dbigtex56 Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Does anyone really believe that car alarms do any good? Perhaps people who sell car alarms believe it, but the rest of us know that a car alarm does not protect your car; indeed, it's chief function is to piss off your neighbors.When is the last time you sprang into action upon hearing a car alarm? For me, it was circa 1982. Back then, I felt I was being a good neighbor, that maybe I could prevent someone's car from being broken into. The 'good neighbor' part still applies. If I suspect someone's breaking into a car, I'll alert the owner or the atthorities. So far as directly confronting the culprit, the last time I did that someone came at me with a knife. Lesson learned. No. I'm not going to risk my life to protect a stranger's car. Alarm owners, get that thought out of your heads; the public is not your security force.Aside from the ineffectiveness of car alarms, the potential for annoying people is boundless. Anyone remember that there was briefly a time when alarms were set to talk to passersby? "TOO CLOSE...TOO CLOSE...STEP AWAY FROM THE CAR", an electronic voice would intone. Those alarms didn't last very long. People got pissed off and would kick the crap out of the car. Deservingly so.One of the most joyous television moments was seeing Michael Moore on "TV Nation" - the episode where he surrounded the Long Island estate of a car alarm company CEO with a dozen cars, and set all their alarms off at 7am on a Sunday morning.Vandalism and theft of cars is a concern of everyone. It increases insurance rates. It's criminal. It hurts. If car alarms did any good, I'd endorse them. They do no good. Ever hear a car alarm that didn't turn off? I have. That's why I'm writing this post so early in the morning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest danax Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 They do no good. I have a friend who's car got broken into and ransacked in a crowded parking garage at the gym in the Village and she had an alarm. Maybe if they could be individually programmed to vibrate only the owner's keys or, at least, make a sound other than the exact one that everyone else has. People are just numb to noise these days, it seems. The average neighborhood sounds like a war zone on the weekends with all of the mowers and blowers going. I'm old enough to remember growing up in CA in the 60s when mowing the lawn was done with a reel mower ( I know, not St. Augustine grass) and it was RAKED , not blown into the street. Things were much quieter, and no humongous car stereos either. I bought a Brill Accu reel mower, a German, battery-powered model that cuts my St. Augustine nicely, in case anyone is thinking about doing that and making a small contribution to our cities' tranquility. It works great but 1) the battery runs down after about 20 minutes so it's not for large lawns and 2) if you walk too fast, it will miss spots. Otherwise, it leaves a sharp scissor-cut lawn. In the back of my mind I was wondering if I might influence a neighbor or two in joining my "back to peace" campaign but all I've gotten so far is a few bewildered looks. I'm a bit off of the car alarm topic but I think the underlying idea is that we have created these devices that, if we stop and think a little, they have not improved the quality of our lives but actually detract from them. We all want a more beautiful, inspiring city and less noise is a major part of that , to some of us anyway. Looks like it's going to be a perfect day to rake the lawn. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dbigtex56 Posted November 28, 2004 Author Share Posted November 28, 2004 Bless your heart, danex! Someone else who knows what a 'reel' (not 'real') mower is. My parents had one, and it kept me out of trouble for several years. It was also non-polluting, quiet, and kept a kid from being flabby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricco67 Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 that's alright Danax, we RARELY get off topic on threads, so we'll give your little tangent. Tell you what, those electric mowers are cool inspite of their shortcomings. Our neighbors actually looked into buying a couple. As far as Car radios, I secretly crave a Microwave gun to shoot at them to zap their radios. Ricco Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Montrose1100 Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 Car Alarms are to make the people who have the cars think that there car will be ok if they set it... little realizing that it does not serve much purpose. Wrong, it does, you know why? The annoying sound alerts people and the surrounding enviroment. Then the theft will run away, because peoples eyes will be looking at the car beeping loudly in the middle of the street... with out them, cars could be stolen much more easier, and then Grand theft auto would not be a video game, but more so a reality... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Talbot Posted November 28, 2004 Share Posted November 28, 2004 They do have car alarms that vibrate for the owner and show whats happening to the car on the key chains, they're just a little more expensive then the standard key chain. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
20sGirl Posted November 29, 2004 Share Posted November 29, 2004 Bless your heart, danex! Someone else who knows what a 'reel' (not 'real') mower is. My parents had one, and it kept me out of trouble for several years. It was also non-polluting, quiet, and kept a kid from being flabby. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Creative way to mow a lawn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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