Q:In the 1970s, my father had a CB radio in our AMC station wagon and in his Jeep. Does anyone still use these? Do all of the other electronic communications interfere with them? -Guy P., Minneapolis
A:Yes, some people still use them and they are still being made. The near universal presence of cell phones has pushed CB (Citizens' Band) radios out of the limelight . Communicating between two vehicles on a family trip was a popular use for them outside the trucking industry. But truckers and other drivers still use them to stay in touch with road conditions, weather and the general scene.
A CB's advantage over a cell phone is that it is, as the name indicates, a radio transmitter (and receiver). Pick up the handset and speak and all motorists and base stations (a stationary CB in a home or office) within range and on the same channel will hear you. You don't have to find a phone number and you don't have to look at a keypad and dial. Also, if your communication is traffic-related, you may reach a driver who just passed through the area about which you have a question - congestion, weather problems, restaurants, service, motels....
While it's been years since I've used one, I understand they still work well over their range. Electrical components on your car are more likely to cause noise than cell phones, but shops familiar with CB radios can help you minimize that should you make the leap into this niche, nostalgic area. It'll cost about $200 for a radio and antenna. Retro stuff is big in the automotive arena - maybe you'll kick off a trend!
Q:Saw your article on scooters a couple weeks ago. Is it possible to drive them during the winter? -Will T., St. Louis Park
A:I'll tell you the risks and hassles and you can decide what's reasonable. I don't ride my motorcycle over the deep winter, nor do any of the riders I know.
Riding a two-wheeled vehicle on snowy streets is a risky proposition, to say the least, and the few motorcycle-magazine writers who have done it on a lark have laid the bike down at least once. Risks are the same as on a bicycle and most people who have ridden them in the snow have experienced this chain of events: you hit the brakes, the wheels lock because friction against the snowy surface to keep them spinning is minimal, the now-stopped wheels have no more angular momentum to keep you up, and you do a spread-eagle on the street. (I did this in spectacular fashion in front of the U of M law school the first snowy day I rode my mountain bike-turns out the knobby tires I thought could conquer any surface, couldn't.)
Other issues: Riding in the open air at any sort of speed below about 40 degrees is much colder than walking, jogging, etc. Riding at zero or below would be outrageous with exposed skin. You'd want snowmobile-grade attire to avoid frostbite. The gravel they put on the roads to aid traction actually reduces it when there's no snow. Your tires trying to brake or turn on the gravel skid instead, sending you to the pavement or into the thing you hoped to stop before striking. Drivers of vehicles far larger than your scooter will face similar challenges trying to avoid you.
