E2 used to tick off idiot motorist

Tonight I had a good laugh using my E2. First, a little set up. At the end of my street is a stop sign (you know, the optional ones)and traffic coming from the north rarely stops ususally a quick role at best. My street comes from the west and meets this stop sign which is under a large oak tree, creating a nice dark cover over the sign. More often then not these people are surprised there is a walker there. But tonight I had my E2 in hand ready for action. The unsuspecting motorist was moving right along when I was 3 or so feet from the sign and she was about 20 feet with no signs of stopping. Well she got the first burst of my new surefire batteries (all 60 lumens) right in the kisser. She slammed on her brakes (insert slight tire screeching here) and had no idea what hit her. Once she realized what it was, she yelled some obscenity I could barely hear through her windows and drove off. She didn't even let me go, but I got a big chuckle. The guy behind her in a rather large 4x4 let me and my dog go and when he drove by he said "nice job", I just laughed.

NICE! You should be careful, and do this as a group of neighbors.

I have a similar situation, and it really irrates us. I live in a nice, small sub-division, and the people going down our quiet neighborhood street, either live in my sub-divison, or one of three other sub-divisions right around us. There is no "short cut" to any freeway or anything like that.

People, more specifically, my neighbors, barrel down our 30 MPH road at 50-60 MPH, and "SLOW" down to like 20-30 MPH for the stop signs. Some don't even bother to stop at all.

EDIT - Please note, that these are MY NEIGHBORS (not like next door to me, but people that live in the same community). People that probably have children (or ARE children), and pets and walk themselves, around the neighborhood).

We have walkers, joggers, children playing, people walking dogs, just what goes on in every communitiy, but these idoits are going to kill someone. We have asked for "road humps", but our city will not put them in.

Now, I know that this situtation can be controlled, as my sister and brother in law, live in a very similar community (Deer Park TX, I live in Pearland, TX) about 20-30 minutes away from me, and NO BODY drives faster than 20 MPH in a residental neighborhood. They have "speed humps" (not as harsh as speed bumps, they are wider and not noticable if you go over them at 20 MPH.)

On a Friday evening, our "gang" will sit on the cul-de-sac, and yell at any driver that goes through the stop sign.

Somebody's dog, or child or adult is going to get hit someday.

Anyway, don't **** off some redneck by flashing your light at them!

These people do

That's funny, but you should really call and work with your local traffic enforcement authority and have them set up a few days worth of stings. Or try that with a 3 million cp spotlight, whichever is more convenient for you. LOL

How about railroad ties? That would slow down the traffic some!

But it wouldn't be a problem for that rather large 4x4...

Hope someone doesn't run off the road or hurt themself or others somehow. You could be held liable. Wouldn't look good on a report that you "shined a very bright profesionsl grade flashlight into drivers vision". Plus with today's climate, you don't know what some hothead might get out of their car and try to do to you. I would try flashing the light on the stop sign itself, illuminating it so it is seen clearly while you're standing next to it. If that doesn't work, pour some gasoline on the roadway and light it when they come zooming up.

A more subtle use of that same light would be to sit on the side of the road facing the stop sign that is often ignored. As cars approach, illuminate the stop sign from about 20 feet and see what happens. It is amazing how those reflective signs light up. That'll shock them and alert them to your issue in a safer way. Doesn't stop you from being hit by the car when you're in front of them, but it might be a fun diversion on a warm summer evening. Wake some people up at least.

I've used the tiniest penlights, from a full block away off to one side and behind the cars approaching our local invisible unlit ignored STOP signs, while out walking the dog at night. With the reflective beads in those signs, which reflect in a narrow angle back along the axis of the light, I can make one of those Stop signs practically light up and blink.

People STOP!

This is a product that ought to be made -- a tiny solar cell and white LED with a narrow beam (glass sphere!) optic on it, from a safe distance and height, could "blink" an unlit and neglected Stop sign all night every night, cheaply, I'm sure.

Add a nice metal box -- set the LED and optic back a few inches from a small hole in the cover to further reduce side scatter -- and a telephone pole mount and they'd still be cheaper than wiring standard lighting.

It really takes very little light in a dark area to make a Stop sigh practically leap out and glare at the casually indifferent driver.

Assuming the nitwits have their headlights on (most likely high beam, all the better to blind oncomming drivers)...the stop sign is already well lit up before your puny flashlight beam strikes it.

Unless you can get the authorities to do anything (which they undoubtably will, after two or three fatalities), your best bet is to keep from getting killed....either by the non-stopping speeder or by the blinded road-rager. Use the light to illuminate yourself or gently wave the beam at the driver so he knows you are there.

In the meantime, you need publicity.

Good luck, Tom

I wonder if it would count as littering if you put a rubber 'speed-bump' in yourself...

How about a camera with auto-feed and a bright photoflash to snap their picture if they don't stop in time. Add 2 break-beam sensors to trigger it if the second one is blocked before a certain time passes, and it'd be full-auto. Bright flash just as they go thru the stop sign at 20mph.

I don't know if I'd worry much about liabilities.

If an operator of a vehicle is driving in an unsafe manner in which they cannot control their vehicle in the event of an emergency, that's their problem. Unsafe driving practices obviously include failure to come to a complete stop at a designated traffic control device. If their rate of speed is that which they are incapable of making that stop, the burden of liability is shifted.

Also, if the pedestrian states that a vehicle approached at a high rate of speed and appeared as though it had no intentions of stopping, then that pedestrian would and should be allowed to take reasonable measures in an effort to protect their well-being.

Things like throwing bricks and laying down railroad ties wouldn't be a "reasonable" measure. Flashing a light in an effort to attract a driver's attention shouldn't be.

Last Sunday night at 10:30PM my elderly neighbors called me because two unknown vehicles were parked in front of their house and they were nervous. I went outside to have a look with my trusty Scorpion. They saw me and came out as well. Cars were left by joggers but, while we were standing by the street here comes a little Dodge Neon at 45-50 MPH, posted speed limit 25. More importantly I have an Autistic son with no fear or understanding of traffic that on occasion escapes the house and ventures out into the street. I got the same exact driver reaction as in the first post using my Scorpion. He kept going (now at 10 MPH) and my neighbor says, "I hope he doesn't back-up" I commented, "I hope he does" Bottom line, Consequences be damned when you threaten the safety of our loved ones. I can't help it, 10 years as a Jar Head.

Originally posted by tomlang:
Assuming the nitwits have their headlights on (most likely high beam, all the better to blind oncomming drivers)...the stop sign is already well lit up before your puny flashlight beam strikes it.

Click to expand...

<font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">There is NOTHING like hitting the sign directly with a light source. An E2 at 25' will do better than any car's low beams (well, except Brock's landing lights) since they aren't aimed high enough to be that effective on a sign so high off the ground. High beams would be better, but still not as good as a direct shot. Give it a try - it is shocking how much light bounces back from a "puny flashlight."

Unfortunately, much of the reflective material sends the light back to the source and the reflection is not strong from other viewing angles. IE. the reflected angle is very narrow. Try it with a flashlight close to your face directed at a reflective material and then hold the light at arms length away. Of course the farther away the light source is from the reflective surface, the greater the area covered by the narrow reflected angle. At least this has been my experience............ I believe the effectiveness of the reflective material is its ability to transmit the light back in a very narrow beam angle. ( little tiny spheres throwing photons right back at you!)

EDIT: This could be a job for Mr. Science!

Hmmm. Indeed.

Camera and E2 at the ready. Got me the perfect stop sign at the end of my street too. And since the neighbors already know I'm crazy, it shouldn't attract all that much extra attention.

Damn - I just realized Mr. Science was supposed to freeze an Arc AAA while on as well. Mr. Science has a bit of a backlog, it would seem.

I agree that it is a pretty narrow angle, but at 25-30 feet, I already know that Don's suggested experiment will show an equal reflection back at the user (or flasher, as we'll call the protagonist from now on). From that, I infer that a flasher standing on the sidewalk at, say, 30' from the sign, will cause the sign to be plenty bright for the driver, or "flashee." But only REAL science can answer this one. Stand by.

The "flashaholic" title comes true.

Watch out California, he may not stand in front of his bedroom window anymore but Mr.Science is going flashing tonight

I think we need some theme music.

DonL,
True dat, but this is America nad I've found that you can sue any one for anything. they get the right jury or judge and it'll all be on you. all depends on the spin they put on it (i.e.-big tabacco, junk gun suites). And they'll always ask, "why didn't you step out of the way?". I'm not disagreeing with you, what you're saying is the way it should be, but I just look around and see all kinds of stupid things that stupid people get away with.

Davethedieselguy,
Sometimes I wish they would stop too.

I once flashed my 12PM (N62 lamp) at a car driving towards me. After what happened, I am very careful never to shine a light a moving vehicle.

Al

Okay,I'll bite. What happended?