Mwhite7097 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I run 3 shows nightly. We have a field across from the house where people can park facing the house and watch. (25-50 cars on average per show) My problem is a few cars don't shut off their headlights and illuminate the whole house and display. The beginning announcements remind viewers to dim their headlights and there is another "soft" reminder about 4 songs into the 13-15 song show, yet they still keep them on. From inside the house, I can hear others telling the offenders to dim their lights, yet, they STILL stay on.Without wanting to act like a headlight loony patrolling the field, how on earth can I get these folks to play along??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shfr26 Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 They either don't know how or they don't care!! I believe it was George that had the same problem and he would make an announcement that the show was going to be shut down because the person in the (insert type of car here) would not shut off their lights. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ItsMeBobO Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I have a head light problem too. Mainly because the street light is already always on.Maybe your reminder can be personal. Like you are live. I am stopping the show because there are still headlights on. Pause Will someone please ask that car to turn off their lights. Thank you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Hans Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I think a lot of it now is just stupidity; not of the person specifically but on how to operate a car. Many cars now have automatic headlights which turn on via a light sensor. I think most of these people just don't know how to turn off their headlights without looking it up in the owners manual! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Saul Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Some people simply do not know how to turn them off, they get the automatic lights in the car and never mess with them.Others are just self absorbed @ssesI'd try going out and talking to them Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I have lots of people who will come and stand outside on the sidewalk...well last night I was sitting out watching the show, and one car had had their lights on for a while and I was just about to get up and ask them to shut them off, when a woman on the sidewalk went over and asked them to shut them off...and she had only been there for like 30 seconds!! LOL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mwhite7097 Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 Yeah I usually let the crowds police themselves but some viewers just "don't get it" and I doubt they never will. The "soft" reminder is my 13 year old daughter in a friendly voice, saying" Hey! You with the headlights on. You know who you are. Please turn 'em off. (pause) Thank Youuuuu." It works most of the time.The automatic lights seem to be the problem. Many car owners don't know how to turn them off. I did go up to a particular car because they did not shut them off after repeated requests from other viewers. The woman driving was starting to tear up because it wasn't her car and she had no idea on how to dim the lights. She had driven far to get there and was getting ready to leave because she didn't want to "ruin the show." She was very happy when I showed her one turn of the light knob shut off the lights, as were the rest of the cars watching.Now to work on the honking when people like a certain sequence. That too is in the beginning announcements but, well, you know. Oy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I'm not sure if I have tact, but I do have a gun!It can be frustrating for sure. Last night was my first real night of traffic and there was one pickup truck that would sit in one place for a song or so and then drive around to another spot and sit there for a song and then move again.All the time with the lights on. There were 6 other cars out here at the time and I could see from the window that people were getting irritated with this person.I was going to go out and see but then cars started leaving and I was not dressed to go out anyway.I guess I will have to hook up a mic and have it handy so that if it happens again I will be able to announce a "please turn off your lights".I also have a scrolling led message sign and I think that maybe I will stick a message on there along with my radio frequency that is on during the show as a reminder.I have thought about having a sensor hooked up to a LOR trigger input that would initiate a sequence whenever it sensed a bright light for more than a few seconds but that would only work if the headlights were pointed directly at it.It is a problem with the newer vehicles as well since people don't know how to turn the lights off on them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GaryMartin Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Ahh, a pet peeve of mine! Every third song I run the announcement about not blocking the neighbor's driveways and please turn your headlights off.Last season, I ran into a number of people that insist there was no way to turn the headlights off on their vehicles! If the car was running, the lights come on period. (daylight running lights).Since we were in freezing temps, we can't really ask them to turn their car off. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DownTown Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I think you guys are making too much out of this...The headlights won't "ruin" your display. Relax. For those that liked what they saw, they'll be back, and the maurading headlight shiner probably won't be there the next time.Grab a beverage of your choice and enjoy the holidays...D.T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimswinder Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 DownTown wrote: I think you guys are making too much out of this...The headlights won't "ruin" your display.no, it doesn't "ruin the display"...but it does ruin the "display experience" for the person whose eyes the headlights are shining in to... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mwhite7097 Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 DownTown wrote: I think you guys are making too much out of this...The headlights won't "ruin" your display. Relax. For those that liked what they saw, they'll be back, and the maurading headlight shiner probably won't be there the next time.Grab a beverage of your choice and enjoy the holidays...D.T.It is not a huge problem, but I equate it with someone talking loudly at the movies. No matter how good the movie is, they will make everyone around them miserable. Just trying to avoid that and make everyones', even the maurader's, experience fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beeiilll Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 jimswinder wrote:DownTown wrote: I think you guys are making too much out of this...The headlights won't "ruin" your display.no, it doesn't "ruin the display"...but it does ruin the "display experience" for the person whose eyes the headlights are shining in to...Ding, Ding, Ding - We have a winner here folks!Exactly the point Jim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott T Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I can confirm that a lot of people no longer know how to turn the headlights off/on. We hand out candy canes to our gawkers and I have asked some directly to turn off the headlights and leave on the parking lights. They look at me confused and say "they're automatic and I don know how" REALLY ??? OMG I want to remind them that the tall skinny pedal makes the car move, but I hold back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 If the offending headlights are shining into the display, a white coroplast sign, with the fm frequency down the middle in reflective red, and headlights off please in white reflective vinyl works wonders. If I is in the beam of their headlights it is really annoying to them, and nearly nobody else.They really cut down on the number of headlights shining into our display. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rwertz Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 Once my car is running, there is no way to turn off the headlights (without a hammer). The only way to have the engine running without lights is to start the car with the e-brake engaged. Then if you are expected to move forward with the traffic, you have to disengage the e-brake.Yes, I know you can cheat the e-brake just a little to keep the lights out without destroying the brakes if you have to move. But IMHO, that's expecting a little too much out of someone who just wanted to look at the pretty Christmas lights Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ed Slonka Jr Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 I say hide in the bushes like Bill Murray in Caddy Shackand shoot their headlights out with a BB gun! :shock:I AM KIDDING OF COURSE! But I too can't stand it when someone does not dim their lights.Be considerate for crying out loud!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
k6ccc Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 As some others have pointed out, with "Daytime Running Lights", you really can't if the key is in the on position. At least that's the case with a particular large US manufacturer that is particularly fond of DRLs (really the headlights on low beam). Dealer has confirmed that short of pulling the fuses, there is no way for the driver to turn them off. I don't own one of those vehicles, but I drive one home from work now and then and it's really annoying to shine headlights right into my neighbors window at 4:30 AM when I leave for work. :X Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Hall Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 rwertz wrote: Once my car is running, there is no way to turn off the headlights (without a hammer). The only way to have the engine running without lights is to start the car with the e-brake engaged. Then if you are expected to move forward with the traffic, you have to disengage the e-brake.Yes, I know you can cheat the e-brake just a little to keep the lights out without destroying the brakes if you have to move. But IMHO, that's expecting a little too much out of someone who just wanted to look at the pretty Christmas lights Fwiw, most newer GM cars can't have the headlights turned off if the engine is running. One of my good friends is a "Mr Goodwrench" and he has confirmed for me that the Monte Carlos and Impalas can't have their headlights turned off if the engine is running or in the ON position. In ACC position, the lights will come on briefly, then shut off after a bit. The Emergency Brake engaged while starting doesn't work for either my 04 or 03 Montes. The only way I can get around this is by installing an aftermarket wire harness Like This. Or make some jumpers and eliminate some fuses in the box. I bugged him about this back when we got these cars. 5 and 6 years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad02 Posted December 7, 2011 Share Posted December 7, 2011 "Excuse me sir, I happen to notice your headlights, are they the new automatic ones that stay on?""Why yes, they are, I wish I could turn them off but I don't know how?" or "I'm sorry" and turns them off."I might be able to help you ........"http://www.ehow.com/how_7560728_turn-off-automatic-headlights.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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