She cannah take tha' mooch pawr-r-r, Cahptain!

[alfacybersite <acs@domain.elided>]

I much appreciated Tony Sims and Joe Elliot's comments regarding higher
wattage lighting on their cars. Both definitely fall into the deer
(among other creatures) as a problem and having a lot to do with their
increased lighting HP.

Believe me, while I've not driven in deer country often, I'd want to see
as far as humanly possible - and make sure my car's electrical system
could handle it. To me, that's merely survival.

Richard Welty commented: "at this point, i'm not sure i should tell biba
about my old saab turbo with
400+ watts of hella lighting on the front bumper.

"i had a good excuse though. the midnight mountain rally is 12 hours of
high speed night driving on the only best new hamster dirt and gravel
roads."

Back in the fifties and early sixties (pre alternator days) when Road &
Track would show photos of European rally cars at speed with
wall-to-wall lighting in the front, I always thought, "How the hell are
they keeping their generators and wiring looms from not becoming molten
lumps?" I gather this Was a bit of a problem at the time.

Regarding the lights burning a hole in the back of your head from, umm,
tall vehicles, might be time to bring back that quaint English solution
of 'anti-dazzle' curtains. Merely pull a ring which is attached to a
long string which is attached to an upside down curtain shade. Pull on
ring which pulls up curtain and attach to a little knob (Rube Goldberg
had nothing on the English). While one can still see lights through the
thin material, their 'dazzle' is definitely curtailed.

Or automakers could charge extra for their 'tall vehicles' and take the
money and install electric PhotoGray glass in normal car's rear windows.

But the anti-dazzle curtain would be so much cooler.

Biba
Irwindale, CA USA
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