by Horn Fan Written on March 09, 2010 Ron Hornady would've, should've, could've, but didn't and it's left the defending champion 28th in the points.
Hornaday and his No. 33 Longhorn team came to Atlanta looking to rally back and hoping for a good day. Unfortunately, the team gambled on a tire rub, rolled the dice, it came up snake eyes and ended there day early finishing 34th.
The chemistry looked good between Horn and his new crew chief Doug George and the 33 team. They looked good in both practices running 30 laps between the two, making multiple changes to his truck.
Horn was the fourth fastest in the first, and ran 15th fastest in the final one.
Then he went out and won the pole for the race. One thing about Horn, he's one of several drivers in the series. That you can't judge how they are in practice, and it's how well they qualify as to just how really good they are.
It goes without say that he had one stout Chevy on Saturday. Horn took the green heading into turn one it was three wide with Busch and Crafton.
When Horn trying to hold his line, got loose on the cold tires and made slight contact with Busch. The end result was his left rear fender slightly bent in rubbing on his tire.
The team debated making a pit stop for fresh tires and to pull the fender out. While for several laps his truck did have tire smoke, it did dissipated and stop.
His spotter Rick Carelli thought it didn't look too bad and teammate/boss Kevin Harvick did drive right behind also saying the same thing.
So Horn would stay out, rather than lose a lap or two early and not because he would not have made it up later in the race.
He would remain among the leaders, continue fighting for the lead and actually led Lap 11 before quickly surrender the lead to Busch.
Horn would settle into third, with his truck getting looser each lap and was patiently waiting for a pit stop. Unfortunately Horn became the first caution on Lap 23, when his left rear tire explode and sent him into the wall.
His No. 33 Longhorn Chevrolet received extensive rear end damage and also the right side was pancaked in.
His team worked pretty hard trying to get Horn back out to log some laps for points but the damage was too great to repair.
Horn finished 34th for the day, add that to his 28th place finish at Daytona and many have written him off too repeat.
But Horn along with Skinner are two guys that you just can never write off and throw the statistic's out the window with them.
It is what it is, but adversity like this will only make the No. 33 Longhorn team strong and they'll battle back to factor into the championship at Homestead.
Photo Credit: sports.yahoo.com
2010年3月24日 星期三
UPDATE: Brookings man recounts rescue of Zoey Dorsey
Last Update: 3/19 3:02 pm
Print Story | ShareThis
Zoey Dorsey (Curry Co. Sheriff's Office)
Related Links
UPDATE: Missing 4-year-old found alive
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Robert Crump got off work about 5:30 p.m. Thursday and, like hundreds of folks from across Oregon, headed into the woods to look for Zoey Dorsey, a 4-year-old who'd gone missing the day before.
Crump and his wife, Peggy, pointed their pickup — hauling the couple's ATV — down the backroads near Zoey's house, then Crump hopped on the ATV and headed down a muddy logging road. He got off and started circling a canyon behind Zoey's Curry County home.
Crump waited for the blare of the helicopter to fade away. He wanted quiet so he could listen for signs of Zoey.
He waited. Then he heard something.
"I heard a funny yip noise, a yelp," Crump told The Oregonian on Friday. "It definitely didn't sound natural."
He zeroed in on the faint sound. He circled the canyon, stepping through thick layers of brambles, briars and fallen limbs. He followed game trails. He listened for that faint cry but heard nothing.
"Zoey!" Crump called out over and over.
No response.
"I was pretty discouraged. I would stop and listen," he said. "I wasn't getting any more response. I started to turn around to go back up the hill."
Crump stepped carefully, glancing down at his feet to make sure of his footing. And there she was, right at his feet.
"She was so buried and camouflaged under the stickers and salal," he said. "I was circling around these bushes. I was very close to her and didn't realize it."
"It startled me," he said. He thought, "This can't be true."
Crump called out the words searchers had longed to hear all day: "I found her!"
Crump's wife, Peggy, called back, "Oh my God!" She ran to the truck of another volunteer searcher and longtime Brookings resident, Donald Hodges. She honked Hodges' truck horn to get his attention. Hodges ran back, phoned 9-1-1 and asked for a helicopter.
Meanwhile, Crump carefully pulled back the thick underbrush that had buried Zoey, careful not to scratch the girl.
Finally, he was able to get his arms around her and pull her out.
"I grabbed her arm and put it around my neck and she latched on," he said. "She was really cold and stiff. I just held her in my arms."
He carried her out, half the time crawling on his hands and knees.
All the while, he talked to Zoey.
"We are going to make it, Zoey. We are headed home to Mama."
Zoey, who was weak and hypothermic, never said a word.
Crump, 47, who works heavy construction in Brookings, has three grown kids and four grandchildren, said he's not an emotional guy.
"I'm hands-on, get-it-done but looking back on it this morning, it's pretty emotional," said Crump, who was born and raised in Brookings.
He knows Zoey wouldn't have survived another night in the cold woods and considers himself lucky to have picked the right place to look. He found her just as darkness was setting in.
When he and Zoey finally reached the road, Peggy Crump wrapped the girl in a hoodie and a thick hunting coat. The couple reassured Zoey that help was on the way. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hovered overhead, then lowered a basket.
The Crumps gently pried Zoey off Robert Crump and handed her to one of the rescuers. Zoey quickly nestled her head against the shoulder of the rescuer who placed her in the basket.
Just before he gave the pilot a thumbs-up, Crump had one more thing to say to Zoey: "You're going to be OK."
"And they flew off," Crump said.
Print Story | ShareThis
Zoey Dorsey (Curry Co. Sheriff's Office)
Related Links
UPDATE: Missing 4-year-old found alive
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Robert Crump got off work about 5:30 p.m. Thursday and, like hundreds of folks from across Oregon, headed into the woods to look for Zoey Dorsey, a 4-year-old who'd gone missing the day before.
Crump and his wife, Peggy, pointed their pickup — hauling the couple's ATV — down the backroads near Zoey's house, then Crump hopped on the ATV and headed down a muddy logging road. He got off and started circling a canyon behind Zoey's Curry County home.
Crump waited for the blare of the helicopter to fade away. He wanted quiet so he could listen for signs of Zoey.
He waited. Then he heard something.
"I heard a funny yip noise, a yelp," Crump told The Oregonian on Friday. "It definitely didn't sound natural."
He zeroed in on the faint sound. He circled the canyon, stepping through thick layers of brambles, briars and fallen limbs. He followed game trails. He listened for that faint cry but heard nothing.
"Zoey!" Crump called out over and over.
No response.
"I was pretty discouraged. I would stop and listen," he said. "I wasn't getting any more response. I started to turn around to go back up the hill."
Crump stepped carefully, glancing down at his feet to make sure of his footing. And there she was, right at his feet.
"She was so buried and camouflaged under the stickers and salal," he said. "I was circling around these bushes. I was very close to her and didn't realize it."
"It startled me," he said. He thought, "This can't be true."
Crump called out the words searchers had longed to hear all day: "I found her!"
Crump's wife, Peggy, called back, "Oh my God!" She ran to the truck of another volunteer searcher and longtime Brookings resident, Donald Hodges. She honked Hodges' truck horn to get his attention. Hodges ran back, phoned 9-1-1 and asked for a helicopter.
Meanwhile, Crump carefully pulled back the thick underbrush that had buried Zoey, careful not to scratch the girl.
Finally, he was able to get his arms around her and pull her out.
"I grabbed her arm and put it around my neck and she latched on," he said. "She was really cold and stiff. I just held her in my arms."
He carried her out, half the time crawling on his hands and knees.
All the while, he talked to Zoey.
"We are going to make it, Zoey. We are headed home to Mama."
Zoey, who was weak and hypothermic, never said a word.
Crump, 47, who works heavy construction in Brookings, has three grown kids and four grandchildren, said he's not an emotional guy.
"I'm hands-on, get-it-done but looking back on it this morning, it's pretty emotional," said Crump, who was born and raised in Brookings.
He knows Zoey wouldn't have survived another night in the cold woods and considers himself lucky to have picked the right place to look. He found her just as darkness was setting in.
When he and Zoey finally reached the road, Peggy Crump wrapped the girl in a hoodie and a thick hunting coat. The couple reassured Zoey that help was on the way. A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter hovered overhead, then lowered a basket.
The Crumps gently pried Zoey off Robert Crump and handed her to one of the rescuers. Zoey quickly nestled her head against the shoulder of the rescuer who placed her in the basket.
Just before he gave the pilot a thumbs-up, Crump had one more thing to say to Zoey: "You're going to be OK."
"And they flew off," Crump said.
2010年3月19日 星期五
On tracks near Dover, friend unable to save woman from train
By Shelley Rossetter and Hilary Lehman, Times Staff Writers
In Print: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
One of two women walking on a railroad track where there is no sidewalk near Dover was killed by a CSX train going about 60 mph on Monday. The conductor sounded the horn, witnesses said.
DOVER — A honking car may have saved one woman's life Monday afternoon, but came too late for a friend who was struck and killed by a train.
While Deborah Sweat and Amanda O'Neil walked on railroad tracks along busy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, O'Neil heard a car horn. She turned to look, thinking it was someone trying to get their attention.
It was.
When she turned around, she realized the driver was trying to warn them of a train headed for them. O'Neil grabbed her friend's arm and tried to pull her to safety, she said, but instead fell down an embankment alone.
Sweat, 47, died at the scene, 14170 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The two were on their way from a grocery store, headed toward Staggs Tree Service Nursery, which Sweat's fiance, Dennis Stagg, owns and where Sweat worked, O'Neil said.
The Sheriff's Office listed the address of the nursery, 13824 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., as Sweat's home.
O'Neil said they were walking on the tracks around 2 p.m. because there is no sidewalk.
"If there was a sidewalk on this road, then we wouldn't have to worry about the railroad tracks," O'Neil said.
Neither of them heard the train coming, O'Neil said.
The train was traveling about 60 mph, said the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. When its conductor saw the two women walking on the track, he sounded the horn.
He continued to sound the horn as Sweat was struck, witnesses told deputies.
The freight train was carrying automobiles from Louisville, Ky., to Tampa, said CSX spokesman Gary Sease. It had two locomotives and 15 railcars.
CSX will know more about the accident once it looks at the train's event recorder on Tuesday, he said.
Though many improvements have been made to safety at railroad crossings, Sease said, pedestrians walking on the tracks remain a problem.
"They don't always hear approaching trains for whatever reason," he said. "Another problem is that the trains can't stop quickly. Even at slower speeds, it would take some time for a train to come to a stop."
Sweat's family gathered at the nursery Monday evening. Her sister, Lisa Sweat, arrived moments after the accident happened.
"She was lying there in pieces," Lisa Sweat said.
Shelley Rossetter can be reached at (813) 226-3374 or srossetter@sptimes.com.
[Last modified: Mar 16, 2010 12:20 AM]
In Print: Tuesday, March 16, 2010
One of two women walking on a railroad track where there is no sidewalk near Dover was killed by a CSX train going about 60 mph on Monday. The conductor sounded the horn, witnesses said.
DOVER — A honking car may have saved one woman's life Monday afternoon, but came too late for a friend who was struck and killed by a train.
While Deborah Sweat and Amanda O'Neil walked on railroad tracks along busy Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, O'Neil heard a car horn. She turned to look, thinking it was someone trying to get their attention.
It was.
When she turned around, she realized the driver was trying to warn them of a train headed for them. O'Neil grabbed her friend's arm and tried to pull her to safety, she said, but instead fell down an embankment alone.
Sweat, 47, died at the scene, 14170 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd.
The two were on their way from a grocery store, headed toward Staggs Tree Service Nursery, which Sweat's fiance, Dennis Stagg, owns and where Sweat worked, O'Neil said.
The Sheriff's Office listed the address of the nursery, 13824 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., as Sweat's home.
O'Neil said they were walking on the tracks around 2 p.m. because there is no sidewalk.
"If there was a sidewalk on this road, then we wouldn't have to worry about the railroad tracks," O'Neil said.
Neither of them heard the train coming, O'Neil said.
The train was traveling about 60 mph, said the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office. When its conductor saw the two women walking on the track, he sounded the horn.
He continued to sound the horn as Sweat was struck, witnesses told deputies.
The freight train was carrying automobiles from Louisville, Ky., to Tampa, said CSX spokesman Gary Sease. It had two locomotives and 15 railcars.
CSX will know more about the accident once it looks at the train's event recorder on Tuesday, he said.
Though many improvements have been made to safety at railroad crossings, Sease said, pedestrians walking on the tracks remain a problem.
"They don't always hear approaching trains for whatever reason," he said. "Another problem is that the trains can't stop quickly. Even at slower speeds, it would take some time for a train to come to a stop."
Sweat's family gathered at the nursery Monday evening. Her sister, Lisa Sweat, arrived moments after the accident happened.
"She was lying there in pieces," Lisa Sweat said.
Shelley Rossetter can be reached at (813) 226-3374 or srossetter@sptimes.com.
[Last modified: Mar 16, 2010 12:20 AM]
Man Disables More Than 100 Cars Over Internet
Friday, March 19, 2010 - by Jennifer Johnson
Car manufacturers often tout the peace of mind that comes from GPS devices that can help you recover a stolen car, unlock your car doors, etc. When used in the wrong hands, however, these devices can wreak havoc. After a man who was fired from a Texas auto dealership used an Internet service to remotely disable ignitions and set off car horns of more than 100 vehicles, the downfalls of these devices are quite apparent.
Omar Ramos-Lopez was arrested by Austin police on Wednesday after he used a former colleague's password to deactivate starters and set off car horns of vehicles sold from his former workplace. After their cars were deactivated, several owners said they had to call tow trucks and were left stranded. "He caused these customers, now victims, to miss work," Austin police spokeswoman Veneza Aguinaga said. "They didn't get paid. They had to get tow trucks. They didn't know what was going on with their vehicles."
The vehicles had GPS devices that were installed by the Texas Auto Center dealership in Austin. The devices are designed to be used to repossess a car if a buyer is overdue on payments. They also allow repo agents to activate the car horn if an owner attempts to hide the car.
In mid-February, dealership employees noticed someone was changing business records. One record even showed dead rapper Tupac Shakur as the owner of a 2009 vehicle. Soon after the changed records were discovered, customers began calling to complain their cars wouldn't start or the horn was going off incessantly. Originally, the dealership believed the cars had mechanical problems. Eventually, police were able to trace the sabotage to Ramos-Lopez's computer.
Car manufacturers often tout the peace of mind that comes from GPS devices that can help you recover a stolen car, unlock your car doors, etc. When used in the wrong hands, however, these devices can wreak havoc. After a man who was fired from a Texas auto dealership used an Internet service to remotely disable ignitions and set off car horns of more than 100 vehicles, the downfalls of these devices are quite apparent.
Omar Ramos-Lopez was arrested by Austin police on Wednesday after he used a former colleague's password to deactivate starters and set off car horns of vehicles sold from his former workplace. After their cars were deactivated, several owners said they had to call tow trucks and were left stranded. "He caused these customers, now victims, to miss work," Austin police spokeswoman Veneza Aguinaga said. "They didn't get paid. They had to get tow trucks. They didn't know what was going on with their vehicles."
The vehicles had GPS devices that were installed by the Texas Auto Center dealership in Austin. The devices are designed to be used to repossess a car if a buyer is overdue on payments. They also allow repo agents to activate the car horn if an owner attempts to hide the car.
In mid-February, dealership employees noticed someone was changing business records. One record even showed dead rapper Tupac Shakur as the owner of a 2009 vehicle. Soon after the changed records were discovered, customers began calling to complain their cars wouldn't start or the horn was going off incessantly. Originally, the dealership believed the cars had mechanical problems. Eventually, police were able to trace the sabotage to Ramos-Lopez's computer.
2010年3月9日 星期二
Car panic alarms could be an effective tool to scare off intruders
Posted: 5:43 a.m. February 18, 2010
9 Comments. Comment Now
I was recently asked to comment on the use of panic buttons on car key fobs as inexpensive burglar alarms. The idea has a lot of merit.
This technique involves taking your car keys out of your pocket or purse and putting them on your nightstand or headboard when you go to bed. If you're awakened by an intruder or perceived intruder, you merely grab your car keys and hit the panic button.
This would cause your car in the garage, driveway or street to start sounding its horn. The noise of the horn and the fact that the intruder would then know someone is awake in the home would scare away most intruders. Secondarily, the noise of the horn would attract attention from neighbors.
The key components of this panic button alarm system are your neighbors. If you're going to use this technique, you should contact your neighbors and ask them to call the police if they ever hear your car alarm sounding. Tell your neighbors how you're using the panic button to make noise to thwart an intruder, draw attention and summon help.
If you have no neighbors nearby, you'll be dependent on the car’s horn alone scaring the intruder. In that case, you'd be better off investing in an alarm system, dog or a firearm for home defense.
If you decide to use the car key panic button method, trial runs of very short duration should be attempted. Make sure the radio wave will reach your car from your bedroom. Make sure you can operate the panic alarm in low light or no light conditions. This includes being able to turn the alarm off, should it activate unintentionally.
Furthermore, in an actual emergency, you should call 911 as soon as you trip the panic button to get the police moving toward your home as soon as possible.
Calling 911 is another motor skill that should be practiced, especially if you are using a cell phone with small buttons. To practice, remove your phone battery or disconnect the phone at the phone jack and practice dialing 9-1-1-SEND , 9-1-1-TALK or just 9-1-1, depending on your phone.
Practice so you can do it in the dark and without eyeglasses. It is important to practice because when you are under intense stress, fine motor skills become impaired.
If you are a neighbor and hear a car alarm sounding and it isn't stopping, call the police. Officers will respond to the car alarm, ascertain the source, run a registration check on the plate or just knock on the door if the vehicle is in a driveway or garage.
Either way, police will try to make contact with the vehicle owner to make sure all is well and get the horn shut off.
Therefore, a car key fob panic button alarm could be an effective tool to ward off intruders and call for help.
Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware (that the horn that woke you might mean someone needs help) and watch out for your neighbors.
Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.
9 Comments. Comment Now
I was recently asked to comment on the use of panic buttons on car key fobs as inexpensive burglar alarms. The idea has a lot of merit.
This technique involves taking your car keys out of your pocket or purse and putting them on your nightstand or headboard when you go to bed. If you're awakened by an intruder or perceived intruder, you merely grab your car keys and hit the panic button.
This would cause your car in the garage, driveway or street to start sounding its horn. The noise of the horn and the fact that the intruder would then know someone is awake in the home would scare away most intruders. Secondarily, the noise of the horn would attract attention from neighbors.
The key components of this panic button alarm system are your neighbors. If you're going to use this technique, you should contact your neighbors and ask them to call the police if they ever hear your car alarm sounding. Tell your neighbors how you're using the panic button to make noise to thwart an intruder, draw attention and summon help.
If you have no neighbors nearby, you'll be dependent on the car’s horn alone scaring the intruder. In that case, you'd be better off investing in an alarm system, dog or a firearm for home defense.
If you decide to use the car key panic button method, trial runs of very short duration should be attempted. Make sure the radio wave will reach your car from your bedroom. Make sure you can operate the panic alarm in low light or no light conditions. This includes being able to turn the alarm off, should it activate unintentionally.
Furthermore, in an actual emergency, you should call 911 as soon as you trip the panic button to get the police moving toward your home as soon as possible.
Calling 911 is another motor skill that should be practiced, especially if you are using a cell phone with small buttons. To practice, remove your phone battery or disconnect the phone at the phone jack and practice dialing 9-1-1-SEND , 9-1-1-TALK or just 9-1-1, depending on your phone.
Practice so you can do it in the dark and without eyeglasses. It is important to practice because when you are under intense stress, fine motor skills become impaired.
If you are a neighbor and hear a car alarm sounding and it isn't stopping, call the police. Officers will respond to the car alarm, ascertain the source, run a registration check on the plate or just knock on the door if the vehicle is in a driveway or garage.
Either way, police will try to make contact with the vehicle owner to make sure all is well and get the horn shut off.
Therefore, a car key fob panic button alarm could be an effective tool to ward off intruders and call for help.
Lock it up, don’t leave it unattended, be aware (that the horn that woke you might mean someone needs help) and watch out for your neighbors.
Rich Kinsey is a retired Ann Arbor police detective sergeant who now blogs about crime and safety for AnnArbor.com.
Victims robbed after responding to fake Craigslist ads for computers
Democrat Staff Report • March 7, 2010
Comments(56)Recommend(3)
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Buzz up!Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A Four people fell victim to scam artists falsely advertising computers on Craigslist in separate incidents Friday, said Officer Danny Jeter of the Tallahassee Police Department.
One victim and a passenger drove to Putnam Drive about 4:30 p.m. hoping to buy a computer advertised on the Web site. They were met instead by a man who got in their car, pulled out a gun and demanded money.
The suspect ran away with cash and other property, and the victims weren’t hurt, Jeter said.
Later, a man and his wife reported being robbed in a similar scam after going to the 3000 block of South Adams Street. Once the victim and his wife arrived at the location, the man got out of his car and talked to a man who was allegedly selling the computer, Jeter said.
The suspect would not produce the computer and when a second man walked up, the buyer began walking back to his car. The two suspects wanted to get into the car, but the victim would not allow them inside.
The buyer was punched repeatedly. The victim’s wife blew the car horn and the two men ran away. The victim received minor injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to call 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at 574-TIPS (8477).
Comments(56)Recommend(3)
Print this page E-mail this article Share Del.icio.us Facebook Digg Reddit Newsvine
Buzz up!Twitter FarkIt Type Size A A A Four people fell victim to scam artists falsely advertising computers on Craigslist in separate incidents Friday, said Officer Danny Jeter of the Tallahassee Police Department.
One victim and a passenger drove to Putnam Drive about 4:30 p.m. hoping to buy a computer advertised on the Web site. They were met instead by a man who got in their car, pulled out a gun and demanded money.
The suspect ran away with cash and other property, and the victims weren’t hurt, Jeter said.
Later, a man and his wife reported being robbed in a similar scam after going to the 3000 block of South Adams Street. Once the victim and his wife arrived at the location, the man got out of his car and talked to a man who was allegedly selling the computer, Jeter said.
The suspect would not produce the computer and when a second man walked up, the buyer began walking back to his car. The two suspects wanted to get into the car, but the victim would not allow them inside.
The buyer was punched repeatedly. The victim’s wife blew the car horn and the two men ran away. The victim received minor injuries.
Anyone with information is asked to call 891-4200 or Crime Stoppers at 574-TIPS (8477).
2010年3月3日 星期三
Welcome to Tirana, a road to nowhere
Welcome to Tirana, a road to nowhere
By Paul Ferguson
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
It's a battle of survival on the streets of Tirana.There are no rules or system. Albanians have a mind of their own.
After years of living without the motorcar — Northern Ireland visited in 1982 horse and carts were the only transport available — it suddenly seems every person in the city has a vehicle or something resembling a car.
And it’s utter chaos.
How we managed to make it from the airport to the hotel without an accident is a mystery.
These Tirana roads make the frightening traffic around the Arc de Triumph look a mini roundabout.
Full of pot holes and cracks, 300,000 cars a day pound the tarmac here
There are traffic lights but these are largely ignored while the lanes have no relevance — nobody ever stays within them.
This means the noise of a car horn is incessant all day long as the Tirana dodgems make their way around the city.
Yellow New York style cabs are evident but that’s where the similarities with the Big Apple end.
Walk around this dull city and you take your life into your own hands when it comes to crossing roads — step out only with ultra caution.
But there’s nothing really to see. Tirana is a sad and ugly place that is still going to take many years to modernise.
The men are menacing while the women sullen. An angry city fighting back after years of communist rule and unrest.
Aging infrastructure and dilapidated buildings dominate the large areas while construction is taking place but painfully slow. Landmarks look awful.
Remember the strip in Newcastle, Co Down before major refurbishment or Queen’s Parade in Bangor?
That is Tirana throughout.
A city in transition, desperately hoping to rebuild and move into the 21st century.
It has been left to rot for too long.
But for former Northern Ireland international John O’Neill, out here in a working capacity for BBC Sport, has noticed dramatic changes. He was part of Billy Bingham’s side that drew 0-0 with Albania in Tirana 28 years ago.
“This is Las Vegas, compared to when I was last here,” after a drive though the Albanian capital.
Bars and restaurants are sparse — an indication of the high poverty Albania as a whole still suffers.
The local beer called Ottakri is light, pleasant and refreshing. You could also try Bitburger, Zipfer and Kriko Krombacher.
You’ll pay around 150 Lek, the currency in Albania, for a beer which is £1. Foreign bottled beers such as Heineken, Tuborg and Becks cost that little more at 200 Lek. Spirits and wine start at 240 Lek.
A meal, including steak and wine, at one of the few grand hotels in the city will only set you back 3000 Lek (£20).
Eighty passionate Northern Ireland fans are expected to be in attendance at the Qemal Stafa Stadium tonight and as a kind gesture from the Irish FA for their loyal support, Northern Ireland’s governing body are providing them with complimentary tickets for the game.
Tirana has become renowned as a difficult place to secure victory. Sweden and Denmark are just two European heavyweights who have struggled. Hardly surprising with the city so intimidating.
The match tonight may prove the easy part. Reaching the airport safely after another trip through the hectic traffic of Tirana is the greatest challenge?
truck horn
moto horn
By Paul Ferguson
Wednesday, 3 March 2010
It's a battle of survival on the streets of Tirana.There are no rules or system. Albanians have a mind of their own.
After years of living without the motorcar — Northern Ireland visited in 1982 horse and carts were the only transport available — it suddenly seems every person in the city has a vehicle or something resembling a car.
And it’s utter chaos.
How we managed to make it from the airport to the hotel without an accident is a mystery.
These Tirana roads make the frightening traffic around the Arc de Triumph look a mini roundabout.
Full of pot holes and cracks, 300,000 cars a day pound the tarmac here
There are traffic lights but these are largely ignored while the lanes have no relevance — nobody ever stays within them.
This means the noise of a car horn is incessant all day long as the Tirana dodgems make their way around the city.
Yellow New York style cabs are evident but that’s where the similarities with the Big Apple end.
Walk around this dull city and you take your life into your own hands when it comes to crossing roads — step out only with ultra caution.
But there’s nothing really to see. Tirana is a sad and ugly place that is still going to take many years to modernise.
The men are menacing while the women sullen. An angry city fighting back after years of communist rule and unrest.
Aging infrastructure and dilapidated buildings dominate the large areas while construction is taking place but painfully slow. Landmarks look awful.
Remember the strip in Newcastle, Co Down before major refurbishment or Queen’s Parade in Bangor?
That is Tirana throughout.
A city in transition, desperately hoping to rebuild and move into the 21st century.
It has been left to rot for too long.
But for former Northern Ireland international John O’Neill, out here in a working capacity for BBC Sport, has noticed dramatic changes. He was part of Billy Bingham’s side that drew 0-0 with Albania in Tirana 28 years ago.
“This is Las Vegas, compared to when I was last here,” after a drive though the Albanian capital.
Bars and restaurants are sparse — an indication of the high poverty Albania as a whole still suffers.
The local beer called Ottakri is light, pleasant and refreshing. You could also try Bitburger, Zipfer and Kriko Krombacher.
You’ll pay around 150 Lek, the currency in Albania, for a beer which is £1. Foreign bottled beers such as Heineken, Tuborg and Becks cost that little more at 200 Lek. Spirits and wine start at 240 Lek.
A meal, including steak and wine, at one of the few grand hotels in the city will only set you back 3000 Lek (£20).
Eighty passionate Northern Ireland fans are expected to be in attendance at the Qemal Stafa Stadium tonight and as a kind gesture from the Irish FA for their loyal support, Northern Ireland’s governing body are providing them with complimentary tickets for the game.
Tirana has become renowned as a difficult place to secure victory. Sweden and Denmark are just two European heavyweights who have struggled. Hardly surprising with the city so intimidating.
The match tonight may prove the easy part. Reaching the airport safely after another trip through the hectic traffic of Tirana is the greatest challenge?
truck horn
moto horn
Mercedes-Benz SA sponsors Bafana Bafana’s R3 million bus
Mercedes-Benz SA sponsors Bafana Bafana’s R3 million bus
PETER TAYLOR Published: 2010/03/02 04:00:30 PM
Multego Bafana Bafana bus
1 of 2
AFTER the announcement of the 22-strong Bafana Bafana squad to play in a friendly football match against Namibia on 3 March, a symbolic key was presented to SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe on behalf of Bafana Bafana, by Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, President and CEO of MBSA.
The Mercedes-Benz Ultego 40-seater coach is locally built, with its engine coming from the Atlantis plant in the Cape, the chassis from Port Elizabeth and the fittings by local assembler Marco Polo.
The sponsorship will run over a period of three years, well after the end of the 2010 World Cup.
The Mercedes-Benz Multego is a luxury coach with a unique interior layout, to accommodate the special needs of the team. The coach seats 40 passengers comfortably with individual seat-belts, and situated in the rear is a U-shaped couch and conference table for meetings.
The interior is finished in high quality plush cream leather.
Further comfort features includes a DVD entertainment system with three TV screens, full air-conditioning, and two portable fridges.
Two roof-mounted escape hatches are also included.
For additional comfort, there are convenience amenities too.
There is an air-horn which plays a unique tune, to noisily announce the arrival of the national football team at the various venues.
To gather support for the team, the Driving Bafana Bafana -- get on board campaign will allow fans, through a photo element, to have their pictures included in the final imagery that will be printed on the bus, which will be handed over to the team in early May.
air horn
car horn
PETER TAYLOR Published: 2010/03/02 04:00:30 PM
Multego Bafana Bafana bus
1 of 2
AFTER the announcement of the 22-strong Bafana Bafana squad to play in a friendly football match against Namibia on 3 March, a symbolic key was presented to SAFA CEO Leslie Sedibe on behalf of Bafana Bafana, by Dr Hansgeorg Niefer, President and CEO of MBSA.
The Mercedes-Benz Ultego 40-seater coach is locally built, with its engine coming from the Atlantis plant in the Cape, the chassis from Port Elizabeth and the fittings by local assembler Marco Polo.
The sponsorship will run over a period of three years, well after the end of the 2010 World Cup.
The Mercedes-Benz Multego is a luxury coach with a unique interior layout, to accommodate the special needs of the team. The coach seats 40 passengers comfortably with individual seat-belts, and situated in the rear is a U-shaped couch and conference table for meetings.
The interior is finished in high quality plush cream leather.
Further comfort features includes a DVD entertainment system with three TV screens, full air-conditioning, and two portable fridges.
Two roof-mounted escape hatches are also included.
For additional comfort, there are convenience amenities too.
There is an air-horn which plays a unique tune, to noisily announce the arrival of the national football team at the various venues.
To gather support for the team, the Driving Bafana Bafana -- get on board campaign will allow fans, through a photo element, to have their pictures included in the final imagery that will be printed on the bus, which will be handed over to the team in early May.
air horn
car horn
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