"Summertime, and ..."

[bwilson4web]

Summertime, and the living isn't so easy - The Boston Globe

By Alex Beam,

Alligators swimming in the streets of Florida. . . . Tragic lightning strikes on golf courses. . . . Tornados touching down in Kansas, New Hampshire, and all points in between. From the first shark sightings in May until the big boomer hurricanes roll in before Labor Day, the American summer - once a time of rest and relaxation - has become one long, terrifying Red Alert.
. . .
Of course, we already knew Priuses were dangerous. The National Federation for the Blind has been complaining that Priuses - a.k.a. the "Silent Killers" - make too little noise when running on their electric engines, with potentially unfortunate consequences for men and women who can't see.

Then CNN reported that a fully sighted young Minnesota boy rode his bike into one of those super-quiet Priuses, emerging from the crash with bruises and scrapes. This doesn't happen with other cars!

Astonishingly, the House of Representatives is considering legislation that would require a minimum noise level for hybrid vehicles. Just in time, two Stanford engineering students have designed an artificial noise system for use on the Prius. ...

Amazing, simply amazing, a column that didn't just copy the blind propaganda news releases. I wonder how Alex managed to "get a clue." <GRINS>

BTW, columnists make their living from public approval. Not quite the way I'd say it, still an "atta boy" is merited.

Bob Wilson

[rwa46]

if you read the story from the start, it states " I've suggested in the past that american summers arn't particularly dangerous but that american summer journalism is." he goes on to state. "A lot of intelligent editors also take time off in the summer, editors whose judgement might have protected us from stories like this." He was saying the stories are bogus and didn't deserve to be written. ie he is on our side.

[Rybold]

It sounds like the "fully-sighted young boy"'s parents are at fault for not teaching him to look both ways before crossing the street. I understand your point; at least this news article is an actual incident to report in addition to the "unprofessional" hollywood drama scare tactics, BUT.. This incident it completely irrelevant since this boy was not blind! (note: my criticism goes toward the journalist and not you).

[MikeSF]

^^^ What he, and the guy above him said..

When I was a kid I ran into a car pulling into a driveway... lets see that was 25 years or so ago... nope wasn't a Prius fault then.

Also mom hit a kid who was jumping off a curve into the street .. happened to be a friend of mine Oh yeah also around 25 years ago... not Prius fault.

I think the real problem her is allowing kids to ride bikes!

[eman17]

What are blind people crossing the street without the assistance of another human being with sight or a seeing eye dog anyhow? All I keep hearing is that the prius' are too dangerous because they are so quiet. Anyone who walks into a street without looking both ways beforehand deserves what they get, I'm sorry. Like one other commentor said, my parents taught me to look both ways, and so should all parents.
Lastly, it's rare that my prius drives sloley on the battery anyhow, most of the time the cumbustion engine is running.

[rpc]

Has anybody done research on the amount of coal that is burned to make the electricity to power electric cars or hybirds?

[bac]

Originally Posted by rpc

Has anybody done research on the amount of coal that is burned to make the electricity to power electric cars or hybirds?

Go away troll.

[eman17]

Originally Posted by rpc

Has anybody done research on the amount of coal that is burned to make the electricity to power electric cars or hybirds?

Dude, a prius generates it's own electricity. It used zero coal. ZERO! You don't plug a Prius in, it recharges itself. Even still, if everyone had cars that they did plug in, that would decrease our dependency on foriegn oil. Lastly, coal isn't the only way to generate electricity. There's hydro, wind, solar, and nuclear power to do that, so, all in all, it would be much better, and much less carbon elements introduced into our already fragile environment

[dogfriend]

Originally Posted by rpc

Has anybody done research on the amount of coal that is burned to make the electricity to power electric cars or hybirds?

Is a hybird some type of bird/transportation device that consumes electricity?

[jps000]

Originally Posted by rpc

Has anybody done research on the amount of coal that is burned to make the electricity to power electric cars or hybirds?

Yeah, scram Troll!

Anyway, here's another take on the silent Prius. I sort of agree that our silence is a problem. Weren't YOU a kid on a bike counting on your ears to tell you if a car was coming. I know I did.

However, having us make noise is a crazy solution. Noise pollution. Let's just deal with it, but admit that one or two folks with blindness or kids on bikes or little old ladies are going to get it before people learn to look.... Americans hate cost benefit analyses like this, because we are so individual focused (protect that last individual, but don't have health insurance for tens of millions).