#or by changing the road surface to one which causes the driver to automatically take notice

[diocletianscabbagefarm]

Btw now that I’ve suddenly become a bike advocacy blog for a couple hours let me point out there’s more to bike infrastructure than a bikelane - even a separated one with protective barriers. So much more.

[stxrrywildflower]

hypothermia

pairing - spencer reid x reader

summary - you and derek go to extreme lengths to save a victim

warnings - injury, mentions of case, cursing

word count - ?

cold.

all you felt was cold.

you could barely remember where you were or what had happened.

your senses felt frozen.

all you could manage to do was shut your eyes.

___

the team arrived in portland, oregon a few days prior.

it was march, meaning the temperatures barely passed the the mid-fifties at the high, and dropped extremely low during the night. even snow fell on the ground as you landed, resulting in everyone on the team adding an extra layer or two.

the unsub was killing women and disposing of their bodies on the streets lining the beaches. it was becoming extremely difficult to narrow the suspect pool down, due to the large population.

hotch ordered you and spencer to go to the morgue and look at the previous victims to find out what you could.

“he must have some sort of emotional tie to to the ocean. it would explain why the unsub chooses that location,” spencer spoke from the passenger seat.

you nodded, “possible grew up on the coast or maybe even lost someone to drowning.”

upon arrival at the morgue, the two of you made your way inside. you both greeted the coroner before grabbing gloves. as you moved around the victims bodies, spencer talked to the man about what he could figure out.

“they’re not drowned. there’s a puncture wound in her foot, probobly died from a heart attack,” you concluded.

with that, you and spencer returned to the police station to alert your team about what you had discovered. while walking towards the doors, the wind picked up causing you to hug your jacket a little tighter. spencer pulled you closer to him to keep you warm.

the next four days were agonizingly slow. another body had been found, but it had the exact same marks as the others with nothing different. if anything, it slowed your investigation down rather than help you.

the team worked long hours, desperate to find a lead. and finally, after those four days, they found one.

hotch sent you and morgan to investigate the suspects house that night. it was dark and very cold. upon arrival, you found it was empty. but with further investigation, you two concluded that this defiantly was your guy.

pictures and articles on these women were pinned on the walls as well as an article about a little boy drowning in a riptide a month or so ago.

“stresser,” you informed morgan.

as you two were walking out of the house, a red car sped out of the garage of the house and down the road. you managed to catch a glimpse of the driver and passenger; it was the unsub and his current victim. thankfully, she was alive.

morgan jumped into the drivers seat as you got into the passengers seat. he sped off, following the car the best he could. at one point, due to the darkness and wind, you lost the car.

however, a few moments later, after driving around, you saw the red care carelessly parked on the side of the road. the unsub was dragging the girl, who was gagged and tied at her wrists and ankles, towards the end of the pier.

“unsub located, he has a girl with him. location is the pier just off of south street,” you spoke into your communication system.

you and morgan slowly stepped out of the car and took a step towards the unsub who had a sly grin on his face. he held an automatic rifle which was pointed at the girls head.

“morgan she has weights on her,” you informed your fellow agent.

“you don’t have to do this man!” morgan shouted, “just let the girl go. we can tell the judge you cooperated. let her go.”

the next moments happened all so quickly. the unsub pushed the girl off of the pier into the water. due to the weights attached, she slowly began to sink to the bottom. the man then pointed his gun at morgan. you fired a shot, killing him instantly. you and derek shared a quick look before taking off sprinting off of the pier and diving into the water.

the team arrived just in time to see you and morgan go under. rossi and emily went over to the unsub, checking his pulse before concluding him to be dead. the rest of the team stayed on the beach, narrowing their eyes at the water, no sign of you or morgan anywhere.

after hitting the water, your entire body tensed up. the water couldn’t have been more than 35-40 degrees. you managed to pry your eyes open, just enough to see the light from derek’s flashlight.

the water was pitch black and you needed to find the girl. you were both loosing oxygen quickly and no doubt the victim was too.

after then more seconds of desperately searching, you saw the woman floating towards the bottom of the water. as quickly as you could, you grabbed your pocket knife and sliced the ropes. the process was painfully slow, and with each moment, you felt yourself in more and more pain.

finally, the ropes fell and you took one arm while derek took the other. after pushing off the ocean floor, you made it to the surface, gasping for air. you used your spare hand to push back your hair as you frantically looked around.

in the distance, you could make out your team as well as the police standing on the beach. your whole body was shaking as you couldn’t believe how far out you were. slowly but surely, you began to swim towards the mainland.

in your mind, the process seemed to take forever. your boots finally made contact with the sand, allowing for you to stand up. you and morgan hauled the victim onto the sand where the emt’s were waiting.

you and derek, however, seemed locked in place, still standing waist deep in painfully cold water. spencer was helping the emt’s after orders from hotch but looked over when he heard a large splash. his head turned just in time to witness morgan collapsing, just after you went down. thankfully, emily and hotch were there to catch you both.

“w-who are you. where a-am i,” you spoke shakily, mind incredibly fuzzy.

the pain began to increase throughout your body, but it seemed to attack your head the most. after your legs went out, your arms were next. they were holding emily’s arms but then dropped. your head rolled to the side. upon looking at hotch, derek was having the same results.

“medics!” hotch shouted.

“hey y/n, i need you to stay awake. keep those eyes open. come on y/n, please,” the woman who you couldn’t quite remember in front of you pleaded. the next few moments were a blur as you couldn’t follow her demands and instead shut your eyes.

once the second wave of emt’s arrived, you and morgan were quickly loaded onto stretcher’s and rushed to the hospital. the team stood on the beach, still processing what happened. hotch and emily were starting to feel a little sick from entering the water to help their team.

“i know we all want to get to the hospital but it’s already late. everyone go back to the hotel and get changed and we can go to the hospital afterwards,” hotch spoke to his team.

as everyone began to walk back to to the car, spencer stopped, tapping his hands against his leg as he looked at the ocean. j.j. noticed this and made her way over, placing her hand softly on his shoulder.

“talk to me,” j.j. spoke with a calm tone.

“hypothermia is one of the most dangerous medical conditions out there. your body literally shuts down after being in the water for only a few minutes. but y/n and morgan were in the water for a long time. i’m just so worried,” spencer struggled to get out.

for a genius who knew so much, he had run out of things to say.

“spence, the doctors are going to do everything in their power to help them. you have every right to be worried. derek is your best friend, besides me of course,” j.j. joked, causing spence to smile slightly, “and to state the obvious, you’re so in love with y/n. you two have known each other for practically forever and she’s your girlfriend, of course you’re going to be worried. but for now, all we can do is go back to the hotel and then the hospital.”

he nodded slightly before allowing j.j. to lead him to the car and to the hotel.

spencer changed into a comfortable button up with a sweater overtop before meeting the team back in the lobby. everyone made sure to bundle up, especially after the situation with you and morgan, before they made their way to the hospital.

after using his status as an fbi agent for a little leverage, hotch managed to get the nurse to give them some information. you and morgan were currently in the icu but that’s all they received. the nurse permitted two members of the team to stay overnight while everyone could return the following morning. at that point, full medical information could be released.

spencer was as easy first choice. j.j. was nominated to be second. she was the closest with spencer and would be the best moral support. the team echoed their goodbyes to the two before promising to be there tomorrow morning right when opening hours started.

the two were led to an area where they could sit and rest for the night. it wasn’t outside of yours our derek’s room which wasn’t ideal, but spencer and j.j. accepted it. the two collapsed into the chairs, each pulling a blanket over themselves before slowly drifting to sleep.

the following morning, the team re-grouped in the waiting room of the hospital. surprisingly, spencer and j.j. had managed to get an actual good night of sleep.

“i can take you to agent y/n and morgan’s took where a doctor while then brief you,” the nurse told the group.

they were lead to a different floor and down the hallway. the nurse motioned for chairs to sit in while she went to go get the doctor later. a moment later, another women appeared in front of them, introducing herself.

“first of all, agent y/n and morgan will be okay,” the doctor spoke causing a relived sigh to echo through the hallway, “but, both have sustained serious injuries. hypothermia is the obvious one. y/n and derek were in the freezing water for an extremely long time causing their bodies to almost shut down completely. i’ve never seen two patients cases mirror each other but y/n and derek’s do. y/n’s heart stopped for a quick few seconds but quickly started beating again. moments later, derek’s stopped also. thankfully, both are hooked up to iv’s and are recovering nicely. the only problem is, it may take awhile for the two to wake up. they really should have died, and i am unsure how they’re still okay. without their selfless efforts, the woman who is now in recovery would be dead. so i wanted to thank your team for their actions.”

the team processed the doctors words. “can we see them?” emily asked. “yes of course, we put them both in one of the larger rooms. it’s room number 503, three doors down on the left,” with one more smile, the doctor then left.

entering the hospital room, the team paused. you both had thick blankets covering your bodies, a slight buzz sounding from the electric heater inside. spencer looked at you first. your lips were still a slight shade of blue and your fingertips had a few black marks on them. derek was the exact same.

spencer teared up at the sight of the two of you. he collapsed in a chair by your bedside first. he pressed his lips together and rubbed his temple. all the team could do was wait for you two to wake up.

a week later, at around 10pm, derek woke up. the room was dark and the hallway lights were dim, as it was past visiting hours. he went to sit up but his muscles were weak. it took a large effort to move his hand to the ‘call nurse’ button. after pressing it, he moved his head to the side where you were still laying. a few moments later, a nurse entered the room. “good to see you awake agent morgan, how are you feeling?”

“not great. what happened?” derek asked.

“you and agent y/n went into the freezing ocean to save one of the victims. luckily, she has since been released. for the two of you, your hearts both stopped momentarily as a side effect of the hypothermia. but, with lots of rest and recovery, you two should be fine.”

derek nodded to the nurses words before leanining back into the hospital bed.

at close to 4am, you woke up. you felt the same way as derek did but managed to move your head to the side. derek was sitting up, looking at some magazine the nurse must have given him.

“hey kid,” derek spoke softly.

you moved your hand up to your head. “remind me to not go swimming ever again during the winter,” you first spoke resulting in derek to laugh. soon after, a nurse came in, checking over you first before changing the iv’s. “your team should be here in a few hours, they’ve visited everyday,” the nurse told you with a smile.

true to her word, once visiting hours, you heard talking from outside of your room. the doors opened seconds later. spencer immediately rushed to your bedside, hugging you softly as you did your best to return it.

“you’re amazing,” spencer spoke before cupping your cheeks and kissing you softly.

the two of you stopped when morgan called over, “hey lover boy, no hello to me?” loud laughs echoed through the hospital room as relief washed over the team that you two were okay.

[crystalninjaphoenix]

MerMay 2021 Day One Beach House

This area of the beach was private, with cabins for rent dotting the shoreline. It was a great place for families to visit in the summer, but right now, in the midst of winter when the coastal air had a bite to it, almost all the houses were empty.

Some ways away, a dirt road branched off the main road, branching out into smaller paths that all eventually ended at one of the houses. A car was driving down one of those smaller paths, making its way towards one of the smaller cabins for rent. The moment it reached the end and parked, a back door opened, and two kids immediately jumped out. Or more accurately, a girl jumped out, pulling her twin brother along with her.

The driver’s side door opened, and out stepped the kids’ mom, a woman with dark brown hair. “Sereia! Muirin! Slow down!”

“Sorry Mom!” The girl—Sereia—called. “We’re going swimming!”

“No, she’s right, slow down! Stop pulling me!” The boy—Muirin—tried to brace himself against the sand, but couldn’t get enough traction.

“C’mon, aren’t you excited? I am!” Sereia’s tone certainly matched her words. “It’s been weeks since we saw him!”

“Yeah, but I don’t want to dive right into cold water and get my clothes all wet.” Muirin finally managed to pull his hand away. “Besides, we don’t even know if he’ll be here yet. Or if our directions were good enough.”

Sereia shook her head and made a tutting sound. “Man, you’re so boring, Muir.”

“Hey, I’m being smart!”

“Smart and boring.”

Their mom finally caught up to them, a bag slung over her shoulder. “Muirin’s right, we don’t know if your dad will be here yet,” she said. “And I’d like to get familiar with the washers and dryers in the house before we have to use them. Could we at least move all the bags inside and change into our swimsuits? I have them right here.”

Sereia groaned, but relented. “Fine. I’ll move in at record speed, just you watch.”

“Soooo we get our own bedrooms, right?” Muirin asked. “Is it, like first come first served?” Without waiting for an answer, he broke into a run, heading straight back to the car.

“Wh—Hey, no fair!” Sereia turned around and sprinted to catch up. “Cheater!”

Their mom laughed, which soon faded away into a sigh. She looked out over the ocean, extending endlessly to the horizon. Water reflected the sky, blue and dotted with clouds as the sun shone brightly. This was good weather for winter. Hopefully it would stay that way. She smiled, and turned to go inside the cabin.

It took an hour and a half for the family to get everything set up in the rental cabin. Sereia and Muirin ended up satisfied with the rooms they’d claimed, and their mom was content with the last remaining room. They’d bought groceries in the nearby town, which were now stocked in the cabin’s kitchen. All luggage had been unpacked and their contents moved to the appropriate rooms. And now, the kids were finally ready to go swimming.

“Muirin! Look at my swimsuit!” Sereia did a little twirl out on the sand.

“Yeah, I saw you pick it out when we were shopping,” Muirin said. “Why?”

“Well, it’s yellow,” Sereia explained. “It’ll match my...” She glanced around conspiratorially, though the beach was empty for miles. “...tail,” she finished in a whisper.

“There is literally no one here to hear you say that.”

Sereia rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah. Anyway you should’ve chosen a black swimshirt to match yours, not blue. And why do you have a hole in the back?”

“Well, I have a fin that pops out there! It feels weird when it’s under the shirt.” Muirin shook his head. As the two of them approached the waves he raised his hand to his eyes to block out the sun, and then scanned the ocean. “I don’t see anything.”

“Well, let’s actually get in the water and head out deeper,” Sereia suggested. “Because I mean, it’ll be easier for swimming.”

The waves lapped gently at the shore, advancing and retreating as all waves do. Sereia hesitated for a moment, then walked right in up to her knees. Muirin paused for longer, then put one foot in, yelped, and hopped back out. “It’s cold!”

Sereia turned around and put her hands on her hips. “Well we have to go underwater for it to work. It’ll be easier if you just did it all at once.”

“Hey, let him take it at his own pace, you can’t rush things like this.”

Sereia and Muirin gasped in unison upon hearing that voice, and Sereia turned back around to face the ocean. There! Some ways away, there was a man swimming in the water. Just his head and shoulders were sticking out, but he raised a hand to wave at the kids. Even with his wet brown hair mostly hidden under an old, faded cap, the resemblance to the kids could still be seen.

“Dad!” Sereia ran through the water, diving right at the man as soon as she got close enough. Knocking him down, there was a flash of orange as a fish’s tail flailed out of the water before both of them went under. A few seconds later, the orange tail waved in the air again, this time joined by a smaller gold-and-white one.

“Hey! Guys!” Muirin took a deep breath, then also ran into the water, but he stopped once it reached waist height. “Ohhhhh cold cold cold,” he hissed.

The kids’ mom left the house, carrying a folding chair with her. “Hey Muirin,” she waved as she set up the chair at the edge of the wetter part of the beach, just out of reach of the waves. “Where’s your sister?”

At that moment, two heads popped back out of the water, chattering. Sereia now had a stripe of golden scales running down the left side of her face, and white fins on the side of her head, sticking out from behind her ears. In fact, on second glance, the man had fins in the same place as well, though orange and slightly different shapes. Sereia looked back towards the shore. “Hi Mom!” She waved. “Look! Dad’s here!”

“I can see that. Hi Chase.”

“Hi, Stacy,” Chase waved, blushing a bit. “Am I late? I was checking all the houses.”

“No, you’re just on time,” Stacy laughed. “We just got finished setting up.”

“It’s, like, a really nice house, Dad,” Sereia said. “It’s so big! Not like a hotel room at all, it’s like...a house.”

“Well, that’s exactly what it is,” Muirin said. “Hi Dad! Hang on, let me just...” He looked down at the water, and taking a deep breath, walked forward until his chest reached the water, then ducked down under. He resurfaced next to Chase and Sereia, now with yellow fins on his head. “Wow. I’m...suddenly not cold,” he said. “That’s cool.”

“Guess you guys’s body temperatures must adjust automatically,” Chase said, ruffling Muirin’s wet hair. “How’ve you been, shellies?”

“We’ve been pretty good!” Sereia said. “We’re on winter break now! Did Mom tell you?”

“Yes, of course she did.” Chase waved at Stacy again, who was now sitting in the folding chair. “That’s the whole reason you’re coming out here, after all.”

Stacy waved back. “A whole three weeks this year, the schools are really stepping it up. It is a really nice house, Chase. You’d probably like it if you saw it.”

“Oh!” Muirin gasped. “Ser, we brought a cooler with us, a big one. What if we filled it up with water and—”

“You mean like Mabel did in Gravity Falls?”

“Yeah! And we could just like carry it around and give Dad a tour—”

“I appreciate the thought, Muir, but I think that would be pretty heavy,” Chase said, smiling a bit sadly. “Don’t know if any of you are up for it.”

“Don’t underestimate me, Chase,” Stacy called. “Part of working at an aquarium includes moving heavy tank features like rocks, not to mention sometimes the tanks themselves.”

Chase laughed. “Okay, okay, point taken. Still, I’m fine. You guys can show me pictures later.”

“Okay, yeah yeah yeah.” Sereia was practically vibrating. “Dad, can we go out exploring a bit? Pleeeease?”

“Hmm...well, you should probably get familiar with the area, above and underwater.” Chase made a small chittering sound, thinking it over. “Well, if your mom’s okay with it.” He looked over towards her

“Just stay close enough to them,” Stacy said, “and make sure you’re back soon. An hour, maybe?”

“Yes!” Sereia pumped her fist, causing a splash of water. “Muir, are you coming?”

“Hey, of course I am!” Muirin said. “Don’t say it like I wouldn’t want to.”

“Well you’re always Mr. Cautious Pants, you know?”

“Yeah, but this’ll be fine, and I wanna be with Dad for a bit, too.”

“Nice to hear that, shelly,” Chase chuckled. “Alright, Stacy, we’ll be back!”

“Have fun!” Stacy waved, watching as the three of them disappeared beneath the water’s surface. Leaning back in her chair, she took a book out of her purse and settled in for a wait. One of these days she’ll need to rent a scuba outfit for the occasion. Maybe she should have borrowed one from work and dealt with the penalty later.

The sun moved through the sky. The kids and Chase returned soon, and the family spent another hour together before Stacy declared it almost time for dinner. The kids climbed out of the water and waved goodbye to Chase as he disappeared back into the ocean.

He would be back tomorrow. And if not then, the day after. After all, they had a lot of time they could spend together over the next three weeks. The kids, Stacy, and Chase were all looking forward to it.

[lilyswrittenworks]

Intimacy

Pairing: Husband Optimus Prime x Wife Reader

Rating: PG & contains fluffy moments!

(1,982 Words)

                                ~~~~~

     Tonight, the moon shone down with such brilliance along with the stars that adorned the cloudless sky. The asphalt road was illuminated from the truck's headlights and there were no other vehicles in sight. Watching with heavy eyelids as the scenery changed from being surrounded by buildings until it was replaced by various tropical trees.   

It was the first week of summer which meant that the restaurants around town would be packed, and I was right. Today was supposed to be like any other Wednesday which meant that it would be a much slower day than the rest. However, the place was filled to the brim with people that by the end of my shift I was utterly exhausted.  

Since I work almost late at night as a waitress and a bartender at the same time was not an easy task. My extroverted self could only take so much interaction at a time that by the end of the day I simply can’t function, conversation wise. Let’s not forget about the sleepless nights that I’d have to endure on some occasions, especially when it was a large event, like New Year's Eve. It’s a good thing that my husband is almost always the one to pick me up whenever I worked overtime. 

With my shoulders slumped from exhaustion as my eyes were staring aimlessly through the tinted windows of the blue and red costumed semi-trailer truck. I involuntarily hummed tiredly and then rested my temple on the window. The soothing sound of the truck's engine made me close my eyes and was slowly falling asleep.   

“You mustn't sleep just yet.” His baritone voice had roused me from my short-lived sleep haven.  

My half-lidded brown eyes landed on the radio where his voice emanated from. “But Optimuuuus,” I drawled out his name playfully. “I want to sleeeeep.”  

“You can recharge after we return home, Sweetspark.” He gently reminded me and moved his rearview mirror to look at me.  

I let out a soft whine at the rearview mirror and then subconsciously traced the soft padding of his upholster with my thumb. This small action caused the interior of his cabin to shiver. It had been almost twenty-five minutes since our short conversation, and I remained awake until he had arrived just outside the gate. Right as I was about to open the door when suddenly I was held back by the seat belt which had tightened around me.  

“Ah-ah, no need. I will be opening the gate.”  

I turned to see Optimus’s holomatter materialize into existence. There sat a middle aged, well-built man with a full-on trucker beard with hair that was somewhat slicked back. He had on a red and black flannel shirt with the sleeves rolled up and wore a pair of dark slim pants. I watched in silence as he exited out of the vehicle with the spare keys in hand and opened the gate manually.   

Since Optimus and I couldn’t afford to get an automatic gate it was best to have a manual one until we could afford to get one. Yes, Optimus works too, even though I told him on multiple occasions that I could easily handle our income. Yet, he simply refused and got a job as a—you guessed it—a truck driver!   

Once his alt mode was on the other side, his holomatter closed the gate and then entered the semi. From there he drove for another mile down the gravel road until he parked right beside the house. Just as I unbuckled the seat belt Optimus had already opened the door for me in his holomatter.  

I smiled at him gratefully and exited out of the costumed semi-trailer truck. As soon as my feet touched the ground I was greeted by the dull pain on the soles of my feet.   

“Coño… my feet are killing me!” I murmured tiredly and then swung my purse over my shoulder with a huff.   

“Busy day?” Optimus inquired curiously as he shut the passenger door.  

“Yeah... one moment I was attending three tables and the next thing I knew the place was absolutely flooded with people! It was chaotic to say the least.” I then brushed my fingers through my short hair and gently grabbed a strand of it to stare at. It had been dyed dark red recently since my brown roots were already growing out and I don’t plan on showing off my real hair color anytime soon.  

My thoughts were interrupted when I felt his arm wrap around my waist. I tilted my head up to see Optimus staring down at me and he easily towered over me. Being five foot four next to a six-foot hunk and I only reached just below his broad shoulders.  

It was so unfair to be this small. 

Soon we made our way up the front porch and there were two porch lamps already lit and then entered inside our cozy little log cabin. I flipped on the light switch and then hung my purse on the coat rack that was embedded on the wooden wall. Our coat rack was filled to the brim with our jackets, keys, and a little box filled with our mails. We got a second one for guests only and it literally had a single cowboy hat on the top that may belong to Optimus. 

  “What time is it?” I asked before slipping out of my shoes and immediately felt relieved to have them off. 

Optimus looked down at his wristwatch. “Past one.”   

I hummed softly to myself and then turned to give him a hug which he reciprocated. “I’ll be taking a bath since I practically reek of alcohol.” Then went on my tiptoes to give him a quick peck on his lips. “Join me, will you? ~”  

Without giving him time to react I scurried off into our master bedroom and was beginning to prepare the bath. I made sure the water wasn’t too hot before adding a blue bath bomb, which smelled like blueberries, and then proceeded to slosh it around to get that nice bubbly effect. Satisfied with the amount of bubbles on the surface, I then proceeded to strip down, throwing the dirty clothes into the basket and then entered the tub. Right as I sunk down into the warm water Optimus had walked in.  

I watched as he began to peel off his clothes and was admiring his physique without him noticing. No matter how many times I've seen him undress, I still can't get over the fact at how handsome he looked. Even if he was in his bipedal form, he is still the sexiest man.  

There was a smile that I couldn’t contain and then laid back on the bathtub where my gaze met the bathroom ceiling. It wasn’t long before the water shifted below my legs and glanced down to see Optimus staring at me.  

“Take a picture, it'll last longer.” I playfully said which got a light chuckle from him.  

The bathtub we laid in was a decent size to fit two people, it was wide enough for Optimus to fit in considering his height. The closeness we shared at this moment was pleasant, even calming whenever we bathed together. I then lowered my legs and intertwined them with his which he didn’t mind, in fact, he enjoyed the tangled mess with our legs. 

“When was the last time we bathed together?” I blurted out with my head resting back against the tub.  

Optimus sat back and allowed his arms to rest on the rim. “Given our hectic schedule, I believe it was one earth month ago.”  

“Huh, it honestly feels like forever...” He was right. We have been so busy with our jobs that we rarely had enough time to spend quality time together. The only times we ever get to do so is when we’re getting ready for bed. Lately, I’ve been missing every little moment we shared, from his gentle kisses, our odd conversations, but most of all, it was his overall touch against my tanned skin is what I craved the most. 

While he was relaxing, I took this opportunity to move and lay right beside him where he then draped his arm on to my waist. His muscles were firm to the touch and there was white froth sticking to his skin from the bath bomb I added. There were also faint traces of old battle scars on his skin, some were more prominent than others. He explained it before to me, whenever his cybertronian self would take damage it would then manifest on to his holomatter.   

My eyes drifted onto his chest and there was a vertical scar which stuck out the most to me. It was located where his heart was. I went and traced my fingers across the scar with curiosity and wondered how he got it in the first place.  

“Optimus?” A hum rumbled through his chest. “How did you get this scar?”  

He raised his head and looked down to see me tracing the scar. “A friend whom I considered a brother did this to me… which resulted in my immediate demise.”  

My fingers stopped stroking the scar and a frown had formed on my face. The thought of seeing his lifeless body plagued my thoughts and this made me feel emotional. I attempted to swallow down the lump forming in my throat but that didn’t stop the tears from spilling down my cheeks. Optimus noticed this and gently positioned me on top of him where he proceeded to cradle me close to him.   

This is the one thing I absolutely hated about myself: it was being overly sensitive. Thinking back, I had always been the typical shy girl during my school years. Which meant that I was prone to getting bullied constantly. I was an easy target for them, and I didn’t fight back. The bullies back then were never physical in their assault; however, it was their hurtful words that struck the most. Eventually when I was in high school the bullying had been toned down significantly. Although that didn’t change me being an overly sensitive person… and for the silliest of things too. 

“I’m sorry for getting emotional.” My voice was muffled against his chest and then felt him kissing the top of my head.  

“You needn’t apologize for yourself.” He gently caressed my back, feeling the warmth of my breath prickling his skin.  

“You’re too kind for me.” I whined and raised my gaze to meet his azure eyes. That’s when he leaned forward to kiss my forehead.  

“How can I be a good husband if I don’t treat my wife well, hm?” He inquired thoughtfully a sudden glint flashing across those beautiful eyes of his before he closed the gap between us.   

Our lips connected and instantly melted into his lips. His kisses were gentle and held so much love behind them that it made my heart soar in delight. As we parted from the kiss, we then stared into each other for what felt like forever. I reached out to rest my hand on the side of his cheek to which he leaned into my touch and then kissed the palm of my hand. How do I deserve such a wonderful husband? Even after we married, he still treated me like he did when we first met. Using his actions instead of his words to prove to me how much he truly loved me. The mere reminiscent of it made my emotions swell again, except this time it was from pure bliss. 

“I love you so much.” There were already tears streaming down my cheeks except this time I had a smile on my face. Optimus smiled down at me and then lowered his head where his forehead rested against mine.

“And I love you, Sweetspark, to the moon and back.”  

[vividracing]

New Post has been published on https://www.vividracing.com/blog/top-8-best-mods-for-the-ford-f-150/

Top 8 Best Mods for the Ford F-150

The Ford F-150, often called America’s pick-up truck, boasts a best-selling record and solid reputation. The F-150 consistently delivers impressive power, performance, off-road capability, and attractive styling. Over the years, Ford’s flagship truck has continued to exceed customer expectations to become what is it today. The latest F-150 is purpose-built to be relentlessly tough with a military-grade, aluminum-alloy body and torture-tested, high-strength steel frame to get the job done and get it done smarter. Ford combined premium muscle with fine-tuned intelligence and a rugged design to check all the boxes truck owners want in one complete package. Even with that, many owners browse the aftermarket for ways to customize their pick-up to either set it apart from the rest or enhance its natural DNA. There is a plethora of options to take the F-150 even further in terms of looks, sound, efficiency, and proven power gains. The following is a list of the top 8 mods you can to do your Ford F-150 to bring it to the ultimate level.

1. Tonneau Cover

  Add some versatility, along with a slew of other benefits, with a tonneau cover for your Ford F-150. While having a big truck bed can be great, it can also come with some negatives. Sure, you can haul around a large volume of gear, cargo, and equipment back there, but then comes Mother Nature and passersby with sticky fingers. It can be hard to protect your belongings when they are just out in the open like that in terms of both keeping them dry from the weather and secure from onlookers. An unprotected truck bed can also become damaged, itself, and corroded easily from exposure to harmful UV rays, heavy rain, and snow. Heavy winds can also blow some of your things out of the truck and cause debris to blow in and collect there.

A tonneau cover lets you have the best of both worlds with options ranging from soft and hard variants, rolling, retractable, or folding bed covers. Also, having one of the most popular trucks in the world, having a slew of options to choose from when it comes to functionality, styling, and price points is amazing. A tonneau cover will also add a sleeker and more streamlined appearance for your F-150’s back end and can even add an aggressive look depending on the material you choose. On top of all that, an open pickup truck bed generates aero drag which can cause the engine to work harder and consume more fuel. A bed cover is a great investment for all the aforementioned reasons and improving your fuel economy too.

Shop Tonneau Covers for Ford F-150 Here. 

2. VR Tuned Flash

No matter if your Ford F-150 is equipped with the 2.7L EcoBoost V6, 3.5L EcoBoost V6, or the 5.0L Coyote V8 engine, a VR Tuned ECU flash can be highly beneficial. Our ECU upgrade transforms your truck to a whole new level offering a more enhanced driving experience. With a VR tune, you will experience quicker throttle response, increased torque, and more horsepower with top-end pull to redline. All in all, the driving characteristics and drivability of the Ford F-150 are vastly improved while providing you with additional benefits that your truck craves. After all, an ECU flash gives you reliable performance when you need it most and helps squeeze out the potential power of your vehicle – especially when paired with other mods.

The Ford F-150 has untapped resources and VR tuned can help get more power out of it with improved performance and dyno-proven gains. And, while dyno sheets are great to show where power is actually made, what is more important is how it drives on the street. Enjoy better throttle response, quicker 0-60mph times, and a stronger pull on the highway. For automatic F-150s, their shifting is cleaned up while the rev limiter on both is raised to give you faster acceleration times. This is the optimal tune for 93 octane vehicles. 91 octane vehicles can expect similar performance but with slightly reduced figures. VR Tuned alters the factory timing and fueling maps to offer reliable, safe, and strong peak performance gains. All tuning is done via the OBD2 port using the new HPTuners MPVI2 system.

Shop VR Tuned Products for Ford F-150 Here. 

3. Air Intake

There is a reason why upgrading your vehicle’s air intake is one of the first mods most enthusiasts look into. That’s because it boasts a healthy list of benefits at a reasonable price point and is super simple to install. Swapping out the restrictive stock air intake system on the Ford F-150 is one of the cheapest ways to gain additional horsepower and torque while also improving overall performance. While an air intake alone will not add quite as much power as other engine products, it will help your engine in a number of ways like delivering better airflow, reducing air temperatures, and increasing fuel economy. On top of all that, it will also add a nice, throaty growl to your F-150 when you step on the gas.

Due to where your Ford F-150’s factory air intake is located under the hood, your engine is breathing air that has been warmed by the heat of the engine. Warm air is less dense and has a lower oxygen content, while cool air is denser and contains more oxygen. More oxygen means a more complete combustion cycle and more power. This is why cold air intakes are so popular. They are designed to bring in cooler air that is not heated by the engine to improve performance and deliver added power gains. Other advantages include better acceleration and vehicle responsiveness, improved gas mileage, less frequent servicing (because of better filters), and a burly soundtrack. 

Shop All Air Intakes for Ford F-150 Here. 

4. Exhaust System

While Ford’s EcoBoost V6 engine promises better fuel economy together paired with satisfying performance and adequate capability, it lacks in the aural department. Thankfully, the automotive aftermarket can improve the sound of your truck, and the easiest way of doing that comes in the form of an exhaust system. Upgrading the stock restrictive exhaust can really elevate your driving experience and provide better airflow that translates to additional horsepower and torque along with higher fuel economy figures. A cat-back exhaust system is a common upgrade for the Ford F-150 as it is an affordable way of gaining better performance and sound with enhanced looks to boot.

Traditional exhaust systems are designed to be quiet, unassuming, and restrictive. Keeping in mind that the EPA focuses on virtually everything leading up to the catalytic converters, changing out the stock cat-back system for an aftermarket upgrade is a fast and easy way to transform the overall personality of your truck without sacrificing emissions. Implementing a cat-back system will allow the engine on your F-150 to breathe more freely, increase power, and improve gas mileage while adding a more stylized appearance and bolder exhaust note. They are also usually made from lighter materials that contribute to fuel efficiency and maximum acceleration while holding up to the elements better than the factory system.

Shop All Exhaust System for Ford F-150 Here. 

5. Sliders/Nerf Bars

We can all agree that trucks have gotten much bigger within the past few decades. Even an average F-150, today, sits higher over traffic than it has before. So, if you aren’t the tallest, have hip or knee issues, or have young kits that need to climb up into your truck, a set of nerf bars can come in handy. After all, they do say work smarter and not harder, right? The aftermarket offers a wide range of nerf bars, drop steps, running boards, and rock sliders for your Ford F-150. There are even power ones that drop down when the door opens to give you a step up, and then tuck back away once you close the door again. No matter what your needs are or budget it, there are plenty of options out there for you.

Nerf bars are popular because of their sleek, yet rugged appearance. Compared to running boards, they have a narrower stepping surface. Standard nerf bars tend to be two to six inches in diameter, with a round or oval shape. Drivers can choose between different materials and finishes, including polished stainless steel, carbon, matte, textured, plastic, or aluminum. No matter what material or length you choose, you can be confident that nerf bars deliver a perfect balance of aesthetics and functionality.

Nerf bars make it much easier to enter and exit the truck while providing a stable place to step when accessing items on the roof or in the bed. Since nerf bars stick out slightly farther than the wheels and body, they offer a level of defense against scratches and other damage. For example, if the vehicle next to you accidentally flings their door open or a runaway shopping cart comes your way, the damage will be on the nerf bar rather than on the door or paint job. In the same fashion, nerf bars protect against rocks, branches, and other debris that may come up when traveling down the road or out on the trails.

Shop All Nerf Bars for Ford F-150 Here. 

6. Lift Kit

A lift kit (or leveling kit) can elevate the handling, overall capabilities, and ride height of your Ford F-150. This is a great mod to do if you are making cosmetics changes, like new wheels, or if you want enhanced off-road performance. Typically, lift kits are used to create more space to fit meaty tires as well as increased ground clearance for the trails. With a lift kit, you will experience anywhere from 3 to 12 inches of additional ground clearance which allows for wheels that measure up to 35 inches in diameter (or more)! Lift kits are certainly the best option for heavy-duty off-road enthusiasts, as they can greatly improve your truck’s abilities in the mud, sand, snow, and other rugged conditions. Apart from the functional benefits of a lift kit, this package will also change the appearance of your F-150 to give it a more aggressive aesthetic at a mere standstill.  

So, whether you are looking to upgrade your tires for more traction and wheel travel or you just want that meaner look without altering the towing capacity, lift kits are a great way to go. The aftermarket offers an impressive range of options and sizes from trusted brands that will have your Ford F-150 looking and driving its best. Body lift kits are designed to lift your truck two to four inches higher by using a high-grade nylon spacer between the body and the frame. Suspension lift kits, on the other hand, are designed to lift the vehicle as high as the owner is comfortable with. Choosing between the two mainly depends on what you are looking to accomplish with your truck. If you just want to sit up a little higher behind the wheel, body lift kits are a more affordable and practical option. However, if you are looking to really take on the great outdoors and add some massive tires to your truck, go with the suspension lift kit instead. 

Shop All Lift Kits for Ford F-150 Here. 

7. Wheels/Tires

The Ford F-150 is America’s top-selling truck and, for that reason, can be spotted virtually everywhere you go. If you are looking for a way to make your vehicle stand out among the rest of the herd, switching out the factory wheels is a simple and quick way to give your ride some added personality. Incorporating some new wheels gives your truck a customized look that makes a bold statement because we all know that the wheels can really make a vehicle. Just think of it as the shoes on a person – it can tell a lot about them. Whether you are in the market for a set of super-aggressive, rugged off-road, timeless classic, or minimalistic style wheels, there is something out there for everyone. 

While browsing the aftermarket for wheels, you may also want to pair up that set with some beefy tires – especially if you have a lift kit. You need to decide how big of a tire you want, which will depend a lot on the type of driving you will be doing. For example, 33-inch tires are a great entry-level option for trucks that will spend most of their time on highways and paved roads. This size provides a more aggressive look and some off-road capabilities. Going up to a 37-inch tire will give your rig an aggressive lifted stance with added ground clearance and offer great off-road performance. The type of driving will also influence the type of tire you purchase, i.e. all-terrain vs. mud-terrain.

Visit the Vivid Racing Wheel Shop Here. 

Visit the Vivid Racing Tire Shop Here. 

8. Custom VR Steering Wheel

You spend hours behind the wheel of your Ford F-150 truck when commuting, at work, and for road trips, so you may as well take your driving experience to the next level! A VR steering wheel will do just that, providing added comfort for your hands and an elevated interior look that goes to show that the little details can sometimes make the biggest differences. Your new VR custom steering wheel will be based on the Ford F-150 or F-250 OEM steering wheel cores. So, no matter the year or buttons your model has, Vivid Racing can make an upgraded steering wheel for you. Our factory alters the shape while keeping the original inner ring for safety. The upgraded product features beefier hand grips at 9 and 3 positions to deliver a more enhanced and in-control driving experience. 

The VR steering wheel shop boasts several different options to choose from so you can configure your wheel, including colored 12 o’clock rings, matching stitching, leather, carbon fiber, perforated leather, Alcantara, and more. And because these are crafted from a factory steering wheel core, you retain your original buttons and trim along with reusing your airbag. It’s important to note that this is not a simple cover but a completely re-engineered steering wheel based on your personal taste and needs.

Shop Ford F-150 Custom Steering Wheels Here. 

[northvieweyecare]

When It is all about Vision Don’t Compromise Choose Polarized Sunglasses

Looking for a new pair of quality sunglasses? Confused about whetherto go for the metallic or the plastic ones. More worried about the aesthetic looks? It is therefore advisable not to buy one in a hurry. After all, they are a part of one's personality. Also, many people wait for the weather to change to go for the right sunglasses. Waiting for the bright sunny day and then deciding on the sunglass at the last moment may end in buying cheap flimsy frames as well as non-UV protection lenses.

Many sunglasses have the tag of 100% UV protection lenses, whereas, in reality, they may be plain ones.  The critical part is to decide what you want when it comes to protecting yourself from the harmful UV rays. Choosing the right kind of polarized lenses can be overwhelming as a layperson may not be well-versed with different lens technologies.

This article will discuss all that is needed to know about polarized lenses, which will help you to figure out what is best suited for you.

Who should go for polarized sunglasses?

Polarized lenses are mostly used in sunglasses as it contains a special filter that blocks intense reflected light thus reducing glare and protecting the eyes. It is popular with boaters and those who enjoy fishing.These lenses are strategically designed to protect against direct sunlight. Hence, polarized sunglasses can greatly reduce the reflected glare from the water. People who spend time in outdoor waters eventually have discovered the benefits of polarized lenses.

Polarized sunglasses in Orangeville are popularized by outdoor enthusiasts who swear by them. Bikers, skydivers, golfers, and joggers who use polarized sunglasses ensure that they are protected from the glare of the sunlight as their activities require complete focus. Any distraction of sunlight glare may affect their safety and performance.

For drivers, polarized sunglasses are helpful, too, as they reduce glare-causing reflections from flat road's surface. If you have noticed, even people who wear regular powered eyeglasses have anti-glare lenses for safe driving.

Many eye-sensitive people who are continuously exposed to sunlight due to the nature of their job and post-cataract surgery patients also wear polarized sunglasses for protection.

How polarized lenses function?

Going back to the basics of physics, we learned that light usually scatters in all directions. Still, when they fall on flat surfaces and then reflect, they tend to become polarized. This means that light travels in a uniform and usually horizontal direction. This causes the reflected light to have a greater intensity which causes glare and reduces visibility. This effect can be both dangerous and annoying.

To overcome this problem, polarized lenses offer the solution. These lenses ensure that only vertically oriented lights pass through a laminated filter and simultaneously block horizontal-oriented light. This way, the glare is reduced or nearly eliminated.

Polarized lenses come in various shades of colors. These colors vary from light to dark shade depending on the material from which the lenses are made. Darker colors provide greater polarization.  Though polarized lenses come in all colors, it is seen that the most common ones use Gray and brown. Other colors such as melanin, yellow or green are also popular.

Not for everyone

Though Polarized sunglasses improve comfort and visibility, they may not benefit certain outdoor activities such as skiing, especially on a downhill slope.  In skiing, it is good to have refection from ice patches as it alerts the skier to the approaching hazards.  

In case of water, polarized sunglasses work best as it provides superior glare protection.However, it may not work best in certain other applications asit reduces the visibility of images produced by LCDs or LEDs that are usually found on car dashboards, automatic teller machines digital screens, petrol gas pumps, smartphones, or GPS devices.

Many users, such as pilots and boaters, have faced similar problems when viewing LCDs on instrument panels with polarized lenses. This can be dangerous as split-second decisions have to be made based on the information displayed on a panel.

Advantages of using polarized sunglasses

A good quality pair of sunglasses usually have polarized lenses. They offer many benefits such as

Reduces reflections and are anti-glare in     nature

Enhances visual comfort

Increases visual clarity and improves contrast

Reduces strain on eyes during any outdoor     activity

 Disadvantages of using polarized sunglasses

While many people find polarized sunglasses beneficial, certain people may not find them to be comfortable. Some may encounter dizziness or disorientation, and for others, it may give a 3-D effect.  Whether this effect is neurological or psychological, it should be taken seriously and not forced upon them. For this category of users, tinted lenses are the best option. Some occupations require workers to read certain digital numbers on an LCD. In this case, a polarized lens can interfere with the visibility of the numbers and should be avoided.

How to know whether the lens is polarized?

For an ordinary user, it is not possible to know whether the sunglasses he is buying have polarized lenses or not. He will go strictly by what the salesman will tell him. To check oneself, the easiest way is to take your sunglass to a drugstore and place it at a 90-degree angle to another pair of sunglasses from the drugstore. If the combined lenses turn darker, it means that your sunglasses have polarized lenses.

Are polarized sunglasses prohibitive?

Sunglasses with the polarized lens are usually more expensive than regular lenses.  Polarized sunglasses in Orangeville can start from $25 and go up to $450, depending on the designer label. This additional investment is worth it for those whose activities require protection and safety. However, it can be an unnecessary expenditure for regular users as standard lenses can do the job equally well.

Conclusion

Glare can be dangerous. It can be a nuisance as it impairs visibility, distorts views, and causes temporary blindness leading to accidents. For sportspersons and athletes, the extra cost is worth it as it enhances outdoor experiences, improves performances, and combined functionality ensures protection from accidents.

[txladyj-blog]

Chapter 10 - This Time Around

a Daryl Dixon x OFC collaboration written by @xmistressmistrustx​

Rating: Explicit

Relationship: Daryl Dixon/Original Female Character

Tags: Friendship, Friends to Lovers, Awkwardness, Awkward Flirting, Awkward Crush, Fluff and Humor, Angst and Humor, Mild Smut, Strong Language, Eventual Sex, Eventual Romance, Slow Burn, Canon Divergence, Some Canon Scenes and Dialogue

Chapters 15/?

Jess’s legs were starting to burn from maneuvering over the bumpy terrain of the tree line as Daryl and the men moved from one Terminus sign to another. She skirted off, deeper into the woods and attempted to gain some ground in front of them. She broke into a run, sprinting over fallen trees and dead bodies that she didn’t even bother to check for signs of reanimation. She could out run them and she needed to outrun Daryl’s group and cut them off before they reached certain death at Terminus. Destroying the signs was her best bet, or diverting them onto a path that steered them away, but she had to get there first and cover her tracks enough so that Daryl wouldn’t pick up on her footprints being fresh in the dirt. She knew he would. He was smart, an expert tracker and highly observant. Panic was surging through her when she thought of what could happen should she fail at her task.

She’d first encountered Terminus when she was alone, between settlements and bordering on freezing to death from the unforgiving weather. She didn’t trust the signs from the start, which is why she located the destination and dug in for the night under a plastic tarp. She watched from the fence as the inhabitants dragged people from a train cart, kicking and screaming. People that never returned. She knew the smell by now, a sickening odor that she would never forget. Burning flesh. Only it wasn’t being burned to rid the compound of Walkers or any infections, it was being burned in order to be consumed.

Since then, Jess made it her mission to destroy any signs for Terminus she came across which she realized was a frustrating and fruitless task due to them being replaced as quickly as she removed them. Whoever was running the place knew what they were doing, they were relentless and sadistic and there was no way that she would allow Daryl to end up there if she could help it.

Running wasn’t something that bothered her much anymore, her stamina levels were much higher with the change in season. The improved temperature meant she could go back to training properly, always finding new ways of keeping her strength and fitness up. Her legs burned and her chest felt like it might burst, but it was all expected for the amount of ground she would cover in a matter of minutes.

That was until she was stopped in her tracks by upwards of two hundred Walkers all heading straight for her. A herd. She leaned forwards, using her hands on her knees to stabilize herself as she caught her breath. Her brow was wet and her mouth dry. In her backpack, she carried three bottles of water but knew she needed to conserve them until she was desperate.

“Right. There’s a herd. Of course, there is. Brilliant. That’s just great.” She complained as she flung her arms up, turned around and ran in the direction she’d arrived from.

                                             =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

 One of the few good things about the apocalypse is not having to stick to speed limits or worry about other drivers. So, when Jess sped down the rural roads like a bat out of hell, she knew she had to burn some serious rubber to make it around the herd and back to Terminus before Daryl was put in serious danger. The sun was dipping the sky and evening was rolling in, the last thing she wanted to be doing was fighting an entire community of cannibals in the dark with nothing but a rifle, a machete and a bow but try as she might, she could not find it in herself to tear herself away and simply go back to the fairground.

She was no longer sure id Daryl would make the same sacrifices for her, or if he ever would have in the first place, but she did remember his attentive and protective attitude when he took her out training and hunting. Sometimes, she wondered why he even bothered with any of it, putting it down to boredom and a need to feel superior. She dared not think there was anything else in it, she’d been disappointed enough.

She hit the brakes hard when she came to the crossroads that met the railway tracks and considered her next move. She’d been driving for almost an hour at least and saw no signs of the herd. She’d successfully managed to drive all the way around them. Now, for her plan, or lack of one, starting with the truck. She would have to leave it somewhere accessible. She tickled the accelerator and steered to the left, veering around a broken-down garage and coming to a stop behind it. Believing it provided enough cover, she hopped out and set off for Terminus.

                                             =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

It was as if the elements could sense the oncoming pandemonium. A strange stillness filtered into her mind. Why was it so quiet? Her heart dropped when she heard an explosion so loud that the ground shook beneath her feet and she was sure she could feel the rush of air barrel through the trees. Smoke plumed into the air above, followed by dancing flames. Terminus was on fire.

She ran again, as fast as her legs would carry her. Boots thudding into the damp ground and the air lashing at her face, making her eyes glassy over her mask. As she approached the grounds around the fence, gunfire resulted in her jumping behind a tree to shield herself. Her eyes quickly scanned the woodland as she crouched and caught her breath.

Stay calm. You got this. Think.

She took a deep breath and clocked movement by the fence around 30 feet away. A cloaked figure stood with a rifle pointed through the chain link fence, firing off shot after shot. Jess risked a few steps closer and was glad she did or she never would have noticed that it was Carol who was picking off the people of Terminus one by one. She was dressed in a poncho covered in what Jess instantly guessed was Walker guts. The smell was obvious. At her feet, sat a bag full of semi-automatic weapons.

I’m not the only one that grew a pair of balls. Jess thought.

Glancing to her left, she could see the blown-up gas tank in the yard and the fire raging from inside it, Walkers attracted from all over the place were seeping in through the broken fence caused by the explosion. Jess could even hear them starting to approach from behind her and it forced her to move and find a way to protect herself. She scurried off in the opposite direction to Carol, who hadn’t noticed her over the commotion and equipped her Machete. Now, she was Walker hunting.

Finding two males slumbering along the fence in front of her, she raised the blade, bringing it down on one of their heads and slicing through its eroded and soft skull as if it was a piece of fruit. When the other one turned, she decapitated it with a clean swipe. Then, she rammed the machete into the smaller one’s chest, bracing herself with a boot on its shoulder as she snapped the weapon back, opening up it’s chest cavity and the contents of its stomach. She was gladder than ever for her mask at that point, even having to take a moment to turn her head away and hold her breath before she ripped the leather jacket from the other Walker and smeared it with innards and the rotting remnants of the dead body. She slung the jacket on and headed for the gate.

Inside the compound, people were scattering like ants. All screaming and trying to avoid both the Walkers and Carol’s bullets raining down on them. Jess had managed to get in by shooting at the chain that held the gate together and marched in like the cavalry had arrived. She had no idea where she was going, just that she had to find the door that she’d previously seen captive, live humans being dragged into.

Aware that Carol could see her and would probably shoot her, she kept to the small alleyways and scurried along behind cars and wooden boxes until she saw it. The door. That’s where they were taken. She sprinted at it, hammering her hands onto the glass and flying inside to find it empty. Uninhabited. But what she did find inside was enough to render her completely motionless. He breath caught in her throat. Cages with huge hooks hung from the ceiling. Ribcages, spines and femurs scattered the surfaces, carving knives and bone saws were discarded on metal tables. Beyond that was a vast room with a single, long, stainless steel sink through its middle. She stood in the middle of a slaughterhouse once used to harvest the meat of cows, pigs and the like. Now, it was used to execute and carve up human beings.

Involving herself in such a situation only had one outcome; she was going to have to kill people. It was something she’d had to quickly accept as she shot the chain on the gate and charged into the chaos. As she cleared room after room, she shot everyone she found. Most of them in the legs and feet so they would be found by Walkers or bleed to death and turn. Those that attacked her were eliminated outright with a clean bullet to the head or heart. She didn’t count, nor did she want to. Just like she refused to look into any of their eyes. Twice, she almost ran into Carol, a confrontation she wanted to avoid and so she had no choice but to stop and wait patiently so she could continue, unseen. It wasn’t until she reached a room full of personal belongings that she stopped and had to take heed of things before she could continue her journey.

There were children’s toys, clothing, jewelry, photographs, books. Her fingertips bumped over the items as she slowly walked the length of the table along one side of the narrow room. She closed her eyes and sighed. All of these people. Gone. Lost. Eaten. Just like that. As if the world wasn’t screwed up enough already. Then, she felt the cold metal of a gun. She opened her eyes to find herself stood there holding Rick’s heavy, Python Revolver.

“Drop your weapons.” Came a female voice from behind her.

Jess’s eyes flicked up to the wall in front of her as she slowly slid the revolver into the sleeve of her oversized, Walker covered jacket. She turned slowly to find a blood-soaked woman with wild, long, brown and scraggly hair who was angrily pointing a very large gun at her. She staggered forwards.

“The men they pulled from that Train car…where are they?” Jess growled

The woman’s face twisted in a manic giggle while she hoisted the gun up, securing her aim. 

“You could have been one of us.” She chuckled.

“WHERE ARE THEY?!” Jess yelled with such fury that her voice cracked. “I know you keep them in there!”

“You could have listened to what the world is telling you” The woman rambled.

It quickly became apparent to Jess that sense had left this woman’s head long before the gas tank exploded. Her whole appearance smacked of a mental breakdown, someone who now lived in the depraved and brutal world of a cannibal group. She had no time to waste but any semblance of useful information couldn't be passed up. She opted to try and goad her to gauge if she would turn up any clues.

“You lure people here. You take what they have and you kill them and eat them. Is that what this place is?” Jess demanded.

The woman’s crazed smile dropped and she shook her head, a single tear escaped down her blackened face. She did now lower her gun and Jess began to weigh up her odds.

“Not at first.” She sniffed. “It’s what it had to be. They raped and they killed and they laughed over weeks.” She babbled.

Useless. Jess thought.

The woman hit the floor with a smack after the first gunshot. She clutched her foot and wailed so loud Jess thought she could probably be heard over the ruckus outside. Her vision lifted to the barrel of Rick’s gun inside Jess’s sleeve and her eyes erupted with tears. The gun in her hands clattered to the vastly growing pool of blood on the floor and the noise snapped her back to reality. She began to struggle with it, hauling it up over her wounded leg and trying to find the trigger. But Jess stepped forwards and kicked it away from her.

“The world was bad enough before the turn. The Walkers make it worse. But people like you…” She glared down at her with a coldness that made the woman's jaw clench with fear “… make it insufferable.”

The noise of the trigger being pulled caused a flinch from Jess’s victim. But she didn’t even blink from the shot that created a bloody hole in the woman’s other foot. She picked up her gun and slung it over her shoulder so both guns were positioned in a cross on her back. She whirled around, making for the door and heaved the fire exit bar open to a dozen waiting Walkers who all skirted around her and poured in as fast as the light beyond. Jess calmly walked through them with enough time to catch Rick and Daryl climbing over the fence on the other side of the yard. As Walkers milled around her and the war raged, the piercing and terrified screams of people still going strong, she smiled.

He’s safe.

                                             =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 

Darkness had fallen and the traumatized group quietly walked the road, exhausted, dehydrated and starving. Rick, Daryl and Glenn were all wounded but still soldiered on. Daryl veered off every now and then to hunt but came up with nothing more than an even more frustrated expression each time. The ground was damp but water was scarce and the meagre amount they had on them had to last until they found another source or until they settled somewhere again. No one knew how long that would be, but Rick encouraged them to keep going through a thinly veiled feeling of doom. Where would they go now? 

Jess followed them for miles. Her discomfort at letting them out of her sight driving her to babysit them for a long as she possibly could. They were weakened, and morale was low, that much was obvious. They walked through the night into the next morning when the sun peeped through the clouds and the birds began to sing. Jess observed them from the safety of a tree a few meters back from the road. She perched on a branch and snacked on cereal bars from her backpack, even managing to take a power nap after tying herself to the branch, a trick she’d learned way back in the beginning. She discarded her Walker jacket miles back but the smell still festered around her no matter how much she tried to ignore it. So, she was relieved when the group finally started to look like they were getting ready to leave, at least she could get a breeze through her clothes.

When her boots hit the floor after climbing down from her perch, she caught the faint sound of someone gasping, followed by a low growl.

That’s not a Walker.

She swerved through the branches and bushes, keeping low and noticing movement on the road. The growl was louder now, followed by the clicking of guns being readied and Daryl’s voice.

“Easy.”

Jess managed to find a gap in the leaves that revealed Daryl aiming his crossbow at three dogs across the street. Once someone’s beloved pets, a Collie, Rottweiler and a Belgian Malinois. They were now reduced to wild beings having never had to fend for themselves before. They looked like they were starving. Protruding ribs and bony legs. Teeth bared and saliva dripping from K9’s. Everyone was focused on the three in front of them, but Jess was the only one that could see the Doberman creeping up on Daryl from behind.

“No guns.” Rick declared. “We can’t afford the noise drawing Walkers.”

He knew they were weakened and unable to fight effectively. Guns were holstered and knives unsheathed along with worried looks exchanged between those that were not used to such close combat, especially with three creatures that boasted such a sharp set of teeth.

Jess panicked. It was unusual for her but before she knew it, her bow was in her hand and an arrow was being aimed at the huge, black dog that was sizing up Daryl’s arm. Its jowls quivered, paws inching forwards. Daryl leapt at one of the dogs, managing to drag his knife across its throat before he was bitten. The other two were taken out by Rick and another member of the group that Jess didn’t recognize. Just as Daryl was about to step back into the inevitable and waiting jaw of the Doberman, Jess let go of the bow’s string and the arrow collided with the animals skull. It was sent skidding across the asphalt, a high-pitched yelp followed by nothing. Daryl swung his crossbow into the woods, pointing it at the darkness inside while the others couldn’t decide whether to look at the arrow embedded in the dog’s head or whatever Daryl was aiming his weapon at. Rick approached him and stood by his side.

“The hell did that come from?” He asked.

“In there” Daryl replied, nudging his head up at Jess’s exact location.

Jess released an angry sigh. Her rage directed at nothing but herself. She’d blown her own cover. If she didn’t step into the light now, Daryl would most likely go in and find her. The chances were, he’d shoot her too. She began to trudge forward, bow in hand to the side of the road, where Daryl and Rick stood, flanked by an uneasy and tired looking group. Revealing herself from the low light of the trees, she slowly walked out into the light and hoped with all her heart that her mask, hood and weight loss was enough of a disguise to enable her to walk away eventually without having to show who she really was.

Daryl’s brow furrowed at the woman who calmly stepped out onto the road with an elaborate looking bow in her hand, two high powered rifles and a machete attached to her belt. She looked like something from one of the computer games he’d played with Merle before the turn when they’d get high and battle monsters. Her hood and mask obscured most of her face, her eyes just about visible as she moved into the light. Black, leather arm bracers covered her forearms, heavy, lace up boots reached her knees. Her clothing was clearly that of law enforcement, military or special ops. Daryl backed up, as did Rick when Jess raised her bow.

“Don’t move!” Daryl quickly ordered.

But Jess refused. She slowly continued to lift her bow and looped it across her body, disarming herself to show she was not a threat.

“Everybody stay back.” Rick instructed the perturbed faces behind him with an open palm in their direction. The crowd backed up, peering at the scene in disbelief. Daryl inched closer to her with Rick mirroring him. Somehow, Jess managed to stand completely still even though her body was shaking at the sight of him.

“Who are you?” Rick wanted to know. His voice was low, too hushed for everyone else to hear him and deliberate so as not to cause a panic.

“I helped her…” Jess told him as she motioned with her head to Carol “…get you out of terminus.”

Rick was incredulous. His eyes shot back and forth between Jess and Carol, who was none the wiser, multiple times until finally falling back to Jess.

“Why?” Daryl asked

“I know what that place was.” She said. So far, neither of them had recognized her voice, which she could put down to the plastic casing on the front of her mask that filtered the air of dust. It muffled her words subtly and she was sure that she’d never been more thankful for a piece of kit before.

“Take off the mask” Rick ordered out of the blue, raising his hand ready to pluck her disguise from her face. In the blink of an eye her machete was at his throat, held like a vice with an outstretched arm. His head tilted back, his eyes bulged and he looked down his nose at the blade. A sharp intake of breath from behind him told her that her actions had the desired effect. She’d shocked them into submission.

“Do not touch me.” She warned firmly.

Daryl stepped in, placing his body between Jess and Rick but with his crossbow still gripped in one hand.

“Ok… ok, ain't nobody gonna touch ya…put the machete down.” Daryl urged.

She complied and gradually brought it back to her side, her hand still gripping onto the handle with a white-knuckle strength. 

“How do we know we can trust you?” Rick asked.

She nodded and reached around, inside her hooded jacket. Slipping Rick's revolver from her wristband at her back, she held it out to him. His face was a picture she would never forget. He blinked rapidly at the gun before slowly taking it.

“How did you know this is mine?” He questioned.

“Saw them take you in with it.” She lied “You don't have to trust me. But would I really be handing you that gun if you couldn't? Good luck to all of you.”

Her boots crunched on the ground when she made off in the opposite direction, digging her hands in her pocket when she was reminded of something she’d prepared earlier. All along, she’d tried to get a head of the group and plant water in abandoned cars or buildings but was hindered by Walkers every time. She’d stowed two bottles in her pockets just in case she had the chance and kept one for herself in her backpack. As she strode away, she twisted her body and threw both bottles at Rick and Daryl. They both caught them and swapped baffled expressions.

“Wait.” Daryl called out to her. “Why’d ya help us?”

Because I care about you and I hate it.

She didn’t respond, determined to cover the miles to her truck in good time so she could get back to the fairground and rest her weary head. She had some serious thinking to do and a big decision to make. Rick’s group consisted of men, women and a child. Carl. Jess had scanned every face, some were missing but some were the same, just older and wearing their horrendous experiences in their eyes. She had no doubt that all of them had endured a lot and on top of that, were almost blood-let and eaten at Terminus. It was a tough choice that would jeopardize the new, battle-hardened person she was. But in truth, she’d already decided. She had to go back to Alexandria's recruiter; Aaron. 

NEXT CHAPTER

[insfiringyou]

BTS - One Night Stand with Jungkook

Contains: Smut, humour, fingering, oral sex, face riding, vaginal sex, sex toys

Jungkook encounters an older woman whose car has broken down at the supermarket. Wanting to be helpful, he drives her home. A couple of glasses of wine later, things escalate.

[Although this can be enjoyed on its own as a oneshot, we imagine this to be part of our headcanon universe . This is set after his breakup with his first girlfriend, Jia, and also shortly after his sexual encounter with the singer IU, but before the 7 mins in heaven party.]

 To read each member & their girlfriend’s headcanon universe fics in order, follow the links here: RM   /   Jin  /   Suga  /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook & Our full masterlist can be found here

This can also be found on Ao3 here

(Photo credit goes to https://bangtan-sonyeon-scans.tumblr.com/)

Rated content below the cut

The loud crashing sound of glass shattering followed by a string of cursing brought Jungkook’s attention away from the reusable bag of shopping he was currently packing away into the trunk of his black Hyundai and towards the woman who was next to him in the parking lot. He had left the shared house half an hour earlier to pick up some snacks from the supermarket; it was Friday evening and he was preparing for a weekend off, the first in over five months. Two full days of gaming, eating junk food and sleeping in awaited, and he could not wait. 

The sky had started to turn navy and he could just about make out the cause of the crashing sound in the dim space. The woman, about ten years older than him at a guess, had dropped a crate of wine on her way to the car. She quickly placed her other bags of shopping on the tarmac and started to kick the large shards of glass away from the path of her car tyres. Jungkook locked up his own car and walked over to her. 

“Are you okay?” He asked as she removed the final piece of glass from the path. 

“Yeah.” She muttered, not looking at him as she opened her car and started to pack the bags into the back. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts, the edge of a black tattoo poked from the hem, and a white halter top which revealed her fleshy cleavage. Jungkook glanced at the cement and noted the pool of liquid collecting on the surface; the pungent scent of fermented grapes drifted into his nostrils.

“Where you having a party?” He asked, turning to watch her as she placed a large carrier in the trunk. A multi-pack of orange Capri-Sun pocked out the top. 

“Not any more.” She said, drily, as she walked to the driver’s side of her car,  glancing briefly at him as she walked past. 

Not seeing how he could be of any more help, Jungkook walked back to his Hyundai and fished in his pocket for his car key. He unlocked the car and reached for the handle but paused as the sound of the neighbouring vehicle’s engine stalling distracted him. The small postbox red Kia had to be at least fifteen years old and the engine had clearly given up for the time being. The woman turned her keys in the ignition with a sigh but the car refused to start, the rumble of the engine sprang to life for a few seconds, before falling silent again. 

“Fuck! Shit!” He could just make out her muffled curses through the car door. He immediately pocketed his keys and walked over to the driver’s side of the Kia, lightly tapping the window. The woman jumped a little at the sound, her eyes snapping from the steering wheel to his own, startled. Her shoulders relaxed when she saw who it was and she opened the door for him, unfastening her seat belt.

“It won’t start.” She sighed. 

“Do you have breakdown insurance?” He asked. 

“I can’t afford it.” 

“I could call you mine, I don’t mind.” Jungkook offered helpfully, sensing that she could use a little good luck. Now he was up close, he noticed that the car had also started to rust around the doors and windows. He wondered whether the garage would even be able to replace the engine, but didn’t say this. 

Her eyes flickered around the parking lot quickly, nervously. “How long will that take?” 

Jungkook shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe an hour.”

“I can’t wait that long. My food is going to defrost.”

He found himself feeling incredibly sorry for her, despite only meeting her a few minutes before. She was clearly not well off, the supermarket was the cheapest in the area, and her car badly needed replacing. 

“Do you live far away?” He asked. “I could give you a lift.” He desperately wanted to help her, even if all he could do was make sure her food didn’t spoil. She glanced at him, a hint of suspicion in her dark eyes. Jungkook shifted, a little uncomfortably. He wasn’t used to people looking at him like that. 

“I can’t pay you.” She said, a little cautiously. 

He was a little taken aback at the suggestion.”I wasn’t going to ask. It’s dark.” He explained, simply. This sincerity in his voice seemed to put her at ease and her body seemed to relax in the chair. 

“Okay, if you’re sure.” She slid from the seat and closed the door, locking it manually with a key which hung from a pink pompom key chain. Jungkook automatically moved to the trunk and allowed her to unlock the it. He reached inside before she could protest and took several of the large bags. She watched him curiously as he walked over to his own car and, intuitively opened the trunk for him. He thanked her and placed the bags in the back. 

“Careful.” She murmured. “There’s more bottles in there.” 

He nodded, noticing the small clinks which came as he placed them down. His own trunk was spacious and had plenty of room for both their shopping. She locked up her before joining him in the Hyundai. He started the ignition. 

“Where are we going?” He asked as he backed out of the parking space. 

“Do you know Eunpyeong? It’s not far from here.” She questioned, glancing at him as he changed from reverse to drive. Her eyes roamed along his hands and arms, quietly admiring the tendons which stood out against his tanned skin in the dim light of the car; she hadn’t noticed how beautiful his arms were before. 

He nodded. “Sort of. Do I go over the river?”

“Don’t worry. I’m good at giving directions.” She said kindly. 

*

“Have you lived here long?” He asked as he pulled up on the curb of a small, semi-detached house. There was a small garden in front of it, just visible in the low glow of the nearest energy-saving lamp. The streets surrounding her road had also been narrow and dimly lit; he imagined walking home at night would be a nightmare, particularly for a woman, and he felt glad she had accepted his lift. 

“Six months.” She answered, hopping out of her seat and walking around the back to unpack her shopping. He didn’t bother asking her whether it was a nice area to live; one quick glance around told him otherwise. He joined her quickly and beat her to the heaviest bags. She thanked him and he made sure he locked up; while he wasn’t especially precious about his new Hyundai, he knew it wouldn’t last long if it were left unlocked, especially on a Friday night. He could hear the low thud of drum and bass music drifting from the windows of one of the nearby town houses, the residents clearly enjoying a party. 

He followed her to the front door; the bags in his arms blocking most of his view of the pathway which led there. She fiddled about with her jingly keyring to find the correct key and unlocked the red door, leading him into the hallway and to the small kitchen at the end of the corridor. He paused in the doorway after putting down the bags, wondering whether he should close the door. The woman had already started unpacking, hastily shoving boxes of frozen food into the large freezer, without glancing his way. He hesitated, watching as she pulled out waxed cardboard boxes of turkey dinosaurs, fajitas and ready made rice from the plastic carrier bags on the floor, before deciding to shut the front door. 

When he came back, she had finished on the frozen food and had started to pour a large glass of rosé wine for herself. She left the rest of the food in the bags. Jungkook glanced at the closed freezer and noted a jumble of colourful magnetic letters on the surface. “Chung-ae” was spelled out and he wondered whether it was her name. 

“Do you have to be anywhere?” She asked, taking a large sip. 

He hesitated and shook his head. “No.” It felt good to be able to say that, not knowing when his next weekend off would be. 

She nodded and took another glass from the shelf above the black counter, pouring him a large glass of the wine. He shook his head when she held it out for him. “Thank you, but I’m driving.” He explained. 

She kept her arm held out. “Just have one glass. As repayment.” She said, convincingly. He saw immediately that she wanted to be able to thank him, and once again his sympathy for her returned. He took the glass. 

“Alright. It really wasn’t a problem though.” He tried to reassure as he took a small sip. The wine was fruity and sweet. Opposite him on the other side of the kitchen, the woman took another long gulp. 

“I’ve had such a crap day today.” She said. Jungkook noticed her dyed, sandy-brown hair had been hastily tied back in a messy ponytail and the layer of foundation on her face did not quite cover the dark circles under her eyes. She looked like she hadn’t had a proper night of sleep in days. 

This reminded him. “I’ll call the towing company for you.” He stepped out into the dark hallway and checked through his contacts. Behind him, he could hear the sound of the woman pouring herself another glass of wine. The call connected and he explained the situation to the receptionist. She asked him a question and he leaned into the doorway. “What’s your address?” He asked. The woman replied and he repeated the street name on the phone. Thanking them for their help and asking them to put the payment on his account, he switched off his cell and pocketed it. “They said they can collect your car tomorrow morning. Did you have anything planned for the weekend?” He asked. 

Leaning against the counter, she shook her head, causing a few strands of hair to fall from the ponytail. Her cheeks were already a little flushed from the drink. “I just wanted some time to myself.” 

“Oh.” Jungkook eyed the almost empty bottle of rosé on the counter. “Maybe I should go.” He turned to walk back the way he came, but she protested. 

“You haven’t finished your wine yet.” She pleaded and he faced her once more. “Stay for a bit.” 

He realised as she said it that she seemed incredibly lonely. He wondered whether she lived with anyone else, or if she had the house to herself. He didn’t hear anyone else upstairs. “Okay.” He agreed, taking another sip from his glass; the wine went down easier this time. 

“We’ll go into the living room so you can sit down.” She reached into one of the carrier bags and pulled out a new bottle of wine before leading him back down the hallway, not bothering to turn on the light, and into a small sitting room. A television adorned one corner and a pair of two-seater sofas surrounded a glass coffee table. Compared to what he had seen of the rest of the house, the room was positively cosy and neat. He imagined she spent most of her time in here and liked it to be homely. He glanced at the wall above the fireplace; wicker letters spelling out “Live, Laugh, Love” adorned the chimney breast. 

He sat down on one of the sofas, automatically placing his half-empty glass on the table in front of him, beside the fresh bottle of rosé. She sat beside him, her body pressed close to his; he could smell her tropical scented perfume; it reminded him of the beach; sunscreen and Piña Coladas. Now she was closer and the lighting wasn’t so dim, he quickly glanced at her bare thigh, careful not to be caught looking, and noted the tattoo. Up close, he could work out it depicted a Dandelion clock; it’s feathered seeds drifting away from the stem on an invisible breeze. She finished her glass and poured another. 

He tried not to be bothered by the way she peered at him as she sat back down beside him. Eventually she spoke up. 

“Aren’t you in Exo?”

He shook his head, a little relieved. “No.” 

“Oh.” She looked disappointed and turned back to her wine. “Sorry. You just looked a little familiar.”

Jungkook shrugged. “Maybe you’ve seen me at the supermarket before?” He did shop there regularly. It wasn’t anywhere near the closest shop to the band’s shared house, but the offers on the groceries were some of the best in Seoul. He didn’t know whether the other members had ever thought to shop there, but he doubted it. He found that if he went late in the evening, as he had done today, he almost never got recognised. 

“Maybe.” She seemed convinced and finished her drink, her voice now slurred a little. “Do you have a girlfriend?” She turned to look at him and he finished his glass in one, long gulp. 

“No. We broke up.” 

“Oh.” She leaned forward and picked up the bottle. “Was it on good terms?”

He shook his head slowly. “Not really.”

“I’m sorry.” Her voice, despite its growing unsteadiness, sounded sympathetic and, as though to back this up, she filled his glass to the brim. “You’re handsome.” She returned the bottle to the table. “You’ll find someone else.”

He changed the topic, turning to look at her. “What about you?”

She smiled, dejectedly. “I’m not really looking for anyone right now. Men are too much work.” She thought for a moment. “But you’re really nice.” He didn’t say anything, so she continued. “My ex was not that nice.” She dropped her gaze to the carpet, the loose, slightly wavy strands of her sand coloured hair hung limply around her pink cheeks. 

“I’m sorry.” He said, leaning forward without really thinking, getting closer to her. “You seem really nice too.” 

She pulled back slowly, noting the shift in his body, and placed her palm on his covered knee, rubbing his thigh gently. 

“I should really go.” He said suddenly, realising how late it was getting and how, if he drank anymore wine, he would be over the limit. He put the glass on the glass table and moved to stand up. Once again she protested. 

“No, no!” She whined, clutching onto his leather belt loosely as he rose from the sofa. “Don’t go. I like talking to you.” 

The desperation in her voice made him sit back down with a sigh. “Maybe five more minutes.” He muttered. 

She turned to face him, twisting at the waist. “I’m keeping you from somewhere?” She asked curiously. 

He shook his head. “No. I didn’t want to intrude.” He glanced at the bottle of wine and remembered how she had broken another six in the parking lot of the supermarket. “It seems like you’ve had a bad day and need some time to relax.” 

She smiled and it lit up her entire face, making her look five years younger. He found himself wondering, once more, how old she was. He had thought at least thirty at first glance but now, up close, he thought that maybe she could be a couple of years younger than that. The years had not been kind of her either way. She looked like she had been given a hard life. 

“You’re really sweet.” She said. “I wish every man was as sweet as you.” She took another gulp of rosé and brushed the stray locks of hair from her face, tucking them behind her ear. “I’m sorry.” She apologised, her cheeks blushing pink as she glanced at the carpet. “I look so ugly right now.” 

While he hadn’t really noted her looks, he felt his heart sink at the sadness in her voice. He wondered whether her ex had told her she was. 

“That’s not true.” He said, leaning forward once more. 

“You’re joking.” She laughed drily. “My hair’s a mess…”

“Looks fine to me.” He shrugged. 

She turned back to meet his gaze, putting her glass on the table. He noticed she had started perspiring a little from the drink. “You’re really sweet.” She repeated. “You’re ex must be kicking herself.” 

He shrugged. “I don’t think she’s really bothered.” His voice came out surprisingly blank and he decided to take the plunge and down his glass of wine. 

“I would be.” She reached out slowly and placed her hand on his bicep, surprised to feel its unexpected hardness through his plain black t-shirt. “You don’t find this everyday.” She smiled, giving his upper arm a little, gentle squeeze. When he didn’t protest, she moved her palm to his chest and trailed it along his pectorals, delighting in the feel of them through the fabric. “And these are nice.” She murmured, dreamily, hardly aware of how carried away she was getting. “I’d feel really lucky to be with a guy like you…” 

Feeling his own blush, both with the feel of her warm hand against him and the effects of the large glasses of wine he had consumed, he reached forward and poured himself another. She watched this, a little amused, and when he sat back down she leaned forward and wrapped her hand gently around his wrist, holding it steady. She took a large sip from the glass in his hand and looked up at him, a little seductively beneath her spidery, mascara coated eyelashes. He felt his heart begin to race in his chest as he realised he could see down her low cut cami; her black bra was lacy and a little see-through. As though sensing his unexpected desire, she pulled away and shifted onto his knee, straddling his hips. There was a moment’s hesitation as he tried to contain his surprise before she pressed her open lips to his. 

It took a few moments to process what was happening, but his body eventually caught on, and he opened his mouth against her, knowing it wasn’t the best idea but unable to stop himself from pressing on. He had discovered, fairly recently, that sometimes it was easier to go with the flow than to protest. As she pressed her tongue against his hungrily, he felt the wine glass tremble in his hand and the liquid spilled onto his blue jeans and her bare thighs. 

“Oh.” He gasped in surprise, pulling away from her to look at the damage. “I’m sorry…” 

She shook her head, letting him know it was okay and took the glass off him, finishing the remaining liquid in a single gulp and tossing it absently behind her. The thick carpet cushioned it, preventing it from shattering. She turned back and removed his t-shirt in one, smooth movement before kissing him again, grinding her hips a little and feeling him grow hard beneath her. He moaned into her mouth and she crawled off him slowly, leading him by the hand out of the room. He followed her easily down the dark hallway, accepting that he probably wasn’t going home tonight. He stumbled over something in the darkness and she steadied him, leading him up the stairs and into the master bedroom. 

Like the living room, it was neat and cosy, decorated in hues of silver and gold, with matching bedding and curtains. The room faced the front of the house and the low sound of the club music drifted through the double glazing from the nearby party. She let go of his hand in order to close the door behind her and he watched as she clawed her white cami over her head and pressed herself flat against him, kissing him once more. He warmed to the feeling of her lips; they were surprisingly soft and her confidence was started to feel reassuring instead of intimidating. She was a good kisser and he found himself making little whimpers into her open mouth as she moved his hands to her covered breasts. He could feel her hard nipples through the lacy fabric. 

“Is this okay?” He whispered against her lips, past experience had taught him to be cautious. She slipped her palm down to his leather belt and began to unbuckle his trousers. Satisfied with her answer, he massaged her slowly, squeezing her breasts together and allowing his fingers to trail beneath the low-cut trim of her bra to brush her nipples. 

She gasped at the contact and pulled away from the kiss. “You’re so sexy.” She murmured breathily as she succeeded in unfastening his stained jeans and pulling them apart. She sank down to the floor and pulled his trousers down his legs. He watched with wide eyes as she reached for the bulge in his black underwear and pulled it free from the waistband. A few drops of precum dribbled from the swollen tip and down his shaft. Licking her lips, she ran her thumb over the clear liquid, lubricating him gently before leaning forward and taking him in her warm mouth. He moaned, flicking his eyes shut as she moved along his shaft, running her tongue on the underside of his thick cock, enjoying his taste. He glanced at her through thick eyelashes, his eyes flicking from her open mouth to her rosewood coloured nipples which poked above the trim of her black bra. He brushed his hands through her mousy hair and held her closer, enjoying the feel of her. Sensing his pleasure, she moved her lips back up his cock and circled the head with her pink tongue, making eye contact with him as she licked his frenulum. He snapped his head back, unable to help himself. He hadn’t received many blowjobs before and never one this good. 

Knowing that if she kept this up, he would boil over prematurely, she pulled away and straightened up. He opened his eyes slowly at the loss of contact and looked at her with dilated pupils. He was both a little awe struck and tongue-tied when she backed him onto her silver sheets and he kicked away his trousers and boxers, moving until his head reached her plush pillows. He watched, his expression a little dazed, as she straddled his bare waist, grazing her clothed pussy against his cock. She unclasped her bra and threw it across the room, smiling as Jungkook eyed her bare breasts. She leaned forwards and pressed her right nipple to his lips. 

“Suck my tits.” She whispered, shifting against him to elicit a moan. He complied and opened his mouth against her; circling his tongue around the hard nubs and sucking gently. She moaned at the sensation; his lips felt amazing and made her cunt tingle delightfully. She felt him twitch against her thigh.

“You’re cock is so big.” She moaned, pulling away from him. He let go of her nipple but kept his lips parted as he watched her slide down her denim shorts and red thong, discarding them both on the floor. Her pussy had been waxed immaculately, something he had never encountered before. The sight of it, her lips plump and flushed, made him lick his lips subconsciously. She noticed and, with a smile, moved forward to straddle his face, wanting him to taste her. She clutched the cushioned silver headboard with both arms as she moved her wet slit against his lips. After a moment of surprise and, if he were honest with himself, alarm, he slipped out his tongue and touched it to her nervously. 

Like the blowjob, this was something novel to him, his ex, Jia, had certainly never allowed him to do anything like this to her. Wanting to try his best, he grasped her fleshy thighs and held her to him, keeping his tongue steady as she gyrated her hips, moaning loudly. He felt the softness of her folds and the little nub of her clitoris against his muscle. She tasted salty and, surprisingly, a little fruity, like the wine she had been drinking. She continued for a few moments before pulling away, moving back down his body so their hips were aligned. 

Lubricated with his saliva, her pussy slid around him easily as she sat on his cock. 

“Oh, fuck!” He gasped as he felt himself sink into her. She felt tight and warm and slick.She licked her lips and smiled at his pleasured expression. 

“You like this pussy?” She groaned, moving against him. He snapped his eyes shut for the first few minutes as she dragged her hips backwards and forwards, grinding against him. He clutched her hips and massaged the skin there with his thumb gently, in circular motions. Hearing her moan, he opened his eyes and gazed at her. Her mouth was parted in pleasure and he looked at her appreciatively, admiring the damp trail her pussy left against his crotch; how wet she was for him. He grasped her more firmly and guided her body against him, encouraging her move her hips in circular motions. He watched the space between their bodies with fascination as his glistening cock disappeared and reappeared as she bounced up and down on him. 

Suddenly, she moved off him, causing his cock to flop against his stomach. He whined, unexpectedly, at the loss, but found himself moaning with pleasure moments later when she moved down his body, pursed her lips and spat a mouthful of saliva on his cock. She grasped him tightly with one, manicured hand, and sucked him quickly, bobbing her head enthusiastically. Once again, he panicked that the sensation was too intense; that he would finish this way if she kept it up any longer and now he had felt her around him, he wanted desperately to fuck her again. He brushed her hair gently, encouraging her to stop. 

Leaning forward, he kissed her passionately, opening his mouth against hers and pressing his palm to her cheek. She moaned against him. It was an intimate kiss and she felt her knees quiver with the sensation. She hadn’t been kissed like that in a long time and once again, her mind wandered to his ex girlfriend and how lucky she had been to have had this man as a boyfriend. He pulled away from her lips with a soft gasp to kiss and suck at her breasts, her nipples quickly disappeared between his plump pout. 

Flipping her over by the hips, he gently guided her onto her back and pressed her into the sheets, his mouth moving from her chest back to her mouth as he tugged her legs a little roughly, straightening her up before entering her again. He kept his body upright and wrapped her legs around his hips, holding her thighs in place as he fucked her quickly. Their moans echoed around the room and he hoped the sounds of the nearby drum and bass music would mask their passion from the neighbours.

“You feel so good.” She gasped, gazing up at him as he fucked her. 

“So do you.” He replied in a croaky voice, his entire body consumed with the feel of her. He moved his eyes from her flushed, damp face to her body. Her breasts were large and surprisingly good for her age. He licked his lips, roaming his eyes from the perky buds of her nipples to her stomach. The position they were in naturally caused the skin on her otherwise slender stomach to bunch a little; creating creases. He noted one crease larger than the others, just above her pubis and vaguely wondered whether it was a scar. He didn’t linger on this as the sound of her loud moans brought his attention back to her face.

While he hadn’t thought her so earlier, he now recognised that she was beautiful. He pressed his body against her, maintaining eye contact as he felt the beginning of his orgasm brewing from deep in his body. She held his face still between her damp palms as he thrust into her deeply, burying his cock as far as he could. As he began to orgasm, he clutched the centre of his shaft tightly and pulled out of her. Straddling her hips, the pearly liquid shot from the tip and landed on her upper stomach, between her rib cage, and the bottom of her breasts. 

“Oh fuck!” He gasped, his cheeks scarlet as he milked himself onto her, his hand moving frantically along his cock, squeezing the head gently with his thumb and index finger. She reached out and took him in her hand, stroking him against her nipples and moaning as his cock ejected the last of his desire against her breasts in little trails. 

Out of breath, he collapsed beside her on the covers, his black hair sticking up in little damp tufts, making him look younger. She reached over him to her bedside table and opened the top draw to remove a baby pink object. He eyed this curiously as she moved back on top of him. Sex toys were not something he had much experience with and he wondered how this was supposed to work. He was a little awe struck at the thought of her having them stored so casually by her bedside. 

“Here, hold this.” She whispered, handing it to him. He took it without question and held it out. One end was thicker than the other but he could already tell it wasn’t used for inside exploration. She reached and flicked a small switch he hadn’t noticed along the barrel. The thick end began to hum softly and he felt the vibrations in his palm. She edged herself forwards until her bare slit was pressed against the thick end of the toy and slowly began to grate herself against it, angling her hips so it made direct contact with her swollen clit. Jungkook tried to hold it as still as possible as she moved; his gaze fixed on her pussy which glistened with her pleasure. Seeing her get herself off like this was unlike anything he had ever seen before and, did he not feel so thoroughly fucked, he would have undoubtedly gotten hard again at the sight. It didn’t take long for her to orgasm. Her eyes fluttered closed and she bit her lower lip hard enough to draw blood as she rode it out. Jungkook didn’t turn off the device until she stopped her movement completely. 

“Fuck, that was good.” She gasped, moving off him and taking the wand from him. He watched her deliriously as she slid off the bed and moved to the door. She opened it and went into the bathroom, just across the dark landing. He could just about see her as she turned on the light and stood at the sink, washing the toy and her breasts. She disappeared for a moment behind the open door, presumably to use the toilet, before returning to the bedroom. Reaching into a set of draws, she put on a fresh pair of briefs and moved to the bed. 

“I really needed that.” She sighed as she placed her head on his chest. Without thinking, he cradled her gently, wrapping his arms around her bare shoulders. “It looks like you did too.” She muttered as she closed her eyes. They were both asleep ten minutes later. 

*

The first thing he noticed when he opened his eyes was that his head hurt. The second was that the room was not immediately familiar to him. He looked around, eyeing the silver wallpaper and the golden painted sets of draws. He rolled over onto his side, feeling his temples protest at the sudden motion, and noticed a small, silver key and a piece of paper on the bedside table. He picked it up and read the writing printed across it.

I had to go out. Can you post the key through the letter box after you’ve locked up?

He sighed, remembering where he was and why his head hurt so much. He wasn’t much of a wine drinker, instead preferring to stick to beer. Moving slowly as to not hurt his head anymore than was necessary, he got off the bed and began to get dressed. He was aware that his body felt dirty, having not showered the night before, but ignored this as he put on his boxers and jeans. Looking around the room, he panicked for a moment when he couldn’t find the t-shirt he had been wearing, before he remembered that the woman had taken it off downstairs. He was about to leave the room when a loud, beeping sound from outside the window caught his attention. He gazed out at the street and his mouth dropped open as he watched his Hyundai being towed on the back of a truck. The beeping sound alerted any pedestrians nearby to the fact it was backing up. Horrified, as well as confused, he started to pound his fists against the window, hoping to attract the driver’s attention. 

“Wait! That’s my car!” He called, to no avail. A moment later, before he had even reached the open bedroom door, the truck had pulled away. He clutched his sore head in his hands, realising belatedly that he had given the insurance company the woman’s address last night instead of the address of the supermarket. He had also failed to describe the woman’s car to the polite receptionist. It was only natural that they would have towed the car they already had on their records. 

“Shit!” He called to himself. His cursing uncharacteristic but certainly warranted. Feeling bruised and embarrassed, he grabbed the front door key and made his way across the narrow landing. The daylight revealed that other than the bedroom and bathroom, there were two other rooms upstairs. On one, a wooden placard, painted in pink and orange hues, spelled out the name Chung-ae. The other room boasted a blue and green plaque with the name Joo-won. Frowning, he walked downstairs, dodging past a Barbie doll in the hallway which he realised he had tripped over in the darkness last night. Forgetting which door led to the living room, he pushed on the wooden surface of the nearest and found himself confronted with a play room. A model train set circled the wooden floor and a pink and purple doll’s house adorned the corner. He glanced at the picture frame which hung on one wall and saw the twin smiles of two children, a boy and a girl of around three and six, gazing at him. He closed the door and realised, as he reached for the handle of the adjacent room, what the scar had been on the woman’s stomach. 

He found his t-shirt on the carpet and slipped it on, grimacing as he caught sight of himself in the hallway mirror. His jeans were stained from the wine he had spilled and his hair stuck up in a dozen different places. He wondered, idly, whether the woman was out picking her children up from their father’s. 

Fishing his cell from his pocket, realising that without his car he had no way of getting home, he dialled Taehyung’s number and let it ring. On the third ring he realised, with a slight panic, that if Taehyung found out about this, it would undoubtedly be passed along to Jimin who would never let him hear the end of it. He quickly hung up and searched through his contacts. He considered telephoning Namjoon but decided against it. Finally, after a moment’s thought, he pressed on Hoseok’s name. He answered on the tenth ring. 

“Hello?”

Jungkook took a deep breath. “Hoseok. You have to come and get me. My car’s been towed!”

“What?” Jungkook could almost picture the older member’s puzzled expression on the other end of the line. 

“I don’t have a car.” Jungkook tried to explain, feeling himself panic once more. His temples pulsated uncomfortably and his stomach felt unpleasant. “I don’t know where I am.” 

“What’s he saying?” A low voice purred from the other end of the phone, a little muffled. Jungkook realised that Yoongi was with Hoseok and he sighed. 

“He says his car’s been towed…” Hoseok explained to Yoongi, his voice louder and clearer on the line than his companion’s had been. 

“Was he parked illegally?” Yoongi muttered drily, making Hoseok chuckle. He quickly gathered himself.

“Where you parked illegally?” Hoseok echoed. Jungkook rolled his eyes. He didn’t have time for this.

“No. I gave the towing company the wrong address.” He said, trying to be patient but failing. 

“He gave them the wrong address.” Hoseok explained to Yoongi, his voice getting softer as he moved the phone away from his ear. 

“Where is he?” Yoongi asked in the background. 

“Where are you?” Hoseok repeated. 

“I don’t know!” He exclaimed, feeling his frustration rising, about to boil over along with the contents of his stomach. He clutched onto the banister to steady himself. “Somewhere in  Eunpyeong. North of the Han River.”

“He doesn’t know.” Hoseok repeated, telling Yoongi. “Somewhere north of the city.” 

He could hear Yoongi sigh in the background. “Tell him to turn on maps on his phone.” 

“Yoongi says to turn on your maps.” Hoseok said. 

Jungkook didn’t bother explaining that he could hear every word Yoongi was saying. “Okay. I’ll call you back with the address…” He hung up. 

*

Hoseok and Yoongi pulled up outside the house in the younger member’s dark green Toyota. It had been difficult to navigate the small, narrow streets around the district and they had struggled to fit the large vehicle down a few. The trip had taken an extra twenty minutes than they anticipated and Jungkook positively ripped the front door open, having watched them approach from out the window. The small front garden was littered with plastic toys, a hula hoop lay abandoned on the patch of grass and a Fisher Price red and yellow toy car was toppled over beside it, like the relic of a car crash. As Jungkook locked the front door behind him, he wondered how he hadn’t noticed them the night before. Then again, the street lamps had been incredibly dim and her bags of groceries had blocked most of his view.

The two older members watched him with amusement as he left the building. 

“Why’s he posting the key through the door?” Yoongi asked indifferently. 

Hoseok shrugged. “Do you think he broke in?” 

Jungkook, his task finished, practically ran to the car. Half-way down the footpath, he tripped over a football. Yoongi and Hoseok tried to contain their sniggers as he reached them and flung the back door open. There was a long pause as he fastened his seatbelt. 

Eventually, Yoongi spoke up. “Is this a heist?” He asked with a smirk.

Jungkook met his gaze through the rear view mirror. “I got lost.” 

“We can see that.” Yoongi said. Jungkook realised that Yoongi had caught on to what had happened. 

Hoseok turned around from the driver’s side to look at the younger member. His eyes roamed from his startled expression to his clothes. “Your jeans are dirty.” He said, a little alarmed. Jungkook looked down with a blush. Unlike Yoongi, Hoseok seemed baffled by the situation and Jungkook wondered whether the older hyung would tell him about it later. 

“Good shopping trip?” Yoongi asked with a grin, his tongue sticking out a little between his teeth. 

Jungkook sighed, his head still throbbed. “Can we go home please?”

***

Thank you so much for reading! The next event in Jungkook’s timeline in our headcanon universe is 7 Minutes in Heaven. 

You can read all about our headcanon universe plot and characters here

You can find all of the member’s headcanon fics in order here:  RM   /   Jin /   Suga /   J-Hope   /   Jimin   /   V   /   Jungkook

& our full masterlist for more fics, scenarios, lists and fan art can be found here 

You can support us by buying admins a coffee here (if you wish). :)

[talabib]

How To Organize Your Life!

The way our brain manages information often seems mysterious. Lets lift the veil and reveal the systems that are at work every time we drive a car, learn something new, or try to remember where we put something.

With a greater understanding of these processes, you’ll be better equipped to take charge in organizing your life. You’ll also discover how to apply simple techniques, learn the best way to remain productive at work and even how to cope with situations that are out of your control.

The brain can only focus on a limited number of stimuli at a time.

Have you ever told yourself that you’d like to “get organized?” It’s an easy promise to make, but difficult to put into action. So where can you get started?

Well, before we even approach this challenge, we must first understand in greater detail the way our mind works, more specifically, our attentional system. This is the way our brain handles and categorizes information. The times we live in pose a great challenge to this system, because our brains aren’t equipped to cope with the flood of new facts and sights that we face everyday. Instead, brains work best when concentrating on one thing at a time.

This was vital for our ancestors, who hunted successfully by staying highly focused. Their thoughts would only be disrupted by important events, such as an approaching predator.

Nowadays, we’re constantly attempting to do many things at once. Driving a car, listening to the radio, thinking about an upcoming business meeting – it’s not unusual that all these things happen simultaneously. This is something that our brain has not evolved to do successfully, which means that multitasking comes at a price.

When we switch our attention between different activities, our brain is unable to function effectively. This in turn causes us to make thoughtless mistakes, or forget and misplace things.

In order to better understand our attentional system, we also need to consider how our brain decides how to divide its attention. It’s all to do with the brain’s remarkable ability to detect changes.

Our brains are more likely to pay attention to changes than constants. For example, imagine you’re driving your car. You suddenly notice that the road feels bumpy. Prior to this, you didn’t even consider how even the street was, simply because this was not useful information.

That realization could be vital, because it alerts you to a treacherous change in surface or a problem with your car. Changing circumstances can pose a threat to our survival.

Because we’re surrounded by more and more information, we’re forced to make more and more decisions.

Decisions are part of everyday life: Should we opt for the cheaper internet plan, or pay more and get unlimited data? Should we respond to this email now, or read these texts first? We confront decisions like these nearly every minute. But how can our brain cope with this non-stop flow of decisions when it originally evolved to process one idea at a time?

It’s simple: we can manage the flood of information by focusing our attention. Our brain instinctively concentrates on the information that is most important for us.

Here’s an example: imagine you’re on a busy street, desperately looking for your lost dog. You automatically fade out all unnecessary details like the people, cars and buses, and only focus on things that are the same size and color as your dog. So unless there are a lot of other things on this street that are about knee-height, fluffy and brown, your brain immediately makes it easier to find your beloved pet.

This automatic process of honing our focus down to what’s necessary should also be reflected in our decision making. In other words, you shouldn’t spend too much time on less important everyday choices. Instead, find shortcuts and ways to simplify your decision making.

For example, one type of decision we often need to make is about purchasing products or services that can make our lives easier. A good way to analyze these decisions is by thinking about the monetary value of our own time, because it allows us to compare it to the benefit the product promises.

Let’s say you’re thinking about hiring someone to clean your home instead of doing it yourself. Just ask yourself: Would you be willing to pay $50 for two extra hours of free time? If the answer is yes, then go for it without deliberating any further!

Find a designated place for every single object.

When was the last time you lost your keys, phone or glasses? It seems ridiculous that the objects we need with us all the time are also the ones that seem to go wandering most often. The reason is straightforward: we lose these objects because we carry them around with us. Objects that we only use in one place, like our toothbrush, seldom get lost at all.

There is, in fact, a special part of our brain dedicated specifically to remembering the location of things. It’s called the hippocampus, and it was crucial for our ancestors who needed to know where a watering hole was, or the areas where predators might pounce.

In order to learn more about our hippocampi, researchers studied the brains of London taxi drivers, as they are required to commit the city’s street plan to memory. The tests revealed that the hippocampi of the drivers were larger than hippocampi in other people of similar education and age. These larger hippocampi were attributed to the need to recall many locations in detail.

However, the hippocampus can only provide us with information about objects whose location doesn’t change. This isn’t a problem for a taxi driver trying to remember how to get to a particular building, but is a constant problem for us when we try to remember where our frustratingly mobile keys are.

To ensure that you don’t always have to seek out these essential items, simply find a designated place for them. A special bowl next to the door for your keys always does the trick!

If you can’t set aside a certain place for an object, then it may also help to purchase duplicates. For example, if you need reading glasses, having a single location for them might prove frustrating as you may need them in different places. Instead, you could purchase a pair for your bedroom for nighttime reading, while another pair remains at work.

Give your brain a break – move your organizational processes outside your head.

Do you ever feel overwhelmed by all the different ideas and thoughts floating around inside your head? The best way to ensure you can keep track of them is to organize them outside your head.

A time-tested trick to unburden your brain is to write things down. Good old-fashioned flash cards are an easy and effective way to record and organize ideas as soon as you think of them.

For example, you might be on the bus and suddenly remember that you still have to buy a birthday present for your aunt. Don’t stress, just write it down and you’ll no longer have the burden of trying to remember it all day!

On the other hand, if you think of something that you could do right away – such as calling your aunt to say happy birthday – then don’t think twice, do it immediately. Think of it in terms of the two-minute rule: if the task takes longer than two minutes to complete, then write it down. Otherwise, do it straight away.

Another effective approach is to organize your written thoughts into categories. This mirrors the way our brains are constantly categorizing new stimuli and helps simplify our thinking, thus saving time and increasing our attention capacity.

For example, if we see a flying object with feathers, our brain recognizes it as part of the category “bird.” Though this bird might be a hawk or an eagle, it’s easier to place it in this broader category rather than identify it specifically.

The same goes for our flash cards – collect them together and sort them into different groups according to the topics they relate to. These could be categories such as “Personal Life,” “Work” or “Kids.”This way you’ll be able to keep your thoughts and ideas organized and accessible.

Junk drawers for miscellaneous items are incredibly effective – use them every day.

We’ve seen how creating categories is a great way to organize our thoughts and our lives. But what should we do with objects and ideas that don’t seem to belong in any pigeonhole? Well, these miscellaneous items can form their own category.

The categorizing tendencies of the brain can be seen in the way that we organize our living spaces. In our homes, there’s usually at least one place where random objects like single light bulbs, paper clips or car-cleaning products go. Why? Because it wouldn’t make sense to have a special drawer for light bulbs if you only had a few – combining them with other spare objects is much more space efficient.

You could even use one of these junk drawers at work. A miscellaneous folder, perhaps, containing documents that don’t fit into other folders but are also too important to dispose of. However, junk drawers will only be effective if we perform a little bit of maintenance from time to time.

The first way to do this is to keep checking their content regularly. This stops us losing track of what’s in there, which would reduce its organizational advantage. Some items can be eliminated from a junk drawer – if you’re sorting through objects that you haven’t yet felt the need to use, it’s unlikely that you’ll need them in the future. These can be thrown out.

You may also find that items in junk drawers can be moved to other places for more specific types of objects later. For example, perhaps you’ve recently developed an interest in scrapbooking. If you go through your junk drawer, you’ll almost certainly discover objects that could find a new home in the scrapbooking drawer – that extra pair of scissors, maybe, or the double-sided sticky tape.

Set aside time to refuel so you can increase your productivity later.

Everyone knows that you tend to be far more productive after a good night’s sleep. And yet, we’re often tempted to skip a few hours of kip in order to work just a little bit more.

This, however, is a mistake. Our brain works incredibly hard while we sleep, processing new information from the day and integrating it into our existing knowledge. Memories, problems and ideas often appear in our dreams and we may find ourselves better positioned to solve a problem after “sleeping on it.”

This phenomenon is backed up by studies. Researchers found that students attempting to solve a problem performed better following a night of sleep than they did working on it for the same length of waking time.

Ultimately, you’re twice as likely to solve a problem after you’ve slept on it. This shows that sleep is essential, and attempting to work when you’re tired is counterproductive.

Sleep isn’t the only way that we can refuel our minds. Many companies have discovered the benefits of decreasing employee work time and providing facilities and opportunities for rest.

For example, at Microsoft, employees are welcome to use the in-house spa to relax and recharge. This is not only great for employees, but, as studies have shown that productivity increases when working hours drop, the use of downtime in facilities such as these may well be a driving force behind increased productivity.

Accounting firm Ernst & Young has also improved worker performance by allowing additional vacation time. In fact, for every additional ten vacation hours taken by employees, the employees’ performance rating increased by eight percent.

It’s important to think about the worst-case scenario so you’re always prepared.

Imagine this: you’re on vacation and have just found out that the airline has lost your luggage. How would you react? Of course it’s good to be optimistic – perhaps they’ll find your bag! But it’s better still to be prepared. Good thing you brought that extra toothbrush!

Each time you plan something, you should consider all the things that could go wrong and think of a solution to them before they occur. Planning for failure in this way needn’t be difficult – it’s as straightforward as placing an extra key under the flowerpot by your front door.

A plan B is especially important in business situations. It’s true that sometimes things just happen. You forget an important appointment, or you lose the contact details of someone you need to speak to.

If you plan your time ahead, these mistakes will be less likely. With the assistance of an electronic calendar, either on your phone, computer, or both, you can ensure you’ll never forget about meetings again.

A plan B at work can also include keeping an extra shirt in your office, in case you accidentally spill your coffee before an important appointment with your boss!

It’s also important that we don’t rely on technology alone to prevent us from slipping up. Phones, computers and other technical devices aren’t perfect and at some point will let us down without warning. This is why you should also prepare non-technical solutions as a backup.

This is something that your taxi driver does. They always keep a plastic credit card press in their car in case their electronic credit card machine doesn’t work. This way, they can ensure they don’t lose any fares due to technical failure.

We can’t know the answer to every question, but we can know where and how to find it!

Today, we lead very different lives to our grandparents. One of the greatest changes is the way we can easily access vast amounts of information in no time at all. Googling something takes less than a minute! Nevertheless, there’s one important question we should continually ask ourselves: Is this information reliable?

Many of us have used Wikipedia before. The information it can provide us on a wide range of topics is hugely helpful, but is subject to a major drawback. Anyone is able to edit the information on a Wikipedia page, so we can never immediately be sure whether it is reliable. This means we should take the time to verify the information.

In order to evaluate whether a website is a valuable source or not, we can first investigate whether any reliable websites, such as established news services or government websites link to the website. If so, the site itself is likely to be reliable, and information can also be verified by cross-checking it with the content on several other websites.

However, not every problem can be solved by checking online. In complex dilemmas, particularly in the workplace, you’ll need to think for yourself in order to find solutions. Inventive and innovative thinking is something you just can’t google for! In such cases, the ability to reason, estimate and develop hypothetical assumptions is vital.

For example, in Google’s own job interviews, potential candidates are confronted with a question that has no correct answer. Here’s one for you to try on for size: “How much does the Empire State Building weigh?” Google was interested in whether the candidate could use their logical skills to work through a problem on their own, for example, by calculating the approximate size and weight of the concrete used for the building.

Get to grips with probabilities and gain a vital skill for assessing information.

Imagine you’re at a university where ten percent of students are engineers. Look, here comes a student wearing a pocket protector: a plastic sheath for holding pens in your shirt pocket. Now, what would you say is the probability that this is an engineering student?

The fact that a pocket protector is a standard accessory for the stereotypical nerdy student might cause many of you to think he very likely studies engineering. But remember the ten percent ratio. If 90 percent of students aren’t engineers, it’s far more likely that our pocket-protector friend doesn’t study engineering.

Our initial misconception reflects the way in which a person or situation that seems a perfect example of something can cause us to ignore the base rate. A base rate is the probability of an event occurring without taking other factors into account.

Along with base rates, we must also keep in mind that our perception of probability is often relative to the situation we are currently in – our starting point.

Imagine that you’re very sick. Your doctor offers you a treatment that will increase the likelihood of your recovery by ten percent. If the treatment increases your likelihood of recovery from zero to ten percent, you’ll go from certain death to a ten percent chance of living. And, if it increases from 90 percent to 100 percent, your recovery is guaranteed. In both cases, you’ll likely opt for the treatment.

what if it increases from 20 percent to 30 percent? Then, you might hesitate and inquire about the side effects and cost of the treatment before agreeing to it.

From a statistical perspective, this is bizarre since in all of these cases, the increase of ten percent is the same. The scenarios just feel different because of their varying starting points.

Though our brains often have difficulty dealing with probabilities, by remembering the mathematics behind them, we can make our choices with a greater and more objective understanding of their implications.

We live in an age of information overload. This presents a challenge for our brains, which are wired to manage information by focusing attention on one thing at a time. By learning about the way our brain distinguishes, focuses and categorizes, we can better organize our own lives.

[spectaculacularmooseketeer]

Top 10 Ford cars of all time

The Ford Motor Business is a renowned car manufacturer responsible for generating several of the best-enjoyed automobiles of all time. In service in 1903, Ford has actually given the globe famous lorries such as the Mustang muscular tissue vehicle and the F-100 pick-up truck. Yet Ford announced last year that it is just about removing sedans from its manufacturing lineup, choosing rather focus on building much more prominent vehicles, SUVs, and greener cars. As Ford company prepares to switch gears, we take a classic look back at the 10 most iconic cars constructed by the business over the years.

10. 1955 Ford Thunderbird We'll begin with a real standard. The 1955 Ford Thunderbird is a favorite of auto enthusiasts around the world. Many individuals think about the original two-seat Thunderbird to be the initial truly attractive Ford vehicle. It's elegant, rounded body, as well as white wall surface tires, make a bold declaration.

Understood just as the "T-Bird," this car and truck are genuinely one for the history books. Made in between 1955 and 1957, a total amount of 53,166 two-seater Thunderbirds were manufactured by Ford. A four-seat variation came later on but never ever held the glamour of both seat T-Bird.

9. 1961 Lincoln Continental The 1961 Lincoln Continental was so popular that execs at Ford credited the cars and trucks with conserving the Lincoln brand from being discontinued. An exchangeable that has a level hood and trunk, in addition to self-destruction rear doors, the '61 Continental influenced a generation of similar cars and trucks from the 1960s.

It was the first time considering that 1951 that a Lincoln auto came furnished with rear-hinged back doors, aka suicide doors. By 1963, the Lincoln Continental went through various adjustments developed to provide more legroom and larger trunk space; however, doubters and customers never ever rather required to it. However, the 1961 Lincoln Continental stays a timeless Ford auto.

8. 1953 Ford F-100 The modern-day Ford vehicle started with the 1953 Ford F-100, extensively taken into consideration the most significant Ford pick-up of all time. Naturally, Ford had actually previously made trucks (the F-3 was created from 1948 to 1952), but the F-Series was entirely redesigned in 1953, and the outcomes showed to be both popular and also long-lasting.

This was the first Ford vehicle to come with an automatic transmission as an alternative. It verified particularly popular with farmers and individuals that had to transport heavy lots. The 1953 Ford F-100 was likewise popular with hot-rod vehicle drivers and road racers of the moment, and also versions of this truck are still modified and used in races today. In 1956, Ford revised the truck with a wraparound windscreen and also a more contemporary chassis beneath.

7. Shelby 427 Cobra One of the very best looking and also most powerful Ford lorries of all time, the Shelby 427 Cobra inspired nearly every efficient cars and truck that came after it. The 427-cubic-inch, 7.0-liter V-8 engine was seen by many individuals as "horrendous" when the auto came out in 1962.

While the this car was ultimately a financial failing for Ford, the investment paid off in terms of supplying the company with a trademark race auto that has endured as a classic of the track. Today, classic Shelby Cobras regularly cost high-end public auctions for over $1 million.

6. 1949 Ford Customized One of the most identifiable automobiles of its era is the 1949 Ford Personalized. This is an automobile that is conveniently recognizable with the blog post The second world war prosperity of the late 1940s as well as early 1950s. Ford created the 1949 Customized with an "envelope" body that put whatever inside a streamlined and also stylish body. It is recognized today as an accomplishment of contemporary engineering that acted as a blueprint for the American automotive sector for years.

Regretfully, Ford stopped the Custom-made nameplate after the 1972 version year. However, the 1949 edition endures as a traditional vehicle of the post-war era and also the baby boom generation. It was the most popular family cars of the very early 1950s.

5. 1986 Ford Taurus We're not stating that the 1986 Ford Taurus is a fine-looking automobile. This is not a lorry that would be high up on the listing of collection agencies to have. That stated, the first Ford Taurus, produced in 1986, should have a position on this listing as it is the cars and truck attributed with conserving the firm from bankruptcy in the mid-1980s. The American automobile sector was in chaos in the mid-1980s, facing expanding competitors from Japan and also on the verge of collapse.

A number of firms responded to the alarming scenario by designing and generating a collection of cost effective to get as well as affordable to generate cars. For Ford, that was the Taurus, a wind resistant, front-wheel-drive sedan that the typical family can afford. The Taurus showed to be one of the most long-lasting Ford vehicles as well, lasting with six generations and over 34 years up until it was ultimately stopped in early 2019.

4. 1964 GT40 One of the very best race vehicles ever made by Ford is the 1964 GT40. Today, this automobile is an extremely wanted collectible owing to the fact that only 135 were produced. Developed by Ford to contend against the leading Ferraris of the day, the GT40 won 4 straight 24 hr of Le Mans contests between 1966 and also 1969.

The modern Ford GT autos that followed were a tribute to the GT40, with "GT" meaning "Grand Touring." Historians as well as sector analysts concur that the 1964 GT40 is just one of the best Ford race cars ever built. It's efficiency and amazing aspect are off the chart.

3. Ford F-150 SVT Raptor When it comes to vehicles, the F-150 SVT Raptor stands atop the stack. Sturdy, tough, and resilient, the Raptor is widely taken into consideration the most effective pick-up ever before created by Ford. It's additionally Ford's most successful vehicle ever before. And while Ford is terminating almost all of its sedans, it has actually announced strategies to build a brand-new generation SVT Raptor with an aluminum body.

Followers are hoping that Ford does something unique with the engine of the brand-new SVT Raptor after previous versions thrilled with a 6.2-liter V-8 and a twin-turbo V-6. While the regular F-150 lineup is constantly a popular option amongst customers, the extra-strong (even flashy) Raptor version is a huge hit with drivers that desire their truck to be something extra special.

2. 1965 Ford Mustang The Ford Mustang is (nearly) one of the most legendary and also preferred Ford automobile. It's likewise among the few cars and trucks (instead of trucks or SUVs) that Ford plans to continue manufacturing as a result of its enduring appeal. This begs the question of which Mustang is the coolest of perpetuity? For our cash, it is the 1965 Ford Mustang.

This belongs to the first-generation Mustangs that were made between 1964 and 1973, and also it introduced a new course of automobile called the "horsecars and truck." The 1965 Mustang established the standard for the nameplate and also produced a cult around muscle autos-- lorries with tiny bodies and also powerful engines. Over the decades, Ford has actually worked hard to change, update, and also ideal the Mustang. However they have not surpassed their accomplishments with the initial generation 1965 design.

1. Ford Design T. Starting point on this listing should go to the car that began it all-- the Ford Design T. It is difficult to evaluate the effect of the Version T, both on the vehicle industry and production generally. Referred to as the "Tin Lizzie," the Model T is attributed with being the initial cost-effective automobile and the one that introduced vehicles to middle-class consumers.

It's manufacturing additionally caused the innovation of the contemporary assembly line. In between 1908 as well as 1927, Ford constructed 16.5 million Model Ts, and also these barebones, four-cylinder automobiles mostly popularized vehicles around the world. Today, Version T remains on the leading 10 checklists of many offered autos of all time. It was additionally named the "most prominent auto of the 20th century" in a 1999 Auto of the Century competition. Without the Model T, other cars on this listing may not exist.

This article written by Jijiautos.

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Best Drive Belt Replacement Service and Cost in Albuquerque NM | Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque

More information is at:

http://mobilemechanicalbuquerque.org/drive-belt-replacement-near-me/

Are you looking for Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM? Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque,mechanics will look for cuts, cracks, missing chunks and other signs of wear; usually, it's fairly easy to see if the belt is worn out.Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. BestDrive Belt Replacement Service around Albuquerque NM.We serve Albuquerque NMand other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

 DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE NM

ALBUQUERQUEDRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT

 Drive Belt Replacement At Mobile Mechanics of Albuquerque

Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM:As cars age, the belts under the hood need replacing. These belts wear out over the years, and it’s a good idea to get your drive belt replaced before it’s too late. Make sure you understand the warning signs that you need to change the drive belt before your vehicle needs even more significant repairs.

Common Signs of Drive Belt Replacement

Strange Noises

One of the biggest signs that you probably need to take your vehicle to the dealership for a check is when you start hearing strange noises coming from your engine. Once you start hearing the serpentine belt making screeching or squealing noises, don’t put off an inspection. While not all belt noises mean that your drive belt needs to be changed, it’s a good indicator. Other things that can cause the belt to squeal include water on the belt or a leak in the motor oil. However, these can cause damage to the belt, as well.

Visual Signs of Wear

Take some time to visually inspect your drive belt if it’s in an easy-to-view spot. When you see that the belt is starting to wear out, get it changed immediately. A drive belt can function with pieces missing, but the more that’s gone, the more likely it is to give out at any time. In addition to chunks of the belt missing, other signs that it’s time for a replacement include rot or large cracks to the piece. It if looks like the belt is wearing unevenly, you may simply need a re-adjustment.

Mileage Indicators

Today, most serpentine belts are expected to last anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. Some belts can last significantly longer than this, while others give out before 60,000 miles. Make sure to check your owner’s manual to find out the recommended belt replacement time frame. Keep an eye on your vehicle’s miles, so that you don’t go too far over the replacement window. Even if you don’t notice any problems, it’s important to get the belt checked and replaced if necessary during your routine maintenance. Your technician is trained to find any problems that your drive belt may have, allowing you to fix the issue before it’s a problem.

Breakage is Bad

Let’s be honest any time a part of your vehicle breaks, it’s a bad day. Repair costs can get expensive, plus you have to deal with the stress and frustration of not catching the damage in time. If your drive belt breaks, you’re in trouble. This piece runs power to most of the engine and its accessories. When the belt fails, so does the entire vehicle. Everything from power steering to the air conditioner stops working. In catastrophic situations, a broken belt can actually damage other engine components.

For many drivers, it’s easy to forget to take your vehicle in for routine maintenance. If you’re worried about the cost to replace the drive belt, remember that the cost to repair your car once the belt has broken is significantly higher. Get your belt checked regularly, and if you notice any of the signs of wear, go get an immediate inspection.

When should a drive belt be replaced in your car?

Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM: Your engine has a number of mechanical accessories attached to it, such as an alternator, water pump, power steering pump and an air conditioner compressor. A drive belt is the part that drives all these accessories. The belt itself is driven by a pulley attached to the engine crankshaft. Most cars have one or two drive belts. When a car has only one drive belt, it might be called a serpentine belt.

A drive belt is made of long-lasting rubber-based material. In most cars, a drive belt is replaced between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, however, we have seen cases where the drive belt lasted over 100k miles.

What makes the belt wear sooner? Water, road dirt, excessive heat and oil leaks can cause the belt to deteriorate prematurely. For example, if the splash shield underneath the engine (engine undercover) is broken, the belt will wear out sooner. Oil leaks can also damage the drive belt. Eventually, a worn drive belt will break.

Broken drive belt Broken drive belt. If a drive belt breaks, you won't be able to drive your car. This is because the engine will overheat if the water pump is not running. Also, if your car has hydraulic power steering, you will lose the steering assist, as the power steering pump will be disabled. In addition, the alternator will stop supplying electric power that is needed to recharge the car battery and run the vehicle electric systems.

When should the drive belt be replaced? Most car manufacturers don't specify the exact mileage, but recommend having the belt inspected during your regular maintenance visits.

How can you tell if the drive belt needs a replacement? Your mechanic will look for cuts, cracks, missing chunks and other signs of wear; usually, it's fairly easy to see if the belt is worn out. For example, the old belt in the photo above shows cracks. Worn out drive belt Drive belt showing cracks and missing chunks. Fig 2.This photo shows the belt with missing chunks of the tread material on the ribbed side. The belt may also need to be replaced if it makes chirping or squeaking noises or if it's stretched. One of the early signs of a worn out drive belt is when it starts squeaking in rainy weather.

Another common reason to replace a drive belt is when it's soaked in oil. Oil damages the rubber material, like in this photo.

If your mechanic found that a drive belt is saturated in oil, he or she may recommend repairing the oil leak first. This is because if you install a new belt and the oil leaks onto it, the belt will not last long.

To work properly, a drive belt must be under proper tension. In older cars, the belt tension had to be adjusted manually in regular intervals. One of the symptoms of a loose drive belt is a loud screeching noise that lasts for a few seconds after the engine was started.

Modern cars have an automatic spring-loaded or hydraulic belt tensioner that doesn't need to be adjusted.

Drive belt tensioner Automatic spring-loaded drive belt tensioner. Fig1, Fig2.If the automatic spring-loaded belt tensioner is sticking or shows signs of wear, it makes sense to replace it together with the drive belt; it takes little extra labor. A hydraulic belt tensioner needs to be replaced if it's leaking oil.

Replacing the serpentine belt may cost from $75 to $250, depending on the car. Replacing the belt tensioner together with the belt will add $45-$155 to the total repair bill.

Is it easy to replace a serpentine belt as a DIY project? If you have sufficient mechanical skills, proper tools, belt routing diagram and follow the service manual instructions, it's not very difficult. Your parts store may help you with the routing diagram and tools.

What is the Drive Belt Tensioner all about?

A Drive Belt Tensioner is a pulley mounted to either a spring mechanism or to an adjustable pivot point that is used to keep constant tension on your serpentine belt. That is the big long belt in the front of your engine.

The tensioner rides on the outside surface of the belt to put pressure, or tension, on the belt and against the pulleys that drive things like the alternator, power steering, air conditioner, etc.

Keep in mind:

Tensioners usually come with pulleys; they are normally replaced together. Also, when replacing a tensioner, the drive belt usually must be removed. A mechanic may recommend replacing the belt as well.

How it's done:

●      Check for any noise in the engine (usually a squeaky or grinding noise).

●      Remove the drive belt(s) (in most cases).

●      Inspect drive belt pulleys.

●      Check the drive belt tensioner.

●      Remove and replace the tensioner if faulty.

●      Start the car to see if noise is gone.

Our recommendation:

Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM: Your drive belt tensioner should always be inspected when your drive belt is serviced. During routine maintenance and inspection, your drive belt system should be reviewed to make sure that all the components are in working order. The drive belt tensioner will usually last longer than the drive belts, so as long as your tensioner is inspected or replaced when your drive belts are, your belt system should remain in good shape.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Drive Belt Tensioner?

Unusual noise (squeaky or grinding sound) every time you start the engine.

How important is this service?

The air conditioning, power steering, and alternator in your vehicle are given power through the drive belt. The belt is attached to both the crankshaft and these systems, and transfers power from the engine to drive each of these components. The drive belt tensioner is responsible for keeping the tension in the drive belt, which allows it to continue moving and transferring power. When the drive belt tensioner fails, the tension in the drive belt will begin to diminish, and the vehicle will not operate as well.

 TIPS

Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM: The Drive belt in most modern vehicles transfers power from the crank pulley to the various accessories mounted on the engine. A worn or damaged serpentine belt can fail to adequately transfer the power, leaving your alternator, power steering, and air conditioning failing to function. If your serpentine belt needs to be replaced, it can be done using only common hand tools.

Tips the Drive Belt

●      Pull the hood release inside the cabin of the vehicle. To access the serpentine belt, you will need to open the hood of the vehicle. The hood release can usually be found near the door on the driver's side of the vehicle.

●      Disconnect the battery. You should always disconnect your battery before starting an automotive project. Use the appropriate sized wrench or socket to loosen the nut holding the black ground cable on the negative terminal of the battery.

●      Locate the serpentine belt. Depending on the engine in your vehicle, the serpentine belt may be located at the front of the engine bay, or it may be along one side. There may be engine covers in the way, so be prepared to remove them if need be.

●      Look for signs of damage or wear on the belt. Once you have located the serpentine belt, inspect it visually for signs of damage. If the belt is frayed, coming apart, or has marks that indicate that it has been rubbing on something, it will need to be replaced. It is usually easy to determine if a belt needs to be replaced, as they tend to crack or lose chunks when they are overworn.

●      Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run

 COST

Drive Belt Replacement Cost – How Much Will I Have To Spend To Fix This Problem?

Drive Belt Replacement service near Albuquerque NM: There are various devices inside of a car that is key to having your engine work correctly. Cars have several accessories that allow internal combustion engines to work correctly. Some of these main accessories include the driving belt, the power steering compressor, the alternator, air conditioning compressor, and the water pump.

But what you might not know, is that these devices require a certain epic in order to get power and run correctly – they require the driving belt, also known as the serpentine belt. This belt is one long and continuous belt that drives many of the engine’s accessories and peripheral devices. This timing belt usually includes a belt tensioner or idler pulley to move the belt and guide the direction of the driving belt. Without this working properly, you will have a higher driving belt replacement cost.

This driving belt, also known as the serpentine belt or drive belt, is the belt in your car engine that works in tandem with the idler, tensioner, and pulleys inside the accessory system. It provides the power necessary for the air conditioning, alternator, power steering, and the cooling system water pump. The average driving belt replacement cost is generally between $120 and $160 for the placement job, with the parts costing about $60 and the labor costing around $80.

Replacing the serpentine belt may cost from $75 to $250, depending on the car. Replacing the belt tensioner together with the belt will add $45-$155 to the total repair bill.

Is it easy to replace a serpentine belt as a DIY project? If you have sufficient mechanical skills, proper tools, belt routing diagram and follow the service manual instructions, it's not very difficult. Your parts store may help you with the routing diagram and tools.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the driving belt?

The driving belt, also known as the serpentine or accessory belt, is the main engine belt that you see when you open up the hood of your car and look near your engine to see what drives the internal combustion. These belts are usually identifiable by their ridges that run along one side of the driving belt. These ridges are there in purpose, in order to keep grip when the accessories are turning and moving with the pulleys.

 What happens if my driving belt breaks in the car?

If the driving belt breaks in your car, the car will not be able to drive properly and will have to be towed to a local mechanic. If the engine runs without the driving belt, it might overheat in the engine, since the water pump will no longer be working correctly. A broken timing belt can also cause damage to other parts, like radiator shrouds and ripped coolant hoses resulting from the driving belt in need of replacement. These additional problems that can creep up from a bad driving belt can increase the driving belt replacement cost.

 How do mechanics replace the drive belt?

Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.

The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.

All rotating components that are the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. Are checked for smooth operation and no noise.

If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

 Is it safe to drive with a drive belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

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 BEST DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT SERVICE IN ALBUQUERQUE NM

MOBILE MECHANICS OF ALBUQUERQUE

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Best Drive Belt Replacement Service and Cost in Omaha NE | Mobile Mechanics of Omaha

 More information is at: http://24hourautotruckrepairomaha.org/drive-belt-replacement-near-me/

 Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE: Are you looking for Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE? Mobile Mechanics of Omaha, mechanics will look for cuts, cracks, missing chunks and other signs of wear; usually, it's fairly easy to see if the belt is worn out.  Cost? Free estimates! Send us a message or call us today. Best Drive Belt Replacement Service around Omaha NE. We serve Omaha NE and other areas. Get a Free Quote Now!

 DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT SERVICE IN OMAHA NE

OMAHA DRIVE BELT REPLACEMENT

 Drive Belt Replacement At Mobile Mechanics of Omaha

Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE:As cars age, the belts under the hood need replacing. These belts wear out over the years, and it’s a good idea to get your drive belt replaced before it’s too late. Make sure you understand the warning signs that you need to change the drive belt before your vehicle needs even more significant repairs.

Common Signs of Drive Belt Replacement

Strange Noises

One of the biggest signs that you probably need to take your vehicle to the dealership for a check is when you start hearing strange noises coming from your engine. Once you start hearing the serpentine belt making screeching or squealing noises, don’t put off an inspection. While not all belt noises mean that your drive belt needs to be changed, it’s a good indicator. Other things that can cause the belt to squeal include water on the belt or a leak in the motor oil. However, these can cause damage to the belt, as well.

Visual Signs of Wear

Take some time to visually inspect your drive belt if it’s in an easy-to-view spot. When you see that the belt is starting to wear out, get it changed immediately. A drive belt can function with pieces missing, but the more that’s gone, the more likely it is to give out at any time. In addition to chunks of the belt missing, other signs that it’s time for a replacement include rot or large cracks to the piece. It if looks like the belt is wearing unevenly, you may simply need a re-adjustment.

Mileage Indicators

Today, most serpentine belts are expected to last anywhere from 60,000 to 100,000 miles. Some belts can last significantly longer than this, while others give out before 60,000 miles. Make sure to check your owner’s manual to find out the recommended belt replacement time frame. Keep an eye on your vehicle’s miles, so that you don’t go too far over the replacement window. Even if you don’t notice any problems, it’s important to get the belt checked and replaced if necessary during your routine maintenance. Your technician is trained to find any problems that your drive belt may have, allowing you to fix the issue before it’s a problem.

Breakage is Bad

Let’s be honest any time a part of your vehicle breaks, it’s a bad day. Repair costs can get expensive, plus you have to deal with the stress and frustration of not catching the damage in time. If your drive belt breaks, you’re in trouble. This piece runs power to most of the engine and its accessories. When the belt fails, so does the entire vehicle. Everything from power steering to the air conditioner stops working. In catastrophic situations, a broken belt can actually damage other engine components.

For many drivers, it’s easy to forget to take your vehicle in for routine maintenance. If you’re worried about the cost to replace the drive belt, remember that the cost to repair your car once the belt has broken is significantly higher. Get your belt checked regularly, and if you notice any of the signs of wear, go get an immediate inspection.

When should a drive belt be replaced in your car?

Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE: Your engine has a number of mechanical accessories attached to it, such as an alternator, water pump, power steering pump and an air conditioner compressor. A drive belt is the part that drives all these accessories. The belt itself is driven by a pulley attached to the engine crankshaft. Most cars have one or two drive belts. When a car has only one drive belt, it might be called a serpentine belt.

A drive belt is made of long-lasting rubber-based material. In most cars, a drive belt is replaced between 40,000 and 70,000 miles, however, we have seen cases where the drive belt lasted over 100k miles.

What makes the belt wear sooner? Water, road dirt, excessive heat and oil leaks can cause the belt to deteriorate prematurely. For example, if the splash shield underneath the engine (engine undercover) is broken, the belt will wear out sooner. Oil leaks can also damage the drive belt. Eventually, a worn drive belt will break.

Broken drive belt Broken drive belt. If a drive belt breaks, you won't be able to drive your car. This is because the engine will overheat if the water pump is not running. Also, if your car has hydraulic power steering, you will lose the steering assist, as the power steering pump will be disabled. In addition, the alternator will stop supplying electric power that is needed to recharge the car battery and run the vehicle electric systems.

When should the drive belt be replaced? Most car manufacturers don't specify the exact mileage, but recommend having the belt inspected during your regular maintenance visits.

How can you tell if the drive belt needs a replacement? Your mechanic will look for cuts, cracks, missing chunks and other signs of wear; usually, it's fairly easy to see if the belt is worn out. For example, the old belt in the photo above shows cracks. Worn out drive belt Drive belt showing cracks and missing chunks. Fig 2.This photo shows the belt with missing chunks of the tread material on the ribbed side. The belt may also need to be replaced if it makes chirping or squeaking noises or if it's stretched. One of the early signs of a worn out drive belt is when it starts squeaking in rainy weather.

Another common reason to replace a drive belt is when it's soaked in oil. Oil damages the rubber material, like in this photo.

If your mechanic found that a drive belt is saturated in oil, he or she may recommend repairing the oil leak first. This is because if you install a new belt and the oil leaks onto it, the belt will not last long.

To work properly, a drive belt must be under proper tension. In older cars, the belt tension had to be adjusted manually in regular intervals. One of the symptoms of a loose drive belt is a loud screeching noise that lasts for a few seconds after the engine was started.

Modern cars have an automatic spring-loaded or hydraulic belt tensioner that doesn't need to be adjusted.

Drive belt tensioner Automatic spring-loaded drive belt tensioner. Fig1, Fig2.If the automatic spring-loaded belt tensioner is sticking or shows signs of wear, it makes sense to replace it together with the drive belt; it takes little extra labor. A hydraulic belt tensioner needs to be replaced if it's leaking oil.

Replacing the serpentine belt may cost from $75 to $250, depending on the car. Replacing the belt tensioner together with the belt will add $45-$155 to the total repair bill.

Is it easy to replace a serpentine belt as a DIY project? If you have sufficient mechanical skills, proper tools, belt routing diagram and follow the service manual instructions, it's not very difficult. Your parts store may help you with the routing diagram and tools.

What is the Drive Belt Tensioner all about?

A Drive Belt Tensioner is a pulley mounted to either a spring mechanism or to an adjustable pivot point that is used to keep constant tension on your serpentine belt. That is the big long belt in the front of your engine.

The tensioner rides on the outside surface of the belt to put pressure, or tension, on the belt and against the pulleys that drive things like the alternator, power steering, air conditioner, etc.

Keep in mind:

Tensioners usually come with pulleys; they are normally replaced together. Also, when replacing a tensioner, the drive belt usually must be removed. A mechanic may recommend replacing the belt as well.

How it's done:

●      Check for any noise in the engine (usually a squeaky or grinding noise).

●      Remove the drive belt(s) (in most cases).

●      Inspect drive belt pulleys.

●      Check the drive belt tensioner.

●      Remove and replace the tensioner if faulty.

●      Start the car to see if noise is gone.

Our recommendation:

Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE: Your drive belt tensioner should always be inspected when your drive belt is serviced. During routine maintenance and inspection, your drive belt system should be reviewed to make sure that all the components are in working order. The drive belt tensioner will usually last longer than the drive belts, so as long as your tensioner is inspected or replaced when your drive belts are, your belt system should remain in good shape.

What common symptoms indicate you may need to replace the Drive Belt Tensioner?

Unusual noise (squeaky or grinding sound) every time you start the engine.

How important is this service?

The air conditioning, power steering, and alternator in your vehicle are given power through the drive belt. The belt is attached to both the crankshaft and these systems, and transfers power from the engine to drive each of these components. The drive belt tensioner is responsible for keeping the tension in the drive belt, which allows it to continue moving and transferring power. When the drive belt tensioner fails, the tension in the drive belt will begin to diminish, and the vehicle will not operate as well.

 TIPS

Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE: The Drive belt in most modern vehicles transfers power from the crank pulley to the various accessories mounted on the engine. A worn or damaged serpentine belt can fail to adequately transfer the power, leaving your alternator, power steering, and air conditioning failing to function. If your serpentine belt needs to be replaced, it can be done using only common hand tools.

Tips the Drive Belt

●      Pull the hood release inside the cabin of the vehicle. To access the serpentine belt, you will need to open the hood of the vehicle. The hood release can usually be found near the door on the driver's side of the vehicle.

●      Disconnect the battery. You should always disconnect your battery before starting an automotive project. Use the appropriate sized wrench or socket to loosen the nut holding the black ground cable on the negative terminal of the battery.

●      Locate the serpentine belt. Depending on the engine in your vehicle, the serpentine belt may be located at the front of the engine bay, or it may be along one side. There may be engine covers in the way, so be prepared to remove them if need be.

●      Look for signs of damage or wear on the belt. Once you have located the serpentine belt, inspect it visually for signs of damage. If the belt is frayed, coming apart, or has marks that indicate that it has been rubbing on something, it will need to be replaced. It is usually easy to determine if a belt needs to be replaced, as they tend to crack or lose chunks when they are overworn.

●      Find the serpentine belt routing diagram. Many cars come with a sticker in the engine bay that shows exactly how the serpentine belt is supposed to be routed through the various pulleys on the engine. If your vehicle does not have a sticker, you will need to find another way to remember how the belt should be run

 COST

Drive Belt Replacement Cost – How Much Will I Have To Spend To Fix This Problem?

Drive Belt Replacement service near Omaha NE: There are various devices inside of a car that is key to having your engine work correctly. Cars have several accessories that allow internal combustion engines to work correctly. Some of these main accessories include the driving belt, the power steering compressor, the alternator, air conditioning compressor, and the water pump.

But what you might not know, is that these devices require a certain epic in order to get power and run correctly – they require the driving belt, also known as the serpentine belt. This belt is one long and continuous belt that drives many of the engine’s accessories and peripheral devices. This timing belt usually includes a belt tensioner or idler pulley to move the belt and guide the direction of the driving belt. Without this working properly, you will have a higher driving belt replacement cost.

This driving belt, also known as the serpentine belt or drive belt, is the belt in your car engine that works in tandem with the idler, tensioner, and pulleys inside the accessory system. It provides the power necessary for the air conditioning, alternator, power steering, and the cooling system water pump. The average driving belt replacement cost is generally between $120 and $160 for the placement job, with the parts costing about $60 and the labor costing around $80.

Replacing the serpentine belt may cost from $75 to $250, depending on the car. Replacing the belt tensioner together with the belt will add $45-$155 to the total repair bill.

Is it easy to replace a serpentine belt as a DIY project? If you have sufficient mechanical skills, proper tools, belt routing diagram and follow the service manual instructions, it's not very difficult. Your parts store may help you with the routing diagram and tools.

 FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is the driving belt?

The driving belt, also known as the serpentine or accessory belt, is the main engine belt that you see when you open up the hood of your car and look near your engine to see what drives the internal combustion. These belts are usually identifiable by their ridges that run along one side of the driving belt. These ridges are there in purpose, in order to keep grip when the accessories are turning and moving with the pulleys.

 What happens if my driving belt breaks in the car?

If the driving belt breaks in your car, the car will not be able to drive properly and will have to be towed to a local mechanic. If the engine runs without the driving belt, it might overheat in the engine, since the water pump will no longer be working correctly. A broken timing belt can also cause damage to other parts, like radiator shrouds and ripped coolant hoses resulting from the driving belt in need of replacement. These additional problems that can creep up from a bad driving belt can increase the driving belt replacement cost.

 How do mechanics replace the drive belt?

Prior to removing the belt, the mechanic must run the engine to determine if the idler pulley and the belt tensioner are noise-free. Those rotating components have grease filled bearings and are subject to wear. In addition, the mechanic will ensure that all pulleys and accessories are turning in the same plane. These steps help make sure your new belt will operate trouble-free for its full-service life.

The belt’s routing path through the various components is noted. The belt tensioner is released, usually with a wrench or lever, to release the tension from the belt. With the tension off, the belt slides off the pulleys.

All rotating components that are the alternator, air conditioner compressor, etc. Are checked for smooth operation and no noise.

If everything checks out, the new belt is slipped over all of the pulleys while holding the tensioner away from the belt. Once the belt is centered on all pulleys, the tensioner is released and the installation is complete. The engine is run to ensure normal operation.

 Is it safe to drive with a drive belt problem?

No. Should the belt have visible damage, you risk unexpected and sudden breakage that could potentially leave you stranded. Serpentine belt problems that result in the alternator not charging may cause the battery to discharge, which will result in loss of electrical power to the vehicle. Additionally, if a deteriorated belt breaks and that belt drives the water pump, the engine will overheat in a matter of seconds.

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[cleanwaterchronicles]

Road Salt: Researchers Look at Vegetables and Juices for Alternatives to Salt

“Salt-speckled sidewalks, driveways and highways are synonymous with winter in the Great Lakes region. But while road salt is highly effective at deicing surfaces, the safety that salt provides for humans places a heavy burden on freshwater ecosystems.

“We have an unhealthy addiction to road salt,” said Claire Oswald, a hydrologist and associate professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, Ontario.

Multiple studies dating back to the 1970s have shown that road deicing salt has a negative impact on soil, vegetation, wildlife, surface water, groundwater and human health. A 1984 study conducted by the Michigan Legislative Science Office states road deicing salts, “are contributing to major changes in the Great Lakes ecosystem,” particularly on sensitive environments like wetlands, ponds and streams. Additionally, the legislative study found road salts are contributing to a general degradation of groundwater quality for all users in the Great Lakes region.

In the late 1990s, Oswald said the Canadian government started to take a hard look at road salt usage and best management plans. The Canadian Water Quality Guidelines include the maximum thresholds for when chloride becomes harmful to amphibians, algae, aquatic plants, aquatic insects, fish and invertebrates like mussels, she said.

While maintaining safe roadways, parking lots and sidewalks is necessary, Oswald believes most people are not aware of the full environmental costs to freshwater systems from road salts.

Danelle Haake, stream ecologist and director of Illinois RiverWatch, agrees.

“If you ask someone in the grocery store about road salt, they probably have no idea of the negative environmental consequences,” Haake said.

Haake said there is currently no way to stop the sodium chloride from entering storm drains and eventually the groundwater. She said some of the sodium stays in the ground, but for the most part the chloride flushes through soil until it reaches water. This makes bioremediation options like rain gardens and bioswales ineffective.

“Plants don’t produce salt. And they don’t absorb it. And they don’t hold it,” Haake said.

Haake said road salt hazards are not limited to freshwater ecosystems. She said sodium chloride has been found to degrade roadways and bridges, cause damage to cars and trucks, and even affect human health.

A high-salt diet contributes to high blood pressure, heart disease and strokes, according to the CDC. Residences and businesses located near roadways and using well-water in areas with high snowfall where road salt is used are at risk of having high chloride levels in their tap water, Haake said.

“If you’re drinking tap water with a lot of salt, it’s like eating salty fries all day long,” Haake said.

Seeking Safe Alternatives

Synthetic deicers are typically expensive which has limited their widespread use. Researchers also caution against trading salt for an artificial product.

“The last thing we want is some new plastic-based material that doesn’t break down,” Haake said.

In December 2020, Michigan passed Public Act No. 310. The act which goes into effect on March 24, 2021, states in part that, “the department must implement a pilot program on the use of agricultural additives to control ice on public roads, highways, and bridges in this state and to review the potential efficacy and environmental impacts of agricultural additives, while maintaining the safety and mobility of the motoring public.”

Oswald said all types of agricultural alternatives have been tested so far including cheese brine, pickle juice and the runoff from brewing beer. Beet juice from sugar beet processing has emerged with the best potential as an alternative to sodium chloride, she said.

Haake said using beet juice as a road deicing agent means trading sugar for salt. While sugar may be less toxic to aquatic life, she said high sugar levels lead to other problems. Bacteria use sugar as a food source and strip oxygen from the water. High bacteria levels can lead to a process called deoxygenation, which is lethal to fish and other aquatic life.

“So, how do you want to kill them?” Haake said.

And there is another issue with using sugar juice.

“Beet juice kinda smells,” said Craig Bryson, senior communications officer for the Oakland County Road Commission in southeast Michigan.

Bryson said the overly sweet odor is less noticeable in rural areas where the roadways are more spread out. But in highly developed urban areas like the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak, the smell is more concentrated, he said.

Another concern of using agricultural products like beet juice is the possibility of attracting wildlife to roadways, Bryson said. Although, Haake notes wildlife like deer may already be attracted by road salt.

“Either way you end up with animals being attracted to roadways, which is not something we want,” Haake said.

In the end, Oswald said the best option might be a combination of road salt and beet juice.

“A little bit of two bad things is probably not as bad as a lot of one bad thing,” Haake said. “Probably.”

Reducing Usage

Bryson said the road commission’s No. 1 priority is human safety. He said Oakland County has implemented a lot of new technology and management practices to help reduce the overall amount of salt they use each year while still maintaining safe roadways.

One of the management practices that the Oakland County Road Commission utilizes is designated routes for truck drivers. Bryson said familiarity with the route and area allows the drivers to make better judgement calls on where and when to salt.

George Turmel has been a snow-plow driver with the Oakland County Road Commission for 28 years. When he started, drivers had to stop their trucks to reload the salt spreader. He said this frequently resulted in piles of spilled salt on the roadside.

In addition to being wasteful, spills are a needless burden on the environment as this salt has not contributed to safer roadways, Oswald said.

Turmel said he no longer needs to stop and refill the spreader as a conveyor belt on the truck’s undercarriage delivers salt directly to the spreader with little spillage.

Inside the cab, a computerized system allows Turmel to monitor and regulate the amount of salt the truck spreads. When he speeds up the computer automatically spreads more salt. When he slows down the spreader slows. When he stops the spreader stops. Turmel said this system is far more efficient than the old manually controlled system.

In addition to salt, Turmel’s truck carries a tank of brine, or salty water. He said a thin layer of brine helps the rock salt stick to the roadway which reduces the amount of salt he needs to apply.

Turmel said in the past, high risk areas like bridges and curves were heavily salted to try and prevent ice from forming. Now, he finds a thin layer of brine is usually more effective at preventing ice formation and significantly reduces the overall amount of salt he uses to keep the roadways clear and safe.

“I use a lot less salt now,” Turmel said. “A lot less.”

Haake conducted a study to determine if using brine decreased chloride in stormwater and thereby decreased chloride in urban streams. The findings were published in 2019 in the peer-reviewed journal, Environmental Science & Technology.

Haake found the “use of brining by city governments resulted in a 45% average reduction of chloride loads conveyed to streams, demonstrating that brining is a highly viable BMP for local municipal operations.”

Turmel said using brine has definitely reduced the amount of salt he uses while keeping the roads safe, which is his primary goal.

“Every day I wonder if I saved someone’s life today. I never know for sure, but I like to think I did,” Turmel said.

Oswald said road commissions are not the only users of road salt.

The Smart About Salt Council in Waterloo, Ontario, is developing programs aimed at property managers. Oswald said the council is reaching out to managers of commercial properties like big box parking lots, privately maintained subdivisions, shopping malls and plazas to talk about the risks of salt and share ways to reduce usage.

Oswald said another challenge to reducing salt usage is many winter maintenance agreements are based on the amount of salt applied. The more salt applied, the more the snow-removal service is paid, which encourages liberal applications of salt, she said..

“We need more education about salt at all levels,” Oswald said.” 

(Source: https://www.michiganradio.org/post/road-salt-researchers-look-vegetables-and-juices-alternatives-salt)

[summerstainedandtemporary]

I decided to overthink my fear. Sue me, I’m a Scorpio.

“What is your biggest fear?”              

“Blood.”  

Growing up, I had been a sickly child who didn’t get to go to my nursery classes because I was confined at home, watching Looney Tunes over the smoke and noise of a nebulizer to treat my frequent asthma attacks. When I mean “sickly”, it’s when I was confined both at home and at the hospital majority of my childhood. Dengue fever, UTI, Asthma. Most of my childhood memories were made up of trips to the albularyo because of fevers or coughs that would never go away. I’d also remember the bitterness of medications I drank that took an hour of persuading, coercing, and pleading from my parents for me to drink. I took too many medications back then that I developed black teeth when I was a kid.

Most of all, I had too many encounters with blood-related sicknesses or accidents. The most distinct one was that there was a point in my childhood where I’d wake up every night with a nosebleed. I used to sleep in between my parents back then. Imagine the horror of waking up to your child with blood dripping down their nose like some kind of an exorcism film. I would hear the panic and worry in Mama’s voice as she would wake up Papa. I rarely hear that kind of voice from her, so in turn, I would also panic. Was I dying?

It went on for weeks but we never really went to the doctor to know the cause or treat it. But I heard from them that I might be probably just suffering the consequences of the abrupt changes in temperature and weather. My parents just got used to the routine of sleepily tilting my head up in the middle of the night until the bleeding stops. But not me, I never got used to it. I was still on high alert long after the bleeding stopped with the lingering taste of copper at the back of my throat. There were nights that I’ve mistaken the nosebleed for a runny nose and the next morning, I would wake up to the sight of bloody shirt and hands like I just murdered somebody in my sleep.

I like to think that this was where I started to develop my fear of blood.

One would say that the experience could have made me used to the sight of blood. But, it didn’t. The gamble of opening my eyes to blood or not traumatized me. Up until now, when I’d be having a runny nose at night, I would almost always turn on my phone’s flashlight to check if it is blood. I’m not grossed out by the dark thick liquid, no. It’s the implication that something serious might have happened.  

Like that one time in grade school where I wondered what would it feel like to run with my eyes closed. The feeling was liberating, with the wind against my body. It was like that scene from The Sound of Music where Julie Andrews was singing on a grass field with her hands held up. But it didn’t felt so freeing when I smacked my head into a concrete post. I bounced back and fell on my behind, eyes still closed. There was that horrifying moment again. The uncertainty of what liquid was dripping from my nose. Was it blood? It was. I saw it coating my hands again. Like those many nights. There was blood. Something terrible happened.  

I didn’t know why everything was hazy and I felt so sleepy. My aunt, who was taking care of us that time, had found me and wiped all the blood from my face that I couldn’t bear to do. The parents and yayas waiting for their children along with Aunty Upeng were alarmed once they saw my state. The clinic was closed during that hour as it was exams week, so the parents fussed over me while I drowsily leaned over my aunt. They bought an ice candy from the canteen and put it to my forehead which apparently had a bump. I also remembered throwing up a lot. In the bathroom. In the pavement. Even in the tricycle we rode on the way to the hospital. Aunty Upeng apologized to the driver, but I still felt bad. I didn’t say anything though. I just wanted to sleep back then. But I was continuously woken up by my aunt who was dragging me to the hospital where my mother was waiting.

I had a concussion that afternoon. And apparently, I also broke my nose. Fortunately, I wasn’t confined which relieved me so much from my worries. However, when I discovered we were going to the hospital, I panicked. Hospitals are for emergencies, accidents, deaths. It’s the place I’ve been confined in too much in my life with lingering scents of rubbing alcohol, squeaky wheels from metal carts containing rattling needles and syringes that have been injected on my arms too much too count. The main problem I had that time was if I were to be confined and injected with an IV drip. Not my concussion or broken nose. It was the IV drip and how they would puncture my skin. The act of opening my flesh with a sharp object.

My fear of blood came hand in hand with hospitals. When I see blood, I think of being in the hospital. I hate how stark white hospitals are. White bed sheets and pillowcases. White walls and floors. White uniforms. White cottons, tissues, and bandages. I hate it so much because dark red blood looks so glaringly daunting on white objects or surfaces. Somehow, it amplifies its presence in a room. And it is inevitable to encounter blood while in a hospital because of my frequent nosebleeds and injections. I’ve learned the skill of not moving my left arm for hours because of the fear that blood would appear on the tube connecting my hand and the IV drip.  

This reminds me of how I had always been longing to donate blood in a blood drive despite this fear of mine. But I’ve always made up excuses whenever there’s a blood drive in the university. I’d say, “I’m busy with school work that day” or “I slept late last night, it’s not allowed”. The truth is I’m really just avoiding this confrontation with blood and needles. Will I faint? My friend told me once how her blood stopped flowing out because she was nervous. Would I experience the same thing? It would be like an IV drip all over again. Only this time, it won’t be clear liquid flowing from the tube. It would be what I was avoiding: dark red warm blood.

Mama convinces me to this day to take up Medicine and be a doctor. This is the very reason why I didn’t and would not. I still panic even when the blood does not come from me.

Like that one night when my family and I were on the road to eat somewhere after the Sunday mass. There was no traffic because Papa was driving smoothly. I was at the back leaning in between the driver’s seat and passenger seat in front and we were all happily talking over each other; each with our own different stories to tell. I remembered someone was singing – it could have been me – and was abruptly cut off. I was thrown forward the same time Papa hit the brakes and something crashed into the front of the car. Thankfully, I had taken a hold of the car seats so my face was still intact. No noses broken.

               I remembered Papa being calm, despite having a known personality of being too sensitive and caring for the condition of our car. He exits the vehicle along with Mama, then, there was a blur of commotion outside. My brothers and I were asked to be seated at the back of the vehicle and the car’s sliding door was opened and a man was laid on the floor of the car. The door wasn’t closed the whole ride to the hospital as his feet dangled over. We were discouraged to ask questions or look over the man. But I had seen his foot. I was overtaken with the feeling that I should not move or else something will happen. The seats covered the rest of his body, but I saw his foot. His were wounded; blood and dirt covered his foot to his ankles. It was unmoving. And it looked pretty pale. To this day, I never knew if he survived. All I knew was that he was the one who hit our car with his motorcycle because he had been drinking. I wasn’t the one bleeding that night, but the image still haunts me to this day.  

“But what about your period?”

I’d scoff. Maybe if they’re an acquaintance or someone I just met, I would politely smile. This question really comes off as patronizing for me when one asks this in a teasing manner. It’s like assuming someone with glasses cannot see the number of fingers you’re holding up. They can see it, only a lot less clearly. People seem to exaggerate the irrationality of these situations and try to know to the extent of these irrationalities mockingly. Like maybe they’d expect me to faint then die while sitting on a toilet upon seeing my bloody underwear. Or maybe they’d expect that I’d avoid going to the toilet and handling the bloody mess. Yes, blood makes me anxious but I have no choice but to get used to the sight of it. Actually, period blood does not alarm me for the most part. But sometimes, I’d be horrified by the amount of blood leaving my body. Or flushing the toilet becomes dreadful because I have to take in the sight of a bloody toilet. It’s similar to saying “Oh you don’t like blood? But it’s inside you….” then comes their how-is-this-possible­-I-need-to-know-more gaze with a little bit – just a little bit – of judgement in their eyes. This tiny glimpse of judgement would rile up something in me, a need to justify my fear, despite knowing that I don’t need to defend myself. I’d explain anyway.

What people typically assume is that blood scares me because it’s blood; it’s gross. What they don’t know is that bleeding gives me an overwhelming feeling of anxiety and panic because the feeling is so much like the idea that something is leaking from you. And it’s oozing in the colour of a hauntingly dark red, something-terrible-happened red, dangerous glaring red. Might it be from a cut or wound, a part of you has been forcefully opened and that scares me more than anything. The body should be intact in the assurance that you’re okay. Blood is supposed to be INSIDE the body. The intact body. And when it’s not, it automatically turns on a panic alarm in my head with the bold words of SOMETHING HAPPENED flashing on and off in my mind because blood’s not inside me where it should be. It has made its way outside through an opening I don’t know where. I’m open somewhere. Vulnerable. The very thing that sustains my life is flowing out. And the idea that it’s already outside my body leaves me a feeling of not being in control. I don’t just simply cover up a wound with a band aid and call it a day. I still have to sit for a while and convince myself I’m not dying.

When I say blood, I also mean pain. Of flesh being sliced opened. People would tell me stories about how they were cut or wounded by an accident and I’d imagine the whole thing. Mama once told me a story of how she cut her arm up because she draw her arm back while a jewelry box closed on her, so the clasp tore her skin open. My mind would close in on the description of her flesh being torn and imagine it in every detail. The smooth flesh being run over with a sharp metal. At first, nothing will happen, or at most, the affected, marked skin would slowly turn pale like a chalked sketch of the outline of the cut. A few seconds in, little droplets of blood will seep through, slowly peeking out from the cut as if asking for a permission to come out. You move the injured arm and blood will flow out of it like dark red wine slowly dripping from a bottle. You move it more, and then you can see the skin opening, forming a mouth. Through the blood, you can see bits of pink flesh, the texture and appearance so similar to tocino ­– not the ones you order in carinderias where the pork is still a vibrant light pink; it’s the colour of the tocino you cook at home where you overcook it somehow because it tastes sweeter when burnt. The colour bordering between pink and red. I could immediately visualize it happening to my own skin. And then, a phantom of the pain would follow. The intensity of the phantom pain dependent on what my phobia tells me how painful it must be. That’s the routine. As a joke, my friends would share images of their fingers cut up or hold them up to my face when we’re together. As a habit, I’d clench my fists, my nails forming red little moon marks on my palms. I’d look away, of course. But my mind has already conjured up a visualization of how it came to be. It gets easier once the phantom pain pass.

When I say blood, I also mean death. I do not mean that bleeding automatically leads to death. It is the possibility of death that haunts me. That when I see blood, I am filled with the overwhelming panic to not die. So, maybe I fear blood because it implies a painful death. Maybe what I really fear is the thought that the last thing I’d feel when I’m alive is excruciating pain from mutilation, from my own flesh being torn open. But then again, I also fear the uncertainty of death. Death. How peaceful I envision it to be, but also how disruptive it is to a life I like to control. Dying means confronting the fact that I didn’t get to live my life the way I wanted it to be. Seeing blood haunts me with the concept of life flashing before my eyes. I wouldn’t say that mine would be boring to watch because I’m sure the flashes would contain several experiences of mine that I enjoyed. Flashes of me in the middle of a laugh while on a road trip with my family because Mama was teasing Papa’s funny English pronunciations. Flashes of me waking up on our terrace to the view of a pink sunrise; my friends still asleep on the mess of pillows and blankets I snatched from my room and laptops still open after a night of editing a film. Flashes of me floating peacefully on my back in Pasacao; my body being rocked by the constant waves of the sea and my ears drowned out by the sound of shallow waters, as I stare up the night sky and try to find a Scorpio constellation I once memorized from ninth grade. Seeing blood taunts me with the possibility that these could stop existing in an instant.

However, these flashes are not only limited to the good parts. I expect a re-run of several of my breakdowns; those caused by little petty things, like not getting to watch Jojo Circus peacefully because of a noisy construction happening in our living room, to those breakdowns caused by serious things like my parents constantly comparing me to my neighbour who could sing flawlessly to the high notes of Aegis songs or to my classmate who have been the top of my class since kindergarten. Maybe the flashes could surprise me and show me memories I’ve repressed and pushed too much to the back of my brain in hopes of completely erasing it from my memory because of how painful it had been. Flashes of a dark, cold room; my bed a witness to many of my sleepless nights asking God the million dollar question “what is the point anymore?” Or maybe a glimpse of Mama having a panic attack, mumbling “ayoko na, beh. ayoko na” while I have to hold her and calmly tell her to breathe with me as I desperately tried to keep my lips from trembling or my voice from cracking. God forbid the flashes show me a hunched figure of myself on the floor of our dorm’s cr, staring blankly at the white tiles, a razor in hand. Pathetic. Vulnerable. Not in control.

And then, death starts to look like a good idea. I never even willingly made the choice to be in this merciless rollercoaster ride we call “life” in the first place. So is it really scary to stop existing? Death seems so quiet and still. A possibility of nothingness. And in my life, there have been too many instances where I am desperate for that stillness, that nothingness. Buried underneath all the sunshine and rainbows we constantly try to project in our lives, I have been yearning to stop feeling altogether. I am reminded that maybe, just maybe, a part of me actually craves death. If it takes pain to stop existing, to stop feeling, then a painful death looks a lot less threatening and more inviting.

Then and only then, it gets a little easier seeing blood.              

[privateplates4u]

Best Cars of the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show

This is the year the future arrived at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Yes, there are plenty of interesting and significant production debuts – Bentley’s new Continental GT, BMW’s new X3 and M5, Porsche’s new Cayenne, Hyundai’s small Kona crossover, and Ferrari’s Portofino, to name a few – but the buzz is all about hybrids and electric vehicles and autonomous driving. This is the Frankfurt show where Mercedes-Benz, the company that – with some justification – claims to have invented the automobile – announced it would soon be building an electric-powered one that didn’t have a steering wheel or pedals. Loud, colorful, and with the swaggering might of the German auto industry on full display, Frankfurt 2017 is indeed an auto show to remember. Here are our picks of the best from the show floor. Star of the Show: Mercedes-AMG Project ONE There are faster hypercars. There are sexier hypercars. But there has never been a road-legal hypercar with an actual Formula 1 powertrain. Only Daimler, rich, powerful, and at the top of its game, could have the audacity – and the technical knowhow – to create a car like the Mercedes-AMG Project ONE. It shares most of its powerpack with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas grand prix racer that took Lewis Hamilton to victory in the 2015 Formula 1 World Driver’s Championship, and with more than 1000 hp on tap, it will be quicker than a Bugatti Chiron to 124 mph. The mere fact this car exists at all, complete with an airbag in the F1-style steering wheel and an air-conditioned cockpit, is cause for celebration. It’s the car at Frankfurt everyone wanted to see. –Angus MacKenzie Star of the Show: Kia ProCeed Concept As a child of the ‘60s, I’m exceptionally drawn to this car’s true four-door pillar-less door glass design. Sure, there is zero hope of providing adequate side-impact protection this way, but c’mon! Concept cars are supposed to be flights of fancy. I also love all the raw innovation in this design, from the “brightwork” surrounding the side glass that indeed glows with a remarkably uniform white LED light, to the seat fabric, which consists of 100 square meters (!) of black fabric that ends up looking a bit like shag carpet or something. This car is yet another milepost along the Korean automaker’s road from a “fast follower” copying designs and trends, to trend setter. We should be so lucky as to get anything nearing this car’s coolness on American roads in the near future. –Frank Markus Star of the Show: Kia ProCeed Concept The Kia Proceed is liquid lust in hot red. The four-door wagon concept looks like it is racing down the street even as it sits stationary on the stand. Unfortunately it will not be in motion on U.S. streets as this concept hints at the next generation of Kia’s Cee’d family for Europe. The look is clean, elegant, with beautiful proportions. The hood actually appears shorter than it is alongside the long body with no B pillar and the sharkfin trim at the C pillar. Inside, a tangle of shaved and unshaved ribbons on the seats: 100 square meters of black fabric in total. –Alisa Priddle Best Gotcha: Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy Jaguar says it’s planning a one-make race series for the forthcoming all-electric I-Pace, and to prove the point showed a concept of what the racecar would look like on its Frankfurt show stand. Except the Jaguar I-Pace eTrophy isn’t exactly a concept. Keen-eyed showgoers comparing it with the I-Pace concept will notice the race car has different exterior mirrors, different side windows, and slightly different styling around the rear hatch. They’d also notice the creases in the bodywork aren’t quite as sharp as those on the white concept, and that a pair of wipers are nestled at the base of the windshield. Yep, hiding in plain sight on the Jaguar stand is the production version of the swoopy I-Pace. Strip away the rear wing, the side skirts, the race-face front fascia, and the racy wheels and tires, and you’ll see exactly what the twin-motor I-Pace with around 400 hp and an anticipated EPA-rated range of about 220 miles will look like when it launches in the second half of 2018. –Angus MacKenzie Best Production Car: Bentley Continental GT At last, Bentley’s gran turismo gets the extravagant proportions it deserves, courtesy of the new VW Group MSB architecture it shares with Porsche’s Panamera. MSB, which is VW Group’s front-engine, rear and all-wheel-drive architecture, has allowed Bentley design boss Stefan Sielaff and his team to place the front wheels ahead of the engine, giving the new Conti GT the extended dash-to-axle ratio that’s been a hallmark of great British sports and luxury cars since the 1920s. The new Conti GT looks lower, sleeker, and more luxurious than its pug-nosed predecessor, with crisply tailored surfaces. Inside is an interior that ups the Bentley ante for knurled metal, rich leather, and beautifully finished wood, and does it in a thoroughly contemporary manner. –Angus MacKenzie Best Production Car: Land Rover Discovery SVX This is the first Discovery to get Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations treatment. The SUV gets a version of Jaguar Land Rover’s 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 engine, tweaked to generate 517 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque. The SUV has an eight-speed automatic transmission and two-range transfer box. Not only will it be quick and powerful on the road, the SVO team gave it more ground clearance to go anywhere. The winch is standard and it will be hand-built at the SVO technical center with some unique body panels once it becomes available in 2018. –Alisa Priddle Best Production Car: Ferrari Portofino I never liked the California’s Nicki Minaj junk-in-the-trunk design, and the fact that this one’s basic hard points have changed so little and yet the overall look has transformed so thoroughly—and looks equally fabulous, hard-top up or down—is a real testament to the design geniuses now employed within Ferrari (not at go-to design house Pininfarina). The fact that its twin-turbo V-8 gets a 39-horse bump to within kissing distance of 600 hp is just icing on the Amaretti Cake. –Frank Markus Best Concept Car: Borgward Isabella concept The gorgeous two-tone coupe, with the darker blue on top and lighter shade below, has lines along the hood and headlights that are reminiscent of the original and stunning Isabella from the 1950s and early ‘60s. But this concept is a statement of new elegance and beauty with its sculpted sides and stylized greenhouse providing a fresh side silhouette with a C pillar that passes over the body. In addition to the wraparound taillights are headlights in an intriguing pattern that makes a yin yang pattern of Nike swooshes. Inside is a three-piece steering wheel that is appealing its simplicity and a touchscreen that cascades down from the center of the dash. Elements of the Isabella could make its way into future sedans from a company that has resurrected the past with this emotional design. –Alisa Priddle Best Concept Car: Honda Urban EV Concept With its clean, simple surfaces, and fenders flared over big wheels at each corner, the Honda Urban EV riffed on classic European hot hatches of the ’70s and ’80s, like the original Volkswagen Golf GTI and Peugeot’s 205 GTI. With a look and feel very much inspired by product design principles rather than styling whimsies, the tiny Honda—it’s four inches shorter than a Fit—is a welcome breath of fresh air from a Japanese automaker whose recent production vehicle designs have tendered to suffer from too much surface entertainment. Honda boss Takahiro Hachigo says the Urban EV previews a brand-new EV platform from the company, and a production version of the car will be on sale in Europe in 2019. –Angus MacKenzie Sketchiest Concept Vehicle: BMW X7 iPerformance Concept Oh dear. This one looks like the design team just stood back and said, “Welp, there’s gonna be no hiding the fact that this is a great big gigantic SUV, so let’s just own its gargantuan-ness.” Every design detail seems to have been chosen to accentuate the vehicle’s vertical bulk, from the disturbingly tall and toothy interpretation of the double-kidney grille to the giant L-shaped fender vents and rear fascia details. The incredibly fine pillars on the greenhouse end up looking insufficient to support the bulk of the body should the truck ever turn turtle. Here’s one we’re eager to see changed substantially on its way to production. –Frank Markus Biggest Head-Scratcher: Mercedes-AMG Project ONE Suspension Inside the spectacular Mercedes exhibit hall—which is arranged just like its museum in Stuttgart, in the round and spiraling down from several stories up—was a naked chassis of the highly anticipated F1-inspired hypercar. But after studying the front and rear suspension for 10 minutes or more, I could not for the life of me work out how the pushrod-actuated spring-damper units worked. That’s because both of them interconnect both pivot points. I look forward to watching an animation of them in action. –Frank Markus Most Innovative Parking Solution: Renault Symbioz Concept This concept takes integration a step further: the car talks to the house and the two become one. The demonstration shows the autonomous car with an interior where passengers face each other. Once at home, the car raises on a giant round pedestal to the inside of the home where it doubles as another room of the house and the two can share their energy, with electricity flowing to whichever needs it more. It is an extension of Renault’s long-running well-being theme, updated to a new tagline: French design, easy life. As a car, it is self-driving and a quick one with 670 hp and 487 lb-ft of torque. –Alisa Priddle The post Best Cars of the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show appeared first on Motor Trend.

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Insurer warns car speed limiters could cause other crashes to rise

Plans for all new cars to be fitted with speed limiters from 2022 under tough EU safety rules could cause a spike in some crashes, a major insurer has today warned. 

All new models will have Intelligent Speed Assistance (ISA) black boxes that use GPS to work out what the speed limit is and rein in engine performance so the driver can’t break it.    

An ISA will be fitted in new models as standard from 2022 under the European Commission-approved legislation – and the rules will be mirrored in the UK even if Brexit happens.

However, Zurich Insurance said that while the technology is likely to reduce the number of speed-related shunts, it could increase accidents outside schools and in adverse weather conditions – due to over-reliance on the technology. 

The Intelligent Speed Assistance technology is variable, so it can respond to changing zones and restrict the vehicle’s top speed accordingly

Calum McPhail, head of liability claims at Zurich Insurance, told MailOnline and This is Money that the technology may lead to drivers to switch off.

He said that motorists might ‘assume it is safe just to drive at the given road limit irrespective of the immediate environment – for instance outside schools – and in adverse weather conditions, including standing water caused by rain, reduced visibility in fog and slippery surfaces caused by snow or ice.’

He added that drivers could pay less attention to speed, believing the car will ‘keep them right’. 

Calum McPhail, head of liability claims at Zurich Insurance 

This means they might travel at the maximum speed allowed by the limiter and not take into account ‘needs to change speed depending on possible hazards that may arise’, including sharp turns, blind corners or pedestrian crossings.

His sentiments were echoed by the RAC, which warned that ‘just because a vehicle’s speed is limited doesn’t mean that drivers can accelerate as fast as they like up to the limit they are in’. 

An RAC spokesman added: ‘We should always drive at the right speed for the conditions, whether that’s due to traffic, bad weather or other hazards.’ 

Mr McPhail also questioned the reliance on GPS for an ISA to function correctly. 

He warned that – from Zurich’s own experience of using black boxes for telematics insurance policies – satellite coverage in rural areas is questionable, suggesting the technology might not be able to operate in remote locations.

If the systems were to be incorporated into new vehicles in the next three years, the insurance claim expert said motorists need to be educated about the limitations. 

He said: ‘There needs to be a corresponding concerted effort around driver attitudes and behaviours and also that drivers actually understand what the technology will and will not do.’ 

The Department for Transport has backed the introduction of speed limiters following legislation for their introduction being approved by the European Commission this week.

A spokesman said: ‘We continuously work with partners across the globe to improve the safety standards of all vehicles. 

‘These interventions are expected to deliver a step-change in road safety across Europe, including the UK.’ 

The bill includes a raft of new safety measures that are now subject to the formal approval of the European Parliament and EU member states in September. 

Cars will be have to be equipped with safety systems such as data loggers, autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, driver fatigue detection and reversing cameras or sensors.

All new models will need to have pre-wiring for alcohol interlocks to allow for the retrofit of in-car breathalysers for previously convicted drink drivers. 

AA president Edmund King also raised concerns with the widespread deployment of speed limiters in new cars, and said the ‘best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot’ when used ‘to do the right speed in the right situation’. 

Nine safety features to be mandatory in vehicles from 2022 

Intelligent Speed Assistance

Reversing cameras or parking sensors

Advanced Emergency Braking (AEB)

Event data recorder

Drowsiness and distraction monitors

Lane-keep assist

Improved seatbelts

Safety glass to protect cyclists and pedestrians

Improved direct vision for trucks 

AA president Edmund King said the best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot as he blasted the proposed introduction of Intelligent Speed Assistance systems in all new cars

How will Intelligent Speed Assistance limiters work? 

ISA technology works in conjunction with traffic-sign-recognition cameras and GPS data to determine the speed limit on the road the vehicle is being driven. 

The system can then automatically adjust the restricted top speed by limiting the engine power.   

However, drivers should be able to override the system by pushing hard on the throttle – just in case they’re overtaking another motorist who has decided to put their foot down.      

The European Transport Safety Council (ETSC) called for all cars to have a switch to turn the ISA on or off, though each time a vehicle is started the feature will automatically be active. 

If the driver overrides the limiter they will instantly be told to reduce their speed. 

If the user continues to drive above the limit for several seconds, the system will sound an alert for a few seconds and display a visual warning until the vehicle is operating at or below the speed limit again, the transport safety council said.    

The council is likely to push for there to be no off switch for the limiters once motorists have become accustomed to the systems. 

Road death figures in Britain have dropped massively – and declined by 39 per cent between 2007 and 2017, but then remained fairly level in recent years

Why is the introduction of speed limiters being pushed? 

The legislation is due to come into effect from May 2022 for models that have not yet been approved for production and May 2024 for new cars currently for sale.

The council has been pushing for the introduction of speed limiting technology, claiming it will help to curb road fatalities across the continent. 

According to its estimations, limiters will be able to cut traffic collisions by 30 per cent, potentially saving up to 25,000 lives in the first 15 years of them being mandatory. 

Latest Department for Transport figures show that 1,793 people were killed on the roads in Britain in 2017 – the highest annual total since 2011. However, road deaths have plummeted since the late 1970s and fell 39 per cent between 2007 and 2017.

Of the 2017 casualties, just 18 per cent, or 322 were linked to excess speed.

The number of people killed or seriously injured in the UK has remained relatively consistent over the last few years and road safety groups have called for more to be done to reduce these figures.

Car maker Volvo announced this month that it will restrict the top speed of all its new cars to 112mph from 2020 in an effort to eradicate all road deaths in its vehicles from 2020.

The Swedish brand will also install cameras in its cars from the early 2020s to monitor if drivers are drowsy or drunk – and bring the vehicle to a stop if this is the case. 

Volvo will electronically limit the top speed of all its vehicles to 112mph from next year

Will speed limiters be mandatory in the UK once we’ve left the EU? 

The introduction of speed limiters is subject to the formal approval of the European Parliament and EU member states in September.

And Brexit is unlikely to save UK motorists from the arrival of these limiters. 

That’s because car manufacturers are not expected to approve models separately for the UK market and the UK’s Vehicle Certification Agency – the designated Approval Authority and Technical Service for vehicles in the UK – has previously said it intends to mirror EU rules post-Brexit no matter the outcome. 

We have contacted the VCA for clarification, but at the time of publication, are awaiting a response.  

Commenting on the provisional deal, Antonio Avenoso, executive director of the ETSC said: ‘There have only been a handful of moments in the last fifty years which could be described as big leaps forward for road safety in Europe. 

‘The mandatory introduction of the seat belt was one, and the first EU minimum crash safety standards, agreed in 1998 was another. 

‘If last night’s agreement is given the formal green light, it will represent another of those moments, preventing 25,000 deaths within 15 years of coming into force.’ 

And Brexit is unlikely to save UK motorists from the arrival of these limiters as type approval for vehicles will mirror the EU

The systems will use GPS and traffic-sign-recognition cameras in the car the identify the top speed and limit how fast the vehicle can be driven in that zone

How the industry has reacted to the news that ISA could become mandatory 

Citroen, Ford, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Renault and Volvo already have cars on the market with functioning ISA technology fitted. 

Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders chief executive Mike Hawes said there is demand for the technology.

‘Manufacturers invest billions in safety technology, often ahead of any regulation,’ he commented.

‘Industry innovation and consumer appetite is already driving adoption, and many new cars are fitted with intelligent speed limiters and other new safety features such as autonomous emergency braking as standard.’ 

Restricted: The European Parliament, Council and Commission have approved legislation for speed limiters to be mandatory in the next three years

AA president Edmund King was less supportive of the measures.

He told MailOnline and This is Money: ‘There is no doubt that new in-car technology can save lives and there is a good case for autonomous emergency braking to be fitted in all cars.

As the limiters can be overridden it naturally begs the question whether some drivers will do this regularly to bypass the system, potentially undermining some of the system’s benefits 

‘When it comes to Intelligent Speed Assistance the case is not so clear. 

‘The best speed limiter is the driver’s right foot and the driver should use it to do the right speed in the right situation. 

‘The right speed is often below the speed limit, for example, outside a school with children around, but with ISA there may be a temptation to go at the top speed allowed which may not be appropriate.

‘Sometimes a little speed also helps to keep safe on the road, for example, overtaking a tractor on a country road or joining a motorway.

‘Dodgem cars are fitted with speed limiters but they still seem to crash.’ 

The RAC’s road safety spokesperson Pete Williams questioned the reasoning behind the introduction of the technology if drivers could simply override the system.

‘As the limiters can be overridden it naturally begs the question whether some drivers will do this regularly to bypass the system, potentially undermining some of the system’s benefits,’ he told This is Money. 

Traffic and navigation app Waze said there could be other benefits alongside safety if limiters were required in all new models. 

Finlay Clark, UK country manager for the app said: ‘Often drivers aren’t aware of speeds changing on a stretch of road or become a little complacent – by including a reminder and changing the icon to red when they exceed the limit, we saw the impact it had.

‘More initiatives that help drivers stick to speed limits not only help improve air quality but can also reduce congestion.’

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