Author: Amit Schreiber

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I was in a car accident yesterday

(I’m OK. So are the people that were in the other car.)

Yesterday I was involved in a car accident. On this turn left on the way home there are two lanes: the right lane is both for driving straight and turning left. The left lane is only for turning left. The lights were blinking green and were about to turn yellow. I was on the right lane starting to turn left as the car on the left lane accelerated to make the light. The driver did make the light, however with no intention of turning left (as she must have, being on the left lane). She just drove straight ahead and so the front left side of my car hit the right side of hers.

We both kept driving until we cleared the intersection. When we both stopped and got out of our cars, she started accusing me. She didn’t realize at first that it was her fault. I responded by yelling at her the explanation of why she was to blame. All this time her teenage daughter and mother, who were both sitting in the car on the right hand side (daughter front, mother back) were standing there in complete shock. They both hurt their right hand. The driver, after seeing that they were pretty much OK (she didn’t mind too much, though), continued on blaming me, even when she understood it was her fault. This time I was to blame because I didn’t notice she was not signaling left. Like that’s any indication in Israel that a driver is not going to make the turn. She was also quoting the slogan “on the road be smart, not right”.

Continuing to yell at her (and also at her mom, which joined the blaming while the daughter tries to shush her) I decided to finally take the practical approach and exchange details with her while telling her that all that matters is that her daughter and mother will go and check their injuries at a hospital. All the while she was still taking shots at me like “you should have not turned when you saw me coming” and such. I responded to some, not making any real “progress” by doing so.

I’m sorry that I yelled at the woman. Her reaction of blaming me was natural, and even though I knew it (maybe not right at first) I couldn’t control my anger. I know that I was in shock and panicked too (I couldn’t stop shaking for a minute or so) but I should have also paid more attention to the daughter, who seemed to be the one who took the greatest emotional hit out of the accident. And while her mother and grandmother weren’t supporting her (which was noticeable) I could have done more to ease her shock.

Later on the driver’s brother (who actually owns the car she was driving) came in and was very calm and handled things very smoothly. He asked the daughter “Is this your first time?” When she nodded he said “don’t worry, it’ll pass” and moved on. At least gave her some attention.

After I drove away, my car mostly scratched but with a door that wouldn’t open (the driver’s door), I started feeling the stress levels dropping and while talking to my best friend Katz I started crying. I felt a lot of guilt for yelling and losing my temper, and for letting my “negative” emotions rise to a level where I couldn’t notice the feelings of the other people involved. It’s extremely rare that I really lose my temper, and when it happens I’m always sorry about it later. Although it was not my fault I felt guilty.

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Flying Alarm Clock – If Only There Was A Point To The Flying

I’ve written about a concept flying alarm clock before (link to earlier post). There’s a lot of innovation in the wake-you-up territory and this time someone decided to make the flying alarm clock a reality. Unlike the concept clock, this one starts flying around and makes an annoying noise until you catch it and make it stop. I wonder what happens if it decides to stick to the ceiling. Maybe it should have stayed a concept.

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An Observation About The Chevrolet Malibu Signaling Lights

Yesterday I drove behind a Chevrolet Malibu for about 30 seconds and noticed something that seemed strange and dangerous. Here’s what the Chevrolet Malibu 2006 rear side looks like:
Chevrolet Malibu LTZ 2006 Rear
The Malibu uses, as many other cars do, the same lights on the left hand and right hand sides for both turn- and break-signaling. Additionally it has another middle light only for break-signaling. Let’s call these lights L (left), M (middle) and R (right).

For example, what happens when the driver both breaks and signals that he’s about to make a right turn? As expected, L and M are lit (to signal the break) while R is blinking (to signal the turn). Only the timing is what’s wrong in the Malibu. For the following diagram, let’s assume that:

  1. turn signaling is on and off in one-second intervals (for simplicity, but I think it’s pretty close to reality, as far as the Malibu goes);
  2. the driver starts turn-signaling right at the 1.5 second mark; and
  3. the driver starts breaking at the 2 seconds mark.

Here’s what the lights look like in this case:

   |     driver starts signaling right
   |     |
R  | 0 0 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0
   |       driver starts breaking
   |       |
M  | 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1
   |             L lights up
   |             |
L  | 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1
   |
   +-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+-+------------>time(sec)
   0   1   2   3   4   5

As you can see, when the driver breaks, M is immediately lit (thank god) but L “waits” and stays dark until R is lit again. Only then L is lit to signal the break – 1.5 second after the driver hit the breaks. While this is happening, only M is an indication that the car is breaking.

I think that’s dangerous, as the middle light is an auxiliary break light and the standard is for right and left (at least one of them) to signal the breaking action. In any case it’s weird because what the driver behind the Malibu sees is the blinking right light, then the middle light turning on and then the left light turning on. This is irregular and potentially confusing.

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ืื ื™ ืžื—ืคืฉ ืžืชื ื“ื‘ื™ื ืœื ื™ืกื•ื™

ื‘ืžื”ืœืš ื”ื ื™ืกื•ื™ ื”ืžืชื ื“ื‘ื™ื ื™ื‘ื•ืื• ื‘ื ืขืœื™ ื”ืงืจื•ืงืก ืฉืœื”ื ืœืงื ื™ื•ืŸ ืื ื”ื“ืจืš ื‘ืฆื•ืžืช ื™ื ืื™, ืฉื ื”ื ื™ืขืœื• ืขืœ ื”ืžื“ืจื’ื•ืช ื”ื ืขื•ืช. ืœืคื ื™ ื›ืŸ ื›ืœ ืื—ื“ ื™ื—ืชื•ื ืขืœ ื˜ื•ืคืก ื•ื™ืชื•ืจ ืœืคื™ื• ืœื ืื ื™ ืื—ืจืื™ ืœื ื–ืง ืฉืขืœื•ืœ ืœื”ื™ื’ืจื ืœื ืขืœื™ื™ื. ื”ื ื”ืœืช ื”ืงื ื™ื•ืŸ ื›ื‘ืจ ืžื›ื•ืกื”:

ื”ืฉื™ืžื•ืฉ ื‘ืงืจื•ืงืก ืื™ื ื• ืžื•ืžืœืฅ

ืžืชื ื“ื‘ื™ื ืœืœื ื ืขืœื™ ืงืจื•ืงืก ื’ื ื›ืŸ ืžื•ื–ืžื ื™ื, ืฉื›ืŸ ื—ื ื•ืช “ืจื™ืงื•ืฉื˜” ื ืžืฆืืช ื‘ืงื•ืžื” ื”ืฉื ื™ื” ื•ื ื™ืชืŸ ืœืจื›ื•ืฉ ืฉื ื–ื•ื’ ื—ื“ืฉ ืื•ืชื• ืžื™ื“ ื ื‘ื—ืŸ ื‘ืžื“ืจื’ื•ืช ื”ื ืขื•ืช. ืœืฆื•ืจืš ื”ื“ื’ืžื”, ื›ืš ื™ื™ืขืจืš ื”ื ื™ืกื•ื™:

ื”ืฉื™ืžื•ืฉ ื‘ืงืจื•ืงืก ืื™ื ื• ืžื•ืžืœืฅ

ื“ื‘ืจ ืžืฉืขืฉืข ื ื•ืกืฃ ื”ื•ื ืฉ”ื”ื ื”ืœืช ื”ืงื ื™ื•ืŸ” ืœื ืฉืžื” ืฉืœื˜ ื›ื–ื” ื‘ืชื—ืชื™ืช ื”ืžื“ืจื’ื•ืช ื”ืขื•ืœื•ืช ืœืงื•ืžื” ื”ืฉื ื™ื”, ืฉื (ื›ืžื• ืฉืฆื™ื™ื ืชื™) ื ื™ืชืŸ ืœืงื ื•ืช ื–ื•ื’ ื—ื“ืฉ.