fireman_343

The 4.10's do fine for around here!! I drive on the freeway with no problem. The rpm's stay right at or just a tick below 2k rpm when going 65-70mph. Now the speed'o is off by 5mph when u get past 50mph... So when it says 60, I'm really going 65 mph. Not a big deal I had no problem driving it out to BeaveRun, Pa... But it did want to stay in the higher gears when going up the longer hills.. If I do end up keeping it... I'm going to toss on some 33" 12.50's A/T's. But, the truck pushes the 35's no problem and can get up to speed fast too!

I've already sold back my old 2000 Taco with a rusty frame!! I got a lot of cash for it!! Toyota will only buy back the 95-00 trucks with rusty frames that fail the inspection! 2001 to 2005 they will just replace the frame, or do like they did with mine and spray rust proofing to the inside and outside of the frame! They only do that to the frames that pass the insp. If for some reason it does rust, then you can take it back in to get sprayed again or try and push for a new frame.

Yes...If you remove the toolbox! My mini fits with it in! And it fits in my garage... normal size garage door too! I can squeeze my wife's Honda Element, my bike and the Taco in there!!

I guess I should of put it up sooner!! damn... You could lite the durango on fire and collect on the insurance! hahaha! Just kidding!

Well.. I REALLY don't want to sell my truck, but I think I might have to. I was trying to save up for a beater and drive it most of the time and then just use the truck for going to the races, and hauling stuff... but it looks like I am going to have to let it go. I'm not really that pressed to sell (yet), so no low ball offers. It is a 2001 double cab 4x4 V6 TRD Off-Road Toyota Tacoma! It drives like new, has new(er) Tuff Conutry 6" Suspension lift kit, 35" x 12.50 x 15 Dick Cepek Tires and 15" Dick Cepek Wheels. Never really off-roaded the vehicle (taken out off-road on a farm, but thats it). Adult owned and never abused! Oil changed every 3500-4000 miles with Mobil 1 full Synthetic oil and tires rotated at same time! No warn/cupped tires! Again, this truck is perfect!! Can be used as a daily driver (I am now) or turn it into an off-road beast! This past winter was no problem with this truck and did great! Tires have LOTS of life left in them (well over half tread left).. they do not rub on the truck at all! Clean/Clear Title in hand...Immaculate interior, motor runs STRONG (3.4L V6 is one of the best motors around.. non-interference motor), Cold A/C, Hot heat, has 4:10 gears, 4x4, factory rear locker (TRD Package), Towing Package (with custom drop hitch) has front bull bar style bumper, stock rear bumper looks brand new, has tool box on the back and flow master exhaust with K&N style cold air intake system. Frame is in good condition and Toyota dealership sprayed it and it is under warranty if it ever does rust, they will replace frame for free. Power windows, power door locks, no rips or stains or smells on the interior! Seats 4 with comfort for everyone! You will NOT find a cleaner, better looking, well kept Toyota Tacoma Double cab truck around! Has 151K on it now, but you would never know it! Mostly highway miles when truck was stock.. lift has only been on for a little over a year. I have some of the stock parts left over. $12,500 Located in Blacklick Ohio.. (east side of Columbus). Email me/reply here to schedule a time to look at it. Thanks!! Only time I took it off-road.. at my friends farm

Total bull shit!!!

Sweet, yeah the spec XR100 class is going to be huge this year!! It's going to look like a 600cc race grid! Lol See ya on the track!

Sweet!!! The XR100 only class is going to have a huge grid this season!!! If u need any help with the motor, let me know!! See ya at the track!

The area on the website with the rental info is here: http://www.ohiominiroadracingleague.com/services That area hasn't been updated yet, because we are still trying to figure out what size leathers we have to loan out and what bikes we will be using... More then likely, they will be xr100's. We don't currently have NSR and NSF's for rent... Unless a club member lets you ride their bike. We do not have leathers in kids sizes (yet). The whole rental thing is still very new for us and we are going to test it out with XR's first and if we can afford a roadracing style bike to rent out, I'll buy it along with some kids leathers. Your best bet is to sign up on our forum and ask if anyone has any leathers you can use for your son. We have a lot of kids that are in our club that have raced with us for years and just moved up to racing RS125's and Kawi 250's.. So, they might have some old gear sitting around. How old is your son??

You are somewhat right.. I don't know "enough" about the bill, but I do know how it will affect me at my work place. Since I'm a State Employee and a firefighter (for the state.. kinda like the State Troopers), I was getting a little mixed up on some of the "wording" and how it will affect city firefighters differently then me. As far as flipping on the unions going away, it will in some shops for the state, since they won't have a back to stand on. I just learned about the differance between me and a city firefighter, I think I'm more screwed then them just because they will not see my "title" as a firefighter, but just that I'm a state employee. Sorry for the few somewhat misleading posts, but I was not going off what others told me, but what I was misreading in the vague words in the bill. It wasn't until I asked one of the guys at my work what the differance is and if our union will go away. Thanks for your support and being polite about it!

I just talked to one of the guys at work and he said that since we are STATE employees, this effects us more then local city firefighters! I guess, they will not look at our title as Firefighter, but as just a state employee! Also, our union will still be here..., but we would have no back bone to go off of, and no arbitrator to help with problems! All the other stuff I said, is true about our schedule and time off, etc.. I'm screwed if it passes!

Read my edit above.. what is classified as Supervisor?

Just like it reads... they put in a fancy title like "supervisor" and say that we are EXCLUDED from collective bargaining? A Union and Collective Bargaining go hand and hand.. What is classified as "supervisor" under the new bill?? A firefighter, a Lt., a Capt, a Chief?? I can be a supervisor as a firefighter to a lower ranking firefighter!

Here is some more info on Collective Bargaining... http://clear.uhwo.hawaii.edu/CB-FAQ.html

Really??? HAHA Okay, little english lesson here! LOL ABOLISH: to end the observance or effect of, DESTROY! To do away with (laws, regulations, customs, etc.); put an end to. Abolishes the Office of Collective BargainingThey are going to do away with the collective bargaining! Collective bargaining is a process of voluntary negotiations between employers and trade unions aimed at reaching agreements which regulate working conditions. Collective agreements usually set out wage scales, working hours, training, health and safety, overtime, grievance mechanisms and rights to participate in workplace or company affairs. The union may negotiate with a single employer (who is typically representing a company's shareholders) or may negotiate with a federation of businesses, depending on the country, to reach an industry wide agreement. A collective agreement functions as a labor contract between an employer and one or more unions. Collective bargaining consists of the process of negotiation between representatives of a union and employers (generally represented by management, in some countries[which?] by an employers' organization) in respect of the terms and conditions of employment of employees, such as wages, hours of work, working conditions and grievance-procedures, and about the rights and responsibilities of trade unions. The parties often refer to the result of the negotiation as a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) or as a collective employment agreement (CEA). Talk to your brother about it! What FD does it work for? I'm sure he can fill ya in on some insight on the SB5 and how it will affect him!

The chiefs like the power.. if they have the power to do so they will! I'm not saying that all chiefs and capt are like that.. but I know of a few here at my work that will screw over people just because they can!

...

No.. the promotion process is like this... if there is a Lt. slot open and you have enough time in service to apply, you can do so. Once you apply, you still have to take a physical agility test (don gear, drag hose, dummies, climb ladders, etc) and it's timed. Once you pass that, you then have to go thru the interview board and be interviewed for the job. Then, the chief's and HR person all get together and hire who has the highest score and who interviewed the best. So, that will "weed out" the dirtbags that apply just because they have time in service. Just because you have enough time to become a Lt.. doesn't mean that they just "hand" you the promotion.. you have to go out and earn it

Because I can only file a grievance if I have a union that backs me up... The state will allways side with the fire chief if you don't have a union that will back up the little guys! Time off.. same thing.. my union has a LOA for how we do our scheduled time off each year that the chiefs have to follow! Its a fair way of doing it and we go by seniority. Without the LOA in effect... then they can change schedules when ever they want (see my long post on that a few pages back), deny leave for no reason, etc.. And if you think it won't happen.. then you are kidding yourself! They are chomp'n at the bits to get the big fat DENY stamp and slam it down on your leave form!

Right... I have specialized training in just the fire dept, degrees for just the fire dept.. So, I won't be able to get another job making what I make with the degrees and certs that I have! I never said we are underpaid.. I said we make a decent wage for what we do.. I'm not getting rich doing this job.. thats for sure! And its difficult to get on with the FD because it doesn't require a degree (most don't), you can go to the fire academy for 13 weeks (maybe longer, don't know how long the training is since I've been doing this for 12 yrs now) and get your certs to get on with a township or city FD.. Most city FD's have civial service tests, so joe blow off the street can take the test and try to get on. Its hard if you don't have the training.. but if you've got the taining/certs and apply all around I-270 here in Columbus, you'll get a call back! And I don't get a lot of OT as it is anyway... nurses.. I can see them getting a lot of OT, but I didn't make much in OT last year

You obviously have never worked at at fire dept. 90% of the public just doesn't know what happends and how things work at the FD. It doesn't matter how much you work, or how hard you work here.. without a union... the chiefs will promote who they like and it DOESN'T MATTER how hard you work, how good of a firefighter/paramedic you are, how well you do building inspections, how many lifes you saved, how good you cook, how well you wash trucks, etc... they will promote a dirtbag over you just because they know his daddy or they are good friends off shift! No fucking joke!! You can kind of see it now, even with a union... the fire chiefs have their "boys" that they like and they can get away with MURDER, but if I miss a spot on the truck, I'll get my yelled at! I can file a grievance if I feel that I am being bullied or treated un-fair. Leave is a huge issue with any fire dept.. if you can not get time off... you will get burnt out and start making BAD decisions! Thats a fact!

That sucks man! Sorry to hear about that! We have had a few guys here that went thru some nasty divorces! And all of them have been from the WIFE fucking around and not the men! 24 hrs away from home and the wifes start thinking.. umm... I can get away with it! Or.. they don't like us NOT being home with them. I'm lucky and my wife and I have been married for 11 yrs now and the main issue with us since day 1 has been that I'm not at home that offten! She knows that its my job, but hey.. everyone likes to sleep next to their wife/husband at night. Again, sorry about the divorce.. if you need anything brother just let me know!

Really?? Does your wife work 120-144hrs every 2 weeks... 24 hr shifts away from the house? Either way, I'm glad you are not having any issues, but I'm sure she can get leave, and pay raises! I won't be able to and I'll be working more if this passes!! Not sure about the cops, but at least they get to go home after their shift (and most of the time with a fat belly after eatting at the FD)

Well.. I had a good nights sleep and I hope you all did too knowing that the FD was protecting you! Well, this bill will affect me in many ways.. one being that management will be able to schedule us how they feel fit. That might not be an issue with some 9-5 workers, but since I work 24 hour shifts, it can really create a hardship! Also working holidays will be a mess and trying to figure out the pay. Management can and will screw someone out of OT just because they don't like them and offer it to the first person they see or "like" and not follow the OT roster we have. They will have the option to deviate (change) my schedule whenever they feel fit, and not give me a 2 week notice that they are doing so. Again, a big hardship for us that work 24 hour shifts and some of them 24 hour shifts are backed up to another 24hr shift... so we could essentially be stuck here for 48-72hrs straight! I don't think that you would want a warn out/tired firefighter/Paramedic going on his 70th work hour fighting your house fire, or trying to decide what drugs to push in the back of the medic during a life and death situation! This not only affects us, but our families also! My career and also the police dept are some of the worst for divorce rates, this will only cause more! Promotions will be given to who can suck dick the most! No joke! We have promotions for LT and Capt that are based on seniority now... if SB5 passes, then they can promote anyone they want. Just like the old "good ol'boy" system back in the day before unions were around. If you can suck up to the chief, or know the right person, slide them a 5th on the backside, you can promoted! Leave will not be signed and "guaranteed". So, there is no way to schedule a vacation.. again a HUGE hardship and something people often overlook! The health care end of it really doesn't affect me at all, since we are already on the low end of things! I will take about a 10% pay cut! Won't see a raise for years and they can cut my hours back to a 50hrs a week if they wanted to. I don't make that much to begin with! Some teachers make more then me! I don't know where people think that firefighters make a ton of money, because I don't know of a single fireman that is rich because of our job! We make a "decent" amount for what we do and the starting pay for a lot of fire dept's are really LOW! You don't stat making "good" money till you reach lieutenant and then the next step is Capt and (at my FD) if you are a Capt, you are out of the Union because you are part of managemant. I don't get year end bonus checks, or any of that stuff that a lot of 9-5 workers get. Sit back and ask yourself if you can cut your hours back 30% or more and take a 10% pay cut right now! Then factor in the FACT that we go out and put our lifes on the line everyday that I walk into the station... and for what... $10 an hour (starting pay)? I don't think thats fair. I could go on and on.. but you get the point. We need unions to keep things fair!

Haha!! Yeah right!! I'm lucky to have a wife that makes about as much as me, so that's how I can afford the iPhone!! And if I made more money, I'd have a new(er) bike and not a 8 yr old dinosaur that maybe makes 100hp! Haha And I'd also be racing 600's and not mini's!! Casper, I'll type why and how it will affect me tomorrow!! I'm in my bed at the FD now on my overpriced smart phone!! Lol!