u/Such-Bad9765

Hey all. I have a legal question about a traffic law within the state of Pennsylvania, in regard to overtaking a left-turning vehicle at a stoplight intersection, using a paved shoulder wide enough to safely execute the pass. This is assuming it is a two-lane road. Here is the legalese:

Title 75, Section 3304 indicates that a driver "may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under one of the following conditions: (1) When the vehicle overtaken is making or about to make a left turn, except that such movement shall not be made by driving off the berm or shoulder of the highway."

My interpretation of this is that you CAN use the shoulder, but if you were to drive OFF the shoulder (say, into grass or dirt, or anything unpaved) it would be an illegal maneuver. If you weren't allowed to use the shoulder at all for such maneuvering, why wouldn't the verbiage be changed from "off" to "on"? If it was changed to "on," that would immediately rule out using the shoulder at all. But then, if the word was "on," there would be no point in this law, as the would always be an illegal maneuver.

Ultimately, if this was an illegal maneuver, can someone provide an example of a legal execution of this situation? Otherwise, what is the point of this particular law in the first place? I am finding the verbiage to be ambiguous, and poorly worded.

Thanks for any insight! And for some background, I was not pulled over for this. Just curious, as I do this on frequent occasion at some traffic lights where I live due to two-lane roads with no protected left turn.

Hello!

I have two little ones that I opened UTMA accounts for. They will legally have the money transferred to them at 21 years of age. I chose the UTMA because they don't have to be used for college, and wanted my children to choose what they want to do, as opposed to feeling obligated to go to college right away. I'm also a fan of the post-tax contributions.

I was wondering what a good strategy would be in terms of what investments to make for them. I have a few thousand for each kid so far, and I want to ensure I set them up for success, giving them what I never had from my parents. This can be very low volatility, but something that yields dividends or overall has a decent growth, YOY.

Does anyone else have UTMAs for their children, and if so, what is a good, relatively risk-free strategy?

Thanks for any info!

Hi all,

I've been noticing lately that downloading patches and games from Steam has been taking a tremendous amount of time. I get between 30-40mbps on my downloads, and I've never had issues a few months ago. Even at 30mbps, it's projecting 45 minutes for a 55gb game. A few months ago, this would've been completed in five minutes.

I already cleared my download cache, and the download region is where I live.

Is there something else that could be affecting my download speeds that I haven't considered?

Thanks!

Hi all,

I know I'm asking the same question that has been asked here hundreds, if not thousands, of times. I'm in the market for a high quality bag/backpack that will do everything I need it to do, and last me a long time. I will have meetings with executives, so I'm looking for something slightly professional looking, but at the bare minimum come in subdued/neutral colors. My budget is $250, and probably more if can consolidate everything I need in one carry-on, instead of both a bag and a suitcase.

I'm a traveling "tech bro," and my trips are typically 2-3 days at a time. It would be really cool to consolidate everything I need into one carry-on. 2-3 days of clothes, and perhaps a pair of shoes would be neat, but not required. Ability to also hold my hygiene bag, which is the standard Manscaped bag. I have some pens and dry erase markers. Being able to hold both my 16oz water bottle and 20oz yeti mug would be cool.

As far as the tech. I have a 16" laptop, 11" tablet, and considering buying a portable monitor, either the same size as the laptop, or slightly bigger. I have a M720 Triathlon mouse. My laptop charger for the Dell Precision 7680 is the most bulky charging item. I also bring two USB-C chargers, each with their own brick. One is an Anker 100W brick. The other is a Verizon one that is a bit smaller. I have some JBL earbuds in a case. I have two HDMI hub devices. Maybe a couple other charging cords.

That's about it. I was looking into the Everki Business 120, or the Pro. I've also looked at the Thule Aion. But seeing as I'm entirely new to this market and all the different brands out there, I am here seeking wisdom from those who have walked this path before me. If there's anything I left out that would be pertinent to this recommendation, feel free to let me know.

Thank you for any help in this matter!

Hi all,

I'm in a slightly unique situation, or perhaps not. I used the VA Home Loan to purchase my first house. The VA Home Loan has entitlement that acts like a pool when you use the loan, because you can use it more than once, but will be constrained by the remaining entitlement.

In order to restore the entire entitlement, the original VA Home Loan must be paid in full. Now, I am considering a HELOC to pay off my current VA Home Loan, as this will allow me to restore it back to full entitlement. The closing costs are about $500, and I would be locked in for six months at 4.99%. This is less than my current mortgage, and it will be temporary, as I am actively looking for a new home. Two years maximum before I would move.

I was originally going to refi with a conventional loan, but the closing costs are much higher, and the HELOC is what was recommended to me, given these circumstances.

I was wondering if anyone here has worked with this scenario before, or can overall offer me any advice on a better alternative, or if this is the best route to go given the circumstances.

Lastly, for my own understanding, if the HELOC pays off my mortgage, and also writes me an equity check, do I start making payments immediately on the amount they used to pay off the mortgage, and only make payments on the equity check amount if I use it?

Thanks!