RSS Feeds
Readers Write
By Design News Staff -- Design News, April 9, 2001
Fear of steering loss
In response to Paul Teague's editorial (03.12.01), I also like the feel of the road I have gotten used to over the last 30 years of driving, but that is hardly the issue. What bothers me is the possibility of losing control of the vehicle. If the steering column is removed, how does one avoid running into things at nearly full speed if you suddenly have no control?
If you have to leave it in as a back-up then why bother? What happens when you lose battery power, do you not even have the ability to brake? It will take a lot of convincing for me to accept a change from the way things are now.
David McCutcheon
Baltimore, MD
Fired up about wire
Are you that insecure in your masculinity as to be worried that you will lose control because you won't be actually steering your car? Give me a break! What about the power assisted steering on your present car? You're not really applying all that force to turn the car yourself anyway! How about power brakes? Or do you only drive cars without either of these two "cheaters?" My opinion is: BRING ON THE WIRES!
Dave Andel
Sr. Staff Mechanical Engineer
Nordson Corp.
Get rid of the baggage!
With regard to your Breaktime article "If the bag fits" (03.05.01), the travel guy on PBS had a good segment on how to travel light: If you can't carry it all day on your back, you're taking too much stuff.
Another method that works for me is as follows: Before you pack for the trip, make two lists. One is a list of all the clothing you need, the other a list of all the money you will need. Then take HALF the clothes, and TWICE the money and DON'T buy anything to bring home. If you do, ship it.
The smaller commuter lines here in the heartland insist that you cannot carry on any oversize luggage. The big airlines need to get tough there, too. They could narrow the opening of the x-ray machines. Too big? It just won't pass and must be checked.
Wayne Collins
Dubuque, Iowa.
A few more assumptions
I realize that even the best texts must have some assumptions made, but I couldn't let the bag in the airplane problem (03.12.01) get by without comment.
Obviously, the intent is to have the conservation of linear momentum law applied to the horizontal [unstated] 6m/sec. But the problem fails to consider that a bag coming out of the bin at that speed is going to bounce off the opposite overhead bin, one stewardess, one standing passenger, and one seated passenger. Each of these individuals is going to sue the airline, the grade school teachers of the oaf who put the bag in the bin, and the manufacturers of the airplane, the bin hinges, the bag, and the stewardess's uniform cap for failure to protect. I put the [jury] award at $10 million for pain, suffering, and loss of spousal companionship.
The true answer will always be unknown because the "at rest" initial condition I assume to be with respect to the airframe and so the final velocity of the cart depends on whether the aircraft is cruising, taxiing, or crashing.
Dave Hill
Spee-Dee Packaging Machinery
Racine, WI
Road to ruin?
Your four essential elements required to resolve "too close to call" situations (Editorial 02.26.01) are good, especially the third one regarding feedback to the participant. But you neglected one important one — the creation of a hard, permanent, incorruptible record. The hardest, most permanent and incorruptible record is one which is dispersed among the participants, even if it includes only their contribution (a voting receipt).
Our political pooh-bahs here in the sometimes backward State of Arizona are getting ready to replace the remaining punched-card vote-tallying machines here with optical-scanning vote-tallying machines. Naturally, being politicos, they have cleanly missed the point. Their idea flunks on your Item 3, and also on my suggestion stated above.
Actually, our state is getting very high-tech from CA spillover, but it has not affected our down-home political system, yet. On the other hand, we do have really great streets and highways here in the Phoenix area laid out nearly a hundred years ago by farmers with long strings. Many of them go on for as much as 50 miles in straight lines, 5 to 7 lanes through several towns with few or mostly no name changes, one every mile like clockwork.
A N Wollscheidt
Sun Lakes, AZ
Did you hear the one...
Following up on your article on golf ball tracking (02.26.01), I hear many jokes about golf but few about other sports except for: "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out."
I really enjoy reading your articles.
Donald Weinstein
Project Engineer
Talkback
DN's Resource Center Get Free Information, Made Easy
-
Unique & Personal Capabilities catalog
Control Line Equipment, Inc. | Design Guide
Request Item -
How to Create Lasting Bonds with Adhesives, Sealants & Coatings
Master Bond | White Paper
Request Item
