ghost car

"Car surfing," a phrase coined in the '80s, refers to the act of riding or "surfing" on the exterior of a moving vehicle, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC. Over the years, this dangerous thrill-seeking activity has not only become increasing popular among teenagers, it has also taken on many variations, such as ghost riding and highway surfing.

Ghost riding is when an individual exits a moving vehicle to dance, run, or walk either beside, behind, or on top of it. This dangerous activity was first popularized by Oakland rapper E-40's song "Tell Me When to Go," with its chorus "Ghost ride the whip"--the "whip" being a car. In the years following the song's release, teenagers have frequently attempted to emulate E-40 and other rappers, often with tragic consequences. An 18-year-old Stockton man suffered fatal injuries when his head slammed into a parked car as he hung out the window of his own moving vehicle in 2006. More recently, a 17-year-old Brentwood girl was attempting to dance on the footstep of her Chevy Blazer when she fell and was run over by the car, sustaining serious injuries.

Numerous accidents resulting in serious or fatal injuries have accompanied this dangerous trend: in Stockton, an 18-year-old slammed his head against a parked car while hanging out of the window of his own moving vehicle; he died from the head injuries he sustained. In Brentwood, a 17-year-old girl was run over by her own car after attempting to dance on the driver-side footstep. She survived but suffered serious injuries.

The most literal interpretation of car surfing is when an individual stands on the roof of a moving car. Last May, Malibu teen, Johnny Strange, made headlines when he climbed out of a BMW driving 50 miles an hour down Pacific Coast Highway to "surf" on its hood. Despite the public censure his actions elicited, teenagers throughout Southern California continued to partake in this dangerous activity.

Ghost riding accidents are devastating for everyone involved: the victims, the parents, and the drivers. In many cases, the person who drove the car that was being "surfed" or "danced" on is penalized by the law. One teen in Orange County was charged with felony hit-and-run and vehicular manslaughter: a 14-year-old boy who had been riding in the teen's open trunk feel out, sustaining fatal head injuries. The teen left the scene of the accident but was later arrested and charged.

For the parents of a ghost riding accident victim, the toll the accident takes on their lives is often more than emotional. The injuries sustained in a ghost riding accident are usually severe and require extensive medical treatment, which can be very expensive. It is not uncommon for the parents of a ghost riding accident victim to hire a California injury lawyer to help them seek compensation from the driver for medical bills and other losses.

Ghost riding, highway surfing, and car surfing are dangerous teenage pastimes that should be reported to authorities immediately if witnessed. Reporting such occurrences early enough could save lives.

Best known for his iconic TV portrayal of the lollipop-loving detective Theo Kojak, the late, great Greek-born actor Telly Savalas had a real ghostly experience whilst driving home on Long Island at 3 a.m. one summer morning in 1954, when he ran out of petrol and decided to walk to a nearby freeway where he knew there would be a petrol station still open for service.

He walked through a wooded park, as a shortcut, when suddenly this man called out: "I'll give you a lift!"

Savalas admitted to being quite shaken by the voice, as he hadn't heard the big black Cadillac pull up beside him. But the man, who was dressed all in white, looked okay, and he took Telly to the service station. Once there, Savalas became instantly embarrassed on finding that he did not have enough change for the petrol. However, the stranger didn't seem bothered by this, and just handed over some notes and said it was OK, as he could pay him back later.

Whilst they were driving back to the car, the stranger remarked to Savalas that he knew Harry Agannis. When Savalas asked who he was, the man said he was a baseball player with the Boston Red Sox. But Savalas had never heard of him. That was the extent of the conversation, and the man dropped Savalas back at his car.

The following day, Savalas received a big surprise when he read in a newspaper that the baseball player Agannis had died suddenly at the age of 24. Apparently he had died around about the same time that his name had been mentioned by the stranger in the car.

At first, Savalas attributed this to just pure coincidence. However, when he tried to phone the guy to give him his money back, a woman answered and Savalas explained why he was ringing. The woman sounded a little strange, and asked what car the guy had been driving and what he had been wearing. When Savalas told her, the woman began to cry, saying that Savalas had just described her husband - who'd died three years earlier.

Stunned by what the woman had told him, Savalas began to speculate on all kinds of possible explanations, but couldn't really think of anything logical that would definitely account for what he had experienced on that lonely road in the early hours of the morning. Thus, Savalas eventually came to accept that, apparently, he'd taken a ride in a car with a dead man.

There are more and more high-tech sensors entering the realms of robotic car wash tunnel systems. There are many reasons for this, but most has to do with supply and demand issues and the shortage of labor in the United States. Currently with unemployment hovering at between 4.7 and 4.8% and illegal immigration under fire most car wash companies know they must adapt or die to these forward trends.

Thus more car wash robotics are coming into play and with robotic systems come robotic sensors. Currently sonar sensors are used in car washes for many things including soap, waste water, fresh water tank volume reading. Ultra-sonic sensors are also used in a similar way to radar.

Ultra-sonic sensors use sound instead of light and this is good in a misty and soapy environment as light gets refracted easily. Unfortunately, air blowers move the air and disrupt the sound waves in the process. But if the car is already done being washed then it need not matter.

Photoelectric sensors are much preferred but cost is a consideration and if one goes out then the tunnel wash is often rendered useless. Operators know to send a Ghost Car thru in the early morning just in case of catastrophe. Usually a very cheap employee's car in case the system goes haywire?

One problem with photoelectric optical sensors is that they send a beam of infrared light, but that beam can be blocked by parts of the car and render it unusable. Photoelectric sensors can also be troublesome in harsh work environments with hydrofluoric acid, soaps, hot waxes, high pressure and steam. All of, which you find inside a tunnel modern day car wash.

Optical flow sensors are perhaps a future option for carwashes in that they can work backwards of normal optical flow sensors by mounting them on the tunnel wash frame from above and sending the information to the electronic arms of the robotic car wash equipment below.

If you are considering using high-tech sensors to help your carwash "See" and "Sense" the cars for a perfect wash then you need to take a look at all the industry has to offer currently and where all this technology is taking us into the future. Think on this in 2006.

Prepare for the car world's Clash of the Titans!

All-new models from top British marques Rolls Royce and Bentley are going head to head to achieve the ultimate blend of power and refinement and take the title of best car in the world.

Some may think that it's overstating the case to suggest that the launch of Bentley's imposing new Mulsanne is a strong contender for car event of 2010.

But a combination of the company's reputation for exceptional engineering with the fact that the Mulsanne will be the first 'grand Bentley' the firm has developed for 80 years makes it hard to doubt that it will be a landmark motoring moment.

Set to be an even longer car than the Arnage it replaces, Bentley clearly intends its new four-door flagship to have ultimate road presence.

Harking back to graceful Bentleys of old, but giving the look a modern, sleeker spin, the Mulsanne has a much more upright face than the firm's smaller Continental and is dominated by a pair of huge round headlights together with a traditionally imposing broad, mesh grille.

But with a name that highlights the company's 'second home' in France and the firm's victories at the Le Mans 24 Hour race, it's clear that this new car will be no lumbering limo.

Providing the power will be the company's famous 6.75 litre V8 engine, freshly re-engineered for the Mulsanne, which is expected to carry the luxury cruiser to a top speed in excess of 200mph.

For a car of its size, there's no doubt that would be an extremely impressive achievement.

To ensure the V8 is put to best use, greater stability and traction will be gained by the Mulsanne sending its power to all four of its enormous wheels.

Inside, the new Bentley will blend all the latest in-car technology with the company's trademark quality leather and wood trim, exemplified by how the screen controlling the car's 'infotainment' system disappears behind a veneered dashboard panel when not in use.

Altogether, the new Mulsanne looks set to be a difficult package to beat. But Rolls Royce thinks they have the answer, in the form of a new 'baby' model called the Ghost.

Sitting below the majestic Phantom limo in the company's range, the Ghost is designed to be a smaller and more nimble. More of a driver's car, that will nevertheless match the Phantom's levels of interior comfort.

Similar, backwards-opening rear doors to the Phantom's will give the Ghost's lucky passengers access to a top quality cabin replete with the typically abundant leather trim and wood panelling associated with the marque.

Surprisingly for the company with the grandest reputation, the Ghost will be priced to undercut the new Bentley. But perhaps more predictable is that the Rolls will target the ultimate levels of ride comfort most associated with the company's cars rather than compete with the sheer speed of the Mulsanne.

But that doesn't mean the Ghost will lack pace, as power will be provided by an exclusive 6.6 litre V12 engine.

For those with the money to seek the ultimate combination of power and refinement, choosing between these new offerings from Rolls Royce and Bentley is going to be a difficult task.