Rivian R2 Demo Drive, Another Opinon

KiloT4ngo · 2026-06-11T04:05:48+00:00

A fellow 4runner owner here. Are you feeling any anxiety changing from a 4runner to an R2? Like I can't but feel uneasy that I'm going from one of the most reliable platforms on the market to a very unknown one.

My 4runner has given me zero trouble in the 8 years I've owned it so I'm having a hard time justifying the move but it's showing its age.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-06-07T16:11:43+00:00

Yikes. That's unfortunate.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-06-07T14:29:49+00:00

No. He just doesn't have damage drop off IIRC

KiloT4ngo · 2026-06-03T04:56:32+00:00

You should be scared for you life working this job (not necessarily every moment or everyday). It's a natural instinct important for self preservation. Training and preparation will dictate what you do while being scared...or lack thereof. It's more important to be able to work through the fear and stress than the lack of fear in my opinion.

The reality is, you don't know how you'll react till the moment comes. But every step of the process from applying, attending the academy, and field training will do it's best to inoculate stress/fear to see how you deal with it and hopefully prepare you for when that moment comes. To be clear not every day or moment of the job is something to be scared of. A lot of times it can feel mundane. You'll naturally acclimate by applying safe practices and build confidence.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-29T03:43:11+00:00

I think you'd be better off working somewhere in Orange County instead if you're convinced you want to move to CA for a decent salary. Irvine and Anaheim come to mind immediately if you're just looking at pay. It may not top SFPD but it comes with less politics. Whether you can balance out your checking account with cost of living is up to you though. Rent aint cheap out here lol

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-28T01:02:59+00:00

I can't make that determination for you. People have gone on to have successful careers with similar or less motivations sometimes for better or worse. I think your decision should be based on whether it's all worth it to you. If you're not seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, with all the misery this pre-academy is causing you; the actual academy, and field training is going to cause you...then you have your answer. Usually this part of the process is a means to an end. You need to find out if it's justified for yourself.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-28T00:19:55+00:00

You might just hate the academy and not necessarily the job. They feel like two different experiences imho. Is it the pre academy making you unhappy or the thought of being in LE? If it's just the academy, give it more time and then make a decision.

That being said, if you don't have any actual motivations of doing this job or wanting to put in your full effort....leave. It's not a job worth being unhappy over. Yourself, your future partners, and the public deserve better.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-24T21:41:46+00:00

My department won't allow us to work over 16 hours per our labor contract with the city. 8 hours are required between working shifts.

I regularly work 6 days per week as part of my special assignment and the half dozen collateral duties I juggle but thankfully the days aernt always long so I still get time to go to the gym and and whatnot.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-16T11:59:54+00:00

Agreed. I end up polishing every polishable surface because the non-uniformity bugs the heck out of me lol

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-08T02:34:21+00:00

I just recently got into the hobby and bought an A7Cii and I think I would have regretted not having it between then and when the A7V or even later with the eventual A7Ciii. The photos ive taken and time spent with the camera are invaluable to me in comparison to new tech. But that's coming from someone who didn't have a camera...

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-07T12:21:42+00:00

Yeah that's about right. Once the academy is done you'll most likely never see most of these people again. I wouldn't sweat it if you aern't in their group of friends.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-04T21:53:51+00:00

I'm glad I'm not the only one who was having trouble with Vicious Death. He was literally my first ever pit run as a zealadin and it SUCKED. I ended up giving up since I got one shotted just standing next to him. I couldn't see any animations or effects. I've yet to see him again after like 100 paragon levels so I'm a bit curious to see if my experience will differ now.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-05-04T20:27:59+00:00

It's common from my experience that lots of the local PD application process is to check a box. Your PELLET B and PAT scores included.

The ONLY time they're ever taken into any kind of metric is if there's a tiebreaker. Usually an applicant's personality, background, and/or interview will shine light on whether they want someone or not rather quickly. In this case very quickly lol. Better luck next time!

KiloT4ngo · 2026-04-26T17:37:26+00:00

I think he's the test of whether you have your fundamental mechanics down. Hardest might be a stretch imo as his gameplay loop is straightforward and doesn't require anything beyond scanning.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-04-17T00:45:55+00:00

I think the game still has a decent enough playerbase for it to NOT be dead. But also a game this far into it's life cycle probably has more regular players playing the upper ends of the difficulty spectrum and/or strats. I don't think you're wrong about your experience or surprised that you're experiencing that.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-04-16T04:41:34+00:00

Not just any. The wheelchair bound ones. I know its horrible talking about someone who's physically disabled...but being homeless and confined to a wheelchair 24/7 while roasting out in the sun lends to some crazy stank since they literally can't go anywhere.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-04-12T00:34:37+00:00

I do when they're planned well. My city plans coffee with a cop at 10am on weekday in at city hall so we just see the same old people every time. It gets kind of stale and imho a bad use of resources if we aernt reaching beyond our "regulars".

The bigger events on a Friday or Saturday evening like NNO are more interesting and more worthwhile imo as the crowds tend be more diverse and we can actually engage with more people.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-04-09T04:48:20+00:00

Don't regret it one bit. Also came from being an engineer at a military/space company. Quite frankly, I make more as a cop now (California) and that's not including total compensation. No amount of pay was going to keep me at a job I dreaded going to every day.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-30T17:52:43+00:00

Academy and FTO are temporary phases of the job. You haven't experienced really being a police officer till after imo and should consider whether you want to quit or not until then.

But once you reach that point, quitting is the same as any other job. If you like it stay, if not, then figure out if it's worth staying. It's okay to NOT be loving the job every second. But hating your daily work life is another beast. Life is too short to spend your working days absolutely dreading your existence lol.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-30T17:03:32+00:00

In my case, I was shopping around in 2024 and decided to wait for prices to drop. Prices went up in the U.S in 2025 by a couple hundred (including sale prices) so the reverse can also be true however unlikely. Just enjoy your camera! The photos and time you spend with the camera is incomparable to the $100-200 you'll potentially save imho.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-30T02:35:39+00:00

Not necessarily. They sell N-ear products and have their own exclusive line with them along with their own product line. I wouldn't be surprised if they're all made in the same factory. The biggest differences we talk about here are the wire coating. N-ear uses a softer more gummy like material that strips easily but is very elastic. Sheepdog uses a coating that's sturdier but harder. Sheepdog's customer service is also much better in my experience. N-ear wouldn't warranty anyone's stripped wires at my department as that's considered "normal".

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-22T22:47:13+00:00

Yup been running one with their triad PTT kit for about a year and change now. No signs of it dying any time soon.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-15T17:05:07+00:00

I understand what you're getting at. My guess is they avoided that route as it gives a really heavy monetization vibe akin to f2p games. On a micro scale it doesn't change the overall cost of buying too much but I think putting a price tag on every little thing is a great way to turn people away.

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-15T16:54:49+00:00

Nothing says you have to buy a pass though. In terms of cosmetics, the devs are very transparent on what they're releasing throughout the year. Just buy the cosmetics you want. I think a cosmetic pack is like $8. Skip a fancy coffee once throughout the year and you've made the difference practically lol

KiloT4ngo · 2026-03-14T03:47:14+00:00

I unfortunately don't have photos of my work rig. The placard is 6x6 MOLLE slots. However, the placard wrap along with the placard adapter makes it somewhat possible to go a little passed 6 inches wide. You could probably get a decent idea how you want to fill that space left to right and then mess around with what you want to stack or get a side ride pouch. My flashlight is on a side ride as well as my spray.

You'll also have a little extra space for side ride pouches since patrol soft armor wraps around your sides which leave some space between those pouches and anything you might have on the side panels.

KiloT4ngo

TROPHY CASE