Rich Rambles:

     So, it seems that after three years, there is some actual traction to “Bell the Hybrid”.  For those unaware, the idea is that hybrid, full electric, Hydrogen, and any other sufficiently quiet automobile is a threat to the blind, and legislation is in the works to force all these quiet vehicles to emit the same noise as “noisey” automobiles.  This is, as every one of you should realize, a terrible idea.  This isn’t just a bad idea for a handful of hybrid owners who like to sneak up on unsuspecting pedestrians, but for every single taxpayer in America. 

     Let’s start with the pertinant fact: 5000 Blind people were killed in the last year by said “noisey” vehicles, making the same noise levels or more then congress wants all quiet vehicles to make, so how does this actually fix the “problem”?  The answer is, it doesn’t, it’s the legislative equivalent of painting a wall with a shotgun. 

      Then let’s move on to the fact that this isn’t an issue, or at least it isn’t as of this writing.  This isn’t in reaction to a problem, this is in fervered anticipation of a problem.  That’s correct, no blind person has been injured by a quiet car!

      Now, let’s move on to this messey legislation, and how it effects the taxpayer, hybrid owning or not.  First of all, who’s going to pay to bell the quiet car with noisemakers?  There are more then a million “quiet” cars on the road.  If the government is paying for it, even at five dollars a unit, that’s more then five million dollars to ”solve” a problem that hasn’t happened yet!  If it’s the owners costs, then there will undoubtedly be outcry from said owners (myself) included, a sudden increase in violations of the law, and additional court and legal fights.  But the legal fun isn’t over yet!  So, after having paid millions of dollars to noisey up Americas quiet cars, what happens when, just like the 5000 who were killed by a noisey car, a noise making quiet car hits or kills a blind person?  Now it’s a federal law suit, since the government failed to make it noisey enough!  Millions more down the drain!  And where does that money come from?  You, the tax payer!  So, you pay twice for this act of legislation, once to “bell the hybrids”, and then again when their solution doesn’t solve anything.  Plus, heaven help you if the legislation isn’t sound, and you’re kept up by noise making quiet cars who are now making a terrible racket instead of near silence! 

       Now, I’m not unsympathetic to the blind, but there are a lot of alternative solutions, including ways to protect the blind against all motor vehicles, not just “quiet” ones.  Additionally, safe driving is the responsibility of the driver, at all times.  So be careful out there people!

       HR 5734 – Bad for you, bad for America, Bad for the blind.