I have seen the light
Herself watches a lot of television.
Ergo when I am sitting with her I too watch a lot of television.
And anyone who watches a lot of television therefore has to see a LOT of advertising.
Advertising on television doesn’t bother me much because my reaction time on the mute button can be measured in picoseconds. As a result I just sit there only half watching the screen just concentrating enough to restore sound when the damned things finish.
There is one thing I have noticed recently though and that is the sheer number of advertisements for cars. It used to be sofas [guaranteed to be delivered before Christmas] but it’s now cars. It’s not uncommon to see three different cars in one break, so in the course of an hour I will probably seen every make and model that currently exists.
So we have these ads for cars of every breed shape and form but they all seem to have one thing in common – the only feature of their vehicle they are willing to display is the vehicle’s lights. I don’t know why they have this obsession with lights but I have seen a whole range of headlights, tail lights, indicators and in one particular car, a fancy display of flashing rear lights [like Close Encounters] when the ignition is switched off.
So we’ll get these brief images of a long shot of the car in the distance as it wends its way through Alpine roads and then – bang – a close up of the headlight followed by a lingering close up of the tail light. Er, why? What is the fascination with these light clusters? Are modern cars all so similar that the only differentiating item is the shape and configuration of their illumination?
I have noticed that more and more cars are being driven with their side lights on, in broad daylight. I presume this is to indicate that the driver is ever so proud of his new lights and wants to show them off all the time. It could be a crappy banger behind those lights but that is now irrelevant. Mind you – they all seem the same to me – just a Y on it’s side made of a string of LEDs.
I seem to be missing something here.
I’m baffled.
“Are modern cars all so similar that the only differentiating item is the shape and configuration of their illumination?”
Yes. Modern car really are that similar to each other. no character what so ever. I really miss older cars. The type you could identify from half a mile away
I agree. Who can forget the Triumph Herald with its unusual rear window or the Citroen that looked like a squashed bug. Now they all look like a Star Wars Stormtroopers helmet.
Cars today do look all the same so the only way to tell them apart is their lighting. Most cars today, over here, you can’t turn the light out! They are always on. They claim it’s for safety. Of course it’s always for safety’s sake. Nanny state must keep us safe even if it’s from nothing at all.
I think the Sweeds for that. I think they have a law that all cars must use lights at all times. That caught on and a lot of cars now just have them on permanently. I suppose it is a bit safer than the drivers here in Ireland who refuse to use any lights until it is pitch dark!
I think the EU has has a law that all new cars must have front running lights at all times? Saabs had them years ago but they could be switched off. The new EU ones can’t be switched off, although my Citroen ones go off when the main headlights are on.
You’re right – it’s another piece of EU nonsense – any vehicle Type Approved after Feb 2012 must have Daytime Running Lights (DRLs). They’re a bugger to turn off, but what a man built a man can take apart, so it’s usually possible, I’ve always managed it so far.
It’s not a law here in the States yet that I know of (lights on at all time) either at the Federal level or the State level. However, most drivers do nowadays so the relative few that don’t sometimes just fade into the background making these vehicles somewhat dangerous to the oncoming “nose-in-phone” driver. Personally, I’ve noticed of late that smaller cars of a certain color seem to “disappear” as it were if it doesn’t have it’s lights on.
And like you, I’m just as baffled about these strings of LEDs around the headlight assembly. To what point and purpose do these serve except as a guarantee that the owner of the vehicle will have to spend lots of hard earned cash replacing the entire headlight assembly because the string of LEDs, which will eventually fail, are not sold separately?
I do the sidelights thing. My theory is that other drivers will think, why has that prat got his lights on – and so take more notice of me and be safer around me.
Potholes play havoc with those modern lights, the slightest bump and they seem to go. A mechanic told me it’s because those LED lights are so hot.
I once, a very long time ago, was very much impressed how oncoming cars can pretty much disappear with certain light and backgrounds (it was on a dike) – I never forgot the suddenness of that car I only saw coming when it was practically next to me on the other lane. Since then (at least 15 years) I always drive with my lights on! I drive a silver coloured car – they “disappear” very well!
Dear Grandad
Most of the pets I look after have homes with Sky and an AGA. The latter is great for warming croissants. The former is great for Live Pause (not to be confused with Live Paws, which belong to the pets), which allows the programme to be held up while one warms one’s croissant, and then one can fast forward through the adverts at up to Warp Speed 30, pausing only to watch any new Meer cat adverts, until one catches up with the programme one wishes to actually watch, while eating a croissant*.
Hope this helps
DP
* Optional. Wine, beer, whiskey are good substitutes
Daytime running lights did reduce traffic accidents in Sweden. Of course they did in that gloomy joint where they live in the dark for 6 months per year. So what relevance have they got in Spain or Italy where they actually see that bright yellow thing in the sky for eleven months of the year.
Also have you noticed how many car ads are aimed at women.