Monday, December 1, 2014

G1 and G2 exit road test routes in Etobicoke, Toronto




My friend had to reconfirm his drivers license from abroad and pass both G1 and G2 exit road tests. He had the tests at Etobicoke test center (5555 Eglinton Ave West, Toronto).  So, a couple of days before the test we went there and have been following at a distance the examiners with their drivers.


Below are the two itineraries for G1 exit road test (for G2 licence):

Route 1
  1. Exit the test centre on Eglinton Ave W (turn right)
  2. Turn left on Explorer Dr (that's the second road)
  3. Left on Matheson Blvd E
  4. Right on Shuttle Dr.; drive 50 meters ahead; make an emergency stop then 3-point turn
  5. Exit back on Matheson Blvd E - turn right
  6. Turn left on Orbitor Dr
  7. Right on Skymark Ave.
  8. Left on Satellite Dr.
  9. Right on Eglinton Ave W
  10. Enter the test center

Route 2
  1. Exit the test centre on Eglinton Ave W (turn right)
  2. Turn left on Explorer Dr (that's the second road)
  3. Left on Matheson Blvd E
  4. Right on Satellite Dr.
  5. Left on Solar Dr.; drive 50 meters ahead; make a 3-point turn; make an emergency stop
  6. Exit back on Satellite Dr - turn right
  7. Turn left on Matheson Blvd E
  8. Right on Orbitor Dr.
  9. Right on Skymark Ave.
  10. Left on Satellite Dr.
  11. Right on Eglinton Ave W
  12. Enter the test center


The itinerary for G2 exit road test (G license, with highway):


Route 1
  1. Exit the test centre on Eglinton Ave W (turn right)
  2. Drive to Renforth Dr - turn right
  3. Turn left on Eringare Dr.
  4. Turn right on Odessa Ave.; drive 50 meters ahead; make an emergency stop then 3-point turn (other examiners may ask you to turn on Beckwith Rd or Margrath Pl - they are all similar; one examiner even asked for an emergency stop on Eringate Dr.)
  5. Exit back on Eringate Dr then enter Higway 427
  6. Take the exit on Burnhamthorpe Rd; turn left on Burnhamthorpe East
  7. Take the first exit on Highway 427 North
  8. From Highway exit on Eglinton Ave West
  9. Turn right on Matheson Blvd E (other examiners will prefer you drive directly to the test centre)
  10. Turn right on Explorer Dr
  11. Right on Eglinton Ave W
  12. Enter the test center





Saturday, February 8, 2014

How to choose the right luggage size

Currently, I am looking for the new travel suitcases, because soon I will be traveling on intercontinental and regional European flights. And because my old suitcases fall apart, I decided to buy new ones, which will have the sizes that will fit my flights and any other flights in the future. I have to buy one checked baggage and one carry-on (cabin) baggage suitcases.

In this post I decided to make a small research of what are the baggage size allowances of the airline companies. See the tables below:

Carry-on (cabin) baggage size allowances
Airline Size, cm Size, inch
Alitalia 55 x 35 x 25 21.5 x 13.7 x 9.8
Air Moldova 50 x 40 x 25 (115 cm) 19.7 x 16 x 10
American Airlines 56 x 36 x 23 22 x 14 x 9
British Airways 56 x 45 x 25 22 x 18 x 10
Delta 56 x 35 x 23 (114 cm) 22 x 14 x 9 (45 in.)
Lufthansa 55 x 40 x 23 21.5 x 16 x 9
Ryanair 55 x 40 x 20 21.5 x 16 x 8
Sunwing 51 x 40 x 23 20 x 16 x 9
Turkish Airlines 55 x 40 x 23 21.5 x 16 x 9
Westjet 53 x 23 x 38 21 x 9 x 15
Wizz Air 42 x 32 x 25, free
56 x 45 x 25, extra charge
16.5 x 12.5 x 9.8, free
22 x 18 x 10, extra charge


Checked baggage size allowances
Airline Size, cm Size, inch
Alitalia 158 (W + H + L) 62
Air Moldova 158 62
American Airlines 158 62
British Airways 90 x 75 x 43 35.5 x 29.5 x 16
Delta 157 62
Lufthansa 158 62
Ryanair no info, 15 or 20 kg no info
Sunwing 158 62
Turkish Airlines 158 62
Westjet 157 62
Wizz Air 171 x 149 x 119 (?) 67 x 58 x 47 (?)

There are also other things to consider:
  • The sizes of luggage include handles, side pockets and wheels;
  • You should also try to find the lightest luggages. Some of carry-on luggages weigh up to 4 kg, but the baggage allowance on some airlines (like Sunwing) is 5 kg
Conclusion

As for myself, I decided to buy the carry-on bag, which will not exceed 50cm x 38 cm x 23cm (19.5 in x 15 in x 9 in). If you live in North America, go after the 20" bags, they will usually fit these standards.

For the checked bag, it is much easier. It should be up to 158 cm or 62 inch, the sum of width + height + length.

I wouldn't take into consideration the allowances of such companies as Wizz Air. They just want to charge you for everything.

I also advice you to double check before every flight with your carriers, because they might have different rules and allowances and you might end-up taking the old, smaller bag, which was waiting for its time.

Petro Canada vs Esso reward bonus points (for the car wash and not only)

For the past year I've been member of Petro-Points, collecting the points especially for the car washes. I already had Petro-Points card before I bought my car, because I used to buy TTC tokens at Petro Canada and, by the way, accumulated a good amount of points (and got many free coffees). But recently, one co-worker advised me to switch to Esso, because, as he said, at Esso you get way more points, especially if you're interested in car washes.

I decided to research the forums, but didn't find any concrete answer, backed by the real figures or facts. So, I decided to make my own research and post it for you guys, who are interested in this particular subject.

I'm not an employee of any of these two gas companies and below is my personal, independent research. I didn't intend to compare the quality of their products and services, it's just the comparison of their reward programs.

Let's kick off ...

Petro Canada Petro-Points
http://www.petropoints.ca/
  • You'll earn 5 points on RegularClean (Regular 87) gas
  • You'll earn 7 points on PlusClean (Mid-grade 89) gas
  • You'll earn 10 points on SuperClean (Premium 91), Ultra 94 or Diesel
  • You'll earn 20 points per $1 spent on car was or convenience store items

Let's say, that the price of 1 litre of Regular 87 gas is $1.28. It means that for every $1.28 spent you'll earn 5 points (or 3.91 points for $1).
I have a receipt in front of me. I've spent $50 for the regular gas ($1.28/litre) and earned 196 points=3.92 points per $1.

Esso Extra®
https://www.essoextra.com

With Esso it is simpler:

  • You'll earn 1 point for every $1 spent on all eligible purchases
  • You'll earn 2 points on Extra-grade gas (89 Octane level)
  • You'll earn 3 points on Supreme-grade gas (91 Octane level)

Table: Rewards comparison
Rewards Petro Can.,
points
Petro Can.,
$ spend
Esso,
points
Esso,
$ spend
Car wash - Regular 6,000 1535 499 499
Car wash - Advanced 8,000 2046 599 599
Save 5c. on 200 litres 12,000 3070 1,500 1,500
$10 Free Gas 20,000 5115 1,800 1,800
$1 worth Lottery Tickets 2,000 512 160 160
$25 Gift Card 40,000 10230 4,300 4,300


There are also other things to consider:
  • when you create an online profile for your rewards cards, both companies will offer you free bonus points: Petro Canada - 2,500 bonus points (41.7% value of a car wash); Esso - 250 points (50.1% value of a car wash);
  • when you buy 150-249 litres or more per month, Petro Canada will offer you 750 extra Petro-Points. This almost doubles the points offered;
  • when you buy 250 litres or more per month, Petro Canada will offer you 1,000 extra Petro-Points;
  • you can sign-up for Esso Speedpass key tag. You’ll earn 1 or more Esso Extra points for every $1 spent, and that's besides the 500 bonus points for the enrollment. Speedpass will practically double your points.

Conclusion

As you can see from the information above and from the table, Esso definitely beats Petro Canada as regards the reward points. If you don't drive a lot (like me) and buy the regular 87 gas, you need to spend more than twice at Petro Canada compared to Esso. If you drive a lot, you'll get additional points from Petro Canada, which will bring you closer to what Esso offers. But if you enroll for a free Esso Speedpass key tag, you'll double your Esso points, and maybe quadruple them compared to Petro Canada. 

During the past year I've spent $1100 on gas (of course, you spend much more). It means that I didn't accumulate even for one car wash at Petro Canada. All the bonus points I've earned for buying TTC tokens. Now, after I'll sign up for Esso Extra and Esso Speedpass, I'll get four (!) car washes for the same amount.

It seems to be all. If you liked this research or if you found any inaccuracy in my calculations or in information presented, feel free to comment it.