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Spacesaver wheels and lazy people!

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Comments

  • Flyboy152 wrote: »
    Your "colourful" epithets aside, I agree with the princess thing. But the child baby on board signs are a very important safety feature. It was first used to allow rescue services to identify the occupants of a car. Very often a small child would get missed in a mangled wreck and the delay in finding them could result in losing precious time. It is also a warning to other road users to perhaps have a bit more care when approaching that vehicle. A very sensible addition to any car. I find it odd that anyone would regard them the way you appear to.

    http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/babysign.asp

    Has as much standing as your own without more research, I think the one I've linked to is more realistic.
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    edited 26 July 2011 at 10:32PM
    You really think that in the case of an accident, the sign is still going to be in the back window? Do you have a sign in your back window?

    I did when the children were younger, but I fail to see the relevance of that query.


    And yes, the sign does generally tend to stay stuck to the back window. If it didn't, it is likely it would be somewhere visible, with its very bright yellow or orange, it is quite distinctive.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    http://www.snopes.com/horrors/parental/babysign.asp

    Has as much standing as your own without more research, I think the one I've linked to is more realistic.

    Very interesting. The theory was proffered to me some many years ago. I knew several firefighters back in the day and they assured me that the sign was very useful to them in the terms described earlier.

    Obviously I can now see that the origins were not as most believe, but the "myth" seems to have followed itself through to those who it was intended for. Perhaps this is a case of a "self-fulfilling myth," one that was created out of rumour, but grew with a life of its own. Perhaps there are some firefighters on MSE, who can confirm either way whethe these signs are of use to them, in the way many believe them to be.

    When I read the name "Michael Lerner," I thought it was "Ma Walton" from "The Waltons." :D
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • garethgas
    garethgas Posts: 2,477 Forumite
    edited 26 July 2011 at 10:57PM
    Or it could be that the firefighters save the driver then see the sign and rush to look for the child only for the car to explode and kill them. But no child in the car.
    Both urban myths in my book. Stryder's right on this one I think.
    You have been reading.....another magnificent post by garethgas :beer:
  • andygb
    andygb Posts: 14,655 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 10,000 Posts Name Dropper
    foofi22 wrote: »
    OP - if you don't wish to approach her, just leave an anonymous note on her car (maybe with a link to this thread :p)


    I wonder who changed the wheel for her, and I wonder why her other half, the one with the flash Beemer has not bothered to tell her?
    There are very lazy people in this World, and when other more intelligent people try to put them on the correct path, they simply exhibit their ignorance as a badge of pride, and try to put you down.
    I have given up trying to change the World, or even help a lot of people, because very often the help is not appreciated.
  • jase1 wrote: »
    I have never bought a car where a full-size spare is not at least an option, and I don't intend to start unless I am forced to by pernickety laws.

    The Focus was the first car I've bought with a space saver, and the first thing I did with it was buy a steel wheel for a fiver and replace the two front tyres, keeping the better of the two (with 4mm of tread) as the spare.

    You can still get a full size spare for a focus but the problem now is where to put it.
    There is still a space in the back of the car for this purpose, but it is designed for the spacesaver wheel. If you put a full size one in there then the rear mat is lifted up a fair few inches and stuff that you put in there is often very unstable. (especially if you have a cargo tray fitted).
  • jase1
    jase1 Posts: 2,308 Forumite
    You can still get a full size spare for a focus but the problem now is where to put it.
    There is still a space in the back of the car for this purpose, but it is designed for the spacesaver wheel. If you put a full size one in there then the rear mat is lifted up a fair few inches and stuff that you put in there is often very unstable. (especially if you have a cargo tray fitted).

    Not sure about the new one, but on my 07 (estate) there was a foam spacer which, when removed, allowed a full-size spare to be put in exactly the right size (205 width).
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    Sadly, my car is one of those with those pathetic gunge injectors. About as much use as a chocolate teapot.
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
  • rev_henry
    rev_henry Posts: 4,965 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker
    Flyboy152 wrote: »
    Sadly, my car is one of those with those pathetic gunge injectors. About as much use as a chocolate teapot.
    My car not only has a tyreweld gunge thing, but a pair of safety specs to wear whilst using it!
  • Flyboy152
    Flyboy152 Posts: 17,118 Forumite
    rev_henry wrote: »
    My car not only has a tyreweld gunge thing, but a pair of safety specs to wear whilst using it!

    A sensible piece of equipment, bearing in mind some of the jackasses I have seen using them. Looking down the tube to see why it isn't working, is not the cleverest of strategies. :D
    The greater danger, for most of us, lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low and achieving our mark
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