Date: Mon, 25 Nov 2002 00:20:59 -0800
Reply-To: warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Robert Keezer <warmerwagen@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: WARNING: SOUTH AFRICAN QUAD LIGHT GRILLES INCITE ROAD RAGE...
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Are the lights adjustable ? Many new cars have daylight driving lights that are too bright and I suppose it's deliberately engineered that way too get your attention.
Everybody around here drives with foglights on when there isn't fog, which is sometimes almost as bad as high beams.
Well, the complaints are such that legislators are looking into more regulation. 100 watt bulbs allow the driver to see the road lit up like day at the expense of blinding other motorists.
Get a pair of Bosch Pilot fog or driving lights that mount low on the bumper. I have them and never get flashed at.
You might also see if a diffuser lens instead of a clear spot lens (don't know which the SA have)
If the smaller lights had lens similar too the larger ones, perhaps it would glare the other drivers. Something that has a low/high beam might be nice.
I use a boat horn. When they yell at you or try to confront you , blasting the horn makes them back off. The horn of authority. I'm always amazed how rude drivers never honk back when I use the boat horn.
Robert
1982 Westfalia
----- Original Message -----
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Sent: Sunday, November 24, 2002 11:56 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: WARNING: SOUTH AFRICAN QUAD LIGHT GRILLES INCITE ROAD RAGE...
Ever since I've had the South African Quad driving light grill on my van,
during nighttime driving (with driving lights on and low beams on) i've had
people flash their high beams at me, and i get the occasional flip of the
middle finger in the rear view mirror of the car in front of me if im driving
behind someone.. but tonight takes the cake...
i was on a local rd (PA rt 309) and was behind some guy in a pickup truck..
had the headlights on low beam as usual, and the driving lights on. guy
started going real slow, then slams on his brakes in the middle of the road -
long haired crazy man gets out, starts threatening me that he's gonna "kick
my F*ckin headlights out"..i explain that i DO NOT have my high beams on,
that those are driving lights, like alot of other people have, exept that
unlike most cars theyre not under the bumper.. so i switched my high beams
on to show him..bad idea...it didnt make things any better.. i did a Uie in
the middle of the road as this loose cannon started coming towards me..
anyway..
its totally PSYCHOLOGICAL... people see 2 sets of lights side by side (four
nearly same-size illuminated lights in a horizontal pattern) and they
automatically think you have your high beams on.. if these same size, same
wattage SA driving lights were below the bumper, then nobody would mind at
all. but people are so used to the older american cars w/ quad sealed beams
that if you see a oncoming car w/ 4 headlights on at the same time on a
horizontal pattern, then they must be running their high beams..
sheesh...paid all this $ for the damn grille and its a life threatening
situation everytime i use the driving lights.. yet i can drive my audi all
the time w/ the 100w driving lights below the bumper in addition to the stock
headlights on above the bumper, and nobody has a problem..
chrisGet more from the Web. FREE MSN Explorer download : http://explorer.msn.com
