idea - juggler's bean bags

[Sean]

I've heard of a few people with Sevens being backed into or otherwise crashed into while stopped, completely avoidably, and thought having a few juggler's bean bags to throw at the offending vehicle might be a useful thing to keep in the car. I already have air horns, but nothing screams "Stop - NOW!" like the sound/feel of something impacting the bodywork of a car. The bean bags shouldn't damage a vehicle at all. I'm going to get some (or make some) to carry and hope I never have to use them, but wondered what others might think: Sound like a good idea, or just goofy?

[slomove]

I don't get it. What to throw and when?

I would not mind throwing a rock if it helps stopping an attacker. But I suspect before you can even recognize you are going to be hit it is too late to say even "shit".

[Sean]

I should clarify - the circumstances I was referring to are when my car is stopped and amongst other stopped cars, such as at a traffic signal, and the car ahead decides to back up a bit in order to change lanes for whatever reason. As soon as the reverse lights illuminate on the vehicle in front of me, I would throw. Every time I stop behind another vehicle, which is frequently a P/U or SUV, I think about what would happen if they decided to back up, because I know they would only see me if they were looking carefully, and far too many simply aren't.

[JohnCh]

I've been the victim of an inattentive backup. In my situation, my finger was on the airhorn button as per my standard practice in those situations, and triggered them the moment he put it in reverse. Even though they were loud enough that my wife, who was inside a building over 100' away, could hear them and knew it was my car, the bonehead directly in front of me couldn't. Don't see how a bean bag will work unless he's in a convertible with the top down and you can hit him in the head. A paintball gun, however...now that has promise.

-John

[Sean]

Yeah, it might be difficult to throw accurately or with sufficient force when strapped in, too. But if it might save a nosecone/radiator/front suspension, I figure it'll be worth a try. This type of collision seems to be prevalent in the Seven community.

I recently bought a "surf hat" - like a baseball cap, but with a shorter bill, waterproof/quick-drying material, and has a chin strap - for some sun protection in warm weather driving. That is working well, and surprisingly stayed on my head at freeway speeds with an aeroscreen. I thought it might slide back and just strangle me, but it held. A bit less relevant now that the weather is turning here, though.

[Elv15]

A rollbar mounted fully automatic paintball gun. Yes! That should work!! :D :D

Sean - can you post a link to that surf hat?

[Sean]

I bought this one because it was inexpensive at twelve bucks on sale, but I wouldn't recommend this particular one because the chinstrap attachment is located too far rearward on this particular one - the ear cover part could not possibly cover any human's ears because it is so far back. It also has a big logo on it, which I don't care for, but it was just a $12 experiment. Just Google "surf hat" and you'll see plenty of other examples from other manufacturers. Patagonia used to make one that looks like it would work well and was favorably reviewed, but it appears as though that one has been out of production for a number of years now.

I know these things look kind of goofy, but the skin cancer ward is not where I want to hang out. Damn Irish skin; I start to sunburn just standing at the McDonald's counter from the dang heatlamps!

[moosetestbestanden]

I bought this one because it was inexpensive at twelve bucks on sale, but I wouldn't recommend this particular one because the chinstrap attachment is located too far rearward on this particular one - the ear cover part could not possibly cover any human's ears because it is so far back. It also has a big logo on it, which I don't care for, but it was just a $12 experiment. Just Google "surf hat" and you'll see plenty of other examples from other manufacturers. Patagonia used to make one that looks like it would work well and was favorably reviewed, but it appears as though that one has been out of production for a number of years now.

I know these things look kind of goofy, but the skin cancer ward is not where I want to hang out. Damn Irish skin; I start to sunburn just standing at the McDonald's counter from the dang heatlamps!

I've used a cycling cap for years. They - er, it (the same one - gross :-O) - stays on fine even w/ the aeroscreen. I flip the bill up at freeway speed, otherwise it stays down. It's the only sun visor I've got!

[Sean]

I lost a beanie hat on a freeway on-ramp last year.

[prabjohns]

I have a bright orange woolen hat that is highly visible. I call it my knitted traffic cone. I sewed elastic round the brim and it's good up to about 100mph (I have a windscreen though). In the summer I wear one of those sort of tennis-y sun visors under it for some nose shade. Works quite well.
I worry more about my car getting reversed on when it's parked on the street. A couple of times I've had to sprint across the street to stop some absent minded SUV driver reversing onto my Birkin while they try to get into or out of the parking space in front of me.

I think a telescopic radio antena clipped to the nose cone that you could pull up when parked with a sign on the top at SUV rear view mirror height that reads
'!ffo kcuf'
So it's the right way round in their mirror would help...

[Doug Liedblad]

I lost a beanie hat on a freeway on-ramp last year.

Did it have the propeller?

[Sean]

Did it have the propeller?

:) No, but that would be hilarious, because it would be spinning at a tremendous rate! No mouse ears, either. Just a generic knit-type beanie.