Inventions

[Griffin NoName]

I've found that if I use my stick when out shopping etc I get much needed help, unsolicited, of various kinds. People are considerate.

When I don't use it, so nothing much marks me out, I really notice the difference - for example having to open heavy shop doors myself.

My invention builds on the light bulb attached to headbands that tradesmen like pluumers use.

These should be re-designed to fit around any body part and to give out specific coloured light. Each would be pre-programmed to emit an appropriate diffuculty experenced by the body part.

At the simplest level, this would help in shaking hands. Each person would know which hand best to avoid, either regardless of the handedness of each, or due to the signals indicating the best combination, or as a warning "shake this hand gently it is very painful" (for an optional extra one might run to " shake this hand gently it is very painful. your grip is enough to give pain to even the strongest hand and all your frineds wonder why."

But it's main use would be for more serious issues like "I am about to faint. You have failed to notice I have turned green."

It would of course use economy bulbs.

Any other inventions?

[pieces o nine]

^ good idea!   


Mine would be a cap which emitted  --[perhaps using some of your economy lightbulbs?]-- a  'thought balloon', to spontaneously appear above the head, spelling out what we are *really* thinking in the presence of people to whom we are required to show undeserved deference.

[Aggie]

Similar to the above, only mounted in the rear window of the car, a voice-command LED display allowing one to give messages to the car behind like "Thanks for letting me merge!", "Cop ahead"  or "Back the (*&# off, @$$hatt!".

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

Similar to above but including a properly aligned mirror so that every @$$h0l3 driving with high beam lights experiences first hand what (s)he is inflicting. In fact it could be a sign in it self saying "If you can read this you are using high lights".

[Aggie]

Oh, you don't do this with adjustable side mirrors?

Actually, it might not be too hard to rig up some sort of retroreflector-on-a-stick/string to pop up in the back window when needed. 


For the pushy tailgaters, I generally just ease my foot off the throttle until they let up.  They back off, I speed up.  They get on my arse, I slow down. Very effective, although it generally takes a while for them to clue in.  This is provided there's no viable way for them to pass and there's no other cars lined up behind us.

[Swatopluk]

Similar to the above, only mounted in the rear window of the car, a voice-command LED display allowing one to give messages to the car behind like "Thanks for letting me merge!", "Cop ahead"  or "Back the (*&# off, @$$hatt!".

If you use that in Germany, especially with cop warnings, you'll find yourself heavily fined (at best).

[Aggie]

Here too, I think.  Soon we will have enough navsystem inter-connectivity to manage it without the signboards in any case.

[Sibling Zono (anon1mat0)]

If you use that in Germany, especially with cop warnings, you'll find yourself heavily fined (at best).

I saw a program in the History Channel about the Autobahn in which they said that you can get a fine for being rude to other drivers.

[Swatopluk]

If police should find a radar detector in your car, the officers have the right to destroy it on the spot (don't know whether it is true that they have sledgehammers in their cars for that purpose as rumor has it)

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

For the pushy tailgaters, I generally just ease my foot off the throttle until they let up.  They back off, I speed up.  They get on my arse, I slow down. Very effective, although it generally takes a while for them to clue in.  This is provided there's no viable way for them to pass and there's no other cars lined up behind us.

I do that, too.

And, usually I'm in a 15,000 pound truck (actual weight, I had it weighed once) with a huge, honkin' back bumper... when I slow down, they have little choice to pass or slow down too.

(Yosimite Sam's voice) 'Ah hates tailgaters. '

[Darlica]

I prefer flashing my break lights at them.

Three swift touches on the break pedal, enough to turn on the lights but not to slow the car down much.

To actually slowdown and force the car behind to break is not only considered bad manners around here but also a dangerous behaviour. It could get you in trouble with the police even if tailgating is considered a bigger offence.

A LED sign to light up when needed saying "BACK OFF" would be nice though.

[Aggie]

The flash works OK, but I do fear causing them to brake hard (and cause a collision with a possible second tailgater).  Letting the foot off the gas is a bit more subtle, so there's no moment of panic - and it does seem to get the message across, because it makes 'em MORE inconvenienced.

[Darlica]

I guess it's a cultural thing...
This is how we do it here.

[Aggie]

Presumably flashing the brake lights actually works, there.

_{wouldn't do much here, especially for the stereotypical redneck in a jacked-up pickup truck - might work for generally polite but inattentive drivers}

[Griffin NoName]

Stopping can be quite effective.