Things that used to be free...

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Montecfo -shopping bags at grocery store

Our stores are supposed to start charging for plastic bags Oct 1st. The funny thing is we were already using our own bags before COVID and they refused to take them once COVID hit. Now they want us to use them again.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainsoft Our stores are supposed to start charging for plastic bags Oct 1st. The funny thing is we were already using our own bags before COVID and they refused to take them once COVID hit. Now they want us to use them again.

I know. Given that we have a pandemic every hundred years, I can't believe they don't have the rules straight by now.

[Marti]

Chinese restaurants didn't use to charge for hot tea; now it's usually $2 or $3.

[Sunset]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger I fill my tires for free at home and get at least 78% Nitrogen in the process. If i use the bicycle pump I also get some exercise to keep my beefcake figure for my wife or I could use the little electric pump. .........

You made me think.

Since the entire selling point of Nitrogen is that it leaks out less due to larger molecule, and you refill a tire with air, then the Oxygen and CO2 leak out faster again. Shouldn't the tire naturally end up 99.99% Nitrogen

[Gumby]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset You made me think. Since the entire selling point of Nitrogen is that it leaks out less due to larger molecule, and you refill a tire with air, then the Oxygen and CO2 leak out faster again. Shouldn't the tire naturally end up 99.99% Nitrogen

Wouldn't Carbon Dioxide be the largest of the 3 molecules (CO2, N2 and O2) and therefore the slowest to leak?

[Amethyst]

The Uber Eats offer I received, contained a link to participating restaurants in our area; plus a promotional code (letters and numbers) that I plugged into the completed order. The code is what gets the $20.

The $20 is a promotion from Uber Eats itself. The restaurant I chose, does not charge a delivery fee (some do). The $4.50 "fee" is not explained. I assume it's to pay for the plastic and styro containers, plus the labor of packing them. I wasn't very happy this time, as one of the containers had leaked all over the paper bag - probably got on the driver's car, too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by NW-Bound I got an offer from Uber Eats too, but did not use it, so do not know how it works. Is the $4.5 the fee paid to the restaurant? Perhaps the $20 only covers the delivery cost, and the restaurant charges extra for packing?

[Aerides]

The fee is the cost for uber to pick up and delivery the order, and pay the driver. Otherwise the driver is working for only tips? It's the cost of convenience.

The cool thing about Ubereats and these other services is they cover a lot of places that didn't do delivery to begin with, and you can mark the order "leave at front door" and never interact with the delivery person.

I save time by not driving to the place to get the thing. That's usually worth the $4 because the main reason I'm doing delivery is either I don't have anything I want to cook, don't feel like schlepping to the store, and don't feel like driving to do pickup.

[Gumby]

We've never had cooked food delivered to our house. The young neighbors across the street do it all the time. I've seen the same Uber driver several times now. He leaves the food on the bench next to their front door and sends them a text as he's walking back to his car. They've never come face to face as far as I can tell.

[euro]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset You made me think. Since the entire selling point of Nitrogen is that it leaks out less due to larger molecule, and you refill a tire with air, then the Oxygen and CO2 leak out faster again. Shouldn't the tire naturally end up 99.99% Nitrogen

I have not read up on what the justification is for nitrogen use, but I can assure you that oxygen is a larger molecule than nitrogen (molecular mass 32 grams per mol. Vs. 28 grams per mol for nitrogen).
My guess is that it’s use has to do with the fact that oxygen can slowly degrade rubber over time, while nitrogen is chemically very inert?

[ERD50]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sunset You made me think. Since the entire selling point of Nitrogen is that it leaks out less due to larger molecule, and you refill a tire with air, then the Oxygen and CO2 leak out faster again. Shouldn't the tire naturally end up 99.99% Nitrogen

Yep, only a few cycles of topping off gets you very near 100% Nitrogen.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gumby Wouldn't Carbon Dioxide be the largest of the 3 molecules (CO2, N2 and O2) and therefore the slowest to leak?

Brilliant! We can solve Global Warming by filling our tires with CO2 instead of air or Nitrogen! CO2 sequestration, and we get our tires filled at the same time. What's not to like?

Though we'd need to recapture it when we change tires, and you might be fined if you get a flat and release all that CO2. Details.

-ERD50

[mpeirce]

Quote:

Originally Posted by euro I have not read up on what the justification is for nitrogen use, but I can assure you that oxygen is a larger molecule than nitrogen (molecular mass 32 grams per mol. Vs. 28 grams per mol for nitrogen). My guess is that it’s use has to do with the fact that oxygen can slowly degrade rubber over time, while nitrogen is chemically very inert?

Here’s a pretty detailed explanation

https://www.getnitrogen.org/pdf/graham.pdf

Are Nitrogen Molecules Really Larger Than Oxygen Molecules? The correct answer, with respect to “permeation”, is yes. Graham’s Law Explained: The Difference between Effusion and Permeation

An excerpt

Quote:

The reason that O2, despite a larger MW 32, has a smaller diameter than N2 MW 28, lies in the electronic structure of the molecules. As indicated by quantum mechanical theory of molecules, the electrons of a molecule form a diffuse "cloud" surrounding the nuclei of the atoms in the molecule. The electron cloud around the oxygen nuclei in the O2 molecule is smaller, more compact in size, due to attractive electrostatic interactions between the electrons in the cloud and the greater positive charge of the nuclei of the O atoms in the O2 molecule. Each oxygen atom has 8 protons in its nucleus, while each nitrogen atom has only 7 protons in its nucleus. Thus, the overall size of the electron cloud of the O2 molecule is smaller than for N2, in part because its electron cloud is drawn in closer to the O nuclei by the greater positive charge on the O nuclei.

And concludes

Quote:

I hope this helps clarify why O2 permeates faster through rubber than does N2 and a major aspect of why it is a good idea to significantly reduce the amount of O2 used to fill tires by replacing most of the O2 in air with enriched N2. Since N2 permeates through the tire rubber more slowly than would O2, using enriched nitrogen instead of air for tire filling contributes to better maintenance of the proper inflation pressure for the tire. Better pressure maintenance contributes to reduced tire wear, so that tires last longer and tire replacement costs are reduced.

[38Chevy454]

Another fact is that the nitrogen is typically very low moisture, whereas regular compressed air has higher moisture content. This moisture does expand and contract more with temperature. So in theory the nitrogen is better for temp pressure variations.


That said, I think the whole nitrogen in tires is just a gimmick to make extra money. On a normal passenger car or truck application it doesn't make enough difference to justify the use and cost. I use regular old compressed air in my tires of all my 10 vehicles. I have my own compressor and can check my air pressure at home instead of trying to find air when in town.

[RunningBum]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainsoft These days I carry a charged up jump start battery in my trunk. If my main battery ever goes dead I can jump start myself. No need to rely on anyone else who thinks I owe them for doing the right thing.

I love those, and I've used it once. Many of them also have USB outputs so you can recharge your phone when camping or wherever.

[Which Roger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midpack Most of what's described above was never really free, it was built in to other payments. Nowadays it seems more palatable to charge fees for every possible product or service than to increase broader base costs.

Bingo. Anything that's "free" is essentially a tax on a broader population. A good example is paying to check a bag on a plane. Why should someone who has no checked baggage subsidize those who do?

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by travelover I know. Given that we have a pandemic every hundred years, I can't believe they don't have the rules straight by now.

Yeah, I'm whining about something that isn't a big deal, but I never understood the restriction on reusable bags. First of all, I've never heard of anyone getting COVID from a reusable bag (or from any object for that matter). But more important, what about the 40 other items I touched when I put them in the cart, and touched again putting them on the belt at the register? Surely they could be exposed to COVID from those items just as easily as my reusable bags. The whole thing seemed to be based on fear more than science and common sense.

In any case, I follow the rules and whine about it on this forum...

[mountainsoft]

Quote:

Originally Posted by RunningBum I love those, and I've used it once. Many of them also have USB outputs so you can recharge your phone when camping or wherever.

I used mine a few times with my old car. I didn't drive it much so the battery went dead fairly often. The battery sure beats jumper cables, especially when no one else is around.

I bought jump start batteries for my wife and daughter's cars too, but I don't think they've ever had to use them. I try to recharge them every 6-12 months or so to ensure they're ready to use when we need them.

[Graybeard]

Nothing is free except sunshine, the air you breathe and your thoughts and if they could figure out how to they'd tax it. One way or another, you pay for "free" stuff.

[travelover]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mountainsoft Yeah, I'm whining about something that isn't a big deal, but I never understood the restriction on reusable bags. First of all, I've never heard of anyone getting COVID from a reusable bag (or from any object for that matter). But more important, what about the 40 other items I touched when I put them in the cart, and touched again putting them on the belt at the register? Surely they could be exposed to COVID from those items just as easily as my reusable bags. The whole thing seemed to be based on fear more than science and common sense. In any case, I follow the rules and whine about it on this forum...

There was a lot of uncertainty at the beginning of the pandemic. Remember the doctor on YouTube explaining on how to carefully wash your groceries when you got them delivered? Heck, I washed them for months. Remember people washing sidewalks with disinfectants? We are building this airplane as we fly it.

[ExFlyBoy5]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Badger I fill my tires for free at home and get at least 78% Nitrogen in the process. If i use the bicycle pump I also get some exercise to keep my beefcake figure for my wife or I could use the little electric pump. Cheers!

Oh, I know. I am a firm believer that the nitrogen deal is nothing but a rip off. I saw someplace that had a large banner touting the fact that fighter jets use only 100% nitrogen in the tires...so it's gotta be good for your grocery getter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by euro I have not read up on what the justification is for nitrogen use, but I can assure you that oxygen is a larger molecule than nitrogen (molecular mass 32 grams per mol. Vs. 28 grams per mol for nitrogen). My guess is that it’s use has to do with the fact that oxygen can slowly degrade rubber over time, while nitrogen is chemically very inert?

In aviation it is used to reduce the content of moisture and minimize pressure changes. In the C-130 we normally just used ambient air for the tires(low altitude) but the C-5 (and other high altitude airplanes) used nitrogen. Also, all the surge suppressors (air), shock struts and for inflation of escape slides and life rafts. Also, many large jets use nitrogen to reduce the amount of oxygen in fuel tanks to reduce explosion risks.

The primary reason for the local shop tries to sell it for your Honda Accord? Pure profit.

[NW-Bound]

Nah, youse guys got it all wrong. Look at these kids, who filled their tires with water. Yes, water. How is it going to leak at all?

Skip to 2:00 on the video to see them start driving. Of course, the unsprung weight is all messed up, but you've got to give up something.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmGAmsgaLJ4