Jump to content

Do I owe you an apology?


Coytee

Recommended Posts

So, I'm driving down the road.  As I'm a creature of habit (and feel many people are) I tend to have the same routine when I leave in the morning.

 

Note that it's usually dark when I leave.  So, I'm driving down the (curvy) road and someone comes around the bend with their brights on.  I just ignore it to just focus on my drive.  One/three (have no idea) days later....  almost exact same spot....  same thing.  

 

I have this happen to me a number of times, so NOW, I'm driving down just waiting for the idiot with his brights blazing (they really are bright).  BOOM, there he is...  so I go ahead and flash my brights this time.....  nothing.  He's "burned" me by blaring his lights the entire time.

 

Ok, so now I'm a bit annoyed as I feel that is VERY rude to have your brights blaring at someone either oncoming or their rear view mirror.

 

Next time I saw him...I'm looking to ascertain what kind of vehicle it is.....ahh!!!!  I see it's a truck....white one.....that's about it.

 

Keep trying to notice....one day, there "it" is...  now, I'm cranking my head a bit to see.  Turns out it looks to be a Ford.  Ok, so if accurate, I know that much....  keep trying.

 

Well, to cut the story short.  I guess it's a fairly new model and the Ford trucks have an over/under light.  I saw another one in a different town (on a VERY swearvy road) so I blinked my lights at him....and....he blinked his back.

 

Turns out his LOW lights are two bulbs, over/under (square shaped) and are VERY bright.  Then, the BRIGHT beams are the same lights....but this time, on bright.

 

So, all this time, I've been getting my angst up about "this rude driver"  (frankly all of them since they ALL drive with their brights on)  only to now realize that's the way the truck is designed and I've been calling them all names behind their back.

 

So, if you are one of those guys, my apologies.

 

Though, I still think whomever designed them needs his kneecaps broken.

 

 

  • Like 2
  • Haha 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was stopped by a state police officer who was in front of me, and thought that I had my brights on constantly.  I was driving a Ford Explorer, and when I showed him that my brights were not on, he apologized and we went about our separate ways.  I was a bit concerned about this, and took the vehicle to the Ford dealer who verified that they were aligned properly to factory specs.  There you go.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Coytee said:

Hence my comment that whomever designed them needs his kneecaps broken!!

 

:emotion-21:

I've thought the very same thing when being approached by the new Ford Pick ups.  Stupid design.

 

9 minutes ago, Westcoastdrums said:

How about HID bulbs placed in regular headlight housing with no projectors?   Those are fun and abundant over her at 4 am let me tell you.   

Idiots.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 hours ago, Coytee said:

So, I'm driving down the road.  As I'm a creature of habit (and feel many people are) I tend to have the same routine when I leave in the morning.

 

Note that it's usually dark when I leave.  So, I'm driving down the (curvy) road and someone comes around the bend with their brights on.  I just ignore it to just focus on my drive.  One/three (have no idea) days later....  almost exact same spot....  same thing.  

 

Be careful on this particular road... Not sure if you wear glasses, but seeing your avatar lead's me to suggest this...  polarized flip-down sunglasses.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the quad headlights of days gone by it was relatively easy to tell if high beams were on; 2 meant NO, and 4 meant YES.  Now it’s near impossible.  When confronted by blinding oncoming lights, I just look down to the right to the edge of the road until the lights are gone.  Getting angry solves nothing.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The “low-beams” on many new vehicles are RETARDEDLY bright. Ignorant, stupid, self-absorbed bright. And everybody knows it (lmao!).

 

They are also higher off the ground than previously regulated.

 

I’m not sure about this, but I believe democractic process could effect a change back to post-retarded intensities...

 

Or is someone marketing a windshield that filters out the retina searing wavelengths now?

 

It really is capitalism 101. Create the need and supply the product.

 

More money for brighter lights, and more money for a filtering windshield. Only the working-class poor need suffer. Unless maybe a class-action lawsuit by people who have eye damage from this latest technology puts an end to this particular insanity of one-upmanship.

 

Lawyers and optometrists alike can join in on the boom. 

 

Ironically, my old rose-coloured ski sunglasses work wonders for this, too...

 

... until they roll out the yellow laser high beams.

 

Or I get my own Canyonero!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, windashine said:

Be careful on this particular road... Not sure if you wear glasses, but seeing your avatar lead's me to suggest this...  polarized flip-down sunglasses.

 

To be accurate...  you're dead on right.  The road is a curvy 2-lane country road with drop off's instead of a shoulder.  (my wife was on this road, got into the marbles, slid...hit a tree (broke 17 bones in her body) and the car was dangling like 10' above the floor of the ravine (the embankment & tree were holding her up).

 

That said...  the glasses you mention are my old safety glasses but....  you are right, I do wear glasses now.

 

I would never use any type of light muting (I'd say sun-screening BUT, this is during the dark hours!)

 

Anyway, I'd rather suffer the lights and see everything than put my sun glasses/other on and have a darker picture of everything and end up on the shoulder.

 

Years ago, if you saw a single light, it usually meant it was a low beam.  Two lights (on one side) meant they had their high beam on.  Evidently, this truck is designed with two lights, one above the other yet, both of them (evidently) have a high beam inside of them.  So, when you see it and you see two lights on both sides of the truck, it looks like the old system....when instead, it's four "low" beams and then you can get vaporized with the four "high" beams!!

 

It has literally taken me probably 8-10 months to figure this out and the entire time I'm just thinking how absolutely rude of these people....why do they ALL insist on driving with their brights (all 4-bulbs) on???!!!  I finally got flashed back and that is when I realized they're setup with 2-low beams per side and evidently, 2-high beams per side.

 

Annoys me enough that were I considering a truck purchase right now, that would actually put them out of consideration.

 

Still...  I was thinking all these drivers were rude and it seems they are all innocently driving their trucks, so in that light I was offering my apologies & coming clean!

 

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

My dad sure didn't....

 

The trip from hell....

 

Called, asked if I'd like to go with him to Ohio to watch Ohio State's marching band (he loves to watch them)  Sure.  Turns out they are playing Miami of Ohio (where both he & I went)

 

Long story short, I'd been having some (minor) health issues....  so he rented a car so ONLY he could drive per their contract....  (snookered me)  He wanted me to have a "relaxed weekend trip"

 

Little did he know....

 

He's 89 and througout his life has always been a terrible driver but....never in a single accident.  He'd be on his car phone (back when it was actually a radio), making notes on a pad and trying to drive.  I guess that multi-tasking his whole life prepped him for old age.

 

So we're driving home from Columbus (drive up, stayed through halftime for the band and turned around to come home)

 

We were in the "mountains" in TN (between Jellico & Knoxville) and I look over he's going 90 freaking MPH passing everyone in sight.

 

The only solace I took from that trip is had it been 'over' for me, it would have been quick.

 

Being dark out & not able to see the road.... having others lights in our eyes....didn't phase him.  So what did he do???  He drove almost the entire way back with HIS brights on.  I chastised him several times to turn them off..   "but I can't see"  ....  "Well Dad....  then let's slow down from 90 MPH to maybe 75???  It will give you a touch more reaction time"

 

I aged 40 years during that trip!!

 

(yes, I chastised my father for driving BEHIND people with his brights on)

 

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 10/26/2018 at 4:45 PM, Coytee said:

Turns out his LOW lights are two bulbs, over/under (square shaped) and are VERY bright.  Then, the BRIGHT beams are the same lights....but this time, on bright.

Agree about the bright lights.  On the older trucks upgraded HID's will fry your eyes and it does tick off opposing drivers because it's blinding.  My son added HIDs to his Chevy Silverado and the lights came with their own power supply and ballast.  He was always getting lights flashed at him and I don't blame the other guys, his lights made it hard for other motorists to see.

 

Fast forward to the newer vehicles which ALL have these bright, white light LEDs.  We just picked up a 2019 Subaru Forester which is an all-new design for this model year and it has GREAT lights, but Subaru got the design and implementation right.

 

What I noticed is the headlight design cuts off the upper part of the light like a straight edge and despite the super bright light it never gets into the eyes of oncoming traffic.  It's a good design IMO and makes driving safer at night because you can see better. 

 

That's important where I live in West Virginia because we have the most deer collisions in the country.  The best safety features help you avoid accidents, not just survive them.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Two things from this,

Though as you say, you are a creature of habit, leave 5 minutes later.  Perhaps, your paths won't cross and you will drive on peacefully. 

Also, have a pair of sunglasses handy.  Throw them on when bright lights are approaching, they will diminish the sting of those beams to your eyeballs. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...