I am generally and calm, relaxed, easy going type of guy and I never lose my temper...
However, two things really, really make me mad:
1) Parking - when it's all full up and then someone gets to a space before me...
And...
2) People who cannot put surfboards on roof bars!!!
I see it all the time in the UK on the way down to the beach and my poor wife has to listen to the torrent of abuse about "bloody idiots...its basic aerodynamics...rant, rant". I can't deal with it all by myself, so my therapist has suggested starting a self help group. We could all meet up once a week, discuss any "traumatic" roof bar related incidents seen since the last meeting, have a cry, cuddle then go our separate ways...
I mean surely there are other people out there who have the same issues...
Ah, that is obviously the work of the BMW efficient dynamics crowd. It is obvious to anybody that generating upward lift will reduce load on the tyres and subsequently the rolling résistance...hence saving valuable diesel.
I think we can all share some stories about when we were just starting out. Here is mine...
I drove over to Coronado to go surfing one time when I was in high school. I had put my board on the car nose forward and fins up. The roof rack was a set of 2x4's with a strip of carpet nailed on top. The board was attached with cheap bungee cords. Everything was going fine on the freeway until we came to the Coronado Bridge. In case you haven't seen it, the bridge is a long arcing hill. After reaching the peak elevation in the middle we started going down hill. At that point the nose of the board went up and out of sight. I started freaking out, thinking that it had flown off the back of the car. The road flattened out when we got to the bottom of the bridge, and we heard a loud thud as the board snapped back onto the racks. Apparently the board had popped a wheelie the entire way down the bridge. Luckily, it wasn't damaged. I never used bungee cords again to secure a board, and I always put it on the roof tail forward fins up.
I would have put in right in the front seat. But then again thats just me.
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After the bridge incident I started putting my board in the trunk. It was a 1965 Buick Skylark. I discontinued that technique after getting a ding from it sloshing around on a tight turn.
Like Swied mentioned, roof racks in the early 60s were basically luggage racks made of 2x4s with canvas strap tie downs. At freeway speeds, anything could happen, especially if you had two boards or more boards on them. We always put the boards on fin-forward to prevent them from slipping out from under the straps. Although probably not necessary with modern board racks, I still do it that way.
i got a serious repair not too long ago from some silly fool who didn’t attach his twin fin fish right and it must of cart wheeled down the road as the nose, both rails and tail were exploded to put it mildly. oh yeah the fins delaminated! first time i saw that. the guy didn’t change the fins in the end either! found it funny!
I am generally and calm, relaxed, easy going type of guy and I never lose my temper...
However, two things really, really make me mad:
1) Parking - when it's all full up and then someone gets to a space before me...
And...
2) People who cannot put surfboards on roof bars!!!
I see it all the time in the UK on the way down to the beach and my poor wife has to listen to the torrent of abuse about "bloody idiots...its basic aerodynamics...rant, rant". I can't deal with it all by myself, so my therapist has suggested starting a self help group. We could all meet up once a week, discuss any "traumatic" roof bar related incidents seen since the last meeting, have a cry, cuddle then go our separate ways...
I mean surely there are other people out there who have the same issues...
Anyone...
please?
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Hallellujah!!! Thank god im not the only one.
Again, my wife gets it all the time in the car!
I even shout to myself sometimes and wince. I travel down the M4 in south Wales and when theyre doing 70mph down the outside lane I cant believe they dont get home and have a massive crack between the rails!!
Its the M5 between Bristol and Exeter where I see all the muppets...
I recon I see at least 5 or 6 cars with boards on upside down...
I don't bother with the flashing lights bit...they just think "Hey I'm cool, another surfer acknowledged my existence"...
I mutter the immortal words " what a d***head"
When I was grommet, my mate borrowed his brothers car to go to the beach, however no roof racks and car was full. So we opened the back windows put the boards in and gently wound up windows with our towels and wetsuits providing padding. Carefully we started our short journey to the beach...first corner, my board shoots out the car and bounces down the road...great fun, I learn't how to fix a nose that day!!!
Check this one out, Nissan Pathfinder with 4 shortboards strapped on top with fins forward, my buddy decides to park in a carport with low clearance height… Guess who’s board was on top… My buddy had to pay for my fins and ding repair…
That’s nothing. I once read a post by a true idiot who went through a car wash with his board strapped to the roof. The machines ripped out the fin box. Why call him an “idiot”? Well, it was bad enough that he wrecked his board in a car wash, but the truly dumb part was posting the story and showing folks how stupid he really is. I mean, would you admit something that moronic?
I am always amused, and sometimes alarmed, by the way people transport boards on vehicles. The most extreme cases are usually beginners or folks who have rented a board without ever having tried to surf, previously. I have quite a few images of these scenarios. Here’s one. 3 rental Bics, no less.
