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I'm not sure why everyone is getting nuts about the tag thing.
First of all, don't make up damned lie (like, "I borrowed it") to tell cops, that is just asking to get your ass arrested.
Talk to your insurance company first. They can likely get you insured on it or will explain to you the situation with you driving it. It's not like you're the first person to buy a car from someone, and generally speaking, cops aren't looking to screw you over so long as you made a decent effort to obey the law. Have the title, signed over to you, with you in the car. Keep the tags on the car. If you get pulled over for speeding and they want to know why the car isn't registered to you, show them the title and tell them the truth.
You should be able to get temporary insurance on the vehicle easily through your current insurer.
I'm not sure when your planned dates for this trip are, but if they're within the next three weeks be VERY careful about speeding in South Carolina. They've got something called "Operation: Rolling Thunder" going on and I've seen at least 2 highway patrolmen every couple of miles on the interstates.
TL DRNot at all confident in his reflexive opinions of thingsRegistered Userregular
edited October 2008
The way title transfer works (in Ohio) is that you have to bring the signed, notarized title to the DMV, which will be filled out saying that he sold the car to you, for $x, where x is usually a gross misrepresentation of the price for tax purposes.
The car should still be insured under his insurance, and you would be covered since he is letting you drive. The way it was explained to me when I bought insurance, you insure the car, not the driver.
FYI, as someone who drives from MD to NC with some regularity:
Speed if you must in MD, DC, NC, as they don't give a shit for the most part so long as traffic is flowing nicely. Don't speed in VA, as I see people getting pulled constantly for going slightly over.
Also, the VA rest areas on I-95 are pretty nice compared to other states, so take advantage there if convenient.
In my experience, and this goes nationwide, you are like 6.7 times more likely to get pulled over if you have out-of-state plates and are outside a metro area. Basically cops actively look for dudes with out of state plates on long stretches of highway, even if they're only doing like 7mph over.
So really, assuming this car has cruise control (do any exist anymore than don't?) you're best just setting it for the speed limit and sticking with it.
[Bastard Hat On]I know with New York state very, very, very few states share DMV points info with NY. So a majority of the consequences of the ticket out of state are pretty minimal. Finding out what the deal with your state is can help you make that decision.[/Bastard]
I'll just throw in my two cents that 900 miles in two days is no biggie. I did almost the same distance about a month and a half ago - I drove from CT to Savannah, GA, where I am now.
I agree with the suggestions that you do the "bulk" of your trip on the first day - I think I pulled ~9 hours on the first day, and then it was only about 6 hours after that, I think. It's really not so bad. I only stopped for food or facilities, which isn't bad when you've got snacks in your car and you're not drinking copious amounts of....tea, or something.
If you're looking for books on tape and you have an mp3 player (or a lot of cds at your disposal), Project Gutenberg has some free audiobooks. These are legitimately free because they are in the public domain. I'm not sure what you're in to, but they have a couple of books by H.G. Wells, some philosophy, Villette by Charlotte Bronte, and some other really good stuff. I have a fairly long commute to work and they've been indispensable.
LoveIsUnity on
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Inquisitor772 x Penny Arcade Fight Club ChampionA fixed point in space and timeRegistered Userregular
edited October 2008
I used to do LA to SF (Bay Area) and back all the time when I was going to college down there. Audio books are good, but I actually preferred lectures. Real, actual lectures from real, actual college professors. You have to be pretty nerdy to get into it, though. If you're the type to fall asleep in class and you don't find the subject matter interesting, that may be more dangerous than not listening to anything at all... =P
I also liked to break up the monotony. After a few lectures I would switch back to music, public radio, a comedy album, etc. Changing up the pace is good. Regular rest stops aren't necessary unless you're planning on sleeping somewhere. Just learn to recognize when you're getting tired and pull over at the next place that looks like a decent rest stop. I don't know about the east coast, but here in California there are signs posted pretty regularly telling you if there is food/gas/lodging at the next exit, so I would learn to read those, too.
When you do stop, take the time to get out of the car and walk around. Stretch. Do jumping jacks. Take a piss. Splash water on your face. Walk around some more. A little activity can do more to revitalize you than a short nap when you're doing long drives. It's not so much that your body is tired - it's more than your brain gets tired of the monotony of driving. You have to give those neurons (and your eyes) some rest.
Speaking of eyes, try not to get tunnel vision, either. Look in your rear view mirror every once in a while, look into the distance if you've been staring 30 feet in front of your car, glance at the side of the road, etc. etc. etc. Eye strain actually makes both your vision and cognitive function worse, which is bad mojo when you're driving.
My last bit of advice is if you ever feel yourself falling asleep, just pull over. Don't push yourself. It's not worth it to kill/injure yourself or other people just because you wanted to get an extra 30 miles of driving on a 900-mile trip.
If you're looking for books on tape and you have an mp3 player (or a lot of cds at your disposal), Project Gutenberg has some free audiobooks. These are legitimately free because they are in the public domain. I'm not sure what you're in to, but they have a couple of books by H.G. Wells, some philosophy, Villette by Charlotte Bronte, and some other really good stuff. I have a fairly long commute to work and they've been indispensable.
Posts
First of all, don't make up damned lie (like, "I borrowed it") to tell cops, that is just asking to get your ass arrested.
Talk to your insurance company first. They can likely get you insured on it or will explain to you the situation with you driving it. It's not like you're the first person to buy a car from someone, and generally speaking, cops aren't looking to screw you over so long as you made a decent effort to obey the law. Have the title, signed over to you, with you in the car. Keep the tags on the car. If you get pulled over for speeding and they want to know why the car isn't registered to you, show them the title and tell them the truth.
I'm not sure when your planned dates for this trip are, but if they're within the next three weeks be VERY careful about speeding in South Carolina. They've got something called "Operation: Rolling Thunder" going on and I've seen at least 2 highway patrolmen every couple of miles on the interstates.
The car should still be insured under his insurance, and you would be covered since he is letting you drive. The way it was explained to me when I bought insurance, you insure the car, not the driver.
[Bastard Hat On]I know with New York state very, very, very few states share DMV points info with NY. So a majority of the consequences of the ticket out of state are pretty minimal. Finding out what the deal with your state is can help you make that decision.[/Bastard]
apparently I'm getting the info and insuring the car while it's still in DC and just going to grab it
I am told by several people that this will work
oh yea, you probably already know this but pick up some rainx right after you get the car and put it on the windshield
have fun!
I agree with the suggestions that you do the "bulk" of your trip on the first day - I think I pulled ~9 hours on the first day, and then it was only about 6 hours after that, I think. It's really not so bad. I only stopped for food or facilities, which isn't bad when you've got snacks in your car and you're not drinking copious amounts of....tea, or something.
Best o' luck!
Stop when needed, but you'll likely find too much stopping to be an annoying impediment.
I also liked to break up the monotony. After a few lectures I would switch back to music, public radio, a comedy album, etc. Changing up the pace is good. Regular rest stops aren't necessary unless you're planning on sleeping somewhere. Just learn to recognize when you're getting tired and pull over at the next place that looks like a decent rest stop. I don't know about the east coast, but here in California there are signs posted pretty regularly telling you if there is food/gas/lodging at the next exit, so I would learn to read those, too.
When you do stop, take the time to get out of the car and walk around. Stretch. Do jumping jacks. Take a piss. Splash water on your face. Walk around some more. A little activity can do more to revitalize you than a short nap when you're doing long drives. It's not so much that your body is tired - it's more than your brain gets tired of the monotony of driving. You have to give those neurons (and your eyes) some rest.
Speaking of eyes, try not to get tunnel vision, either. Look in your rear view mirror every once in a while, look into the distance if you've been staring 30 feet in front of your car, glance at the side of the road, etc. etc. etc. Eye strain actually makes both your vision and cognitive function worse, which is bad mojo when you're driving.
My last bit of advice is if you ever feel yourself falling asleep, just pull over. Don't push yourself. It's not worth it to kill/injure yourself or other people just because you wanted to get an extra 30 miles of driving on a 900-mile trip.
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