E60 for Singaporeans
03-28-2005, 10:59 PM
#2331
Originally Posted by tategoi' date='Mar 29 2005, 01:35 AM
In the Straits Times today...
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
MOST cars can be opened from the inside when locked. Ship broker He Yi Yong found out two Sundays ago that BMWs are not among them when he accidentally locked his two young children in his.
He also realised he had absent-mindedly left the key in the boot of 520i.
The youngsters, a 12-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother, tried the lever for the boot, the ones for the doors, the window buttons and the central lock - to no avail.
Mr He called a friend to get the spare key, but while they waited for it, the children panicked, as the car, which had been in the sun all afternoon, got stuffier.
Suddenly a feature touted as a security plus had turned into what Mr He described as 'a deadly design fault'.
BMW says the feature has been in all its cars since the mid-1980s to prevent intruders from opening the vehicle doors or boot, even if the windows are smashed.
Mr He eventually resorted to kicking in his windscreen as he thought his daughter was suffocating.
'She was getting hysterical,' he said.
Volkswagens and Audis have the anti-theft feature too. But in just about all other makes, including luxury ones like Lexus and Volvo, locked doors can be opened from the inside. Some even have boots that can be opened from the inside.
'It's a safety feature to prevent people from being locked in a car,' a Mercedes-Benz spokesman explained.
BMW said there should be no fear of being trapped in a car as long as the key is inside. And in a crash, the doors automatically unlock.
'The incidence of attempted theft is much higher than cases of people being trapped in a car,' a spokesman said.
'We've not come across any case like this one or had any complaints about our anti-theft device.'
The Automobile Association of Singapore said that, at most, it gets about one call a month from motorists who are locked out of their cars.
But Mr He is not convinced. He is so upset, he does not want the $170,000 car anymore.
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
----------
Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
By Christopher Tan
SENIOR CORRESPONDENT
MOST cars can be opened from the inside when locked. Ship broker He Yi Yong found out two Sundays ago that BMWs are not among them when he accidentally locked his two young children in his.
He also realised he had absent-mindedly left the key in the boot of 520i.
The youngsters, a 12-year-old girl and her 10-year-old brother, tried the lever for the boot, the ones for the doors, the window buttons and the central lock - to no avail.
Mr He called a friend to get the spare key, but while they waited for it, the children panicked, as the car, which had been in the sun all afternoon, got stuffier.
Suddenly a feature touted as a security plus had turned into what Mr He described as 'a deadly design fault'.
BMW says the feature has been in all its cars since the mid-1980s to prevent intruders from opening the vehicle doors or boot, even if the windows are smashed.
Mr He eventually resorted to kicking in his windscreen as he thought his daughter was suffocating.
'She was getting hysterical,' he said.
Volkswagens and Audis have the anti-theft feature too. But in just about all other makes, including luxury ones like Lexus and Volvo, locked doors can be opened from the inside. Some even have boots that can be opened from the inside.
'It's a safety feature to prevent people from being locked in a car,' a Mercedes-Benz spokesman explained.
BMW said there should be no fear of being trapped in a car as long as the key is inside. And in a crash, the doors automatically unlock.
'The incidence of attempted theft is much higher than cases of people being trapped in a car,' a spokesman said.
'We've not come across any case like this one or had any complaints about our anti-theft device.'
The Automobile Association of Singapore said that, at most, it gets about one call a month from motorists who are locked out of their cars.
But Mr He is not convinced. He is so upset, he does not want the $170,000 car anymore.
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
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Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
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The feature is called Deadlocks in the UK (Europe). Most manufacturers have this security feature apart from Mercedes. The motor magazines in the UK were very critical about Mercedes for not having this security feature even though they argued it was for safety reasons.
The deadlocks can be switched off afaik, can't remember how though. Something to do with pressing the lock button again I think.
03-29-2005, 04:22 PM
#2332
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Originally Posted by russo' date='Mar 29 2005, 12:46 AM
RM50 for me at 124km/h. Think Edlee got RM50 too but for 240KM/h!? 
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03-29-2005, 04:25 PM
#2333
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Originally Posted by BMW530' date='Mar 29 2005, 02:59 AM
The feature is called Deadlocks in the UK (Europe).? Most manufacturers have this security feature apart from Mercedes.? The motor magazines in the UK were very critical about Mercedes for not having this security feature even though they argued it was for safety reasons.
The deadlocks can be switched off afaik, can't remember how though.? Something to do with pressing the lock button again I think.
The deadlocks can be switched off afaik, can't remember how though.? Something to do with pressing the lock button again I think.
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I remember whatcar (i think) deducts points for cars without deadlock when they do their mega anti-theft comparo every year.
03-29-2005, 05:00 PM
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Originally Posted by Stranger' date='Mar 29 2005, 07:22 PM
[quote name='russo' date='Mar 29 2005, 12:46 AM']RM50 for me at 124km/h. Think Edlee got RM50 too but for 240KM/h!?
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[/quote]Lets just say the official crawled under the table to pick up the RM 50.00.
03-29-2005, 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted by zag' date='Mar 28 2005, 11:42 PM
[quote name='tategoi' date='Mar 29 2005, 08:35 AM']In the Straits Times today...
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
.................
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
----------
Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
.................
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
----------
Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
[snapback]107976[/snapback]
[snapback]108062[/snapback]
[/quote]IMHO, it is very irresponsible for the driver to lock his children in the car in the first place. We can sometimes be guilty of that, but to lock the kids w/out leaving the engine and aircon turned on? In this hot and humid climate that we have? What kind of father does this? Anyway, as a rule of thumb, its never good to leave kids in the car unattended and thats final. I'd say he was asking for trouble.
03-29-2005, 05:39 PM
#2336
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Instead of blaming himself, he blames the car. He ought to be ashame of himself.
Especially if you are absent-minded one!
IMHO, it is very irresponsible for the driver to lock his children in the car in the first place. We can sometimes be guilty of that, but to lock the kids w/out leaving the engine and aircon turned on? In this hot and humid climate that we have? What kind of father does this? Anyway, as a rule of thumb, its never good to leave kids in the car unattended and thats final. I'd say he was asking for trouble.
Originally Posted by Edlee' date='Mar 29 2005, 09:03 PM
[quote name='zag' date='Mar 28 2005, 11:42 PM'][quote name='tategoi' date='Mar 29 2005, 08:35 AM']In the Straits Times today...
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
.................
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
----------
Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
Father smashes BMW to rescue kids
.................
'My children and I were totally traumatised,' he said.
----------
Well, BMW is not for everyone.?
[snapback]107976[/snapback]
[snapback]108062[/snapback]
[/quote]IMHO, it is very irresponsible for the driver to lock his children in the car in the first place. We can sometimes be guilty of that, but to lock the kids w/out leaving the engine and aircon turned on? In this hot and humid climate that we have? What kind of father does this? Anyway, as a rule of thumb, its never good to leave kids in the car unattended and thats final. I'd say he was asking for trouble.
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[/quote]
03-29-2005, 06:19 PM
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Originally Posted by Edlee' date='Mar 29 2005, 09:00 PM
Lets just say the official crawled under the table to pick up the RM 50.00.
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03-29-2005, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by Edlee' date='Mar 29 2005, 06:03 PM
IMHO, it is very irresponsible for the driver to lock his children in the car in the first place.? We can sometimes be guilty of that, but to lock the kids w/out leaving the engine and aircon turned on?? In this hot and humid climate that we have?? What kind of father does this?? Anyway, as a rule of thumb, its never good to leave kids in the car unattended and thats final.? I'd say he was asking for trouble.
[snapback]108475[/snapback]
03-30-2005, 01:13 AM
#2339
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Originally Posted by Stranger' date='Mar 29 2005, 09:19 PM
[quote name='Edlee' date='Mar 29 2005, 09:00 PM']Lets just say the official crawled under the table to pick up the RM 50.00.
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[/quote]Lottery results out today.
Apparently the official got stuck under the table because all the four others (besides Russo and myself) got fined.
03-30-2005, 02:50 AM
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My Ride: E46 320i, M3 paddle shift, Sat Nav
Lottery results out today.
Apparently the official got stuck under the table because all the four others (besides Russo and myself) got fined.
The field tables are pretty small to get under in the first place. Don't mention about getting out.
Or, the camera was not fast enough to take the pace car at 200km/k (yours truly at stealth speed)
and by the time they snapped up to Edlee (the sweeper) they ran out of film! 
Apparently the official got stuck under the table because all the four others (besides Russo and myself) got fined.
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[/quote]The field tables are pretty small to get under in the first place. Don't mention about getting out.
Or, the camera was not fast enough to take the pace car at 200km/k (yours truly at stealth speed)
and by the time they snapped up to Edlee (the sweeper) they ran out of film!