High beam revenge

[snopes]

Comment: I heard a story about a man who had a pet peeve. When driving at
night he was greatly disturbed when oncoming drivers left their high beams
on. He happened to work as an aircraft mechanic servicing large
commercial jets.

As the story goes, there is an extremely bright spot light that can be
used legally only by transoceanic aircraft and landing the space shuttle
at night. This man stole several of these spotlights from his job site
and attached them to the roll bar of his truck. The next evening he went
cruising.

The first car that approached him with its high beams on received quite a
shock when the man turned on these spot lights. Unfortunately, the
oncoming driver turned out to be a policeman who was nearly blinded by the
immense glare of the lights and ran off the road. When the policeman
recovered he gave chase. The mechanic ended up serving several years in
prison.

I was told this story in person. I did not find it on the Internet. I
have looked into it somewhat and it does not seem so far to be one of the
"way over used" urban legends circulating out there.

[moonlight]

Do that many people really drive around with their brights on? If they do, I never see them.

Oh yes! Every single night (occasionally during the day) there are a number of pinheads that can't figure out how to turn off high beams. However, I do drive about 450 miles a day (or night) at work.

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by moonlight

Do that many people really drive around with their brights on? If they do, I never see them.

That's because you were blinded by the dazzle.

Would the electrical system of the truck be capable of handling the extra lload of 'several' high intensity lamps designed for transoceanic aircraft and space shuttles?

First of all, there is no "extremely bright spotlight that can be used legally only by transoceanic aircraft"--at least not any that is referred to in Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (formerly known as the FARs). Secondly, it would be extremely foolish to try to get back at someone whose brights were on by blinding them with your brights as well--that would create a situation of converging vehicles where both drivers were blinded instead of just one. I remember going over that specific issue back when I was in driving school.

[Eddylizard]

However it has to be noted that "extremely foolish" is something that many motorists excel at.

To me this sounds like a variant on the JATO powered car UL.

[Thebobo]

Even though the story sounds like hokum the one thing that sticks out is the prison sentence. In reality I don't even think he would lose his license for such an act let alone doing 'several years' in prison.
I like the idea,though,because one of my munchkins is those inconsiderate dolts who leave their brights on.

[MidgardDragon]

Originally Posted by snopes

Comment: I heard a story about a man who had a pet peeve. When driving at
night he was greatly disturbed when oncoming drivers left their high beams
on. He happened to work as an aircraft mechanic servicing large
commercial jets.

As the story goes, there is an extremely bright spot light that can be
used legally only by transoceanic aircraft and landing the space shuttle
at night. This man stole several of these spotlights from his job site
and attached them to the roll bar of his truck. The next evening he went
cruising.

The first car that approached him with its high beams on received quite a
shock when the man turned on these spot lights. Unfortunately, the
oncoming driver turned out to be a policeman who was nearly blinded by the
immense glare of the lights and ran off the road. When the policeman
recovered he gave chase. The mechanic ended up serving several years in
prison.

I was told this story in person. I did not find it on the Internet. I
have looked into it somewhat and it does not seem so far to be one of the
"way over used" urban legends circulating out there.

Sounds like a story made up by someone who constantly drives with their high-beams on and wanted revenge on those of us who give them a quick flash of our high-beams to get them to turn them off.

And yes, I see people driving with their high-beams on constantly, refusing to turn them off when passing traffic even after a polite flash to warn them.

But, but...

wouldn't the gang members turn around and kill you when you flashed your lights back at them?

I also often see dolts with high beams on - even in urban areas with street lights on the roads. Instead of my highbeams I'll often flash my fog lights on/off... Does not blind them, but Often folks turn off the HB and wave when they go by... A few are jerks and start flashing lights and honking, but more often it just seems folks don't realise they hit HB with the turn signal (yeah right - they're using those too ) or something like that.

Warlok

[WildaBeast]

Originally Posted by Thebobo

Even though the story sounds like hokum the one thing that sticks out is the prison sentence. In reality I don't even think he would lose his license for such an act let alone doing 'several years' in prison.

Maybe not for using the lights on his truck, but possibly for stealing them from his employer.

Originally Posted by Warlok5

But, but...

wouldn't the gang members turn around and kill you when you flashed your lights back at them?

Ohhh! But now you've blinded the gang members so they can't see you to shoot you!

The problem with assuming someone has their high beams on is you can't always be sure if it's high beams or just bright normal beams. I've been flashed several times when I didn't even have them on.

I have a much bigger problem with people behind me with high beams (of course like I said I can never be sure). I would like some kind of mirror that I can could put up in my rear window to reflect it back at them.

I often find myself wishing that drivers in SUVs and pickups would be more aware of the height of their headlights and take them into account when closely following compact cars (i.e., mine) at night. Then I think about the kind of people I know who buy SUVs and decide that rear-mounted brights would be a better solution.

As a mechanic myself, I can best suggest a good defense against lights in the rear view mirror. First is a tinted rear window (check local laws). Second is what is called a monochromatic mirror. It automatically darkens when light hits from behind and protects your eyes. A lot of cars come equipped with them and some even control dimming the sideview mirrors as well.

[Delta-V]

Originally Posted by Traveler in Black

I often find myself wishing that drivers in SUVs and pickups would be more aware of the height of their headlights and take them into account when closely following compact cars (i.e., mine) at night. Then I think about the kind of people I know who buy SUVs and decide that rear-mounted brights would be a better solution.

File a complaint on NHTSA's website. They've been waffling on the idea of lowering the headlight height regulation for a while now. Not that it'll help me. My car's less than 4' tall...even the taller sedan headlights shine in.

[Meka]

Originally Posted by Traveler in Black

I often find myself wishing that drivers in SUVs and pickups would be more aware of the height of their headlights and take them into account when closely following compact cars (i.e., mine) at night. Then I think about the kind of people I know who buy SUVs and decide that rear-mounted brights would be a better solution.

I was waiting in a drive-through lane not long ago when a truck/van/SUV with rear window-height headlights pulled up behind the car I was in. The driver was nice enough to switch off his headlights while we waited.

Of course, I did turn around and glare at him first...

I have to say that I've been tempted to do something like this. Take a couple of landing lights, rig up a second battery to power them (they normally operate on 28 VDC, but 24 volts will work nicely) and wait for the next pinhead who won't turn off his high beams even after a friendly flash of my highs. Then turn on the landing lights.

[frogpond]

Originally Posted by Hubert Cumberdale

The problem with assuming someone has their high beams on is you can't always be sure if it's high beams or just bright normal beams. I've been flashed several times when I didn't even have them on.

I have a much bigger problem with people behind me with high beams (of course like I said I can never be sure). I would like some kind of mirror that I can could put up in my rear window to reflect it back at them.

All the vehicles that I have driven had rear view mirrors that could be flipped to an angle that dramatically cuts down on the glare of lights from vehicles following behind. Don't most cars come with that feature?

[Eddylizard]

Originally Posted by frogpond

All the vehicles that I have driven had rear view mirrors that could be flipped to an angle that dramatically cuts down on the glare of lights from vehicles following behind. Don't most cars come with that feature?

Almost anything built in the past couple of decades decades I think. I've had problems with glare via the door mirrors though.

[RichardM]

Originally Posted by Robigus

I have to say that I've been tempted to do something like this. Take a couple of landing lights, rig up a second battery to power them (they normally operate on 28 VDC, but 24 volts will work nicely) and wait for the next pinhead who won't turn off his high beams even after a friendly flash of my highs. Then turn on the landing lights.

Why go to all that trouble? Those of us in the sport of performance rally do great with 12 volts. They now make HID pencil beams that throw out over 2 miles. Try danialsternlighting.com IIRC

Originally Posted by Robigus

I have to say that I've been tempted to do something like this. Take a couple of landing lights, rig up a second battery to power them (they normally operate on 28 VDC, but 24 volts will work nicely) and wait for the next pinhead who won't turn off his high beams even after a friendly flash of my highs. Then turn on the landing lights.

Originally Posted by RichardM

Why go to all that trouble? Those of us in the sport of performance rally do great with 12 volts. They now make HID pencil beams that throw out over 2 miles. Try danialsternlighting.com IIRC

I had a buddy back in Oklahoma (in the 80's) who had a rack of lights (I thought I remember them as "KC Daylighters"?) on a bar above the cab of his 4WD truck. When he turned those things on, you could feel the heat through the cab roof and you could see for miles down the road (and it was bright). He told me he could not keep them on very long because of draining his battery. I never saw him test the "drain the battery" theory. However, they would light up the countryside just like it was daylight. I bet if he fired those off at on-coming traffic, it would cause more than a little confusion. We joked that he could back up his truck with just the photon pressure....

Note, those lights did save us from driving into the Red River once while we were chasing a tornado. We thought we were on a country road that crossed the river from Texas in Oklahoma, but we weren't. Also, this location was not too far from where RicardM is based...