

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    For cheapskates ... errr ... frugal people like you and me, that cost threshold is relatively low. For a whole lot of the drivers I see around me, apparently someone else is buying their gas for them. :rolleyes: And they have to be really outrageous for leos here to respond.
     
    #3 jerrymildred, Apr 13, 2017
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  4. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    Lol....

    Damn BMW drivers!
    You're a wild man Bob.

    What's next?
    Motorcycle and tattoos?
    PM me if you get locked up and Holly won't bail you out......
     
    #4 ETC(SS), Apr 14, 2017
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  5. RCO

    RCO Senior Member

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    No mention of boy racers, I notice. Are you guys ageist or something? :ROFLMAO:
     
    #5 RCO, Apr 14, 2017
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