Blinded by brights - way to signal?

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08-14-2009, 09:06 AM
GulfCoastAmy

Blinded by brights - way to signal?

I always ride before sunup and I am occasionally blinded by oncoming cars with their brights on. I don't understand why a cyclist wouldn't get the same courtesy as a car when it comes to turning the brights off. This is really more of a vent than anything. I know they can see me because I have a bright headlight and several blinking fireflys. I can't think of a way to signal like you would in a car by flashing your lights. Once I held my hand up in front of my eyes to shield them but the driver still didn't get the hint. Any suggestions?
08-14-2009, 09:12 AM
spazzdog

use your hand to "flash" your headlight...

you know: cover-uncover-cover-uncover

they'll probably still ignore you, but you never know - it might work.

spazz
08-14-2009, 10:46 AM
OakLeaf

How about carrying a laser pointer and blinding them back, the equivalent of flashing your high beams in a car?
08-14-2009, 10:47 AM
spazzdog

or
a
potato
gun
but use tomatoes (splat rather than smash)
:eek:

spazz
08-14-2009, 11:08 AM
tulip

PLEASE don't flash a laser--you could damage someone's eyes.

Flash your headlight be sweeping your hand in front of it.
08-14-2009, 11:23 AM
GulfCoastAmy

LOL. The tomato idea could work.... No really, thanks for the suggestions! Waving my hand in front of my headlight might do the trick.
08-14-2009, 12:49 PM
Biciclista

I hardly think the kind of lasers most of us can get our hands on are going to hurt anyone at 30 feet; however they might think you have a gun (sighting) and shoot you! :eek::eek:
08-14-2009, 01:34 PM
tulip

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biciclista

I hardly think the kind of lasers most of us can get our hands on are going to hurt anyone at 30 feet; however they might think you have a gun (sighting) and shoot you! :eek::eek:

Please don't play with those things. They CAN burn the retinas and leave someone with vision impairments. They are no laughing matter. As someone who has lost vision in one of my eyes and is always aware that the other one could go, I really encourage you to THINK a little more about this.
08-14-2009, 01:46 PM
Pedal Wench

http://www.straightdope.com/columns/...mage-your-eyes
08-14-2009, 01:46 PM
Biciclista

Quote:

Originally Posted by tulip

Please don't play with those things. They CAN burn the retinas and leave someone with vision impairments. They are no laughing matter. As someone who has lost vision in one of my eyes and is always aware that the other one could go, I really encourage you to THINK a little more about this.

it's okay, i'm not going to think any more about it because it's not going to happen. And I'm legally blind in one eye too.
08-14-2009, 04:14 PM
Eden

Having a light (not a laser, just a light...) mounted on your helmet that you can flash them with helps too. The idea is not to blind them, that would be dangerous, but to give them a quick flash the same way an oncoming car might. I have a pretty bright little LED flashlight that I rubberband to my helmet when I expect to be riding in the dark. Not only does it help alert cars to my presence - I also use it to flash drivers who might otherwise try to pull out in front of me - it helps light my own way when it is very dark. I like the flashlight because it is not heavy and lasts a long time and it is not blindingly bright. My regular head light is a a bit awkward for helmet mounting.
08-14-2009, 08:05 PM
MartianDestiny

Quote:

Originally Posted by Biciclista

I hardly think the kind of lasers most of us can get our hands on are going to hurt anyone at 30 feet; however they might think you have a gun (sighting) and shoot you! :eek::eek:

I have two lasers sitting in my desk right now that could easily hurt someone at ~30 feet if I aimed it at them. I'm an astronomer and they are standard issue and easy to get. And yes, they are standard pen pointers (but green and very very bright).
08-15-2009, 12:38 AM
Mr. Bloom

Quote:

Originally Posted by tulip

Please don't play with those things.

Amen...I've accidentally had these pointed at me by playing kids...and they definitely cause a distraction and, if I was driving at night, I could see them causing a wreck. These are the same things causing a problem for commercial pilots!

I think my advice would be to do what my driver's manual suggests: Focus your eyes on your yellow line and avoid looking straight into the cars headlights. Many drivers are conditioned to reduce their brights for cars...and only cars...and those drivers won't get any strange flashes coming at them from anything other than another car's headlights.