PennSilverTaco's "Perfect 5-Lug Regular Cab" Build, Aspergers, and General BS MegaThread!

I haven't been pulled over in almost two years, and I don't even get carded at bars anymore; I feel old...

 

Yeah back when l moved here it was a written test and l think $20. It may have changed since then, but not sure.

 

I just hand them my ID.
It’s like a short cut compared to what I used to have to go through before I could buy alcohol. It’s almost like I’m proud to be buying it legally now.

 

I remember getting pulled over right after l got my 08 Tacoma at like 2am, was fumbling around trying to locate the emergency flasher button.

 

Being an adopted child I didn't have my original birth certificate and had to prove my name change. Not sure how they thought I could do that since I never knew it.

 

No more written test?

About a decade ago, when I was incredibly bored, I decided to do research and see which states had the strictest driver's license renewal laws. Some states require a vision test with every renewal regardless of your age. Until a few years ago, North Carolina was the only state I knew of that required a knowledge test every time someone renewed, even if they had a clena record. Many states, PA included, make you take a knowledge test if you get enough points on your license; I've gotten three tickets between May 2017 and April 2021 that would have resulted in points on my license, but I've also gotten a couple of friends who are really good lawyers and got that worked out in my favor, so I've never had points on my license.

North Carolina no longer requires the written test for residents renewing their license, or new residents with valid out-of-state licenses; North Carolina holds the obnoxious distinction of being the only state to require that you show proof of insurance in order to obtain or a renew a license, which I think is bullshit because I know people who have a license but don't own a car because they live in the city. If you drive for work and don't own your own car, NC requires you to get a "fleet" license or something.

California randomly requires residents to take a knowledge every couple of renewals, which my cousin who lives in San Francisco found out the hard way a few years ago.

None of the states I would consider moving to require new residents with valid out-of-state driver's licenses to take a test, though some punish people who have had a DUI in the last decade or so by making them take a knowledge test; Nevada and West Virginia do this. West Virginia is one state I would relocate to if I got fed up with certain things in Pennsylvania.

 

I have lived in Pennsylvania since July 2005, been a licensed driver since May 2011, and have been the legal owner of my Tacoma since December 2016; I pay for the insurance and most maintenance myself (my dad paid for the head gasket job since I was not expecting and thus not financially prepared for, citing that I was his son and he was proud of me for taking such good care of the truck). Anyway, Pennsylvania only requires one license plate. Out of all the states I lived in during my dad's Navy career, I spent the most time in Pennsylvania (nearly 24 years combined; 1990-1996 and 2005-present); Virginia was a not-so-close second (5 years total; Virginia Beach from 1998-2000 and NoVa from 2002-2005).

Virginia requires two plates, and I never paid much attention until my transferred his Pathfinder and my mom's minivan to Pennsylvania in 2006; I personally think that the second plate looks ugly, and I relish the fact that I am able to put whatever I want on the front of my truck. My truck also did not come with a front license plate mount since it was sold new in Pennsylvania, but the bull bar has a plate mount.

I would actually choose, say, Kansas over Nebraska if I had to pick between jobs with identical salaries in those two states because Nebraska requires two license plates while Kansas does not; I DO NOT LIKE THE GOVERNMENT MANDATING WHAT I CAN AND CANNOT DO TO MY TRUCK. Texas is only two-plate state that I would move to without hesitation; I've been driving around with "illegally wired" foglights for almost two years and nobody seems to a give a shit, either...

 

I think its called star card here. I had to show passport and 2 forms ID and 2 pieces of mail to my current address

 

I got my Real ID on my license in 2019 when it was first starting up. No idea why anyone would say it was any more of a pain in the ass than a normal renewal. Show up with your paperwork in order and they scanned a few documents to add to my records electronically and done. Only issue and I don't even consider it a big deal is that not every Penndot location is set up to do them "on the spot" so I had to drive a little further out of my way to a location that could.

I have no clue where you ever got the idea that taking your drivers test in PA with an automatic meant you were only licensed for them but that's never been the case. I welcome you to cite a legitimate source from PA that states such a thing. We had an intern here at my work from Germany a few years ago and he was shocked how around here your parents teach you to drive. He had to attend a driving school and go through quite a bit of classroom and behind the wheel training before he was even allowed to test. Said it cost him close to $1600 to get his license.

If you really want a drivers test challenge go overseas and try to get a motorcycle license. In several countries they have tiered licensing where you have to progressively work your way up to a big bike, retesting each step and only after a certain period on small bikes. I understand the tests also get progressively more difficult.

 

Its 43 degrees and raining now, tonight is supposed to be negative 3 and snow.

 

@6 gearT444E
@98tacoma27
@BkerChuck
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@RustyGreen
@shakerhood
@Squatting Pigeon
@steelcity2
@Taco critter
@TnShooter
@wilcam47

Here's something I've noticed...

Window tint seems to deter road raging motorists from engaging with me, though it unfortunately it obviously only works if the windows are up; I got the windows tinted sometime in the spring of 2018.

My theory is that since motorists can't seen into my truck very well unless they look really hard, they beep or flip me off (which in itself is a rare occurrenc), but are ultimately diffused by their inability to see who is driving the truck and drive off.

I experienced this in Syracuse back in July, when I accidentally drove the wrong way in a one-way U-shaped parking lot at a bar called Sharky's with my windows down, and some prick in a white Mitsubishi Outlander screamed "What the fuck is your problem?!?!" when he was not involved in the situation at all and scared the shit out of me in the process. I say again it was fairly mild outside and I had the windows down.

Then, there was the incident in Massachusetts in September where I was driving my mom's Murano because the truck was back in PA getting is overheating problem diagnosed. I was already in the intersection when the light turned from yellow to red, so I made a left turn. Even though we came nowhere near hitting each other, some guy in a Honda Civic who was making right at the same place I was making a left took offense to this and decided to start F-bombing me when he ended up next to me at the next light; I had the windows down, and I saw him in my side view mirror and his passenger window was going down, so I put my window up. The Murano does not have tint on the front windows, but rolling up the window and cranking the radio allowed me to ignore him until the light turned green. I swear that people have forgotten how to act since this pandemic started...

 

Depends where you are and situation.

 

@6 gearT444E
@ABA180
@ColoradoTJ
@shakerhood
@Taco critter

There's been a rather disturbing update on the guy who called me a pussy bitch on Saturday for no good reason, and then in turn started acting like a pussy bitch in his own right when I told him I'd knock his teeth out if he spoke to me like that again...

Much like my psychotic ex-lover Rose, he seems to be relish in turning friends against each other and then maintaining relationships with them on a one-on-one basis.

The disturbing update is that he allegedly held a girl down and tried to have his way with her.

 

How so?

 

NJ always been rude people...if you you are in podunk Kentucky you wont see that as bad. People are generally nicer. Not to say it wont happen but not like NJ in the example. Oh sure go out to any big city and after dark people and rif raf just seem to be in a worse mood.
Even prior to "pandemic" many places in MD were rude AF when we lived there 2007-2012. Rude drivers, rude customers, rude cashiers....etc.

Im sure some places its got worse but generally they've been bad, you just dont know about since you dont go there.

 

I went to Oklahoma City with my dad in 2014, and OKC had some of the most polite drivers I've ever seen. We lived in the DC metro area (specifically Fairfax County, Virginia) from 2002 to 2005, and those were without a doubt some of the worst drivers I've ever seen; I really hated driving in Boston back in September as well...

 

@shakerhood
@Taco critter
@wilcam47

I think they should send convicted rapists to the guillotine. What do you guys think?

 

@6 gearT444E
@98tacoma27
@BkerChuck
@ColoradoTJ
@Just_A_Guy
@RustyGreen
@shakerhood
@Squatting Pigeon
@stbear
@steelcity2
@Taco critter
@TacomaUSA
@TnShooter
@trdNick
@wilcam47

Speaking of Northern Virginia, I still have memories of the blizzard of February 2003. This was the family gathering that led to me putting my foot down and literally giving my parents an ultimatum that I would NEVER give up MY BEDROOM to a relative again; I've told you all about the Christmas of 2002 when my grandparents stopped for a visit at our house in Virginia while driving from their summer home in Maine to their winter home in Florida. My grandpa got sick shortly after Christmas and was not healthy enough to complete the trip to Florida, so they stayed with us for like six months and colonized my basement in the process. In February 2003, my aunt, uncle, and two cousins flew out from California for a visit. My other aunt and uncle, and two more cousins, who lived in Fairfax County were staying with us that week as well. Our house was about 3,000 square feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, plus a finished basement with a fifth bedroom and third full bathroom. It was one of biggest houses my parents ever owned, but lets do some math...

• My parents
• Me
• My paternal grandmother and step-grandpa
• My maternal grandma
• Two aunts and two uncles
• Four cousins

FOURTEEN (14) people in one house for over a week! Thankfully, we never lost power during that storm, and we had gas heat so we weren't forced to continually dig out a heat pump a half dozen times a day. That house was built in 1989 and had central A/C since such a feature is obligatory in Northern Virginia. It had a fairly large Trane XE 900 (original to the house) of at least 48,000 BTUs (4 nominal tons), but more than likely 60,000 BTUs (5 nominal tons), given that the house was so large. It snowed so much in the first couple of days that the A/C unit, which was mounted almost a foot above the ground on a metal rack thing, was completely buried in snow. I say again that this was a straight-cool unit, not a heat pump, and that the house had natural gas heat. The furnace was located down in the basement, so the insane weather had no affect on the performance of the heating system.

School was cancelled for an entire week across the entire county, and my one uncle who worked for the EPA didn't have 4WD so he couldn't make it into work for several days. My dad was working at the pentagon and my Uncle Tommy, who is retired Army, worked for the EPA. My dad's Pathfinder proved itself to be an invaluable tool for getting around in the snow, and since it was the only 4x4 we had for the whole family, it was the only vehicle we used.

 

My dad's 1996 Nissan Pathfinder was like a snowmobile in that storm (February 2003), a snowmobile with seating for five, a heater, and a decent stereo; I can remember hauling ass through the snow with Southside Johnny blasting on the stereo while there were other vehicles going off the road all around us. I was born in 1989, and from June 1993 until September 2009, we always had at least one 4x4 in the family. My dad traded the aforementioned 1996 Pathfinder for the 2010 Taco that I still have in September 2009, and we were without a 4x4 until May 2013 when my dad bought a new Honda Pilot and sold the 2004 Honda Odyssey to a coworker. My dad's 2018 GMC Yukon has 4WD, and my mom's 2013 Nissan Murano has AWD. If and when I buy a new truck, I will definitely get 4WD, but I've got to say that a combination of Cooper Discover AT/3s and snow chains make my truck surprisingly competent in the snow!

 

@shakerhood

Do you have any pictures of your truck after that ice storm, when you had to wait like three days before you could chisel your way into it?