A driver with over three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system was caught by Saanich police, thanks to a liquor-store clerk who refused him service and phoned authorities after she saw him get into a car and drive away.

“He appeared to her to be in an intoxicated state,” said Saanich police Sgt. Dean Jantzen. “She kept an eye on him as he left the store, and he was straight into a car and departed the parking lot.”

The call was received about 9:30 p.m. Saturday, with the clerk providing a good description of the vehicle, Jantzen said.

“It was quite distinct. It was a 1985 Pontiac Fiero, white in colour.”

A patrol unit spotted the car almost immediately and pulled it over near the corner of Tillicum Road and Maddock Avenue.

The driver was taken to the police station and produced two breathalyzer samples that were “well in excess” of three times the limit of .08, Jantzen said. On top of that, the Fiero turned out to be uninsured and the driver already had a 90-day driving prohibition from an earlier roadside stop.

A 44-year-old Saanich resident was given a violation ticket of about $600 for having no insurance and will also be attending court in the near future.

Jantzen said the clerk acted just as she is allowed to under terms of the Liquor Control and Licensing Act.

“It’s an obligation for employees of liquor outlets that if they think you are in any way intoxicated — where they’re right or they’re wrong — if they believe that, they have the right and obligation to refuse selling any more liquor to you.”

He said the clerk also deserves credit for following up with police.

jwbell@tc.canwest.com

James Hinchcliffe will wear his Canadian roots proudly when he races in the Honda Indy this weekend.

The 24-year-old from Oakville will sport a specially designed maple leaf-themed helmet when he takes to streets of Toronto in a race that began the year he was born.

“I came to my first one when I was 18 months old, and I’ve been to every single one since,” Hinchcliffe said. “Now I actually get to be in the main show on Sunday afternoon, and I think it’s going to be pretty cool.”

His helmet boasts a chrome Toronto skyline above his visor. As a local kid, Hinchcliffe knows how to navigate the streets and highways around that scene.

Late for work? In a jam? Running out of gas? Here’s some Hinchcliffe wisdom for the rest of us.

On gridlock: “The key about traffic is you’ve got to look really far ahead. If you look at the car in front of you or the car next to you, you’re already too late. You’ve missed it. You’ve got to see what’s going on like 10 cars down the road, and set up the pass — just like on the racetrack, you’ve got to set up the pass miles ahead.

“If the line’s moving, you’ve already missed it. You can’t wait for the line to move and then try to jump in. You’ve got to predict it.

“Stay close to the guy in front — draft. Don’t let anybody else sneak in there, because that’s not good either.”

On getting cut off: “You can’t get mad. If you get mad, you start making bad decisions. You’ve got to stay calm — it’s nothing personal to you. It’s not like that guy knew it was you in the car, and decided to cut you off. That guy’s in a rush too. So you’ve just got to stay calm and find that opening somewhere else.”

On fender benders: “Then you can get a little mad. I don’t know if I’d fight, but you can get a little mad.”

On an open road: “First of all, you shouldn’t be speeding. But if, for whatever reason, you decide to do that — which is not something I would do — one of the important things I find about keeping track of cops is a lot of people only look forwards for cops sitting on the side of the road.

“Always check your rear view mirror, because you never know when you accidentally drove by one, or one merged on a ramp behind you. Sometimes they’re behind you and they’re looking already. Don’t just look forward. Cops come from all over.”

On mileage: “Cars, whether they’re hybrids or you buy cars for big fuel mileage or whatever, it’s actually more about how you drive the car than the car you drive. Any car can get good fuel mileage if you’re driving it right. If you’re driving it fast, you’re going to get bad fuel mileage. But even an M3 can get really good mileage if you’re driving it the right way.

“It’s slow acceleration. It’s looking forwards . . . if you see the lights turning red way in front, don’t stay on the gas to get there. Just coast there. Don’t brake too much, because as soon as you break, you’re losing speed and you’ve got to use gas to accelerate again. It’s all these little things, but over a tank of fuel they really add up.”

On running on empty: “Get up to a speed, do a little bit of a lift — whenever you’re completely off-throttle and the car’s just coasting, your fuel mileage goes sky high. If you’re on the highway and there’s a big transport, get in behind the 18-wheeler, because you’ll save fuel on the draft. If you’ve got a manual car and there’s a little but of a hill, throw it in neutral and coast down the hill, until you get to the bottom — then pick your gear and go.

“Those will help you get to the gas station. I’ve used those before too. If it starts coughing, wiggle the car a little bit. It sloshes the fuel around in the bottom of the tank, and sometimes the pick up will get a bit more if you do a little wiggle.”

Readers offer their best tips for catching shuteye in the car, preventing your food from being stolen from your workplace fridge, and on-demand Google Maps caching.

About the Tips Box: Every day we receive boatloads of great reader tips in our inbox, but for various reasons — maybe they’re a bit too niche, maybe we couldn’t find a good way to present it, or maybe we just couldn’t fit it in — the tip didn’t make the front page. From the Tips Box is where we round up some of our favourites for your buffet-style consumption. Got a tip of your own to share? Email it to tips at lifehacker.com.au.

Get Better Sleep in Your Car, or The Seatbelt Head Hammock

Reader Matt Coker writes:

If you want to sleep in a car, start by putting your seatbelt on regularly. Then, pull just a little bit of slack in the shoulder strap and jerk it suddenly away from you. The seat belt locking mechanism (for car crashes) will activate, and you will have a place to rest your head as long as you keep it tight. I instantly fell in love with this, enjoy!

FYI the picture I have attached may look like my head is resting on my shoulder, but it is actually on the seat belt.

Keep Your Food and Drinks from Being Stolen in Your Work Fridge

Reader LARPkitten writes:

If your coworkers keep stealing your soda from the fridge, try putting it in a can cozy.

A coworker of mine kept having his sodas stolen from the fridge, even when he put his name on them or hid them in various locations, so instead he started putting them in the fridge, one a day, in an insulated can cozy. He hasn’t had a one stolen since.

The seems-plausible explanation:

I think the psychology behind it is that it’s easy to anonymously steal a can that’s marked – just cover the marking (or peel off the sticky) and boom! The can looks like every other can out there, and no one knows you stole it. It’s not about feeling guilty, it’s about not getting caught.

The big bulky cozy, on the other hand, is highly noticeable and not quite so easy to remove, so it’s more trouble than it’s worth. People are more likely to notice you peeling off a cozy (“Shouldn’t they be leaving it on?”), and if you drink the soda in the cozy, you’re easy to spot as the thief. So they leave it alone to avoid suspicion. It’s not a perfect solution, but it’s a deterrent to the casual soda-stealer.

Photo by Quinn Dombrowski..

On-Demand Google Maps Caching for Offline Navigation

Reader LordieLordie points out an under-the-radar feature from today’s Google Maps for Android update:

In the new version of Google Maps (5.7) for Android you can download maps to your phone.

Tap menu More Labs. Select Download map area. Once you’ve done that, just follow the directions: “To download an area of the map, long press on the centre of the area you’d like to save, then tap on the bubble. Or go to ‘More options’ on a search result details page. Then select ‘Download map area’.

By Dale Roe

AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

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Hot enough for you?

Oh, sorry not you. I was talking to your car.

All due respect to your human suffering, but your trusty vehicle — the one you rely on to take you to work, on vacation and off to holiday weekend day-tripping destinations — can’t just drop its top and jump into the lake at Hippie Hollow when the thermometer hits triple digits (unless, I guess, it’s a convertible and you have really good insurance).

The prolonged hot weather we’ve been having is hard on vehicles, but a little preventive maintenance can go a long way toward ensuring that you don’t wind up stranded on the side of the road withering in the heat while waiting for a tow truck.

Cars are complicated beasts and, of course, anything can go wrong at any time. But experts say there are four main problem areas that crop up as the mercury rises: batteries, tires, radiators and air conditioners.

I know firsthand about the battery issues. A few weeks ago I was leaving a coffee shop where I’d been writing a story. When I hopped in my car and turned the key, it didn’t make a sound. It wouldn’t take a jump. I had to schlep it to the auto parts store and drop $100 on a new battery.

“The extreme heat makes the acid and the fluid inside of them (car batteries) expand, which can cause them to start leaking,” says Jim Kilgo, a supervisor at Austin’s Groovy Automotive and Groovy Lube. “That causes battery failure in the long run.”

Sarah Schimmer, AAA Texas public affairs representative, recommends that drivers keep in mind the age of their vehicles’ batteries, especially in hot weather. “If it’s older than 2 to 3 years, have it tested and consider having it changed out,” she suggests.

I haven’t blown any tires this summer, but I saw enough of them on the highway during a recent road trip to Florida that I have come to believe split treads should be the official state roadkill (reauxdkill?) of Louisiana.

Heat raises tire pressure, which is why manufacturers recommend checking their inflation before driving. And worn treads compound the effect. “As you drive during any month of the year, your tires’ PSI (pounds per square inch) will raise from 5 to 8 pounds,” Kilgo explains. “When it gets hot like this, it’s going to raise even more. If you’ve got weak tires — worn tires — you’ve got a better chance of having a blowout.”

Here’s a bonus: Properly inflated tires in good condition (don’t forget your spare) will improve your gas mileage.

If you see a car stranded on the shoulder and it’s not up on a jack, chances are it has overheated. Your car is already working harder than normal in extreme heat, and low coolant levels can spell disaster for its engine. Belts stretch and hoses deteriorate with age; long periods of extreme heat can accelerate the process.

“A hose failure can cause an engine to blow almost before you can shut it down in this heat,” Kilgo says.

“If you’ve got worn hoses that haven’t been replaced in a while, you’ve got a better chance of a hose rupturing now than you do at any other time.”

Steve Pustelnyk, director of communications for the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, recommends a simple hose, belt and coolant level check. “Don’t overheat the engine through a lack of fluid, and don’t have a hose fail and lose all of your coolant,” he says.

You’ll also want to have your mechanic check your air conditioner to make sure it’s working properly. In extreme heat, drivers tend to run the AC continuously, often at full blast, which puts extra strain on the cooling system.

Finally, Schimmer points out that every vehicle has a useful preventive maintenance tool factory-installed in the glove compartment.

“Basically, every car comes with an owner’s manual, and in the owner’s manual there’s a severe driving section. It’s a maintenance schedule for severe driving conditions,” she says.

And that information is especially valuable to Austinites, she notes.

“Those include long commutes, extreme weather, dusty, unpaved roads — that’s basically a Texan’s every day.”

droe@statesman.com; 912-5923

If you’re stranded …

But what if your vehicle does fail? What if you’re one of the countless Americans who disregard maintenance schedules and prefer to deal with problems as they crop up?

The Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority runs the Highway Emergency Response Operator Program, which provides aid to stranded motorists on Interstate 35. From 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, HERO vehicles patrol a 35-mile stretch of the interstate from the Hays/Travis County line to U.S. 79 in Round Rock. HERO personnel can change tires, jump batteries and add gas and water to vehicles. In addition, they’ll help you to move your vehicle off the road so that traffic doesn’t back up.

Stranded motorists can call 974-HERO (4376) for assistance.

AAA’s Schimmer offers some additional tips on what to do if your car breaks down:

Keep some cash in your car, in case you run into a situation where credit cards are not accepted.

In spite of high gas prices, don’t let your car run on empty.

Keep an extra quart of oil and a gallon of water in your trunk.

Make sure your cell phone is charged in case you’re stranded in an area where you can’t walk for help.

Be aware of your location — noting landmarks, etc. — so that you can be found if you need to call for assistance.

If you’re on the highway, pull off to the side of the road if you can and secure the safety of yourself and your passengers. Make sure your vehicle is visible. If your car dies just over a hill, for example, other automobiles coming up that hill won’t be able to see you.