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Curmudgeon' s Corner. I blame it on the heat. (3)

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  • BenCottoBenCotto Posts: 4,718


    My wife's car has auto everything. I hate it. Especially the wipers which are embarassingly enthusiastic. As most properly reserved British people know the extra fast setting on the wipers is a bit audacious and only really used by overly dramatic people like the Americans. I guess that's why the windows are tinted, so no one can see your shame when the wipers are making rather too much of a fuss about the weather

    Love that, wild edges

    Sorry to say that my car must be the same make as Obelixx’s because all the fancy functions work perfectly. Lights come on at dusk, switch automatically to full beam but dip the lights when following another car or something comes towards me; the automatic washers work effectively; the presence of an overtaking vehicle in the blind spot is indicated, and a visible alert flashes if too close to the car in front; if I veer over white lane indicators without signalling there is a gentle tug on the steering wheel to bring it back into line, and the speed limit flashes up on the display with incredible accuracy doing so within seconds of moving from, say, a 60 mph stretch to a 30 mph one. 

    On the subject of supermarkets I was in the self service lane of Tesco’s recently and got the automated message ‘unexpected item in bagging area’. As it happens, it was: a Fortnum and Masons bag but how did Tesco’s know?
    Rutland, England
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    When I bought my Ford Focus last year I asked him to turn everything automatic OFF, he did, so everything  is manual, lights and wipers. 
    I don’t like the car, wouldn’t buy another one. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,889
    I don't even have electric windows 
    Devon.
  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414
    Interesting, I assume we should all go back to Double declutching, Clutch brakes, Wipers that worked by suction, the faster you went the slower they went and useless in snow. Reach out of the cab with a stick and scraper mounted on it to clear the windscreen on the move. Mirrors that Barbie would turn her nose up at and Diesel that froze in the tank.
    My Ford with everything working by magic plus a driver with common sense will do me nicely thank you.
    The one thing driving schools do not teach is common sense, or that you have only learned to move a lethal weapon from A to B and you are not Lewis Hamilton, you now need to learn driving skills and that takes time.
    Frank.
  • B3B3 Posts: 27,505
    edited December 2018
    I wish you could get a car with old fashioned keys.
    If you drop your electronic keys, a thief only has to wander around the car park pressing the button until the lights of your car flash: "💥Here I am. Take me!💥 "
    In London. Keen but lazy.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    Actually Frank, the wipers were good in the snow because you’d be driving slowly. 
    But weren’t we posh when we had a radio fitted and the metal coat hanger bent in a triangle shape. Such luxury. 

    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • KT53KT53 Posts: 9,016
    Interesting, I assume we should all go back to Double declutching, Clutch brakes, Wipers that worked by suction, the faster you went the slower they went and useless in snow. Reach out of the cab with a stick and scraper mounted on it to clear the windscreen on the move. Mirrors that Barbie would turn her nose up at and Diesel that froze in the tank.
    My Ford with everything working by magic plus a driver with common sense will do me nicely thank you.

    Frank.
    I didn't know you had a chauffeur Frank. :D Seriously though, everything you list has been an improvement and works properly the vast majority of the time.  On my car the auto wipe system is useless and there is no option to have it changed to manual preset delay of wipe instead.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    There’s some there’s some big switch thing in mine focus that you can reset things. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414
    Lyn, The suction wipers worked in snow up to a point, they would push the snow across the windscreen and the viewing area got less as it built up, out came the stick with the scraper on and leaving out of the window move the lump so the wiper could work again. we had no heaters the open window was no problem.
    The first truck heater I ever saw was a German Opel luxury indeed, I forgot to mention the headlights, a candle in a bottle gave more light.
    Driving on the continent the boot of my VW was loaded with safety gear by law and included chains from September to April, so much so the luggage often sat on the rear seats.
    KT53, I have three very good Chauffeurs, Three Daughters brilliant drivers because I never taught them my mistakes, they learned at driving school then advanced driving, I potter and let them take me long runs.
    Frank.
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 10,497
    I'm looking forward to self-driving cars but I don't want one. I just want everyone else to be in them :#

    I hope people still look out of the window not at another screen though.
    If you can keep your head, while those around you are losing theirs, you may not have grasped the seriousness of the situation.
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