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I only go there, usually via an external link, to install a new app or to check for updates on already installed apps.

Google Play is usually way too slow for my liking with applying updates automatically. They tend to sit there for a day or so and are not getting installed for whatever reason, even though they have already been detected.

It’s not a Linux distro. It is an opensource reimplementation of the NT kernel and Win32 userspace.

I could see it being useful, if you have a Windows application that runs on ReactOS and you want to save licensing costs or it doesn’t run on newer Windows versions, but you still want a supported operating system. You could also use it as a baseline for your own OS to compete with Microsoft (if you’re brave enough …). Or you could set up container clusters with an NT base, if you develop container tools for it. :D

I actually wanted to use it once for a VM, but my application didn’t run on ReactOS.

I think we miss out on the true potential, because development is just way too slow and there is no release cycle, upgrade path or guaranteed updates at the moment.

one small correction: most states have a towing speed limit of either 55 or 65 mph, so just about the same or slower than in Europe

Interesting, thanks for the correction! I didn’t spend the time and research it on a per-state / per-province level in-depth, when I researched this topic a while ago.

brake controller

In Europe electronic brake controllers aren’t really a thing. Mechanical overrun brakes are used to brake trailers instead.

That said, it still doesn’t make any sense that your tow rating does not take into account the presence of a brake controller

Cars in Europe usually have two tow ratings, one for braked, the other for unbraked trailers.

  • trailers up to 750 kg can be braked or unbraked and can be driven with a Class B driver’s license
  • trailers above 750 kg must be braked and need a separate Class BE driver’s license, if the total weight of the combination is above 3500 kg
European driving licence - Wikipedia

Tongue weight in Europe (EU) is much less than in the US. In Europe it’s typically 4 % of the trailer weight.

Instability at higher speeds is less of an issue in Europe, as the maximum allowed towing speed is 100 km/h. Depending on the type of trailer and country, it can also be lower. Trailers above 750 kg are always braked with overrun brakes and require an additional driver’s license (class BE instead of B).

Trucks are limited to 90 km/h, buses to 100 km/h. As you can see, caravans and motorhomes in Europe fit right into the flow of other slower traffic.

Having vehicles traveling at different speeds, requires good lane discipline though. It is the law in most of Europe to drive in the rightmost lane possible, unless you are overtaking.

I’m not a native English speaker, so I may have used the wrong term here. ;)

This is a completely normal towing setup for Europe, nothing out of the ordinary. No one would even question it, since this is how “everyone” tows in Europe. This is legal and safe.

You can look at Google Street View and you will see that most caravans are being towed by hatchbacks, wagons and (crossover) SUVs.

Why is it not safe? If the manufacturer rates the Golf for towing 2000 kg, it is capable of doing so safely.

Speeds while towing in Europe are lower. 100 km/h is the maximum, but many trailers are only rated for 80 km/h and some countries also have lower speed limits for towing in general.

You are therefore traveling the same speed as trucks (up to 90 km/h) and buses (up to 100 km/h). Buses and trucks have mandatory speed limiters since a couple of decades and therefore never drive faster than those speeds.

There are more differences between European and American towing setups. You can look at my other reply, if you want. ;)

There might actually be technical reasons for this.

E. g. top speed in Europe while towing is 100 km/h (some countries and trailers less), whereas in the US you can drive up to the designated speed limit.

Bearing load is also different, in Europe it’s usually 4 % of the trailer weight, in the US at least 10 % is recommended.

Trailers are also different, e. g. unbraked trailers only exist up to 750 kg in Europe, whereas in the US I’ve seen much heavier trailers without brakes.

Trailer brakes are also different, Europe uses overrun brakes, the US electronic brakes.

Wouldn’t be surprised, if sometime in the future these 66 cars became rare collectibles for being Mazda’s first EV in the North American market. ;)
This is one of the reasons I use Flatpak for all apps that are available via Flatpak. I’ve disallowed all Flatpak apps access to the root of my home directory via a global override, so anything they wanted to do in there (e. g. create folders, place malicious code in my ~/.bashrc, etc.), actually happens in ~/.var/app/<appid>/.
Flatpak Command Reference — Flatpak documentation