What is your pet peeve of the day?

[W2R]

Gotta love that "Moderator Emeritus" bumper sticker!

Yeah, you wouldn't believe the perks!

 

[gwraigty]

I can't tell if you are pulling my leg or not. If one of those drivers blinded by your headlights is a police officer, there is a chance he will turn around and pull you over. You may then get a ticket for driving with misadjusted headlights. This is the same type of ticket you'd get if your directional signals failed to work. Whether the bulb was burned out or you just didn't use the signal, you'd still get a ticket.

Why do you think people believe you are driving with your high beams on? If you are driving with your low beams on, but they are adjusted incorrectly, it is just as annoying and dangerous. They are flashing their lights and honking their horns because you are creating an annoying or unsafe situation--and neither they (nor the police officer) is likely to care much if it is because you are driving with your high beams on or with "low beams" adjusted too high or too far left. Both situations are against the law, and both can result in a citation.

IMO, you really should fix this, and not wait (months?) until your next oil change. Would you knowingly drive with your high-beams on for months? If you have reason to suspect you are driving with mis-adjusted headlights that are blinding other drivers (and you do--they ain't flashing their lights and honking their horns just to see if they work), how is it different?

No, I'm not pulling your leg. I apologize for the novel, but I really feel like I'm being torn to shreds here, with some people convinced that I've got defective headlights and am being irresponsible for not rushing to have them fixed because of 2 people out of the hundreds who have driven past me over the last week. Really think about that, would you?

In response to the bold parts above:

How do you know that other drivers are being blinded by my headlights? My original statement said nothing to that effect. As to why I thought 2 people flashed/honked at me last week, I wondered about it and Googled it. I read that people may do this for a few reasons, one of which can be when they think someone is driving with their bright lights. I know that my HID headlights are brighter than the ones on our former 2005 van and also on our 2012 Fusion. I wondered if other Chevy Equinox owners also experienced this. I found a Chevy Equinox forum where people were talking about this dating back to 2016, getting flashed because the headlights are brighter than many people are used to. I then, maybe incorrectly, thought that might be why I was getting flashed/honked at. On the first occasion, it was dark. Yesterday, it was the middle of the afternoon, but it was raining, so my headlights were on, per state law.

You jump to the conclusion that people are justified in flashing/honking because I'm creating an annoying or dangerous situation. Unless you were there to witness it, you really don't know why.

As I guess, I really don't. In fact, since I wasn't the only car on the road, maybe I wasn't even the one being flashed or honked at. I assumed it because they did it as they approached my car. Maybe it was directed at a car behind me. I've seen people around here driving in the dark without their headlights on, which is crazy. This afternoon it was raining. Again. Most people had their headlights on. A few didn't. No one flashed/honked today, so the great majority of approaching drivers don't appear to have a problem with my headlights, otherwise I'd think I'd be getting flashed/honked every day I drove with my headlights on. Also, in this area, police officers are a frequent sight. I've driven next to/in front of/approached in oncoming traffic/sat next to/beside while stopped at traffic lights, police vehicles regularly, both local police and highway state patrol, with my headlights on many, many times each week. None has seen fit to stop me yet for having headlights that some might think are too bright. And if I'm still not sure, I could walk across the street and ask my retired police officer neighbor to take a look-see.

That's why I posted it as a pet peeve. I didn't think it was a problem with my headlights, but with a couple of other drivers making an incorrect judgment. Both times it happened, I was on the same street, not a minute from my house, in about the same place, but at 2 entirely different times of the day. I've been driving 60 miles a day on most days the last month, taking my son (who has autism and moderate to severe hearing loss in one ear) to his new job. That's a lot of miles with no other drivers flashing/honking. If I really had a problem with my headlights, I'd honestly expect a lot more of it.

I'm not going to waste any more time going back and forth with you on this. I've spent more time here than is warranted and I really regret having posted this peeve at all. Seriously.

That's how I get my exercise.


But seriously, you owe it to yourself to at least park it in the street and walk away far enough to see if the headlights are indeed glaring.

Actually, I have done that. I didn't think it was necessary to have added that to my original and brief pet peeve. I didn't anticipate being torn to shreds over this. Before I even posted my pet peeve, I checked! I can't get any more detailed than this. I checked my headlights against my white garage door in the dark. The light they give is even on each side and from top to bottom. The low beams give a nice bright white rectangle extending an equal distance on each side of the car. I got out of the car and walked a distance away. I looked at them from the side. There is nothing that looks abnormal about the light beams. They are even and straight. The high beams produce two higher humps, evenly spaced, extending above the white rectangle. When I'm driving down the street at night and I'm the only car in the area at the moment, the road in front of me and to the sides is lit evenly all the way across. I can see a small animal that is about to dart into the street from a tree lawn before I'm close enough to be a danger to it.

This is all on low beams. I don't have a reason to use my high beams, even on a rural road. I can't put them on by accident and not know it. My headlights are set to Auto. They come on when lighting conditions warrant it and when the wipers are going. There is a green indicator on the dashboard when the low beams are on. It changes to blue if I put the high beams on. You can't mistake the difference.

Because of all this contention, which I'm quite surprised at actually, I asked my husband to check the headlights tonight. He said there is nothing wrong with them. He knows quite a bit more about vehicles than I do, being a software engineer in the commercial vehicle industry. He said that because an SUV sits higher, the lights may be more at someone's eye level in a vehicle that sits lower, and HID headlights are brighter. They look white, not yellow. Someone might get the wrong idea that I'm driving with the brights on, because my headlights are brighter than what they're used to seeing. That is all it is.

Next time I take the car in for a free car wash at the dealer (sooner than I'm due for my next free oil change), I will inquire if they've heard of/or experienced other drivers mistaking Chevy HID headlights for brights. Over and out.

 

[aja8888]

Gotta love that "Moderator Emeritus" bumper sticker!

Are you still getting your quarterly dividend check for services rendered?

 

[redduck]

I'm not going to waste any more time going back and forth with you on this. I've spent more time here than is warranted and I really regret having posted this peeve at all. Seriously.

You are not alone with your regret. Seriously.

note: emphasis by the duck

 

[Texas Proud]

No, I'm not pulling your leg. I apologize for the novel, but I really feel like I'm being torn to shreds here, with some people convinced that I've got defective headlights and am being irresponsible for not rushing to have them fixed because of 2 people out of the hundreds who have driven past me over the last week. Really think about that, would you?

In response to the bold parts above:

How do you know that other drivers are being blinded by my headlights? My original statement said nothing to that effect. As to why I thought 2 people flashed/honked at me last week, I wondered about it and Googled it. I read that people may do this for a few reasons, one of which can be when they think someone is driving with their bright lights. I know that my HID headlights are brighter than the ones on our former 2005 van and also on our 2012 Fusion. I wondered if other Chevy Equinox owners also experienced this. I found a Chevy Equinox forum where people were talking about this dating back to 2016, getting flashed because the headlights are brighter than many people are used to. I then, maybe incorrectly, thought that might be why I was getting flashed/honked at. On the first occasion, it was dark. Yesterday, it was the middle of the afternoon, but it was raining, so my headlights were on, per state law.

You jump to the conclusion that people are justified in flashing/honking because I'm creating an annoying or dangerous situation. Unless you were there to witness it, you really don't know why.

As I guess, I really don't. In fact, since I wasn't the only car on the road, maybe I wasn't even the one being flashed or honked at. I assumed it because they did it as they approached my car. Maybe it was directed at a car behind me. I've seen people around here driving in the dark without their headlights on, which is crazy. This afternoon it was raining. Again. Most people had their headlights on. A few didn't. No one flashed/honked today, so the great majority of approaching drivers don't appear to have a problem with my headlights, otherwise I'd think I'd be getting flashed/honked every day I drove with my headlights on. Also, in this area, police officers are a frequent sight. I've driven next to/in front of/approached in oncoming traffic/sat next to/beside while stopped at traffic lights, police vehicles regularly, both local police and highway state patrol, with my headlights on many, many times each week. None has seen fit to stop me yet for having headlights that some might think are too bright. And if I'm still not sure, I could walk across the street and ask my retired police officer neighbor to take a look-see.

That's why I posted it as a pet peeve. I didn't think it was a problem with my headlights, but with a couple of other drivers making an incorrect judgment. Both times it happened, I was on the same street, not a minute from my house, in about the same place, but at 2 entirely different times of the day. I've been driving 60 miles a day on most days the last month, taking my son (who has autism and moderate to severe hearing loss in one ear) to his new job. That's a lot of miles with no other drivers flashing/honking. If I really had a problem with my headlights, I'd honestly expect a lot more of it.

I'm not going to waste any more time going back and forth with you on this. I've spent more time here than is warranted and I really regret having posted this peeve at all. Seriously.



Actually, I have done that. I didn't think it was necessary to have added that to my original and brief pet peeve. I didn't anticipate being torn to shreds over this. Before I even posted my pet peeve, I checked! I can't get any more detailed than this. I checked my headlights against my white garage door in the dark. The light they give is even on each side and from top to bottom. The low beams give a nice bright white rectangle extending an equal distance on each side of the car. I got out of the car and walked a distance away. I looked at them from the side. There is nothing that looks abnormal about the light beams. They are even and straight. The high beams produce two higher humps, evenly spaced, extending above the white rectangle. When I'm driving down the street at night and I'm the only car in the area at the moment, the road in front of me and to the sides is lit evenly all the way across. I can see a small animal that is about to dart into the street from a tree lawn before I'm close enough to be a danger to it.

This is all on low beams. I don't have a reason to use my high beams, even on a rural road. I can't put them on by accident and not know it. My headlights are set to Auto. They come on when lighting conditions warrant it and when the wipers are going. There is a green indicator on the dashboard when the low beams are on. It changes to blue if I put the high beams on. You can't mistake the difference.

Because of all this contention, which I'm quite surprised at actually, I asked my husband to check the headlights tonight. He said there is nothing wrong with them. He knows quite a bit more about vehicles than I do, being a software engineer in the commercial vehicle industry. He said that because an SUV sits higher, the lights may be more at someone's eye level in a vehicle that sits lower, and HID headlights are brighter. They look white, not yellow. Someone might get the wrong idea that I'm driving with the brights on, because my headlights are brighter than what they're used to seeing. That is all it is.

Next time I take the car in for a free car wash at the dealer (sooner than I'm due for my next free oil change), I will inquire if they've heard of/or experienced other drivers mistaking Chevy HID headlights for brights. Over and out.

Check your first post... you never said it was 1 person flashing and 1 honking the horn....



You sounded like it was common and if it were then that means something was wrong with your car...

 

[REWahoo]

This conversation reminds me of this classic:

 

[gwraigty]

Check your first post... you never said it was 1 person flashing and 1 honking the horn....



You sounded like it was common and if it were then that means something was wrong with your car...

No, I didn't. Post #3755, which you responded to in Post #3769, mentions 3 specific incidents in the last year since we've owned this SUV. 2 of them happened last week, which is what brought it to my mind to post it as a pet peeve. That is all and it was turned into something ridiculous by several other posters here, with gross exaggerations of what I said!

I specifically mentioned only 2 people in several posts after that, yet a few people continued to berate and demean me even after that. This went way over the top. I will not spend any more time on nonsense like this that adds no value to my life.

Only a couple of people seemed to understand and have good reading comprehension. I thank you for that.

 

[aja8888]

Tried to follow the above.....but it's all over the place. Based on my lengthy experience in manufacturing and with automobiles, it's very possible that your HID housings were not properly (or at all) adjusted when the car rolled off the assembly line.

It may make sense to bring the car to a shop that is competent and have the light beam adjustment checked. HID's have a definite horizontal "cutoff" and if it's set a tad high,it could be irritating to oncoming drivers.

Also, some cars with HIDs have "auto levelling" motors to keep the beam level constant if the car is overloaded in either the front or rear. If your car has this setup, it could be out of adjustment.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[brucethebroker]

To me this is a design flaw......whether intentional or not. In the olden days when the turn signal was on, there was a clear audible clicking sound so it was obvious. Not today. If you think about it and take your eyes off the road the blinking will be visible on the dash but that's not always safe to do and you do have to think about it.

I simply can't HEAR the sound anymore. Even with the radio off. Drives DW nuts.

 

[ERD50]

No, I didn't. Post #3755, which you responded to in Post #3769, mentions 3 specific incidents in the last year since we've owned this SUV. 2 of them happened last week, which is what brought it to my mind to post it as a pet peeve. That is all and it was turned into something ridiculous by several other posters here, with gross exaggerations of what I said!

I specifically mentioned only 2 people in several posts after that, yet a few people continued to berate and demean me even after that. This went way over the top. I will not spend any more time on nonsense like this that adds no value to my life.

Only a couple of people seemed to understand and have good reading comprehension. I thank you for that.

But in that post you said (emph mine):

I used to rarely drive in the dark. About a year ago, someone flashed their lights at me on a rural road late at night. I didn't think much of it at the time. Lately, I'm driving after dark regularly. One day last week, an oncoming driver leaned on their horn as they passed me. Yesterday, while it was still light outside, I was stopped to make a left turn. An oncoming driver flashed their lights at me.

So it has happened twice recently, and before that you didn't drive in the dark often. So that makes it sounds like a fairly high occurrence relative to the amount of time you are out. At least it could be read that way.

Get the lights checked, to rule that out. Maybe they were honking/flashing at you because you are a bad driver! (there, is that better?)

-ERD50

 

[travelover]

 

[samclem]

For anyone who cares if their headlights lights are adjusted correctly, there is a procedure for checking. First, see if there's a guide in your owners manual. If not, check out the short procedure here. You'll need a wall, a tape measure, some tape, and a flat area in front of the wall that will allow you to back up 25 feet.

As pointed out in the procedure, if both the passenger light and the driver side light are even and aimed straight ahead (left/right, i.e. in azimuth), your lights may be incorrectly adjusted and you may be blinding/annoying oncoming drivers. The driver's side light should be aimed 2" to the right at a distance of 25 feet. If they are "level" (in elevation) then they are wrong, and you will (similarly), be annoying/blinding oncoming drivers (they should drop 2" over a distance of 25 feet).

It is not possible to tell if one's lights are adjusted correctly just by shining them on a wall without taking measurements. They might look right, but if people are honking and flashing their lights, they are probably not well adjusted.

 

[aja8888]

Dan Stern on lighting. Good site:

https://www.danielsternlighting.com/tech/aim/aim.html

 

[W2R]

Are you still getting your quarterly dividend check for services rendered?

… Hmmm.... In addition to the Retired Admin Pension, the Retired Admin Medicare Supplement Plan, and the free Retired Admin steak dinner every other Friday night, plus birthday and Christmas bonuses?

Wow, I need to look into that, thanks!

 

[gwraigty]

But in that post you said (emph mine):

So it has happened twice recently, and before that you didn't drive in the dark often. So that makes it sounds like a fairly high occurrence relative to the amount of time you are out. At least it could be read that way.

Get the lights checked, to rule that out. Maybe they were honking/flashing at you because you are a bad driver! (there, is that better?)

-ERD50

Lately (as in the last month) I've been driving after dark regularly (as in 5 days per week) because before that: #1 - It didn't get dark as early before the recent time change. #2 - The last job my son had, only gave him a couple/few evenings of work most of the time, which meant less driving after dark. Business there was so bad the last couple of months that they stopped scheduling him and put him on call. He worked only 3 days in Sept. and 7 days in Oct. before he got the new job. I did do enough driving in this SUV after dark for several months when he was getting a regular 2 or 3 evenings of work at the old job, with not one incident of someone flashing/honking. Does that read better?

With all the rain we've been having, day after day, I have the headlights on most of the time, dark or not.

A problem that I find with forums, is that when you explain too much, some people don't like it. When you don't explain enough, some people read things into it that aren't there. I was on a jury once for 3 days. Some (as in not all) of you should not ever be on one.

Would my original post:

"People who flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. When you're not."

have read better as:

Someone who flashes their headlights at you or leans on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. When you're not.

I sincerely didn't think my original wording would cause anyone to believe I was the object of dozens/multitudes/sheer mobs of people with torches & pitchforks, flashing/honking me every time I went driving with my headlights on. Only a moron would think something wasn't wrong if that were the case.

2 people last week on a street within sight of my house, each one on a different day, with a few days between each incident, out of the 300+ miles I drove last week, with the headlights (low beams only) on most of the time, indicates...not anything remotely conclusive that my headlights or anything about my car or me is a problem.

I managed to drive a total of 60 miles today in 2 separate trips, each time with the headlights on all the time. No one flashed or honked at me. Today. Aren't you proud of me?

But yesterday, there was this deer...

 

[Texas Proud]

My point is that I have had 2 cars with HID... I have had maybe 3 people in 14 years flash me... nobody has ever honked...


So 2 in one week seems excessive IMO...


As to adjustments, mine on my current car is self adjusting... I can see it adjust at night when I start the car... now, my high beams are out of alignment... well, one is, the other is just fine...


I asked about getting it adjusted and they wanted like $150 to $200 to adjust... since it is only the high beam I decided not to adjust them...


OH, BTW, my current car with the auto adjusting lights I have never had anyone flash me... and I have had it for just over one year...

 

[Chuckanut]

My pet peeve this week is Holiday Promotional material sent to me with a big 20% OFF! coupon highlighted on the front page. Then I read the list of brands and items not included and find about the only thing I can buy are can openers and laundry bags.

 

[Nemo2]

Then I read the list of brands and items not included and find about the only thing I can buy are can openers and laundry bags.

Yabbut, you can get a LOT of them!

 

[redduck]

People who flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. When you're not.

The above quote is the initial pet peeve. So, it seems as if some drivers flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. Regardless of right or wrong as per your headlight situation, they are letting you know that your headlights are shining in their eyes and impairing their vision. They are simply giving you information. Why would you be peeved?

 

[W2R]

The above quote is the initial pet peeve. So, it seems as if some drivers flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. Regardless of right or wrong as per your headlight situation, they are letting you know that your headlights are shining in their eyes and impairing their vision. They are simply giving you information. Why would you be peeved?

I think I would be peeved, too.

My peeve of the day, is when people argue and wrangle over the legitimacy of somebody's pet peeve of the day. The way I look at it, gwraigty has a right to be peeved if she wants to be! Go for it, gwraigty! I am on your side and think you have every right to feel annoyed. Even if someone can see both sides of the issue and even if they think they there is a fix for it, that isn't what matters.

My other peeve of the day is that internet people (thousands of miles away) who have Thanksgiving plans with dozens of family members and friends are always asking me what my plans are. Nothing special, NOTHING!!! That's what my plans are. NOTHING, NADA, RIEN!

 

[Jerry1]

The car is a 2018 and therefore under warranty. A stop by the dealership can resolve the issue of whether or not the lights are aimed properly without any cost to the owner. I would assume that a 2018 is still getting free oil changes (I got two years, or 24K miles). I think the idea to get it checked at time of the next oil change, assuming it’s at the dealer, makes sense. No need to pay for something that is likely free.

 

[ERD50]

Originally Posted by gwraigty
People who flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. When you're not.

The above quote is the initial pet peeve. So, it seems as if some drivers flash their headlights at you or lean on their horn because they think you're driving with your brights on. Regardless of right or wrong as per your headlight situation, they are letting you know that your headlights are shining in their eyes and impairing their vision. They are simply giving you information. Why would you be peeved?

I think I would be peeved, too.

My peeve of the day, is when people argue and wrangle over the legitimacy of somebody's pet peeve of the day. The way I look at it, gwraigty has a right to be peeved if she wants to be! Go for it, gwraigty! ...

I don't think that's the reason for the back-and-forth. gwraigty complained, and other posters tried to be helpful, suggesting that there might be other reasons for the complaint, and how she could check these out. It was out of concern - if the headlights are misaligned, that can be dangerous to other drivers, especially us older drivers - bright lights 'blind' us worse/longer than younger drivers. Instead of accepting this help/concern, she got all defensive.

Just like that "It's not the nail" video.

OK, so my pet peeve of the day - people who can't/won't accept well-meaning advice, especially when not following that advice could adversely affect other people.

-ERD50

 

[Bestwifeever]

Another point re people flashing headlights—my brights are on the stick that controls the windshield wipers. I have flashed the brights countless times trying to spritz the windshield or turn the wipers on or off. Maybe the peeving flashers aren’t annoyed at the pet peever at all but are accidental flashers like me, who never flashes brights on purpose at another driver.

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

[mod edit] I never thought that a discussion about headlights would take up so many freaking posts. Can we just MOVE ON, please!?

 

[Nemo2]

HeadlightS? You mean some of youse have more than ONE? LOL, I'll bet you put lights on the back too.

People obviously think it's Santy Clause coming.