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Author Topic: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014  (Read 86433 times)

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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #75 on: December 24, 2014, 01:02:06 AM »

The integration of our family has moments of great humor.  Probably common for all families but it's been a long time since I raised a little one. While we were chatting tonight I got the update on Lisa's monkey business while I was at work.  It seems that Lisa was eating her lunch which included some meat patties similar to hamburger but different in some ways.  Larissa was busy in the kitchen and was bugging Lisa to eat-up and quit watching TV.

Larissa caught Lisa out of the corner of her eye ducking down and leaving the room.  The next thing she heard was the toilet flush down the hall.  She looked over at the plate and it was empty.  When Lisa returned she told mom "See, I ate it all".  Lisa figured out she flushed the last patty down the toilet.  She was then sent to her room for punishment.  Lisa told Larissa to not tell papa that she was bad.  LOL

As I was rolling on the floor laughing, I then found out how Larissa knew about these antics.  She related a couple stories when she was young and did the same thing with a bowl of borscht.  Her mom caught her and refilled the bowl and promptly dumped it upside down over her head.  A lesson about wasting food.  LOL

She also pulled a favorite American teenager trick.  Her mom was given some wine by her colleagues at the University and while she was at work Larissa invited her girlfriends over and had a taste of the wine.  They poured water in the bottle to bring it back up to the original level.  When mama got home the girls were blasted and she was busted.  No wonder she is so much fun to be with. Her pranks seem to have paralleled mine.

All in all, the year is ending in the positive column.  Larissa is spending time with her Ukraine and Russian (new) girlfriends and being shown where to shop as well as getting acquainted with all the local parks, attractions, etc.  We have had dinners with them and their families and they seem to be super people.  Larissa will go back to ESL classes and Lisa will go back to kindergarten after the Christmas break.  In addition Lisa is getting signed up for ballet classes. At home things are going very well.  I wish I had not wasted 10 years being single. You just can't recapture the time that could have been enjoyed in a family environment.

We will be flying to Seattle to visit my family and have dinner with some of our RWD friends. Tonight I was getting briefed on the gift giving customs and the dates.  I had to learn about which date for Lisa to get her gift from Father Frost as well as something about the parent forgetting about it which then means the child gets the gift she wrote about requesting it.  Not sure I understand it in detail, but Larissa will take the lead and make sure I don't screw up anything.

The owner of the company I am working for had a chat with me today about my desires to continue with the company now that my original contract and objectives have been met over a year ago.  Basically I was given a choice to continue as a full time consultant or to convert to a full time salaried engineer/manager and gain the benefits everyone else has.  This choice also involves a promotion that is really in Title only.  Instead of a raise, I decided to take the promotion and get the benefits since I need medical coverage for Larissa and Lisa.  Also I enjoy working for the company and have created a great team of techs and engineers so will continue probably until I croak at the bench or my office. I told the owner when he hired me I will work for him until it is not longer fun to go to work in the morning.  Also  with two more mouths to feed, the extra money will help keep the lifestyle and hobbies funded.  I can never imagine me sitting in a rocking chair on the porch.  It just isn't me.

We wish all our members a very merry Christmas and a very happy New Year.

Doug (Calmissile)

Offline Anotherkiwi

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #76 on: December 24, 2014, 03:27:09 AM »
Doncha just LURRRRVE happy endings?

Best wishes Doug, to you and your new family.  :couple: :toocool:

Online Hammer2722

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #77 on: January 02, 2015, 08:22:27 AM »
Happy New Years Doug, it was great having dinner with you, Larissa, Lisa, Kevin and Rita at Chandler's. Olga enjoyed speaking her native language over dinner. Hope to do it again someday.  :)
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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #78 on: January 02, 2015, 12:53:33 PM »
Happy New Years Doug, it was great having dinner with you, Larissa, Lisa, Kevin and Rita at Chandler's. Olga enjoyed speaking her native language over dinner. Hope to do it again someday.  :)

Thanks Hector.  We enjoyed your company as well.  Any future Seattle get-togethers by us will be in the summer.   :D
I caught a nasty cold as a reminder why I moved to California.   Perhaps this summer we can do it again.
The food was fantastic.  Perhaps BillyB can join us next time.  I believe he had minor surgery preventing him from joining us this time.

Keep warm!

Edit:
BTW,  we tried to go up the Space Needle and when we arrived the wait was 2 hours in the freezing rain.  Also, the restaurant was booked solid for the whole day and evening.  We did  not expect this in the middle of winter.  Instead we tried to go to my favorite restaurant (Ivars Acre of Clams) on the waterfront and the whole waterfront was torn up and businesses closed.  We ended up going back to Chandlers for dinner.  Scallops again.....Yummy.
 
« Last Edit: January 02, 2015, 01:00:02 PM by calmissile »
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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #79 on: January 11, 2015, 04:38:34 PM »
Things have been going smooth since their arrival.  I don't even consider it an adjustment period anymore.
There is no longing over leaving Ukraine and family behind.  She is on Skype with her mother, brother, and son on a weekly basis.
Larissa is anxious to try to do an AOS rather than the CR-1/CR-2 we had planned to do.  She wants to stay here and not return in the immediate  future to Ukraine. 

We still have a rented apartment in Yalta, an apartment in Kiev, and commercial properties to do something with, but everything can sit and wait.  Larissa says no one has any money to buy anything now anyway.  Same problem with her car.  So might end up giving it to a relative.

The friendship with her two new FSU girlfriends has expanded.  The UA physician and Larissa seem to have a weekly Friday shopping day and last Friday when I got home from work, Olga was here at the house after their trip.  Larissa had made pork chops like I had never eaten before.  They were breaded in something with spices and it was delicious.  Olga, asked for two helpings and commented on what a good cook Larissa is and how lucky I am for her cooking skills.  I agree.     :)

Yesterday, I decided to take Larissa out for her second driving experience.  Unfortunately, I have a Toyota pickup and she is used to her small Mitsubishi Colt.  She manged to back out of the driveway without taking out the iron gates.  Good first start!  I then told her to drive wherever she wanted to.  She was a little reserved for a few blocks, but adjusted quickly.  After a while I decided to take her to Trader Joe's to see if they had anything that she didn't see in our local grocery store.  The only problem she had was parking in the parking lot.  The pickup has rounded front fenders (looking from the drivers position) and you can't see where the front really is.  Nevertheless, she got it parked in one try.  Backing out was another thing.  It took her several tries and as you can imagine she could not tell how close she was to the cars parked behind her.  It took her at least 3 tries to back out and be oriented where she could drive forward to leave.  Fortunately, the cars that were piled up waiting for her were patient.  No one gave her the finger or honked at her.  I was surprised.  Hopefully in the next few weeks she will take the driving test and have her license made permanent.

Lisa is rattling off English sentences most of the time.  I am amazed.  She is on Christmas break from  kindergarten and her English appears to be learned from watching English cartoons on the Cartoon Channel and Nick.  The way things are going, I don't think it will be necessary to subscribe to the Russian speaking TV channels.  Larissa gets all the news she wants on the internet.

So far..............so fantastically good.
 
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #80 on: January 12, 2015, 10:36:38 AM »
Selling property now might be difficult. Perhaps she could rent it out to someone?
 
Glad to hear that the adjustment is working out.

Offline southernX

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #81 on: January 13, 2015, 11:59:27 PM »
nice to read some good news doug,  ;)

so far your girls seem to be settling in well , that is really good for all of you
keep up the reports , there nice reading on here  :clapping:


the driving lessons will keep you on your toes , lol no one learns like a FSU lady ime , it can be a lesson in patience , fear and laughter /love all in one go !!!!
one tip though doug , keep each lesson to about an hour , longer than an hour in the early stages takes a lot of focus , especially if language is an issue

i learnt the easy words for left ,[levo ]  right [pravo ] straight ahead [priama ] etc pretty quickly to ease my wifes concentration efforts to just learning  to drive
not translating too much as well at the same time , it might help you also  ;)

SX
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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #82 on: January 14, 2015, 10:23:56 PM »
nice to read some good news doug,  ;)

so far your girls seem to be settling in well , that is really good for all of you
keep up the reports , there nice reading on here  :clapping:


the driving lessons will keep you on your toes , lol no one learns like a FSU lady ime , it can be a lesson in patience , fear and laughter /love all in one go !!!!
one tip though doug , keep each lesson to about an hour , longer than an hour in the early stages takes a lot of focus , especially if language is an issue

i learnt the easy words for left ,[levo ]  right [pravo ] straight ahead [priama ] etc pretty quickly to ease my wifes concentration efforts to just learning  to drive
not translating too much as well at the same time , it might help you also  ;)

SX

Thanks for the tips SX.   Actually she is doing pretty well.  I am making her drive everywhere after I get home from work.  I had to insist in the beginning, but now she does not give me any fuss about it.  Whether it's to the store, her ESL lessons or Lisa's ballet lessons, she is driving and this includes night time.  She is using English asking me questions.  She has  Right, Left, Straight, Stop, Go all down pat.   :)

I was planning to sell the Mercedes 560SL because it has no rear seat and there is no way to legally put a child's booster seat in the back.  After giving it some more thought, I might do the repairs that need to be done (A/C, Cruise Control, etc) and give it to her to drive during the day.  I will be at work with the Toyota pickup so it will be just Larissa and Lisa, so the lack of a back seat might not matter.  Also, being smaller and closer to the ground she probably will find it much easier to park.  All I need to check on is to make sure that it is legal to put the child seat in the front passenger seat.   In order to get used to the lack of a clutch, she is having to place her left foot to the far left to get out of the habit.  She still reaches for the gear shift but catches herself before moving it.     :)

Doug (Calmissile)

Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #83 on: January 14, 2015, 11:15:14 PM »
I have concluded it is a very good idea for wives to find Russian speaking friends.  I have read some contrary opinions, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.

Having friends that speak the same language has been great for Larissa.  Since she is in ESL classes,  I don't think it is going to slow down her English learning very much.  The second concern expressed is that a FSU woman may turn her into a bitch is just plain not going to happen.  If you use some examples on the forum to form an opinion of what FSU women are like after coming to the USA, it is a big mistake.  We have now met several FSU women from Ukraine, Russia, and Belarus and they are all normal, friendly, helpful and sociable.

In addition there are a lot of 'girly' things that I am not an expert in such as finding a good hairdresser, a Russian food store, a good female doctor, etc.   Having locals of the same culture has been a godsend for her.  Furthermore, they pick her up at our house and show her around town.  It is this type of behavior that I form my opinions on rather than stereotypes and a few examples I read elsewhere.

Redlands seems to have a lot of FSU couples.  We have added a new one tonight.  A Belorussian piano teacher for Lisa.  We went to their home to talk about lessons. Probably a $1M home in the ritzy part of town.  I did not meet the husband as he was working late.  The teacher and her daughter both give lessons and are very charming. It sounds like these women teach all the Russian speaking children in the area. They showed me concerts that their students have played in, including 50 at the same time in their home.  The teacher laughed when she told me they had to rent 50 chairs for the concert.

To give newbies an idea of how it worked for us, let me give an idea of how it unfolded although it was not planned....
The first FSU person we met was a doctor at a playground we were visiting near our home.  She is married to an American pharmacist.
The second person was a Russian woman that has a daughter in the same kindergarten class as Lisa is in.

At Lisa's ballet class I met a Russian parent with a daughter the same age and class as Lisa.
I asked her if she knew any Russian speaking piano teachers for children.  She informed me that she met a very good teacher and she also had met my wife because her daughter is also in the same kindergarten class.  She said she would check with the teacher and discuss it with Larissa when she would see her at kindergarten.  When I got home tonight from work, the two women had already worked everything out and had an appointment with the piano teacher at 6:30 at her home.  Lisa will be taking piano lessons twice a week.

Let's see, $40/wk for ballet lessons, $80/wk for piano lessons.  How did anyone come up with the expression they are cheaper by the dozen?   :)

Also learned the the owner of the local gas station has a young Ukraine wife and she and Larissa have been chatting of the phone.  Also learned that there is a well established Russian population in Big Bear.  It's an hour drive on a winding road, so not likely to develop close friends their.

I learned that a local company is responsible for so many FSU folks living in and around Redlands.  The company is ESRI and it is known worldwide for it's GIS software that is used by military, governments, and industries.  The piano teacher from Belarus told me tonight that the owner of the company went to Belarus and 'bought up' all the talent at the same time.  I know that they also employ a lot of Russians and Ukrainians as well.

In addition, we have Loma Linda University and Hospital next door and they also have a lot of students from the FSU.

Based on our experience, I suggest that anyone bringing a FSU wife to the USA to make a concerted effort to seek out at least one Russian speaking resident and befriend them.  From there, she can network and wifey can have her cake and eat it too.   :)

Doug (Calmissile)

Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #84 on: January 22, 2015, 11:35:32 AM »
As I mentioned earlier, 6 year old Lisa was diagnosed to have substantial dental problems, mostly from the poor dentistry in Ukraine.  The result, $4500 worth of oral surgery scheduled for 6 A.M. this morning.   2 1/2 hours under general anesthesia.   Larissa was a wreck!  First of all, getting up at 5 A.M. does not fit our biological clock.  Not being able to understand directly all the stuff the dentist and anesthesiologist was saying didn't help either.  I did everything I could to comfort her but she was still a nervous wreck.

At least she still had a little humor left in her.  We took a break for breakfast during the surgery at Carls's Jr. near the medical facility.  When I asked her if she wanted milk or coffee with her breakfast, she replied "Vodka".    :D

Lisa was brave throughout the whole process and did not even flinch when she got the injection for anesthesia.  She is home now in mama's arms and I have to go to work.   All will be well in a few days.

All in the life of raising a curtain climber.   :D
Doug (Calmissile)

Offline ML

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #85 on: January 23, 2015, 09:59:51 PM »
Aren't these the baby teeth that will come out in a couple of years?

Didn't know they would do so much work on these teeth.

Many kids get a few baby teeth knocked out here and there . . . so that was not a viable option . . . pulling, that is.

My kids both lost one tooth via accidents.
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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #86 on: January 23, 2015, 11:43:13 PM »
ML,
Yes, they are all baby teeth.  However, they would fall out in a couple years if they were healthy now.  We always treated baby teeth as you inferred.  i.e. don't fuss a lot about baby teeth because they will fall out later anyway.

Apparently there is a lot of focus recently about keeping baby teeth healthy as well.  When both dentists had us look in her mouth I was shocked.  I think a  kid with a putty knife could do a better job of fillings, etc.  She had 4 teeth that either had roots exposed or the tooth had erupted.  The massive decay was so apparent on the X-Rays that a novice could point it out.  There may have been some procedures that could have been put off or eliminated, but I don't want to take any risks with her.  It was explained to me that by leaving the decayed teeth in place, it can affect the permanent teeth before they even grow in.

As I recall, she had 4 extractions, 5 stainless crowns, space maintainers, and other work on teeth that were salvageable.  All in all, she now has a 'clean' mouth and a good chance of the permanent teeth coming in fine.  None of the extractions were front teeth, so no visible signs of the procedures.

She was a real trooper throughout the process.  Mama was the one that was a wreck.    :D  Once the anesthesia wore off and a short crying spell, she became the energizer bunny within a few hours and has not even mentioned her teeth or pain.  Lisa is already back to her ballet lessons, piano lessons, and kindergarten. 

Her birthday is tomorrow (6) and its kind of a bummer that we did not plan a big birthday party for her (expected she would be miserable).  We are having a few of her Russian speaking friends over tomorrow with their parents and tonight mama is baking a birthday cake for her.  After her piano lesson tonight we went to the toy store and bought everything she could carry out with both arms.  A wonderful child that brings us both a lot of joy.

Lisa has already surpassed Larissa in learning English.  Lisa is speaking to me in English and mama in Russian.  I kidded Larissa tonight that she should start watching Lisa's cartoons (in English) if she wants to catch up with her.   :)

The driving situation has been a piece of cake.  Larissa has been driving the 560SL around town while I am work and so far not even a fender bender.  It's a blessing to me because it is difficult taking time off work to take her to appointments and shopping.  I figure anyone that has driven in Kiev for 15 years can probably handle American driving pretty well.  Tonight was the first minor incident.  I had a doctor appointment and could not take Lisa to piano lessons.  She said she would take her.   On my way home from the doctor she called me and said she was lost.  My cell phone went dead during the conversation thanks to waiting for over 2 hours for the DMV to  pick up my call while at work.  I was a little worried.  I could not plug it in in the truck because a fuse had blown the day before.  I was home only a few minutes changing the fuse and she drove up.  At least she found her way back home and we got to the piano lesson on time.

It's been over 20 years since I raised my daughter so quite an adjustment for me.  I have to admit it is actually more enjoyable this go-around.  I have a lot more patience than when I was a single parent raising my daughter.  There is just something magic about a child wrapping their arms around you and saying 'I love you papa'. 

I would do it all over again.  I hope guys that have the temperament  and desire to raise children don't overlook the vast number of Ukraine women with a young child that are rejected by others simply because they have a kid.  There are some real prizes out there.
Doug (Calmissile)

Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #87 on: January 24, 2015, 10:15:32 PM »
Today is Lisa's 6th birthday.  Larissa worked all day cooking for a hastily planned birthday party.
We had a Ukraine/American couple and a Russian Couple with their kids over for dinner.  Larissa's Belarussian couple friend is out of the country on vacation and could not make it.   Larissa's fantastic cooking was a great hit.  Not sure what it is all called in Russian, but the photo shows in the foreground the salted salmon on bread, a popular Russian/Ukrainian salad, in the middle some sort of ground turkey breaded and baked (very good), in the background thin steaks covered in onions and cheese.  Furthest back is a tossed green salad and a rice dish.

The Ukraine physician reminded me how lucky I am to have such a great cook for a wife.  All very nice couples that interact with each other at kindergarten, ballet lessons and shopping.  It's nice to have a completely new circle of friends.

It was a little amusing to watch the women consume vodka and wine during dinner and then turned into chatterboxes for an hour afterward.   :)

My project for the weekend is to get Larissa's car ready for her driver test next Friday.  After getting lost the other night, I installed a GPS for her today.  The windshield washer does not work and the blades are shot.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can finish up the project.  She likes driving the 560SL because it is small and easy to park, so guess I will not get another car after all.  I will be crossing my fingers for next Friday.
« Last Edit: January 24, 2015, 10:29:03 PM by calmissile »
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #88 on: January 24, 2015, 10:26:14 PM »
Thanks for sharing Doug.  It's great to have a valuable contributor like you share so much about his family life and the real life of a Ukrainian woman married to an American.  Congratulations to your daughter on her Birthday.   :clapping:

Offline Anotherkiwi

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #89 on: January 25, 2015, 02:23:53 AM »
Congratulations on how well things are going.  However:

My project for the weekend is to get Larissa's car ready for her driver test next Friday...The windshield washer does not work and the blades are shot.  Hopefully, tomorrow I can finish up the project.

I don't know what licensing requirements are for cars where you are, Doug, but here that car might not be allowed on the road.  We have to present cars for a roadworthiness inspection every six months (once a year for cars less than five years old), and cars that don't pass their Warrant of Fitness inspection can't be registered.  Even something as minor as worn wiper blades would be at least a warning, and probably a fail, although the windscreen washer wouldn't.  Operating a car without a current WoF and/or registration would cost several hundred dollars in fines - far cheaper to replace worn parts when you first notice them!

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #90 on: January 25, 2015, 10:55:31 AM »
Awesome, Doug!

Great photos...the smiles are priceless.
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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #91 on: January 25, 2015, 11:00:25 AM »
Congratulations on how well things are going.  However:

I don't know what licensing requirements are for cars where you are, Doug, but here that car might not be allowed on the road.  We have to present cars for a roadworthiness inspection every six months (once a year for cars less than five years old), and cars that don't pass their Warrant of Fitness inspection can't be registered.  Even something as minor as worn wiper blades would be at least a warning, and probably a fail, although the windscreen washer wouldn't.  Operating a car without a current WoF and/or registration would cost several hundred dollars in fines - far cheaper to replace worn parts when you first notice them!


Please, please, let me take you to East LA sometime soon.  Your road worthiness inspections would cripple the latino and black communities as almost all of the East LA cars would fail.  (That was humor, LifeFromUkraine, not a blanket statement.)
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Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #92 on: January 25, 2015, 12:10:31 PM »
Kiwi, thanks for the comments.  Our inspections are much less stringent than yours.  In our system, we do not have routine or scheduled government inspections of the vehicle.

However..... there is an exception.  The government inspector that rides with someone during a drivers test wants to know that the vehicle meets safety requirements and therefore they do make an inspection prior to beginning the driving test.  As I mentioned, today is my project to fix anything that fail inspection.

For the most part, any violations of vehicle safety are noticed by cops on the road or when you are pulled  over for some other violation.  Other than not wearing a seat belt (you will be fined), you get a ticket that allows you some time to repair any defects that are noticed by the cops and there is not usually any fine as long as you fix them.
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #93 on: January 25, 2015, 03:09:39 PM »
For the most part, any violations of vehicle safety are noticed by cops on the road or when you are pulled  over for some other violation.

Fine, but most people keep to the road rules anyway, so wouldn't get stopped.

Other than not wearing a seat belt (you will be fined), you get a ticket that allows you some time to repair any defects that are noticed by the cops and there is not usually any fine as long as you fix them.

Cold comfort to the widow of the guy killed when your worn tyre blew out, or when your defective brakes packed up completely at just the wrong time.

Unfortunately, most people on middle or low incomes don't get their cars serviced regularly enough (mainly because of the expense - they have other priorities, such as food and rent payments), so at least a system like ours picks up stuff that needs attention.  Of course, not everyone here is a saint who follows all the rules, so there are plenty of cars that run around without valid WoFs.  I just hope that none of them come anywhere near me.

Offline calmissile

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #94 on: January 25, 2015, 03:23:54 PM »
Fine, but most people keep to the road rules anyway, so wouldn't get stopped.

Cold comfort to the widow of the guy killed when your worn tyre blew out, or when your defective brakes packed up completely at just the wrong time.

Unfortunately, most people on middle or low incomes don't get their cars serviced regularly enough (mainly because of the expense - they have other priorities, such as food and rent payments), so at least a system like ours picks up stuff that needs attention.  Of course, not everyone here is a saint who follows all the rules, so there are plenty of cars that run around without valid WoFs.  I just hope that none of them come anywhere near me.

Agree, an annual inspection would be good from a safety standpoint.  Unfortunately it would create a huge bureaucracy just to handle inspections and that translates to tax dollars to fund it.  I suppose it could be added to the periodic smog checks that are required at specific intervals without creating a new tax burden.

In reality, there are relatively few accidents or deaths caused by mechanical malfunctions.  Many accidents are caused by cell phone usage and bad weather conditions associated with excessive speed for the conditions.
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #95 on: January 25, 2015, 03:24:17 PM »
Beautiful family, Doug! Thanks for your PM words of encouragement. Expatua is my daily forum participation site. I come here occasionally for laughs and Mendy's wisdom; nothing from the less than stellar intellects here who might be critical of me has any effect. I live in UA's best city, Lviv, with one of UA's best women...life is good!

 :thumbsup:

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #96 on: January 25, 2015, 03:38:29 PM »
Beautiful family, Doug! Thanks for your PM words of encouragement. Expatua is my daily forum participation site. I come here occasionally for laughs and Mendy's wisdom; nothing from the less than stellar intellects here who might be critical of me has any effect. I live in UA's best city, Lviv, with one of UA's best women...life is good!

 :thumbsup:

Thanks for the comments.  I follow your posts on both forums.  I am happy you found a wonderful UA woman.  Someday we need to have a beer together.
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #97 on: January 25, 2015, 03:41:23 PM »
Sorry to stay somewhat  :offtopic:, but I work in an industry where health and safety are absolutely paramount.  One error and I have dead staff to worry about.

Agree, an annual inspection would be good from a safety standpoint.  Unfortunately it would create a huge bureaucracy just to handle inspections and that translates to tax dollars to fund it.

Ours is self-funding, as far as I know - a car inspection usually costs $40-$50.  I can't see any increase in bureaucracy, other than more people being needed in your DMV to update computer reports.  The inspection fee could easily be set high enough to cover any overhead costs such as this.

In reality, there are relatively few accidents or deaths caused by mechanical malfunctions.  Many accidents are caused by cell phone usage and bad weather conditions associated with excessive speed for the conditions.

You can't do much about idiots using cell phones, although it's illegal here to use one while driving.  As for your last point - have you thought about how many of those accidents might have been prevented, or have been less serious, if the car involved was in top mechanical condition?  You know - tyres that weren't worn, so that it didn't slide straight off the road when the badly uneven brakes were applied.  Or wiper blades that cleared enough of the heavy rain on the windscreen for the driver to see the semi-trailer which had jack-knifed across the wet road?  Even one life saved because of those compulsory inspections would be worth it.

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #98 on: January 25, 2015, 03:52:52 PM »
Sorry to stay somewhat  :offtopic:, but I work in an industry where health and safety are absolutely paramount.  One error and I have dead staff to worry about.

Ours is self-funding, as far as I know - a car inspection usually costs $40-$50.  I can't see any increase in bureaucracy, other than more people being needed in your DMV to update computer reports.  The inspection fee could easily be set high enough to cover any overhead costs such as this.

You can't do much about idiots using cell phones, although it's illegal here to use one while driving.  As for your last point - have you thought about how many of those accidents might have been prevented, or have been less serious, if the car involved was in top mechanical condition?  You know - tyres that weren't worn, so that it didn't slide straight off the road when the badly uneven brakes were applied.  Or wiper blades that cleared enough of the heavy rain on the windscreen for the driver to see the semi-trailer which had jack-knifed across the wet road?  Even one life saved because of those compulsory inspections would be worth it.

We have a philosophical differences between our cultures but we understand each other.  'Even one life saved' is an excuse used by pro-government folks to promote a lot of programs.  I am reminded of the differences when they want to put a Stop Sign on every corner.  'If it saves one life it is worth it'.    :)  No consideration of the traffic jams and cost of the signs. 

No sense in discussing the differences, we simply think differently.  Thanks for the comments.
Doug (Calmissile)

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Re: Arrival at LAX Nov 2014
« Reply #99 on: January 25, 2015, 04:08:17 PM »
We have a philosophical differences between our cultures but we understand each other.  'Even one life saved' is an excuse used by pro-government folks to promote a lot of programs. I am reminded of the differences when they want to put a Stop Sign on every corner.  'If it saves one life it is worth it'.    :)  No consideration of the traffic jams and cost of the signs. 

No sense in discussing the differences, we simply think differently.  Thanks for the comments.

That's taking it to an absurd extreme, and it's not a viewpoint to which I would subscribe, even though I would be very thankful if it was my life saved.  However, with the horrendous costs of medical treatment in the USA, surely something which might would help reduce those costs would be worth investigating?

 

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