Why do they still make car alarms? (2015) • Hacker News Board

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#481

Post by KineticLensman » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 11:15 AM UTC

the_mitsuhiko wrote: post #149

l72 wrote: post #87

Now if we could just disable the feature that causes the horn to honk when locking the vehicle with the key fob... As someone who lives on a residential street, but with a hospital at the far end, we have tons of patients, families, doctors, and nurses that park on our street to avoid paying for the garage. I get to listen to horns honking at all hours. A few cars (Acura comes to mind), do a bit better, in that they…

Cars in Europe don’t honk on open/close. It’s not illegal but there are some non honk areas and because of that manufactures don’t enable it.

Something else that may vary is whether a car has a delay when you lock it. I hired a car in the US once (I'm from the UK) and there was a several second delay from the time of pressing the fob to the car actually locking. Because I sometimes check that the car is locked by immediately operating the physical door handle, I was initially convinced that the locking mechanism was broken.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#482

Post by nathan_f77 » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 11:17 AM UTC

the_mitsuhiko wrote: post #149

l72 wrote: post #87

Now if we could just disable the feature that causes the horn to honk when locking the vehicle with the key fob... As someone who lives on a residential street, but with a hospital at the far end, we have tons of patients, families, doctors, and nurses that park on our street to avoid paying for the garage. I get to listen to horns honking at all hours. A few cars (Acura comes to mind), do a bit better, in that they…

Cars in Europe don’t honk on open/close. It’s not illegal but there are some non honk areas and because of that manufactures don’t enable it.

Thanks for your comment! I just bought an old 2001 VW Beetle that was imported from Europe, and I thought there might be something wrong with it because it didn't make any sound when I used the remote. Nice to know that this is by design.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#483

Post by jon-wood » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 11:55 AM UTC

memetherapy wrote: post #431

sgt wrote: post #420

Earlier quoted context omitted.

General advice: do not give money to the homeless, just give them food. There are of course exceptions in life like with anything, but if your city has a homelessness problem then you and others will only gradually make it worse by giving money.

As someone who's been homeless (and didn't have a drink or drug problem thanks) please fuck off. A night in a shelter costs money. Clothes which regularly get stolen cost money. Going to the bathroom costs money. Having a shower costs money. Travel to find jobs costs money. Medication costs money. Toothpaste costs money.

I just want to counter the hate you're getting here a bit. "Fuck off" is an entirely appropriate response to someone recommending that people not give an amount of money they're not going to notice to someone to whom it could be life changing.

The "but they might spend it on drugs" argument is just an easy get out from giving some money to people who need it. Funny how no one ever argues that Wall Street bankers should be paid in food vouchers, despite the decades of history showing that they're going to spend their money on drugs.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#484

Post by jon-wood » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 11:56 AM UTC

string wrote: post #471

memetherapy wrote: post #431

Earlier quoted context omitted.

As someone who's been homeless (and didn't have a drink or drug problem thanks) please fuck off. A night in a shelter costs money. Clothes which regularly get stolen cost money. Going to the bathroom costs money. Having a shower costs money. Travel to find jobs costs money. Medication costs money. Toothpaste costs money.

Which direct access shelters in the UK cost money?

The ones that aren't full.

There's a thriving black economy of squats where you can pay a couple of pounds to share a room with 40 other people. Totally illegal, but given the choice between sleeping in the snow or in an unregistered shelter, I'd take the latter.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#485

Post by throwaway0a5e » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:02 PM UTC

cheschire wrote: post #475

Lammy wrote: post #288

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is only my American perspective and wouldn't pertain to all wealthy countries, but I don't think it would be fair to categorize the US as having a free market. We have a market that has been increasingly weaponized to continue the old traditions of Jim Crow and segregation. Lots of people will ask "WTF happened in 1971?" ( https://wtfhappenedin1971.com/ ), but I find it impossible to do that without considering…

I just realized the other day that the major arteries inbound to DC from northern Virginia seem to correlate with social classes. Guess which ones have tolls?

Toll roads are like fancy restaurants. You're paying for who isn't there.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#486

Post by throwaway0a5e » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:06 PM UTC

kevin_thibedeau wrote: post #161

spiritplumber wrote: post #100

I have an older RV that people sometimes try to steal (it's usually meth heads wanting to live on it; I've taken to leaving a plaque on the dash saying that if they want a hot meal instead, just knock on my door). The alarm is aftermarket, and silent. All it does is make the fuel pump go in reverse. (The fuel pump is also aftermarket) It's been hilarious a couple times.

That can end up pulling air through the fuel pump. That isn't safe or healthy for the pump.

A little plastic impeller isn't going to care about a couple minutes of cavitation.

It's not some fancy high pressure vane pump.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#487

Post by throwaway0a5e » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:07 PM UTC

dkdk8283 wrote: post #196

hathawsh wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is the first time I've heard of intentionally running a fuel pump backwards and I wonder whether you're right. The fuel pump in modern vehicles is normally submerged in the fuel tank. My guess is that air drawn in by the pump would just make harmless bubbles; the pump would still be fully lubricated. Does anyone know for sure?

Fuel pumps on EFI motors have a supply and return. Return is significantly smaller in diameter and will probably allow the engine to barely run at all. It would probably start and shut off giving the thief the impression the car is junk instead of being disabled.

You're forgetting the part where the fuel pump is a vane pump and will pump in reverse just very poorly (assuming directional rotor, which most have).

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#488

Post by DrOctagon » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:08 PM UTC

TaylorAlexander wrote: post #310

ineedasername wrote: post #261

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It amazes me that, in wealthy countries, there are significant homelessness problems due to economic displacement. I consider it an existence-proof of the idea that a free market cannot solve all problems. I think homelessness due to other causes-- mental health for example-- are more complex but similarly demonstrate fundamental flaws in the framework of society. Only once was I able to give a homeless person a meal…

As others have said the USA is far from a free market. Instead the wealthy use the state to manipulate markets for their benefit, and the rest of us suffer as a result. I've come to see "free markets" as the economic fabric on top of which we can build structures to support one another. For example we could form large healthcare collectives in a free market, as an alternative to state controlled health care (or insur…

Exactly! Offering to buy food rather than give the money they’ve asked for is just the worst kind of paternalism.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#489

Post by throwaway0a5e » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:08 PM UTC

JshWright wrote: post #195

slashink wrote: post #175

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Compared to losing the RV it seems like a negligible cost for what the commenter describes as “older RV”.

Sure, but there are several options that would be zero cost.

Older RVs can fairly readily be acquired at zero cost if you don't mind wasting time on title issues.

Re: Why do they still make car alarms? (2015)

#490

Post by ivanche » Wed, Jan 20, 2021, 12:09 PM UTC

I still remember a low-tech theft prevention device my friend invented for personal use. He stuck a 100 or so needles into a cushion and upon leaving the car he'd leave the cushion on driver's seat with needles' tips facing upwards. From the outside it looks like a normal cushion but if a thief is to sit on it...