Daily Dose of Common Sense

I hate preemptive honkers.

You’re sitting at a red light, waiting for it to turn green. The split second that the light changes, someone behind you honks–as if you were holding up a long line of cars by not flooring it. Only, you weren’t. Are these the most impatient, annoying drivers in the world?

I don’t honk capriciously. I use the horn in extreme situations–such as danger or when another driver isn’t paying attention to the road. I don’t use it to hurry everyone else along at changing lights. Driver’s Ed Guru has written a guide to Horn Honking Etiquette. They say to wait at least four seconds after the light changes before you tap your horn lightly to alert another motorist to get a move on.

Calm down, you overzealous honkers. We’re all moving just as fast as we can. You’re not busier than everyone else, so be nice to your fellow motorists.

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Parking is something all drivers worry about at one time or another. You can never be sure that there will be a spot for your car at your destination…or, can you?

This woman just brings her own parking spot wherever she goes. Brilliant. Illegal, but brilliant.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXrG28pZXE8

[Via Huffington Post]

In a move that certainly does away with little trivialities like PROOF, the Ohio Supreme Court has given officers in that state the right to give speeding tickets based on their eyes–not a radar gun. In Ohio, if a police officer sees you speeding, he can write you a ticket even if you weren’t officially clocked as going over the speed limit.

This is troubling because the perception of how fast you’re going is subjective. It’s not like running a red light or making an illegal turn. What looks 45 miles an hour to one person could look 55 miles an hour to someone else. “Speeding, officer? Exactly how far over the speed limit was I?” In Ohio, they won’t need to answer this question before socking you with a hefty fine.

[Via The Consumerist]
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An Illinois woman has just been convicted of reckless homicide because she was painting her nails while driving, during which she hit and killed a motorcyclist. I’m all for multi-tasking, but who would think it’s a good idea to disable your hands while trying to drive? Like the prosecutor said, “It is not the same as biting a sandwich … it’s a voluntary disablement. She might as well have been in the back seat making a sandwich.”

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[Via the fine folks at Pat's Papers.]

We shouldn’t speed, drive drunk, or be aggressive/reckless behind the road. We know it, but sometimes it helps to be reminded–especially in a clever way. Australia has decided to use some off-beat humor in a viral campaign to get a safe driving message across to younger drivers. The tag line: “Don’t be a dickhead.” I must admit that some of these are amusing. You would almost think they’re Saturday Night Live skits.

The ads discuss the possible–yet completely crazy–consequences of unsafe driving. These include: red-headed angels will get their wings, you will live the rest of your life with a giant pole coming out of your stomach, Twitter and Facebook will be turned off, and more.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcIy8-EKW00

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCsPaW3Ghz0

And…wait for it…my favorite:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7CBJr0GReI

It’s great to see a company (in this case, the Victoria, Australia government) doing something out of the ordinary to reach a new audience. Think of how great it would be if someone would roll out the “Don’t litter or you’re a douche bag” campaign. It would make you think twice about littering, wouldn’t it?

All of the ads can be seen here.

[Via AdFreak]

I’ve always wondered why this doesn’t happen more often.

A Nebraska man test drove a truck, during which he went and had the truck’s keys duplicated. He then came back a few hours later and stole the truck from the dealership. He was caught almost right away when the truck was discovered near his house.

However, it seems like a smarter criminal might have a better chance at getting away with it. The dealers who let folks test drive without a dealership employee along for the ride must know that the only people who would try such a nefarious plot aren’t the sharpest knives in the drawer.

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Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.

Some people had common sense.

• The city of Boston dismissed thousands of tickets and tow fines for people who were issued violations while preparing for a storm that never came. The city had declared a snow emergency in expectation of the big storm cutting up the eastern seaboard. Stay classy, Boston.
• A 5-year old girl in Indiana called 911 when her dad experienced chest pains. She remained calm and stayed on the line for nearly ten minutes. She is now credited with saving her dad’s life.

And, some did not.

• Southwest Airlines kicked Kevin Smith off a flight for being too fat. Smith claims he fits between the two arm rests, which is the test of whether a person is too large for their seat. Huge PR nightmare for Southwest Airlines because Smith is a celebrity. I ask why the airlines even let him board in the first place, instead of kicking him off once on the plane?
• New toy: Fisher Price’s Bigfoot the Monster. It’s cute in a Muppet-gone-bad kind of way, but do we really want to encourage children to believe in this nonsense?

Are you more worried about looking good behind the wheel, or being able to see the road?

Most of us don’t think about how our sunglasses will affect our driving performance. But, we should. Scott Marshall is Director of Training for Young Drivers of Canada and has a blog all about driving safely. Recently, he discussed driving and the trend of large eyewear. Why would big, chunky, expensive sunglasses pose a problem?

The current problem is the framing of many of the glasses is thick enough that it blocks part of their vision. The driver has a difficult time seeing off to their side in their peripheral vision. Other drivers can sneak up beside them without the driver knowing. It also stops the driver from seeing clearly at intersections for pedestrians or cyclists. These stylish sunglasses narrow the driver’s view too much and make driving more difficult.

Makes sense, right? But, you don’t want to skip sunglasses altogether. They reduce glare and brightness, which can be a potential hazard to drivers.

According to insurance statistics there are 18,000 car accidents in this country every day with as many as 6,000 of those accidents directly attributable to over- brightness and glare. Drivers are particularly vulnerable to the hazard of blinding glare.

Polarized sunglasses are best for reducing glare and brightness; so, in addition to the correct frames, also make sure you buy the right kind of glass.

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This is one product I don’t get at all. AT ALL. Hanging a scrotum from your car bumper…what exactly is that supposed to symbolize?

Slap a pair of these flesh nuts on any kind of vehicle. You will certainly show the world who owns the road.

I guess that about sums it up.

While I am not offended at the site of a pair of balls, it’s not really what I want to stare at while I’m sitting in traffic. Besides, the idea just seems goofy. What would prompt someone to buy this product? The site claims they are good gag gifts, and I suppose that is true as long as you don’t actually PUT THEM ON YOUR CAR. Have some dignity, people.

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We’ve been taking it easy over the holidays and enjoying some time off. But, that doesn’t mean we’re not paying attention. Here are some of our favorite brief Web stories from this week.

Some people had common sense.

• No one wants to get sick, especially with health care so expensive. NYTimes.com had a great article on how to recover–cheaply–once the sniffles start. Simple stuff is what works, and they give some facts on all the hoodoo and other remedies that do little, if any, good.
• The TSA has dropped their case against two bloggers who posted a copy of the agency’s intense security directive for Christmas day. Shouldn’t they be worried about terrorists, not bloggers? At least our tax dollars won’t be wasted in this trial.
• Experts at exposing flim-flam and wastefulness, Consumer Reports Health Blog posted a list of “9 items not worthy of your holiday cash.” These include such gems as Latisse, the Night-Light Condom, diet pills, and Kinoki footpads. If you thought your body was leaching toxins from your feet at night, we’ve got a bridge we’d like to sell you.

And, some did not.

• A driver passed out at the wheel while some meth was actually cooking in the BACK SEAT. A mobile meth lab really takes some guts, folks.
• In absolutely the CRAZIEST shoplifter story ever, a couple caused quite a ruckus at a Walmart in Tennessee. He’s trying to steal flat-screen tvs, she’s stabbing someone in the parking lot. It’s a like some zany, mad-cap sitcom plot from Hell.
• Maine and California will consider putting a cancer warning on cell-phone packaging, despite the fact that the jury is still out in the scientific community. Way to fear-monger, legislators.