Quote:
Originally Posted by dalford
Tireman.. I think I'm going to have to start calling you "Tired Man" because I think you will be after trying to educate some folks about tires.. 
Part of the issue with some folks is you have said you are an "engineer". Unless you mean the type that drives a train it is frowned on by many. Don't know what the hang up is but I see that bias on this site often.
I for one appreciate your information about tires and it makes sense to me. I especially appreciated your post on your blog about how to and how often to inspect trailer tires.
RV Tire Safety: How to avoid tire failure and RV damage. And I had a tire failure!
I will be jacking mine up this week and give each tire a thorough inspection.
I do have a TPMS. Gives me peace of mind for a slow leak. I know there are failures that can't be detected by it. But at least I won't be caught off guard like the time I had a blow out (before getting a TPMS). Tooling down the road when a semi pulls along side me but does not complete the pass. When I look over he is frantically pointing to the back. Sure enough I had a blow out and did not even know it  I was lucky I got stopped before the second tire failed and really did some major damage.
Keep up the good work and remember with some "It's don't confuse me with the facts... my mind is already made up!"  |
Thanks for the comments. Not sure why some would feel that 5 years learning things like Finite Element analysis, Statistical techniques, Physics and Organic Chemistry and earning a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering would be "frowned" upon or discounted. After all it is Engineers that design and develop just about every mechanical product we depend upon in daily lives, from our cars to refrigerators or computers to cell phones. As a group we Engineers are seldom ever satisfied and seem to always be striving to make stuff better. It's only when the "bean counters" step in and tell us to stop making improvements as the product has to go into production that improvements stop.
I do understand the general misunderstanding of "Science" today as too many folks simply do not want to be confronted with "change" at any level or of any kind.
Have to wonder if they would be happier without any of the scientific advances that have been made over the last few hundred years. I bet if they were asked if they would want to swap their current car for one that needed tune-up every thousand miles or tires that wore out in 5,000 miles or less. Maybe having to carry multiple spare tires and having to be able to patch the tire tube on the side of the mud roadway would make them appreciate some of the advances in tires.
Maybe the problem is that tires are too good and simply because they do not fail the first mile after being overloaded, the un-informed assume all is OK as thy have no training in looking at the facts and evaluating the data to see if the conclusion makes sense especially when the data is in conflict with the general "common knowledge"
You know like when that silly idea of the Earth not being flat, the center of the Universe and Solar system was proposed.
Rational, logical thought and problem analysis is just not something many people have ever been taught. In fact IMO "Critical Thinking" is something that is actively opposed by many, as the last thing some in power want is "the masses" that can look at a situation and not be swayed by nice sounding but factually wrong statements. This can apply to those "in power" in Government, Organized Religion, Education and sadly sometimes even in the Sciences.
Thinking Critically is hard work. It doesn't mean every idea should be negatively criticized but that every idea needs to be investigated and the facts and data analyzed to see if the new idea delivers better and more reliable results that the previous concept.
Just because many do not appreciate the efforts of Engineers, not railroad engine operators, is not going to stop us from continuing our efforts to provide better products in the future.
Linear Mode
