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bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
Oops. My US-centric was showing. I should have said 'from the left seat', not 'from the driver's seat'. That would be quite the trick for you!
Thing not to do: drive anywhere near the back of an SUV in a parking lot in a low-slung sports car. Unfortunately this is also impossible to avoid.
Today the SUV I was following changed his mind about the parking spot he was half-way in. So he backed out and sat there. He seemed a little befuddled. So I held well back at what I thought was a safe distance.
Well wouldn't you know he spots a better space. The one beside me. Apparently he did not spot me. The reversing lights come back on, and here he comes! Those $@!%# SUVs!
Fortunately the Roadster has a half-decent horn. Not like typical Japanese cars where you'd get a better response by holding a rubber ducky out the window and squeezing. It actually goes HONK not peep.
It seemed to take an eternity for it to dawn on him that he might be the target of the honking. But he stopped. Phew!
Today the SUV I was following changed his mind about the parking spot he was half-way in. So he backed out and sat there. He seemed a little befuddled. So I held well back at what I thought was a safe distance.
Well wouldn't you know he spots a better space. The one beside me. Apparently he did not spot me. The reversing lights come back on, and here he comes! Those $@!%# SUVs!
Fortunately the Roadster has a half-decent horn. Not like typical Japanese cars where you'd get a better response by holding a rubber ducky out the window and squeezing. It actually goes HONK not peep.
It seemed to take an eternity for it to dawn on him that he might be the target of the honking. But he stopped. Phew!
tomsax
Member
Doug_G's story is far from unique, and brings up a good point: the first thing a new Roadster owner should do is get used to where the horn buttons are. You really don't want to be in Doug's situation and waste precious seconds pressing on the middle of the steering wheel, producing only silence and blood pressure as some idiot backs their monster truck into your beautiful new car.
Adm
Active Member
In the Netherlands we have a solution for our smallest cyclists, maybe a solution for Roadsters? ;-)
@Doug_G Been there; I always keep a good distance from the SUV in front when I stop in traffic. I was backed into twice in my old Suzuki Cappuccino (Japanese car that went 'peep') until I drove straight from the body-shop after the second event to the auto-shop and fitted an air compressor and horns.
SUV's are too big, they're not suitable for on-road use.
SUV's are too big, they're not suitable for on-road use.
A very good point.
I should also point out something that might catch you up in a panic situation, if your wheels aren't pointed straight ahead. There are three struts holding the rim of the steering wheel to the hub. Only two of them have horn buttons.
NigelM
Recovering Member
I'm paranoid about bad parkers, hence I try to park nowhere near other cars (don't need those other car doors digging into mine) and, as the Roadster is short, I park far not too far back so that nobody turns quickly into my space without seeing me. Does anyone understand that explanation?
Of course - you are being justifyably protective of your small Roadster.
Parking away from other cars, and trying to have it stick forward in the space enough so that people don't drive right into what they thought was an empty space.
+1 to what Tom said. The Roadster horn buttons are just that - buttons. Tiny, like on a video game controller. Learn where they are. Try them before you need them.
Roadster memory: the horn on the car when I first got to drive it (Sept '07) was, uhm, anemic. At the test drive I made a point of asking about the horn, making Zak try it, and noting that there was no way that the pathetic little beep was going to get noticed (it sounded like the horn off an MR2 - meep). I was used to the 911's horn, which is a nice, loud discordant dual tone. I wish the Roadster's was like that, but it sure is a heck of a lot better than what it could have been. I've driven tiny cars all my life and I know the horn is an important part of staying whole.
Roadster memory: the horn on the car when I first got to drive it (Sept '07) was, uhm, anemic. At the test drive I made a point of asking about the horn, making Zak try it, and noting that there was no way that the pathetic little beep was going to get noticed (it sounded like the horn off an MR2 - meep). I was used to the 911's horn, which is a nice, loud discordant dual tone. I wish the Roadster's was like that, but it sure is a heck of a lot better than what it could have been. I've driven tiny cars all my life and I know the horn is an important part of staying whole.
Ahahahaha! How true! My actual car is a Toyota. Compared to that beep the honk of the Roadster is silly loud! Actually compared to almost every european car, the horn is louder.
On my test drive I accidentally triggered the horn on a left turn, cause I'm used to put the thumbs there. What a surprise.
The first thing I showed my brother at the Geneva autoshow when we got into the Roadster: "Here goes the horn!" I had many people looking at me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_kHhSHUiV8
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And the flip [not so good] side of the horn is you can't honk it in a parking lot to ask someone who does not see you to move out of the way. It's just too obnoxious.
The EV1 and Volt have a cool trick where you pull on the turn lever arm towards you and not only does it flash the brights, it also give a nice muted pedestrian warning sound. Tesla made a mistake not including such a feature.
The EV1 and Volt have a cool trick where you pull on the turn lever arm towards you and not only does it flash the brights, it also give a nice muted pedestrian warning sound. Tesla made a mistake not including such a feature.
NigelM
Recovering Member
Don't go to the bank drive-thru (and expect to stay sitting in your Roadster)
P.S. This probably also applies to fast-food drive-thru's...
P.S. This probably also applies to fast-food drive-thru's...
bonnie
I play a nice person on twitter.
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I drive through Starbucks all the time. I've just never seen anything other than the arm of the person who works the window
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