JDN

Agree with you on the road conditions, ksc. Reckless driving charges are usually in the judgment of the ossifer.

Sweet talking might not work as well as these tips:

Turn off engine - a running engine makes them nervous
Lower window - a lowered window helps them see
Turn on Dome - only necessary between sundown and sun up
Be ready - have registration and license in hands
Hands outside - have papers in hand with palms up outside window
Smile - if wrong, admit it at the out set
Clean car - officers admire and respect clean vehicles
Be respectful - address by name and rank

hinckley

Iceman -- chill!!

I, and I'm sure many others, admire your informed and well-thought posts. You're one of the best aspects of this forum. But you're just missing something on this topic . . . it's just a cultural thing.

I get that it's illegal in much of the EU, but riding around with fogs on has been a "cool" look here in the States for years. Sure it's silly, but at 45, I don't have a lot of silly things left in life. And BTW, the lamps that are fitted here in the US are next to useless, especially with xenons. The only harm is that all of us silly Americans are spending more money on burnt out bulbs!!

So what's the big deal??

Iceman

Ok, you wanna know what the big deal is...

There are ppl on the road who have a problem with it, who find it annoying. Not everybody drives as good as you might do. A lot of ppl are reacting strange when something bothers them. Those ppl might be scared, or because they have eye problems they are blinded or simply bothered and might overreact what causes a crash. You drive away, because you don't think you have anything to do with it...
What if an accident occurs because of that and there are ppl killed in it...
You never know how others react... They might react wrong, but YOU have to care about others. Having a driving license is like having a license for concealed weapons. A car is a weapon... Use it correctly like a grown up and care about others. You are sharing the road with ppl who you don't know, so you don't know how they react.
Accidents like that happen, trust me!
We just had an accident not long ago in Germany where the woman was driving with her kid in the backseat and a MB approached her with 250Km/h. They didn't touch each other, but she was so scared that she lost control on the car, crashed off the highway into a tree and she and her kid died at the scene.
Ppl sometimes react strange! Be prepared!! Don't do that stupid stuff, it CAN cause accidents...

So the big deal is, that this is ignorant, wherever in the world it happens. Because whoever does it doesn't care about other drivers on the road!

I expect drivers to take care on each other, espacially drivers of luxury cars like BMW's.

Respect others!

hinckley

Iceman,

I'm no kid, grew up with little, have worked unbelievably hard, have been unbelievably lucky and thank god for everything I've got - my BMW included. Respect (after integrity) is the most important tenant of my life.

I don't want to get into a pi$$ing contest with you, especialy because I have so much respect for you in this forum. But I really just don't understand your point of view on this topic.

In some northern countries like Canada and Sweden, daytime running lights are manditory. I don't believe that they're a hinderance or disrespectful. Quite the contrary, they're considered to be beneficial.

So why are foglights dangerous or disrespectful? Here in the States, most factory foglights (including BMW's) are more decrative (like the headlight rings) than functional. I've lived and worked in Europe on and off for almost 25 years. Driving there is fundamentally different than driving over here. I can understand that the type and use of foglights on the autobahn may be a very different thing that on the slow, congested road networks of the US northeast.

I don't know . . . Maybe respect is understanding that two intelligent people can agree to disagree?

Iceman

First off all, DRL are something total different than foglights. They are not anywhere close to the energy/intensity of fog lights. They have their function, just like fog lights. And those functions are different.
Anyways, as long as fog lights are bothering other drivers you shouldn't use them. I am not speeking for myself, I don't have an eye problem, I'm not blinded by foglights... And BTW, I ware sunglasses most of the time when driving so they could never be a problem for me. I am just laughing my balls off when I see ppl doing this f*cked up sh*t. It's useless doing it!
The foglights, and this is for the USA too, ARE NOT DECORATIVE, they are safety relevant and not meant to be used without fog. In fact, the misuse of the fog lights by some ppl are the reason the fog lights are not getting improved by the car manufacturers, because they then would blind other ppl. So far they are bothering but not really blinding, if you have regular vision - with having eye problems they could be blinding you...
Driving is different, I know... I'm driving very often in the USA, but the fog lights are made for fog, plain and simple. It has nothing to do with the fact that driving is different.

This discussion is not taking us anywhere, because everything is said allready.

If anybody wants to continue this pissing contest you can PM me.

jksanford

My personal opinion is that the foglights look cool, and I use them all the time...

When I remember to hit the foglight button that is. I wish we could program them to always be on.

Iceman

And I wish BMW would not sell cars to ignorant ppl.

hinckley

Ice,

I still love ya, man . . . . (a silly American beer commercial!!)

JOHN

this is the first time i've ever heard people complain about the intensity of fog lights being annoying on the road. the complaint i always here is about the xenons being blinding, my girlfriend is always bitching that they should be outlawed (except when shes driving my car) but i really don't see any pronlem with riding with the fogs but i guess its a US thing, but to each his own i do see where iceman is coming from because of the a$$holes in trucks that drive with their 6" hella fogs on all the time.

MEX

mmm i could almost swear THOSE lights have a different brightness in europe, the ones in american cars I THINK do not blind, i would even say they wouldnt blind a dog 2 feet away from them.

Ive had american cars that do not name them FOGLIGHTS but ROADLIGHTS because they are not meant for fog, so coul it be that we are talking about different lights? i mean maybe in europe its an issue but in other places its not? at least its not illegal everywhere.

Anyway, maybe its time to kill this topic, i think its getting a little aggresive.