What's with all the brake lines being cut?

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

In Toronto it's all about dirty political tricks gone way over board, targeting Liberal supporters with signs on their front yard.
When I lived in Calgary I put an NDP sign up a few times and every time I went to vote following that, I wouldn't be on the voters list despite living at the same address for many years. Minor inconvenience but irritating and after it happened a couple of times, I cottoned on that maybe I was being sent a message.

Ah, I want to believe that you are suggesting that somebody's cutting brake lines to get rid of NDP voters in Lethbridge, but deep down I suspect you posted in the wrong thread.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Ah, I want to believe that you are suggesting that somebody's cutting brake lines to get rid of NDP voters in Lethbridge, but deep down I suspect you posted in the wrong thread.

If you read the opening post, it goes on to talk about the Toronto Liberal supporters getting their brake lines cut. I just find the political implications more interesting. I don't know what the reasoning for the brake lines being cut in Lethbridge are, but maybe it's political or maybe it's just a nut case.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../politics/home

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Torture

If you're parked on the street or if you backed into your driveway when you parked the car?

Yeah I guess that's possible. The point is that you don't normally get going up to any sort of speed without hitting the brakes a couple times, whether you are pulling out of a parking space, a garage, getting a stop sign bla bla bla bla bla.

And just in case this has been misconstrued as me saying this brake-cutting isn't a big deal, I agree with the earlier poster who said that whoever is doing this should be beaten by an angry mob.

[octothorp]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

If you read the opening post, it goes on to talk about the Toronto Liberal supporters getting their brake lines cut. I just find the political implications more interesting. I don't know what the reasoning for the brake lines being cut in Lethbridge are, but maybe it's political or maybe it's just a nut case.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../politics/home

Ah, my bad. If I used emoticons, I'd have a bag over my head.

[Vulcan]

Originally Posted by octothorp

Ah, my bad. If I used emoticons, I'd have a bag over my head.

no worries, I guess I am a little out in left field from the other responses.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Yeah I guess that's possible. The point is that you don't normally get going up to any sort of speed without hitting the brakes a couple times, whether you are pulling out of a parking space, a garage, getting a stop sign bla bla bla bla bla.

That stop sign is the worrying one. Doesn't matter if you weren't going fast if you can't stop yourself from rolling into that intersection. Who cares if you were going 10 or 50 when you get the side of you vehicle plowed in by some guy in a truck doing 100?

[Locke]

Whatever, its no big deal. I cut my brake lines every other week.

Keeps my on my toes...

[FlamesAddiction]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

If you read the opening post, it goes on to talk about the Toronto Liberal supporters getting their brake lines cut. I just find the political implications more interesting. I don't know what the reasoning for the brake lines being cut in Lethbridge are, but maybe it's political or maybe it's just a nut case.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl.../politics/home

Isn't that pretty much "terrorism"? It's not as dramatic as a car bomb or molitov cocktail, but the thought process is the same. Use fear to try and influence politics and impede the democratic process.

If they catch the people who did that, they should consider charging them under Canada's anti-terrorism and treason laws.

[Sparks]

Originally Posted by Drunk Skunk

If that happens, shift into neutral and aim for a soft spot.

Why would you shift to into neutral if you wanted to stop? It seems like a car in neutral should roll the furthest (or slow down the slowest), not the shortest distance. I'd definitely shift to a lower gear instead.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Why would you shift to into neutral if you wanted to stop? It seems like a car in neutral should roll the furthest (or slow down the slowest), not the shortest distance. I'd definitely shift to a lower gear instead.

That's what they said to do in driver's ed (assuming you're driving an automatic)

[CaptainCrunch]

Funny in drivers ed, I was taught to aim for a soft spot like Locke's head and then dive out of the car.

[Rathji]

Originally Posted by Sparks

Why would you shift to into neutral if you wanted to stop? It seems like a car in neutral should roll the furthest (or slow down the slowest), not the shortest distance. I'd definitely shift to a lower gear instead.

Depends how fast you are going, even a low gear will pull the car forward if you are going~10 km/h. If you are doing 50+, the low gear is by far the best bet before switching to neutral and hitting emergency/park brake.

This whole thread makes me really appreciate air brakes. If someone cuts your air lines(or they just fail), you just can't move. No risk to anyone else as you pull your vehicle into traffic before you notice them broken.

[jammies]

Originally Posted by ken0042

Also check your owner's manual or with your mechanic. The GMs I've been driving since the mid 80's have all had dual master cylinders (the thing-ma-bob that stores brake fluid.) So if I have a brake line cut or blow out on me, I would have 2 more chances to use the opposite brakes (front or rear depending on what gets cut) before completely losing brake pressure. But you would also have to recognize it; most common symptom is the brakes being very squishy or the pedal going almost all the way to the floor.

I had my brakes go once just like that - they worked the first two times I used 'em, but after that it was pedal all the way to the floor. Of course it happened one day when I was working a 6 AM shift, so I didn't clue in to the brakes being reeeeeeaaaaaaalllll soft as I was in zombie mode; on the plus side it was 5:50 AM, so there wasn't any traffic when I sailed thru a red light, and it did wake me right the fata up.

It's an extremely strange feeling to be in control of a car that works fine except that you can't stop it. Luckily I was going slightly uphill and I guided the car around a corner and used the emergency to stop, but for a minute there I was freakin' out pretty bad.

[Vulcan]

One way to slow down would be to leave the car in gear and turn off the ignition. The problem is you will lose your power steering which you can compensate for but I don't know if I'd try it with electronic steering.

[Draug]

Originally Posted by Vulcan

One way to slow down would be to leave the car in gear and turn off the ignition. The problem is you will lose your power steering which you can compensate for but I don't know if I'd try it with electronic steering.

People should also not forget about the mechanical Emergency Brake. They aren't tied to the hydraulic brakes at all. The E-brake is there just in case of brake failure.

Unless the criminal is determined enough to crawl right under the car and find those cables, the E-brake will still work