The Lost Well
Ban Car Alarms Now
RECEIVED Tue., Feb. 3, 2004
Editor,
Jim Hightower's column ["The Hightower Report," Jan. 16] said it well regarding obnoxious car alarms. Who hasn't been so frustrated that they wanted to take a sledgehammer to one of the things when a good night's sleep has been ruined? Drew Robertson, of New York, in his letter to the editor ["Postmarks," Jan. 23], makes a rational case for banning car alarms and implementing "immoblizers" which he says most other developed countries require. As much as I admire Hightower, I don't think he went far enough.
What really irks me are the thoughtless individuals who, with their remote, confirm audibly that the alarm has been set. Someone walks away from their car, they set the alarm, the lights flash, and the horn honks. The person finishes their shopping, they approach their car, the lights flash and the horn honks, indicating that the alarm is now off. So, in a typical, 300-space parking lot, an alarm is going off every few seconds. Visit a parking lot and listen – it's a constant cacophony of car noise. Honk, honk, honk, honk. Believe it or not, there are not dozens of car thieves lurking in the well-lit HEB parking lot behind the other vehicles waiting to steal yours.
Speaking of noise, Austin, because of our liberal tilt, is thought of as more hip than most U.S. cities, more tolerant, more compassionate. Yet why is there this pent-up anger on Austin's streets? Many Austin drivers are either young, or they're from other countries where they may not have had the advantage of a suburban, middle class, comprehensive drivers education course. Austin's streets are not very forgiving for the neophyte driver, so why don't you give these people a break? If you're late, who made you that way?
Other cities I've traveled to seem to handle their gloomy job picture and road construction with grace and aplomb. When you lose your temper behind the wheel, you change what is merely transportation into a weapon.
Jim Hightower's column ["The Hightower Report," Jan. 16] said it well regarding obnoxious car alarms. Who hasn't been so frustrated that they wanted to take a sledgehammer to one of the things when a good night's sleep has been ruined? Drew Robertson, of New York, in his letter to the editor ["Postmarks," Jan. 23], makes a rational case for banning car alarms and implementing "immoblizers" which he says most other developed countries require. As much as I admire Hightower, I don't think he went far enough.
What really irks me are the thoughtless individuals who, with their remote, confirm audibly that the alarm has been set. Someone walks away from their car, they set the alarm, the lights flash, and the horn honks. The person finishes their shopping, they approach their car, the lights flash and the horn honks, indicating that the alarm is now off. So, in a typical, 300-space parking lot, an alarm is going off every few seconds. Visit a parking lot and listen – it's a constant cacophony of car noise. Honk, honk, honk, honk. Believe it or not, there are not dozens of car thieves lurking in the well-lit HEB parking lot behind the other vehicles waiting to steal yours.
Speaking of noise, Austin, because of our liberal tilt, is thought of as more hip than most U.S. cities, more tolerant, more compassionate. Yet why is there this pent-up anger on Austin's streets? Many Austin drivers are either young, or they're from other countries where they may not have had the advantage of a suburban, middle class, comprehensive drivers education course. Austin's streets are not very forgiving for the neophyte driver, so why don't you give these people a break? If you're late, who made you that way?
Other cities I've traveled to seem to handle their gloomy job picture and road construction with grace and aplomb. When you lose your temper behind the wheel, you change what is merely transportation into a weapon.
Mike Ozmun
