FYI: ‘Turn Signals’
(originally printed in Laconia Citizen 3/11/04, read on-air at NHPR 6/16/06)
I’ve just learned something that I must let all of you in on!
The other day I discovered a switch on the steering column in my car that, when shifted to an ‘up’ position, causes a little light on the right-front and right-back corner of my car to blink.
“How curious.” I said.
I looked this up in the owner’s manual and apparently it’s called a ‘turn signal’.
“This really is fascinating stuff! I should have read this year’s ago!” I shouted.
As I read on, the book revealed to me that if I shifted the switch to a ‘down’ position it would do the same thing for the little lights on the left-hand side of my car.
“Amazing!”
Now I’ve been driving for years in NH and I hardly ever notice these ‘little blinking lights’ on other cars. Perhaps these lights are some special option only available on my car? The car I drive is, after all, from Japan. As it turns out, every car sold in the U.S. comes with these ‘turn signals’ standard! So, now, I was wondering what are these blinking lights for? What is this ‘turn signal’ thingy anyway?
With that question in mind I sat down and did some very extensive research. I did a search on Nexus/Lexus, consulted with AAA, and even put in a call to Click and Clack at ‘Car Talk’, and this is what I found out: it seems that these ‘turn signals’ are there to actually ‘signal’ your intent to ‘turn’! Did you guys know this? I was amazed!
I asked them, “Do you mean that I don’t have to just guess what the guy in the car in front of me is up to?”
“That’s right!” they said.
“Let me get this straight; there is a system in place to allow a car in front of me to telegraph, if you will, his or her intentions through this system of blinking lights?” “Indeed!” They replied.
“Incredible!” I raved. “It truly is a great time to be alive!”
Let the word go forth! Shout it from the mountaintops! There is a way, when driving, to ‘signal’ your intent to ‘turn’! And the little switch that many folks seem to accidentally hit in the middle of a turn, or apparently know nothing about, is indeed the way to let people know where and when your turning!
Use your turn signals! And use them to signal your intent to turn, not just while your turning!
P.S. and while I’m at it, those little white lines in parking lots are there to park in between, not over!
I’ve just learned something that I must let all of you in on!
The other day I discovered a switch on the steering column in my car that, when shifted to an ‘up’ position, causes a little light on the right-front and right-back corner of my car to blink.
“How curious.” I said.
I looked this up in the owner’s manual and apparently it’s called a ‘turn signal’.
“This really is fascinating stuff! I should have read this year’s ago!” I shouted.
As I read on, the book revealed to me that if I shifted the switch to a ‘down’ position it would do the same thing for the little lights on the left-hand side of my car.
“Amazing!”
Now I’ve been driving for years in NH and I hardly ever notice these ‘little blinking lights’ on other cars. Perhaps these lights are some special option only available on my car? The car I drive is, after all, from Japan. As it turns out, every car sold in the U.S. comes with these ‘turn signals’ standard! So, now, I was wondering what are these blinking lights for? What is this ‘turn signal’ thingy anyway?
With that question in mind I sat down and did some very extensive research. I did a search on Nexus/Lexus, consulted with AAA, and even put in a call to Click and Clack at ‘Car Talk’, and this is what I found out: it seems that these ‘turn signals’ are there to actually ‘signal’ your intent to ‘turn’! Did you guys know this? I was amazed!
I asked them, “Do you mean that I don’t have to just guess what the guy in the car in front of me is up to?”
“That’s right!” they said.
“Let me get this straight; there is a system in place to allow a car in front of me to telegraph, if you will, his or her intentions through this system of blinking lights?” “Indeed!” They replied.
“Incredible!” I raved. “It truly is a great time to be alive!”
Let the word go forth! Shout it from the mountaintops! There is a way, when driving, to ‘signal’ your intent to ‘turn’! And the little switch that many folks seem to accidentally hit in the middle of a turn, or apparently know nothing about, is indeed the way to let people know where and when your turning!
Use your turn signals! And use them to signal your intent to turn, not just while your turning!
P.S. and while I’m at it, those little white lines in parking lots are there to park in between, not over!
posted by M.C. Steve | 1:51 PM
1 Comments:
Ho! Hail. Hail. The reaview mirror is not made to put yr makeup on while driving 80 down the road either...
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