Shopping CurbCo? Radio Up or Radio Down? - Page 2

Lol ..... yeah ..... age is definitely a factor in the mix ! We're all goin' through the changes from cradle to grave. Might as well embrace them cause every age is great in it's own way.



I dunno .... the radio just became an annoyance after awhile. Too many commercials with people yelling " PAY ATTENTION TO ME" and what i have to sell. Too many radio personalities just blathering on about mindless things that aren't the least bit important. The music isn't very good. The corporations that run the industry won't allow potentially good artists to grow and hone their craft. It's more profitable to change them out frequently. It's here today gone tomorrow for all but a rare few.

Lost the vision in one of my eyes about three or four years ago. You know what they say about your other senses becoming heightened.

Much as anything though it's lessons learned out in the woods. The creatures out there will teach you things if you pay attention. Coyotes have moved into this area and they're making problems. The move like a pack of ninjas and will snatch up a chicken or your beloved family pet in a heartbeat. A good friend who was an avid hunter started going out at night to see about thinning them out some because they also prey on the deer population. He was quietly sitting under a tree waiting for the pack to come up one of the game trails. After about an hour he just happened to look a little bit back and to his left. A female coyote had been just sitting there watching him the whole time as if to say : HUMAN .... you're in MY world now. As smart as you might think you are, you're oblivious to what's going on around you. She taught him a lesson in humility and he never went back to hunt the pack again.

The animals do this to me on a regular basis. The deer are the worst offenders. They'll come up within 20' and start browsing while i'm working. I'm so caught up in what i'm doing that i won't realize that they're there. Other times they'll watch from the woods and then snort just for the fun at seeing me jump in surprise. It makes you appreciate just how outclassed you are.

It's the same thing in the urban jungle. You need to be keenly aware of your environment, especially late at night. There are predators out there but more importantly : If you're not tuned in it's almost certain that you're overlooking a lot of scrapping opportunities.

This my friend, is why I use apps such as Pandora or I<3Radio, or Stitcher if you like podcasts an the like.

If you got a newer vehicle they come with usb ports so you can plug your phone with said App. If not you gotta go old school like I do with one of those tapes that go in the deck an then connect to your phone or Cd player, etc.

Tho I'm blessed with a great classic rock station down here, but I still like my own playlists. An only way I can do any talk radio is if I download it an playback via computer or use an app on my phone.

One day I'll splurge an get me some Sat. Radio.

Anyhow, I'm just teasing about you all being a bunch of old fuddy duddies.

I'm curious why so many of you have to go into stealth mode to scrap. Some of you I can understand, such as being on a call etc. Others tho make it sound like any noise is a bad thing. Why is this?

An I realize a lot of this is common sense such as turning down the music at night when stopping, etc etc.

Color me curious. It looks better on me then Yellow.

Sirscrapalot - Off to fill up the cooler, it's FOOOOTBALLLLL!

I keep the radio on if I want to be visible. If I'm looking to "hide", it's off. My driving styles also change.

Of course, my truck is a bright green and white Chevrolet. It doesn't really blend in, anyways.

Now, in the workshop or on the highway, I'll keep the radio on and audible. I wouldn't call it "turned down" or "turned up", but somewhere in the middle. What I listen to depends on my mood and what I'm doing. I listen to everything from classic rock and classic country to modern country.

Why do you need to "hide"? Competition? Scrap laws? This is what I'm asking about. The whole stealth thing.

I'm curious why you folks have to do this. I may be spoiled which is why I'm wondering. I don't need to hide or go stealth, heh.

Sirscrapalot - off to mock the Redskins an make the wife mad.

@SirScrapALot

It's mostly a psychological thing for me. For example, I had permission to put in any amount of E-Waste into a free electronics recycling bin that I wanted- and the permission to take stuff out.

I used to haul CRTs by the pickup load. Before it broke down, I took over 50 CRTs in my box van- at one time. Though it was legal and fine, I felt like I didn't want to meet anyone. Get them dumped, and get out of there!

Blasting Def Leppard on the stereo in the box van doesn't help for that.

I also run an electronics recycling business, so this bin was my only real competition. It was a good arrangement, though. CRTs in, large socket PCs out.

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The bin became overwhelmed with TVs/CRTs, though, so they just dumped them outside in a pile. The DEQ and town got after them for that. My stuff was maybe 5% of everything in there, but when I was putting stuff in there, it was already in shambles.

I figured that it was best to get in and get out as quickly and quietly as possible. Having the radio off makes me feel more like a quiet ninja. I went on Sundays, and the bin was in the middle of nowhere. I could have had the radio on, and nobody would have likely noticed. But, still...

This forum totally needs a ninja emoticon.

Originally Posted by Sirscrapalot

Why do you need to "hide"? Competition? Scrap laws? This is what I'm asking about. The whole stealth thing.

I'm curious why you folks have to do this. I may be spoiled which is why I'm wondering. I don't need to hide or go stealth, heh.

Sirscrapalot - off to mock the Redskins an make the wife mad.

It's a fair question.

Keeping it low key is just my style. I've done a fair amount of community service work over the years and have found that you can get much more accomplished by working quietly behind the scenes. If somebody else gets the credit then so much the better !

If i roll into a neighborhood to do carpentry work it's pretty much the same thing. If you draw attention to yourself the neighbors start getting up in your business. It's mostly harmless things like they want to know how to do it for themselves -or- they want to hire you because they're they're trying to keep up with the Joneses. Other people are downright harmful and i've had to pitch a few off the jobsite over the years. It's an unnecessary distraction from the task at hand.

I really like music and have a really good CD collection but i just don't be bothered with it while i'm working.

< kindly > I love being an old fart and poke fun at it whenever i can ! This is a great time of life. There's a certain peace of mind and clarity of thought that i never had before. Wouldn't want to go back for anything.

I turned in my CDL this year because i really shouldn't be driving the big trucks anymore but i do miss plowing the winter roads. You're out there in the very worst of it and everything is going crazy. It's total chaos at times. That's where you really need to be "tuned in" to everything that's going on around you. The radio is the first thing to go off. If the boss is getting in your hair you shut off the two way radio too. The world is covered in a blanket of freshly fallen snow and everything goes silent. Sometimes it's coming down so fast that it turns into a white out and you can only see a few feet ahead of your truck. It's when you're running almost blind that you roll down the window and just listen. It's the sound of your tires holding traction. It's listening to the motor and knowing when to split your shifter either up or down. It's the sound of the 11' wide plow in the front as it slides on and off the centerline of the road. It's the sound of the eight foot wide side plow as you're edging closer to the ditch. It's the sound of that plow clipping a utility pole or mailbox because you got three inches too far to the right. It's the sound of the hydraulic pump and hydraulic motors that run the sander in the back. It's all that and more. If you've never been there then it's hard to relate to.

It's the same thing when i'm running my pickup truck on a beautiful summer's day. The windows are down, the radio is off, and i'm listening for the sounds of the machine and the load i'm carrying. If something sounds,smells,or doesn't feel quite right then it gets looked into.

It is about running low key but more about mindfulness and being aware of what's going on around you.

I dig it. Thank you for the replies so far to my query.

I'm spoiled here on the sandbar. 3 months of the year I could blare music all day long, an nobody would care as all the tourists are louder then i ever could be. The rest of the year, unless I'm by the locals not many on my side(I'm about a block from the ocean. Most locals live what we call sound side. most the rental homes are ocean side. Just which side of the hwy you happen to be on)I can also be loud as I want. Who is going to complains? The fish? Ha ha. I can do it, but i don't.

Afterall...I drive a mini-van. Not like the thing is tweeked out to blast music..ha ha!

I rarely have my music up so loud someone would be irritated an if they are, then a lot in life will annoy them more so then my music. Now if i'm home an breaking things down, all bets are off, an I'll play it as loud as I want. Empty homes can't ***** an tourists know better, due to the fact they make more noise then anyone.

Side story..My Nana, would always get annoyed when some suped up honda would pull up next to her in traffic blaring it's rap, or rock, etc. So when she got a 2000 an something mini-van, she made sure it had decent speakers. So now when the Honda's pull up, she rolls down her windows an blasts old school country. You should see the looks she gets, cracks me up.

Sirscrapalot - Inquiring minds want to know.

I don't know how minivans sound, but a small block Chevy is a pretty nice soundtrack by itself!

My van isn't loud at all. It could be the age, the speakers..I dunno. It's still all factory. Heh. I may upgrade the radio here soon tho, tired of using the little tape connector thing. LOL.

My buddy has his car parked in my driveway till he decides to sell it or fix it. I let him store it here, as he had to move it out of the lot where he was staying. He'll come by once a month, hook up the battery an give it some juice..an that bloody thing is loud. Ford focus I think..I forget.

Anyone wants to buy a car..he's asking 3, but I know he'll take 2. ha ha! Needs a starter I think he said, an two tires(He has the tires, he's a mechanic by trade). Ha ha!

I duno, I might be making a move soon(still on the sandbar) but not sure yet. I hate moving, so we'll see what happens when my lease is up at the end of the year.

Sirscrapalot - VRRRRROOOOOOOOOOM!