| Author | Message | ||
     Bcordb3 |
Bcord3, I doubt very much that 'manual inspection' involves someone walking along the line going, 'Yup, looks good! Darthane, you are partially correct. The pipeline is flown every day, weather permitting. and driven buy folks who are called line riders continuely, weather permitting. During the winter months snow machines do that duty. The less accessible areas are checked pretty close by aircraft for leaks and visible damage. | ||
| Skyguy |
Brucelee, Lol I am far from bitter. Heck I have flown gliders and balloons for a living for the last 13 years. I am so happy on a personal level you would not believe it. In fact I have taught lots of famous and very wealthy people to fly and most of them wish they were able to live as simply and as happily as I do. I was once given a placard that says "Purveyor of Fine Wishes and Dreams". How could I possibly be bitter? Just becasue I am happy with my life does not mean I have to be happy with some of the things I see happening. | ||
| Skyguy |
Bomber, when I said "most of the public" why did you include yourself in that group? What nerve did I hit? Cause dude, at least you ride. | ||
| Bcordb3 |
In the less accessible areas, i.e. over/under rivers, etc. there are pressure gauges on either side sending the recorded information to the pipeline control center, it is monitored continuously and will alarm if the pressure is to high or to low. That when the human factor comes in. Does the operator "acknowledge and ignore the alarm? Or does the operator take time to analyze the situation? About ten years ago or so a pipeline blew up a town near Seattle, killing a couple of kids fishing in a lake and possibly more, I don't remember all the details. It was found to human error (acknowledge and ignore), the operator and some of the management of that company ended doing time for incident. | ||
| Bigdaddy |
RT, I've found that if I drop the PSI in my 'Burban to 22lbs on all 4 corners (spare too just in case,) leave the back windows half open, attach the X-cargo turtle top, and run the A/C wide open my mileage is much more consistent. I really need a trailer to hang off the back to complete the package. YMMV, but man it rides so good on them 22lbs  G2 | ||
| Bomber |
sky -- incorrect guess on your part, sir -- i didn't include myself in that group -- as for hitting a nerve, not at all, sky, not at all | ||
| Skyguy |
Bomber, Cool. I love a good debate but hate it when people get offended by the opinions of others. If we all thought alike it would be a boring world. Unless of course every one thought just like me then it would be a perfect world.  | ||
| Road_thing |
I'm going to suggest that each and every one of us is somewhat "socially unaware and selfish" by virtue of the fact that we, all of us, including myself, engage in purely recreational activities that consume non-renewable resources, i.e., motorcycling for sport rather than transportation, flying recreational aircraft other than gliders, powerboating, 4-wheeling in the wilderness, etc. And it strikes me as disingenuous for Skyguy, who earns at least a part of his living by teaching others to do at least one of these recreational activities, thereby enabling and encouraging such behavior, to hold "most of the public at large in contempt." Perhaps this is what prompted Bomber's "pot-kettle" remark. rt | ||
| Skyguy |
RT No one is perfect especially myself. I do choose to use freeflight as a form of recreation becasue not only is it very cool but it has very little affect on the enviroment. In fact when I fly gliders I even take off and land at the same place (teach my students that also) and live two blocks from the launch point. The balloon is more wastefull than I would like to admit but I have to eat and someday retire so I have to make some compromises. Also "most of the public" won't even consider flying gliders and I deal with a very small demographic. It would surprise you at how many nature oriented people fly gliders. Two nights ago I was flying a 5200 foot ridge at night with a full moon. I was totally alone in the sky despite it being one of the most amazing things I think someone can do. People need recreation or they go insane. I choose to do something that has as little impact as possible. Fact is it is impossible to move through life without draining some resources. | ||
| Skyguy |
Now I have to head off to deal with my wheel bearing issue. This involves tremendous waste as it is a 80 mile round trip ): Damm I am a selfish bastard | ||
| Brucelee |
When you fly a glider, doesn't an airplane have to take tow you up to a certain altitude? If so, doesn't that airplane waste a ton of fuel doing that? Just asking. The point is, one man's pleasure is another's poison. The ecowhackos are upset with us MOTO riders as we are not using a bicycle to get around. And so it goes. | ||
| Road_thing |
I'm with you, Skyguy. I guess I just got a little bristle-y at being called a selfish, piggish poser. My bad. Being in the oil business makes me a little sensitive to energy-related rants. We (as an industry) have been predicting shortages (and the inevitable accompanying high prices) for years, and encouraging conservation as the only real cure for the problem. But as soon as the "general public" feels a little pain at the gas pump, the industry is painted as a pack of thieves and cheats by people who don't know any better. As recreational activities go, I'm sure gliding and ultralights are about as low-impact, resource-wise, as you can get, short of hiking or bicycling. Unless, of course, you use Bigdaddy's 22 mpg Suburban to haul your bike to the trail head! rt | ||
| Cowboy |
RT I know the feeling. as a retireie of 40 yr. in the industary I am pretty short temperated with the bad rap that we have had to take due to bad press. I realy get put out with those states that could help but just want do any exploration.How say you. | ||
| Rasmonis |
I like hydrogen. Whatever happened to GM's hydrogen based, skateboard platform for autos? Ford has a Hydrogen conversion kit in CA for their SUV's and pickups, but like others have already stated, the infrastructure is lacking or is in development. How hard would it be to make a hydrogen conversion kit for a Buell? This is coming from someone with little engineering experience - I just have tons of ideas. I need to go back to school. -Ras | ||
| Jackbequick |
Rt, It was Rocketman who said: "IMHO the bulk of Americans are selfish, piggish posers. They saw this coming and still they buy behemoths they do not need." I'm thinking that he could not have given that statement much thought. It must have just popped out of his head and landed on the keyboard. We are a bigger nation, in the process of settling and traveling it, we evolved to transportation mediums that accomodated traveling longer distances and for longer periods of time. Bigger was better. Then things like habits and customs come into play, and it is all framed in the designs of ruthless capitalism. Our solutions have not always made sense to everyonee but we are working on the effects. Its tough to do better when most of the politicians are working against the general population. Sounds to me like the Rocketman should get rid of his descended from "behemoths" motorcycle. He lives on a tiny little island that you can skip a stone across with an underhand throw, he doesn't need it. He should be allowed a bicycle. Worst case, maybe a 49cc Mobylette. That would be the right choice for a unselfish Englishman that did not want to be viewed as a show-off or exhibitionist. Jack | ||
| Brucelee |
"IMHO the bulk of Americans are selfish, piggish posers. They saw this coming and still they buy behemoths they do not need." Is this like the statement-- "All Brits have bad accents and worse teeth?" | ||
| Road_thing |
Cowboy: Agreed. Everybody wants the oil, and they want it cheap, but they don't want to look at drilling rigs off their coasts. Can't have it both ways. Jack: I think it was Skyguy, but it doesn't matter. It just rubbed me the wrong way. I'm better now... rt | ||
| Road_thing |
Bruce: Your statement is more absolute and unadulterated by the "IMHO" qualifier, but apart from that, I'd have to agree with you. All generalizations are bad.  rt | ||
| Skyguy |
I said I held the bulk of the public in contempt. I did not say that they were selfish piggish posers. That is just me though. I can think this without being bitter about it as I know there is nothing I can do to change it. RT here is a bad generalization: I ride on the freeway and they are more SUV's with one person in them than cars on the road. This is bad. At a time when America needs independence from foriegn oil I think it is selfish and short sighted of MOST Americans to be buying and driving gas guzzlers if they do not really need them. I really don't think there is a valid argument that can counter the above statement. As for everyone in the oil biz being crooks? No way not possible. I am sure there are many fine and honest people that work in that industry. I am not sure of how many fine and honest people run that industry.......... Keep in mind I am talking about the board room level and above types. All in all it makes for a good debate if no one gets insulted by the opinions of others. | ||
| Brucelee |
"I said I held the bulk of the public in contempt. I did not say that they were selfish piggish posers." Again, I will say that to hold "the bulk" of the public in contempt is the height of arrogance. Who made you the master of what is right and proper? "That is just me though. I can think this without being bitter about it as I know there is nothing I can do to change it." Oh, that makes it all right, you are above the above the rest of us. Now I get it! "RT here is a bad generalization: I ride on the freeway and they are more SUV's with one person in them than cars on the road. This is bad." According to you! "At a time when America needs independence from foriegn oil I think it is selfish and short sighted of MOST Americans to be buying and driving gas guzzlers if they do not really need them." You have decided what is selfish. How nice for you! "I really don't think there is a valid argument that can counter the above statement. " Sure there is. Many folks obviously don't share your value system. That makes them different, not wrong. "As for everyone in the oil biz being crooks? No way not possible. I am sure there are many fine and honest people that work in that industry. I am not sure of how many fine and honest people run that industry.......... " Yes, it must be the executives. The rest of us are honest, but those guys who are successful MUST be dishonest, how else could they have gotten that way. "Keep in mind I am talking about the board room level and above types. " Yup, that's it. The rich MUST have cheated, the rest of us are pure and THAT is why we are not rich. "All in all it makes for a good debate if no one gets insulted by the opinions of others." Not insulted but fascinated by how your world is constructed. | ||
| Madduck |
Right now I am trying to get a scientific answer to a simple question. Will there be more "greenhous gas" emissions from my SUV or my bicycle on a 2 mile commute to work. I currently have three opinions and no real data that suggest a person on a bike can easily emit more co2 than a modern auto. Somewhere, sometime someone must have measured this stuff. I would really hate to think bicycles may be polluting the air I breathe. | ||
| Captpete |
Paul, I think the bicycle data would be very difficult to collect. Gasoline is the constant for modern autos. Diet is the variable for the bicycle motor. One can of pork & beans could skew the study dramatically. | ||
| Brucelee |
According to Subaru Magazine, my wife's Subaru Outback is actually an "air cleaning machine" if I am driving through downtown LA. The air coming out of the tailpipe is supposedly cleaner than the air going in. For what its worth. | ||
| Road_thing |
Skyguy, your post is here. I believe Brucelee has quoted you accurately. But never mind that. You went on to say: RT here is a bad generalization: I ride on the freeway and they are more SUV's with one person in them than cars on the road. This is bad. At a time when America needs independence from foriegn oil I think it is selfish and short sighted of MOST Americans to be buying and driving gas guzzlers if they do not really need them. I really don't think there is a valid argument that can counter the above statement. Which part of that is the bad generalization? That there are more single-passenger SUV's on the road than cars? That that is "bad?" That most Americans who buy and drive gas guzzlers don't really need them? I'm not following your logic. You need to prove those statements to be true before they become worthy of counter-argument. All you've done is state your opinion. Aren't you the guy with the 12 mpg Pinzgauer? You need that for your work, right? How do you know the work requirements of all those other single-passenger SUV drivers on the road? I'll grant you that a certain percentage of them don't tow trailers or haul heavy loads. But a certain percentage of them just might. Your next point was: As for everyone in the oil biz being crooks? No way not possible. I am sure there are many fine and honest people that work in that industry. I am not sure of how many fine and honest people run that industry.......... Keep in mind I am talking about the board room level and above types. Thank you for your vote of confidence in the fine and honest people who work in that industry. Your confidence in the oil field proletariat is, for the most part, well-placed. But I am one of those "board room level" types. Your back-handed implication that executives at my level are somehow less fine and honest than the "working" folks is an extremely bad, and very insulting, generalization. rt | ||
| Cowboy |
Skyguy--I think most of us here on the web just want the best for every one. I will not be insulted or lose my temper.My rub is the fact after spending years in the industry I find that most people are looking and not seeing.There is no one that makes a bigger mess than the sport fisherman.(1 trip per mo.)kind. The offshore work boats follow all rules to the letter.go into any oil co. slip and it is clean. Go to a dock where a bunch of out boards are running and you will always find a oil slick. Next you may see me driving down the Hi way in a 1 ton dooley by my self so it looks bad. but you did not see me when I just unloaded 32 ft. gooseneck load of cattle at sale barn, point is there is no way that 1 truck is useing as much fuel or poluteing as much as 3 small gas burning trucks to handle the same load. Not trying to argue just be sure you see what you are looking at. | ||
| Road_thing |
Paul: Your bicycle emits exactly zero greenhouse gas. However, your BPU (Bicycle Power Unit) does emit some, as Cap'n Pete has so correctly pointed out! rt | ||
| Road_thing |
Thanks, Cowboy, you said that much better than I did! rt | ||
| Just_ziptab |
You all know that the pipe is FOUR inches thick and 48 inches in diameter. Jeez,the damned welds every 40 feet have to weigh 400 pounds or more. Anyways, it can be corroded to 80% of it's thickness.............that's 4 inches rotted away to 1 inch, and still carries 750 PSI of running pressure! Really a very busy/unique/interesting system. Course, now the Feds are gonna rake PB across the coals. Man I wish I owned the thing.I would tell the feds....screw it,I'm shutting it down forever......go buy your oil from Ahab! Not that I'm pro big oil,I'm just sick of the Feds reacting too late. They should have warned BP 10 years ago that they need a repair program in place. | ||
| Skyguy |
I am not intending to insult anyone. I have over the last 41 years drawn a picture of the world and comment on my observations and thoughts. I can only assume that most everyone out there has done the same. I don't have to share peoples views to get along with them. I tend to lean more left than right on most issues and don't expect many people out there to see things the way I do.. R/T I find it hard to believe that someone at the the level of board room exec I am thinking about has time to play motorcycle. Perhaps I am wrong and you are a big oil player on the level to which I refer. Who knows it's the internet. If you are I would love to hear your view of the world over a beer sometime. | ||
| Pwnzor |
My Chevron bill would make the most stalwart among you vomit spontaneously. Having said that, I support the oil companies' right to charge what they want. It sucks, yes. But a lot of things suck in this country, gas being among the least of them. Still, not a bad place to live overall. No bomb craters in my yard... yet.  |
