As I mentioned before, the numeral 9 is overused, as ‘like’ and ‘you know’ are mindlessly inserted in some people’s conversations. This week, my rant is about practices and equipment that some drivers under-use.
I’ll start with the four mirrors that most vehicles are equipped with. There’s the three that are designed to tell you what’s going on behind, to the left, to the right and directly behind. When you try to back out of a parking spot at the local plaza, shoppers scurry behind you with their heavily laden carts. Those about enter the store will linger behind your rear bumper to have a lengthy conversation with an old acquaintance. Watch out for them.
At the over-used end of the usage frequency are the women drivers who are about to vacate a prized parking spot. They slowly, carefully and methodically make use of the fourth mirror that cars are equipped with, the vanity mirror. This is the conversation that goes on in their head: “Hmmm, lipstick needs a touch-up. Hair’s a bit ruffled. Is that a pimple under my chin? Left eyelash needs a bit more of a curl.”
Back to under-used, the headlights. At dusk, when driving west, the tail-lights of a westbound car aren’t on unless the headlights are manually turned on. To drivers following, a slow-moving car is virtually invisible.
Are you old enough to have been taught how to use your left arm as a turn signal (or your right arm if you’re from the UK)? Proper use of today’s turn signal equipment is a lost art. They are not to be used as a ‘I have just completed my turn’ signal! Turn them on well in advance of a turn, not as an ‘I’m accomplishing a turn’ signal.
Next neglected signal, the four-way flasher. It’s for emergency use: sudden stops; warning to others of hazards ahead (accident, deer crossing); car disabled; being forced to drive unusually slowly, or unusually quickly (“Baby’s about to be born” or “I’m a volunteer fireman on my way, outa my way!”)
We’ve got it, so let’s use it!
L’article At the opposite end of the usage scale est apparu en premier sur Cornwall Seaway News.
