I have a lot of time to think when I'm on my bike. Usually I think at the intersections, where I have to stop and wait for the left turn signal to run its course before I can safely dodge across the street. I thought the other day what a difference it would make to install U-turn signals on cars. Just think: I wouldn't have to sit at the intersection waiting for the left turn signal to run its course while three SUV's in a row popped U-turns and the crosswalk in front of me stayed tantalizingly empty only for the next guy to actually turn across it, motivating me to wait even longer.
Then I thought, No -- we've had regular blinkers for long enough without people learning to use them properly, and there's no sense giving anyone a false sense of certainty about what any given car is about to do (or not do) next.
So instead of suggesting the installation of U-turn signals, I'm contemplating a little computer that can sense when you've pulled your vehicle over a sidewalk in preparation to leave a parking lot, or over a crosswalk in preparation to turn, and automatically berates you with something along the lines of, "Did you check for bikers and pedestrians before you did that, you cretinous oaf?"
Maybe it can come with adjustable profanity settings.
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2 comments:
I somehow doubt that would go over well with customers. But it certainly is an amusing thought! Maybe we can add a feature that berates them for not signaling turns... Also, I think it needs an Shakespearean insults setting.
What about "straight" signals in addition to turn signals?
Happy Ash Wednesday.
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