As many of you have undoubtedly heard, there seems to be quite a bit of press lately concerning the noise level of the Prius and other hybrids. For those of you who haven't heard, it's not a problem with them making too much noise. No, instead our beloved Prii are apparently too quiet for this noise filled world we live in. We actually have state legislators taking their time to debate the subject and see if there is a need to form a committee to study the possibility of adding noise makers to quiet cars to make sure that blind, I mean, visually impaired, individuals can hear the car coming. Is it not the responsibility of the driver, who one can assume is not blind, to watch for the pedestrians in the path of the car? I would like to propose a solution/quiet form of protest. I am currently talking with a couple printers in my area to explore the possibility of getting Braille "bumper stickers" printed. I have debated on the style that would be used. Hopefully it could be something non-permanent. This is where you, my fellow PCers, come in. The Braille text would read something like "Danger: Quiet Vehicle". I have posted a poll to guage the interest in different varieties of stick ons. Please take a read and see if this is something that might interest you. If I am stepping over the line here, please let me know and I'll go back to my silent shock over this issue.
This isn't much different than drive up ATMs having braille on them I read once that a sports stadium put braille signs on the umpires' locker room doors... Okay, seriously. I've also had to dodge vehicles that weren't looking where they were backing. I've also had to dodge pedestrians (while I was also walking!) who were not looking anywhere close to the direction they were walking! I'm still planning on putting a little backup beeper on the Prius.
I actually heard a report on NPR a while back dealing with that very subject. Turns out that is happens to be an economic reason. It's just simply cheaper to make one kind of ATM button with the Braille, rather and make two different types for different locations. Never thought of it that way before. David
Oh it's really useful for letting your passengers know your reversing but not much chop for letting a pedestrian know. By the way cars cant look or see. I like the idea of a Braille sticker, will it fit across the numberplate?
Uh... this is a beeper INSIDE the car. And it only works in reverse... AND if you haven't disabled it. Doesn't everybody disable it? Regardless, I plan on running over people driving FORWARD. Braille Bumper Sticker. I love it.
I do not think that hybrid noise levels should be legislated. Drivers have a responsibility to watch out for pedestrians -- although todays drivers do not always have a good track record of yielding the right of way to pedestrians. I have a big sense of humor and I like to work humor into almost every discussion at some point (most of my posts would attest to this), but my sensibilities would not allow me to put the braille bumper sticker on my Prius. I would quietly laugh if I saw one but I could not in good conscience put one on my car -- the visually impaired would not be reading it (I hope!) and the legislators wouldn't find it humorous so we would be the only ones to find it funny (which it is).
Oh Tony, that's really bad. It falls into what I always wanted to do, which is to make little self adhesive braille labels to stick over the real braille labels in elevators. They would say things like "There is a menacing looking man with a gun standing behind you...", or "Why is that man unzipping his pants?" Tom
If hybrid noise levels were legislated I would see it as a sign of the increasingly liberal, politically correct slipery slope that we are caught in. I mean really! The needs of few outweigh the many? I think legislators have vastly more important things with which to concern themselves.
...I don't remember if there were "bumps" on the streets around the Braille institute. It was dark and quiet... oh well.:crutch:
I would disable the beep if I could. As for the bumper sticker - what a great idea! I think I'm going order a sign in Braille that says something like "caution hot surface - do not touch". I'm sure that my grandfather, who due to complications from his diabetes, turned blind before i was born, would have cracked up at a sign like that.
Here in Europe, we get more ways to adjust the driver's seat but we have no easy way to disable that annoying beep. I'm located in Stockholm, btw.
Maybe it’s just my mood today but, you are a bunch of funny people! I’m gona give up the comics and just check in here every day. I’m a new (and first time) Preius owner btw. I can’t believe I waited so long on one hand & on the other I’m so geeked over the 55mpg I get, I’m afraid the next two years will see better technology & higher mileage that I’ll have to trade this thing in and lose big bucks! What a great site. Thanks all!