*sigh* Toyota To Sell Noisemaker add-on for Prius

Well, that's fine as long as it doesn't infringe on my rights to NOT have extra noise around me. It is the same argument that folks use to commute solo in huge SUVs around here. What if that person WANTS to do that? They can afford to, so why should I try to stop them? Why should I have any say in their personal freedoms? Well, it is because what others do has an effect on my life. It takes away my rights to clean air, oil independence, etc.

The thing is... we have governement and laws that are meant to protect the public good. Of the people and for the people and all that. We have noise limits - for yard work, for construction work, for parties, and for cars. It turns out that we can't just do what we want all the time. What if I wanted to dump raw sewage in the stream that runs behind my house? It would be cheaper for me than paying the city to treat my sewer. Why should anybody tell me that I don't have that right? OK, that's a bit extreme, but you get the idea. If everybody could do whatever they wanted, or whatever was best for THEM without thought to what it does to everybody else... we have a problem. And like it or not, that's why we have laws. To protect us from ourselves.

So we currently have laws that say cars can't be made louder. And now we're considering a law to make *some* cars louder. Hmmm. What's best for the public good here?

 

Correct. The tires are quiet at low speeds.

And at those low speeds, the inverter can clearly be heard. So the "retraining" bit is still relevant. I can hear our Prius coming down the street from around our corner before I can see it - under 20 mph in battery mode. Hell, our Dog can hear the EV from about six blocks away! Hey... hows this for a new, brilliant idea? Dogs for the blind. We could call them something catchy like "Guide Dogs for the Blind." I wonder if I can patent this idea. The dogs could be trained to safely navigate around all dangerous obstructions - including cars... every one of which they can hear way better than we can.

 

Don't be stupid. What blind person is going to want to walk around with a dog. Now guide cats for the blind might work.

Tom

 

I'd go for one of these if I could reprogram it to sound like the Jetsons' car.

 

An excellent and well thought out post. However the decision in the courtroom will be made by 12 ordinary citizens that do not have a reason to get out of jury duty. Have you seen any man-in-the-street interviews lately? All the in depth reasoning in the world will be trumped by the simple understandable fact that the driver turned off the warning device.

 

...and poor little Billy was struck down in the prime of his life (sniff).

Tom

 

I think I would just rather see the surprised reactions of the people I creep up behind and they don't realize how close I am! Old people are the best! SO funny!

 

Old folks cannot jump as high as the young woman who was so engrossed in conversation that she didn't hear me tap the horn to alert her group to my presence. While the rest of the group gradually parted, she actually moved into my path, unaware of my car a few feet behind until a companion alerted her.

This was in a National Park parking lot, very far away from the urban cacophony. I took this as evidence that to be really effective, a pedestrian alerting noisemaker must be louder than the stock Prius horn.

 

They need to sell Lightmaker add-on for Prius to benefit deaf people.

 

Now what self-respecting cat would want to work as a guide cat? Most cats I know would need to be taken out for a drag. Never forget dogs have owners and cats have staff.

 

Too bad nothing is done to tone down the excessive noisemakers--and that includes those obnoxious idiots who shake the ground with primitive rock noise coming out of their sound systems. What is this society coming to.

 

Well I was making the simple assunption that a Toyota approved and marketed noisemaker would by definition be legal...or they wouldn't sell it.

Plus I don't think we have laws saying you CAN'T make cars louder. Truth is people make choices concerning replacement mufflers and exhausts sometimes with the specific aim of making then louder.

We do have laws concerning noise levels and noise pollution. But again, currently the products I see, aren't designed to be louder than most ICE vehicles...so I don't think they would be deemed "illegal" because they are too loud.

I'm sorry...I don't have a popular opinion on this, I just don't sweat it as much as most of you do.

I think it's key, that it's "optional" at this point. My opinion would change drastically if they are ever mandated and/or installed without an off switch.

PS.

As far as laws concerning noise levels...well most states and local jurisdictions do have them...but how well are they usually enforced? I can honestly say living in the suburbs of my states largest city, I have never been consistently disturbed by automotive sounds...However I would like to destroy any and all LEAF BLOWERS and the "idiots" that enjoy playing "Ghost Buster" by thinking they have a right to blow dust, dirt and debris all over the neighborhood. It's hard for me to get too worked up over an optional device that makes your car sound like a spaceship...when it's perfectly legal to own and operate a ear shattering leaf blower that is louder than most cars..and also kicks up dust.

 

What else can I be? Stupid is really all I know.

I'll give your cat idea some thought. But I'm not sharing my royalties.

 

Why don't the complainers buy a strap on sonar device to detect EVs with earplugs of course, there is enough noise in this world already, no need to add more...

 

What happens when the invasion starts? Most people will be running for their lives and the blind will assume it's just another Prius.

When cars first came out didn't some cities require that someone walk in front of the car holding a flag to alert people and warn horse owners that a car was approaching? Maybe we should re-institute that law except in addition to the flag, the person should also be blowing on a kazoo.

Those who are old enough to remember, why is it that they stopped putting systems in cars that would say "your door is ajar". Oh yeah, when the switch broke the car would keep saying it over and over and over. I don't speak Japanese, but in one part of the video I'm sure the narrator is staying something like "And when you have your windows rolled up you will not be bothered by the annoying sound your car makes"

I like the idea of having customized sounds, like ringtones for your car. I think the sound of a crashing wave would definitely get someones attention and blind people would be totally confused as to where they were. The sound of the Jetson's car would be another one I'd try for awhile but I'd probably settle on someone saying "Hey! There's a car behind you!" over and over and over.

Nerd Alert: "Robbie the Robot" was from Forbidden Planet, the robot on Lost in Space was simply called "Robot"

 

...and wearing clown shoes. Don't forget the clown shoes.

Tom

 

In case Toyota or Coastal Tech is listening, here's an idea for a mod I'd pay for. Since the car already has a chirp for indicating that you just locked/unlocked the doors, left the key in the car, etc. and since no one is going to use their cruise control in a parking lot (it won't work at that speed anyway) I'd like to be able to pull on the cruise control lever and have the car chirp. I'm always hesitant to try to tap on the horn because instead of a quick "toot" it sometimes comes out at a short "honk" which could be startling to the pedestrian. It would be similar to the people who have bells on their bikes instead of horns, it's a more considerate way to let someone know that you're coming up behind them.

 

I may be dating myself a little, but as a boy in the 50s a neighbor had a P51 Mustang he picked up for cheap after WWII. The sound of that V12 Rolls Royce Merlin was sooo sweet. I'd put 150.00 into a noisemaker like that! Heck, you'd scare the heck out of the new HEMI crowd and the boy racers with their NOx injected street racers.
Maybe put a "Super Sport" decal on the side-eh.
Tony Renier

 

My thoughts exactly. It used to be that people complained about all the traffic noise.... now they are complaining there isn't enough??

G

 

By a turn-signal relay and connect it to the turn-signal wires and co-located with the bulb. As the lights flash, the relay will click.

Go to Radio Shack and buy a piezo element, model 273-073, $1.99, and wire to the turn signal light. You may need a voltage divider resistor but it will make a nice 'click' co-located with the lights each time they flash. Try to make a water proof housing, say plastic bag and sticky tape.

Put one on each light and hit the emergency flasher.

Bob Wilson