Morse Code for the Road? - May 30th, 2007
Do you try to communicate behind the wheel? At least here in Texas it’s customary to give someone a wave of thanks when they let you get by or obligingly pull over on the shoulder to let you pass on a narrow country road. In environs where you’re likely to actually know the guy in the approaching pick-up, an index finger raised up off the wheel is country shorthand for, “Howdy.” And of course we’ve all used more . . . direct . . . gestures to indicate our displeasure at a road hog or otherwise offensive driver. A German inventor, however, wants to take the language of the road a step farther.
The Flashbox connects to a vehicle’s blinkers and comes equipped with a key fob controller, which sets off a complicated system of flashes to send a message. For instance instead of just waving to say thanks, the Flashbox would take your blinkers and let lose with left/right/left to send your message. The inventor, Matthias Frey, admits most people don’t have any idea what the codes means, but he’s hopeful they will, envisioning a system that will let folks wish one another a Merry Christmas on the open road. (In Texas we do that with a wave of our Santa hats and a brandishing of our highly illegal open beer cans.)
Currently available in Europe only, the Flashbox runs about 90 Euro. While not as direct as the once ubiquitous CB radio, I suppose the Flashbox could be fun . . . until you run off the road into the bar ditch trying to figure out what the other guy is trying to say to you. Somehow, I just think those single finger “greetings” are more . . . universal.
Posted on May 30th, 2007 by Shorty
Filed under: lifestyle |
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