Big price drop is expected for diesel gasoline users
Q Yes, gasoline prices are coming down. When will we see some relief on the price of diesel? I'm sure truckers, RV owners and others who use diesel are wondering. — Jeanine Henneman, Cupertino
A I turn to Patrickthe-Gas-Buddy-guru for the answer. He reports that price declines are just beginning for diesel and the national average could fall 50-75 cents per gallon in the weeks ahead.
Q Back in the '60s and '70s, wasn't there an offramp planned north of Auto Mall Parkway in Fremont from Interstate 680 to 880? There was a large ramp of dirt there for years, and it just disappeared. Who was responsible for removing that plan? — Dan O'Neal, San Jose
A You have a good memory. This ramp was going to be part of a connector from 680 to Highway 238 (Mission Boulevard). Those plans were scrapped by Caltrans when it no longer was going to convert 238 into a freeway.
Q Please contact your CHP dude and let him know that when investigating accidents involving Teslas, one should look for a weight or cellphone holder toward the outside of the steering wheel, just above the spoke. This is a way to cheat in Enhanced Autopilot and Full Self-Driving modes, providing some torque and making the car “think” that your hands are on the steering wheel. Then one can do something else, rather than drive. However, if the driver needs to take full control of the car, the typical 0.7-second driver reaction time becomes 1-3 seconds as the driver assesses where he is and overcomes steering wheel resistance to switch to driver mode. One may oversteer and end up in the next lane.
When I got my Tesla, I went to a lightly traveled road to try various assisted driving modes to see how they impacted driving, and learned how to disengage them.
In my opinion, no system — not Tesla's or any other vehicle's — is ready for real-world hands-off operation 100% of the time.
— George Badger, Soquel
A My CHP contacts say you raise valid points.
Q Is it legal to park on the grassy area along rural, residential roads? I'd like to park along Ranch Road in Woodside to use a nearby hiking trail.
There is no shoulder there, only a grass area between the road and a picket fence. — Jeff E. A If there are no signs saying otherwise, and if it is not private property, it is legal to park there. Avoid parking over the white fog line on the side of the road, or the bike lane, if there is one. And make sure you are not blocking the roadway or creating a hazard for other vehicles and/or bicycles.