fhqwhgads

I wanted to start a thread about things that you think everyone should know, but people seem not to know. For example:

As most of you know, I'm a cop. If there's one thing that really bothers me at work, it's how people drive when a patrol car, with its lights and sirens on, comes up behind them. Some people will just stop dead in the lane, some people swerve like their being attacked by killer bees, but few actually pull over to the right side of the road as they are supposed to. Here's the bigger problem... when you pull over to the right, STOP YOUR DAMN CAR. There have been several times when I have had to make a right turn from the left lane, but have been unable to because some assclown in a Mazda is driving right along side of me. This happened to a partner of mine a few years back... that story is called "How the community of Forestville got a new brick wall."

Long story short: When you see a patrol car driving down the road with lights and sirens, pull to the right and STOP. (Of course, this applies only in countries where you drive on the right side of the road. I don't know what you are expected to do in countries where several letters of the alphabet are often stuck together)

Go ahead, share your "not-so-common knowledge".

Daniel_

Obviously the Brits, Ausies, Kiwis and Japanese reading this need to remember to pull over TO THE LEFT.

Good advice, Mr Officer Sir.

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╔═════════════════════════════════════════╗
Overhead, the Albatross hangs motionless upon the air,
And deep beneath the rolling waves,
In labyrinths of Coral Caves,
The Echo of a distant time
Comes willowing across the sand;
And everthing is Green and Submarine
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rsl12

Thanks for the PSA. I guess it makes sense that people sometimes forget protocol. It'd be good if the siren included a little voice saying "pull over to the right and stop" every now and then.

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oh baby oh baby, i like gravy.

MSD

1: If you go too long without changing your oil, you can drain it out, fill the crankcase to capacity (full on the dipstick, not to the top) with Mercon/Dexron III automatic transmission fluid, run it for ten minutes, then proceed with the oil change as normal. This will clean out any sludge or deposits that have formed and baked onto the inside of the engine.

2: If you drive a car with turbo but no turbo timer, idle it for 30 seconds before you shut it off. If you don't, you risk coking up the turbo oil lines, resulting in a lack of lubrication and cooling. I can't find a good picture, but a turbocharger explosion is not a pretty sight.

3: No TFP thread about uncommon knowledge or little-known "facts" has ever made it to the one-page mark without falling victim to urban legend contamination.

filtherton

When integrating a rational function from a point a to a point b, always check to make sure that the function is continuous on the interval [a,b].

noodle

cologne does not replace deodorant.

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Meditrina

Today on my way home, I was in the left hand lane when I noticed a fire truck coming behind me. What if I could not get to the right? Is it ok to get to the left shoulder and stop? I was able to get to the right, but was curious what I should do if I could not.

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"Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles." ~Alex Karras

eeef2

urine is sterile- most of the time- and one could drink it to survive without water.

fhqwhgads

It all depends on the road, of course. On a multi-lane, two way road, it's always best to get to the furthest right that you can... I'd never advocate going left and risking hitting oncoming traffic. If it's a smaller, suburban road, single lane each way, no double yellow line in the middle, and there is no traffic coming your way, getting to the left is fine. Try as best you can to stay out of the center turn lanes, and when you do stop, don't block any intersections/driveways. You never know when we need to turn, and depending on the way the lights are wired, our turn signals may not work.

fhqwhgads

Oh yeah, other things that you should know about police work:

You don't always get a phone call.

I don't automatically read you your rights when you get locked up.

If I don't read you your rights, the arrest isn't magically null and void.

I don't have a place I can take your unruly kids, not even "just for the night".

If I'm in plain clothes, and you ask me if I'm a cop, I don't have to tell you, despite what the 70's sitcoms say.

I know what marijuana smells like... it's not a cigar, and it's not incense.

If I seem serious, it's because the cemetery's are full of cops who never saw it coming, and I have a wife and dogs waiting for me at home.

Yes, there are rapists and murderers and drug dealers out there too, but not every janitor gets to clean the Taj Mahal, if you get my drift.

Saying "I didn't do it" when I walk into your business isn't as original, or funny, as you may think.

When you're child is acting up, and you say "That police officer is going to get you if you don't behave", all you're doing is teaching that kid to be afraid of me.

ngdawg

Happened tonight:

A restaurant is not a playground. I came here to eat, not trip over your hyperactive kid. Please sit the child down, and be a parent-make sure he stays seated. (the MacDonald's up the road has a playground, as does Chuck E. Cheese-go there instead)

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

ngdawg

School bus drivers can write your license plate number down should you disregard the flashing red lights and you can be issued a ticket as a result.(not applicable in every state, I think).

Found this out by taking action: If you should think about overstuffing your car with children, the police can and will take proper action. (I called when I saw no less than 10 children stuffed into an F150. When I first approached the truck because it parked so close to my car I couldn't get in, not knowing there was no adult in there, the oldest of those in the truck shouted to the others, "Get out! She's gonna call the cops!" Then a lady with 5 more kids came out, literally pushed them all in and tore off while I called in the license plate-the police went looking for them)

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

Bill O'Rights

When you meet someone that has a cleft lip, don't act shocked if they don't have a speech impediment. Also, a cleft lip does not, in any way, indicate a diminished mental capacity. And don't ask why they don't cover it up with a mustache...it's insulting.

Although it should go without saying...I'm gonna say it anyway. fhqwhgads advice goes for any emergency vehicle. Police, fire and ambulance. I can't count how many times I see drivers taking their "right of way" in front of a responding fire truck. I just shake my head and hope that it's their house. Don't they teach this, in driver's ed, anymore.? Or, at least put it in the training manual?

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"I distrust those people who know so well what God wants them to do because I notice it always coincides with their own desires." - Susan B. Anthony

"Hedonism with rules isn't hedonism at all, it's the Republican party." - JumpinJesus

It is indisputable that true beauty lies within...but a nice rack sure doesn't hurt.

shred_head

1. Turn on your damn headlights when it's raining.

2. Use your turn signals, and before you start turning please.

3. Do not drive all the way to the end of the lane and then expect me to let you into mine.

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"Great spirits have always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds" -- Albert Einstein

"A clear indication of women's superiority over man is their refusal to play air guitar." --Frank Zappa

ngdawg

For the ladies: If you decide to NOT sit fully in a public restroom, it is common courtesy to clean up your 'misses'. Please do not leave them for ME to clean...I'm not your mother.
Keep in mind that, if the seat appears pretty clean, you are not going to catch a disease by sitting fully down. Ther are more germs in a human mouth than on a human thigh.

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Don't blame me. I didn't vote for either of'em.

GreenHell

Use your turn signals before you change lanes, this is my driving pet peeve, i cannot stand it.

Konichiwaneko

Sounds kinda like a "Complain about others" thread right now

Lets see.

Not so Common knowledge.

Creole and Cajun are not the same style of food.
Growing up on spicy food makes you a happier person when you grow up! (Totally made up but I'm happy with this idea)

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maiden_fan_us

Pet peeves 1 and 2.

Contrary to popular belief, irregardless is NOT a word.

And forte is pronounced FORT not FORTAY.

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Remember Eric, there are no stupid questions, only stupid people!

Jinn

FOR-TAY!

Not-so-common-knowledge:

BRAKE to the APEX, accelerate OUT! I see too many people who think they are race car drivers trying to take sharp corners at high double-digit or triple digit speeds. If you have to endanger us all, learn how to brake, turn, and then accelerate. If you're braking AND turning, you're going to skid -- your front tires are losing too much traction braking to be turning, or your tires are losing too much traction turning to be effective at braking. If you've got to emergency brake, DONT TURN unless you have to. Remember -- break into the corner, turn, and then accelerate out. That way you can stay in your own damn lane too..

EDITED to add APEX quote:

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

SirLance

I was rear-ended once by a lady because I stopped at a green light to allow the ambulance to cross the intersection. She didn't. She also didn't have insurance. Cops cited her for all sorts of stuff, including failure to yeild to an emergency vehicle. Impounded the car because she didn't have insurance.

Pet peeve: tailgating. It is rude and agressive. If I'm in the passing lane and if I can move over, I will. If you get so close to me you block my vision, then I can't move over and let you by. If you are 3 inches from my rear bumper, and I have to swerve or stop for an obstruction in the roadway, you are going to a) hit the obstruction, or b) hit me, or both. Then I will sue you for all kinds of shit, and I will win.

Not so common knowledge: If you get pulled over by a cop at night, pull off to the side, roll down your windows (yes, both sides and weather permitting), turn on your inside light, put the car in park, put your hands on TOP of the steering wheel, and WAIT for the cop to approach you.

DO NOT reach for your wallet, and do not go into your glove box. Wait for the cop. He'll ask to see these things. Tell him "OK, It's in my [back pocket/purse/glove box]" before reaching for anything.

Traffic stops are THE MOST DANGEROUS times in a cop's life. There are a shitload of cops in the ground who were killed at traffic stops. If you show him you are a) not armed, b) not going to be an agressive moron, and c) willing to cooperate, you'll be much less likely to have a bad time. If he can see inside your car and see your hands while he walks up to you, you'll be starting off right. You don't have to give up any civil rights, but you can be nice about it.

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

Jinn

I agree 100% Lance... whilst this is an extreme case.. I was clocked for 110 mph in a 50. As soon as I was stopped (3 am), I turned off my radio, turned on my inside light, turned the car OFF and put the keys on top of the dash, and put my hands on 10 and 2. A little respect goes a long way (my friend's father was a cop killed during duty) and I got a warning. Turning off your car is a big thing -- if you ever watch COPS, an offender running off with your arm still in the car can be just as dangerous as a gun.

NOTE: I do not advocate speeding or schmoozing officers to get out of blatantly reckless behaviors.. but respect 'em.

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

SirLance

Got me out of a ticket, too. The officer asked if my insurance agent told me to turn on my dome light, and I told him that a freind of mine was a cop and had given me that advice a long time ago, and I figured I'd rather have a nice cop than to die of a terminal misunderstanding. He thanked me for my cooperation, told me to "slow it down," and cut me loose.

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

Daoust

Not So Common Knowledge

A teacher cannot fail a student ( in elementary at least) without the full consent and cooperation of the parent. The student can miss an entire year of school, not know how to read or write, or have any positive social communication skills, and can be placed in the above grade, on the parents permission. This, in a nutshell, is one of the major reasons why the education system is so frigged up.

#2.
Your cell phone carries as many germs as a toilet seat. FACT.

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I have faith in a few things - divinity and grace
But even when I'm on my knees I know the devil preys

Jinn

Why should people know this? Besides, they're probably your germs and the human mouth easily has a factor more germs than a toilet seat OR your cell phone.

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"I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

Rlyss

If someone with an obvious disability, who has a carer/support worker with him/her comes to your cash register and hands you the cash, don't give the change and receipt to the carer. This happens to me all the time. The person I'm supporting pulls his wallet out and hands over the money at the supermarket and without fail the cashier tries to give me the change.

So yeah, don't assume the carer is in charge. I support people to live their own lives, and if it's their money, give the change back to them like you would with anybody else.

VitaminH

I'd like to dispute this. While urine is generally sterile (unless you have an infection in your bladder, kidneys, or tubing) drinking it to survive when you have no water is not a good idea. You're just reingesting stuff that your kidneys will have to re-excrete, causing you to lose more water.

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"Glory is fleeting, but obscurity is forever."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Journeyman

At which point you re-cycle the re-excretions. If you're going to die of thirst and you can stomach it, swallow it. I think my bio teacher mentioned something about a point in this process (after several instances of recycling) wherein the urine becomes so concentrated in waste that it stops being a good idea.

To add my own bit of urinary knowledge, you can eat psychedelic mushrooms and then proceed to pee into a container, which may then be drunk by someone else who will trip. This is supposedly applicable to about 5 grown men down the line (ie One guy eats the shrooms, next guy drinks his urine, next guy drinks the second guys urine, and so on).

Elegant Holmes

It is not polite to use the passage of an emergency vehicle to zoom ahead of the people who actually stop for it. I almost got run over by some idiot on an entrance ramp.

Gilda

You're confusing failing with retention. The teacher can fail any student she likes without parental consent or cooperation. Those are required only to retain the student, and only below the high school level. From 9th grade on up, if the student earns a failing grade, he or she must repeat the course or gets no credit.

From me (teacher):

People who read anything recreationally 20 minutes a day or longer do better on verbal tasks (meaning nearly everything they do at shcool).

There is no age at which being read to by someone with better reading skills is not beneficial academically.

Studying 10 minutes a day for a week is much more effective than an hour the night before.

Read the questions before you read the story/chapter/lesson. It saves time, and improves comprehension.

Monetary rewards for good grades don't work.

A couple contributed by Grace (paramedic):

If someone is injured in an accident, but is otherwise in no further immediate danger, do not move them, or try to remove them from wreckage. Let the experts--the fire department and paramedics--free people.

When calling 911, give your name and address first, then identify the nature of the problem, then listen and follow instructions. If your address is difficult to find, you should have an emergency card with directions from the nearest major thoroughfare written down. Don't count on your memory, write them down. You may forget important information otherwise.

Keep medical information written down on a reference card that is readily available. The best place to carry this is in a wallet or purse. This should include known medical conditions, allergies, and any and all prescription medicines and their dosages.

If you're unsure whether or not it's a heart attack, play it safe and call 911. It's a little embarassing to find out it was an anxiety attack or acid reflux, sure, but the people who are checking you out aren't going to make fun of you, and they're going to be happy that you're well.

Never leave a child (or pet) unattended in a car. Even at mild temperatures, say 80 degrees, the temperature inside can get very hot very quickly, and children have a smaller surface area relative to their volume, so they cannot cool themselves as effeciently. An infant left in a car on a hot day can be permanently brain damaged or dead in less than 20 minutes.

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert

flat5

If you are driving at dusk please put the lights on. Not everyone has good vision.
I really hate it when a gray car has lights off when it's getting dark.

Do not play with the clutch at red lights while people are crossing the street!
Do not play with the clutch while waiting to complete a left turn.

If you have to stop on a narrow street please do not pick the center.
Try to pull off to one side.

skinnymofo

this does not work with psilocybin mushrooms, but only ones of the Amanita genus, which also happen to have two of the most poisonous mushrooms in the fungi kingdom in it (death cap, destroying angel).

also RIDING A BIKE IN THE STREET PISSES OFF DRIVERS. If you cant fucking go the speed limit get on the godam sidewalk, or the designated biking lane.

filtherton

In many places, even places without bike lanes, it is illegal to ride a bicycle on the sidewalk. Also in many places, a bicycle has just as much right to be on the road as a motor vehicle. I understand perhaps getting pissed off if someone is biking like an asshole, but if the mere existence of a cyclist on the road pisses you off, perhaps you should attend some sort of anger management training.

Xazy

Maybe true, but I have seen someone (dressed in all black no reflectors at night) riding on the FDR Drive (a highway in NYC). Now that was retarded!

fhqwhgads

While I agree with you, I wish more cyclists would understand that when riding in the roadway, they have to follow the rules of the road. I have seen many cyclists blow through stop signs and ride on the wrong side of the road. If you're cycling in the roadway, you need to stop at ALL stop signs, and drive on the correct side of the road. We can actually write tickets for cyclists too...

filtherton

That's kind've what i meant by "biking like an asshole". I generally tend to obey all the important laws, and generally don't have a problem. The only rule i really care about is the one that tells me to try not to get hit by a car. If i pay attention, and motorists pay attention, there won't be a problem. It does piss me off to see people biking down the wrong side of a street or the wrong way down a one-way or going full speed through a stop sign and almost getting creamed by a vehicle with the right of way. Such things give cyclists bad names.

I think that there are many traffic laws that exist because it gives the police the ability to prosecute anyone who breaks them incompetently. Police officers use their discretion when it comes to enforcing traffic laws. For instance, even though the marked speed limit on most streets in minneapolis is 30mph, the actual speed traveled by most drivers is closer to 40. If they wanted to, the police could have a field day with this fact, but they don't. Perhaps because it doesn't really matter all that much. I think there are very few motorists who actually obey all traffic laws at all times. Most motorists try and get away with as much shit as possible, within reason. This doesn't change the fact that they break the law, i think it just illustrates the fact that law books very often only vaguely resemble the traffic patterns over which they have jurisdiction. You probably already know this though, for all the people you pull over, imagine how many moving violations that the police aren't around to see.

Regardless of whether i'm biking or driving i don't have a problem with cyclists running lights and signs, provided they don't violate someone else's right of way. Momentum is much more important on a bike than it is in a car. I realize it's illegal, and i think most bikers do, but it's a risk i'm usually willing to take.

ShaniFaye

the originator of the "little kilt" (todays version of the kilt) was an Englishman, who was employed as the manager of an iron smelting works in Lochaber who adapted it, to allow more freedom of movement for his workers and there is no sign of it existing before 1725

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I want the diabetic plan that comes with rollover carbs. I dont like the unused one expiring at midnite!!

reiii

Sports:
1. olympic white water kayaking is similar to salolm skiing
2. good kayakers generally drive run-down volvo's and minivans not shiny SUV's just ask my brother who made a few bucks running "O-B-Joyful" in an x-terra ad, he drove home from the shoot in a soccer mom mobile.
3. America is not that great internationally at wrestling because we practice a unique style of wrestling in american highschools and college. Our amazing talent is wasted on "folkstyle" or collegiate, while the world does freestyle and grecco.
4. That being said, folkstyle is more fun to watch/ do

Health:
1. America's health care system depending on the year ranks from around 11-16 according to W.H.O. An american black male growing up in harlem has the same life expectancy as a person growing up in Bangladesh. We have the worst health care system among 1st world countries.
2. antibiotics will not cure your cold, so dont ask your doctor

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"Jombe? The chocolate icing" -hedonism bot

SirLance

...Which is why so many Canadians are lined up at Buffalo, NY, hospitals to get coronary bypass surgery done...

It's your opinion. Ever been treated in a non-US hospital?

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DEMOCRACY is where your vote counts, FEUDALISM is where your count votes.

reiii

if you can pay for it, we have the best healthcare in the world. However, a substantial (and growing) portion of our population can´t afford even passable healthcare. Hence our shitty rank. Growing up in the inner city= growing up in a third world country in terms health outcomes. Check out:

http://dll.umaine.edu/ble/U.S.%20HCweb.pdf

I would post the actual WHO report if I could (instead of an article citing it), but it is only available to universities and organizations. By the way I rechecked my facts, our actual rank as of last WHO report was 37th. That ranking is based on 7 good indicators such as infant mortality, life expectancy, portability... generally indicators that can be measured quantitatively using public information.

You are correct that my statement was an opinion, but it is an opinion that is formed and supported by an overwhelming amount of evidence. As for your comment about canada? Coronary bypass surgery is performed too much in America, and too little in Canada. That being said, they trounce us in almost every meaningful way you can measure healthcare systems. Their national healthcare system better serves their population. They are rewarded with a more healthy populace without health disparities. Also our seniors have been known to run to canada to buy prescription drugs...

Here is the our harlem men losing to bangladesh article from the NE journal of medicine:
http://www.mindfully.org/Health/Ineq...lth-Marmot.htm

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"Jombe? The chocolate icing" -hedonism bot

Gilda

Comics:

The New X-Men were not created by Chris Claremont, but by Len Wein.

"Comics" has nothing to do with the tone of the material--it doesn't mean "funny". It rather refers to the art form, which is storytelling accomplished using a series of connected images, often with accompanying text.

Most modern mainstream comics are not designed for kids, but rather are aimed at college-aged students.

William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder Woman, who carries a magic lasso that can make people tell the truth, invented the lie detector.

The first modern comic book was More Fun Comics.

There have been more English language stories published featuring the character Superman than any other fictional character.

I could go on all day, but I really need a nap.

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I'm against ending blackness. I believe that everyone has a right to be black, it's a choice, and I support that.

~Steven Colbert