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..........I can't resist putting in my two cents worth. I wonder why that is?
I've been stopped occasionally for driving with the windshield down too,
although I do it ALL the time. Being the polite cuss that I am, I never have
a problem or hassle, or make an issue of it. Not with Cops, not with
neighbors, or the guy in the parking lot. Why do that when I'm driving a
tempting target for any twit with a grudge?? All they have to do is to
make weapons complaints, or anonymous phone calls etc.....
The honest truth is that when we are on a public highway with the
windshield down, we are playing roulette. If we wear the "Goggles, Sand and
Dust" then we stack the deck slightly in our favor. If you all stop and
think about it, it's not so much an issue of insurance against eye damage or
liability but a very real risk that the driver gets a rock in his eye, loses
control, and kills someone else or damages someone elses property. Remember
my original comment that I do that ALL the time, not just some of it. I only
put up the windshield if I'm cold, going over 35 mph, or on a major road.
Point is, I know that I'm doing the roulette thing by this, and don't kid
myself about personal freedoms being threatened when I'm pulled over. I just
politely comply for the moment.
Yeah, yeah, I hear you saying "But I wear eye protection". So what?
I've had more than my share of cracked windshields due to thrown up rocks and
debris, and I can tell you that SEVERAL of those times, if the object had hit
me in the head moving and spinning as fast as it was, my goggles would'nt
have done a damn thing to keep me from being knocked unconscious. I know
the odds are against that happening, but, like the lottery, someone hits it
eventually, right? All we need is someone on the nightly news for killing a
busload of nuns and orphans with his mighty green thing. :o)
I think they have more of a right to demand I keep my windshield up when
driving around others than they do to demand I wear a motorcycle helmet.
Raising this issue with the authorities is probably NOT a good idea, since
it's such a common sense issue that we would probably lose. One guy losing
control due to a flying rock could kill a kid, and they know it. And my M37
is certainly more dangerous than a late 80s CJ7 if I'm trying to stop it
blind and bleeding.........
My local cops know I keep it down when I'm on Main Street or at KMart and
up when I'm on the Bypass. Luckily I have a good relationship with them. I
think this kind of attitude will work in most situations - I've been doing it
this way in several different towns for the last ten years. But let's not
kid ourselves about personal freedoms here, this a legitimate safety issue
and we're just lucky it's not more widely enforced.
Mike in VA
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Thu Mar 02 2000 - 22:30:35 PST