Car alarms: your usual reaction?

Trollheart · 07-26-2015, 11:13 AM

I was talking to my new neighbour the other day and she couldn't believe that people today won't respond to a car alarm going off, will just assume it's gone off by accident. I had to admit, I'm the same: if I hear one I tend to just get annoyed, not investigate or check.

It seems to me that in general, car alarms no longer fulfill the function for which they were designed. Everyone is so pissed off now when one goes off that I'd be willing to bet a large percentage of people do one of two things when they hear one: a) assuming they own a car and are in its vicinity, flash the beeper out the window to make it stop or b) ignore it altogether.

I know when I hear one my immediate reaction is not "Oh someone may be stealing my neighbour's car!" but "Oh no! That's gonna keep me awake/wake up my sister!" I don't think, to my shame I agree, about the possibility of someone losing their car, I only think of my own discomfort.

So if this is the way most of us react, then what is the real point of a car alarm? It's supposed to alert you, or others, to the fact that your car is being taken, but if it gets ignored and everyone assumes it's just another misfire, what's the use?

Wonder if anyone else feels the same way, particularly those of you without cars?

**Frownland** · 07-26-2015, 11:18 AM

I'm the same way as you. In high school we had to sell a fake product for econ, and my group made a car alarm that was a woman screaming like she was getting attacked. I figured more people would respond to that than the standard.

**Janszoon** · 07-26-2015, 11:43 AM

Car alarms go off so often in my neighborhood that it never even occurs to me that someone might be breaking into the car.

OccultHawk · 07-26-2015, 11:54 AM

No one worries about a crime taking place. I worry that it's going to bother me for a long time. But if I were breaking into a car and it started blaring I would get away fast. I think they probably work. Back in the 90's they were going off non-stop. Now I don't hear them that often. Half the time it's mine because I butt dialed the the beeper button on my key chain. I have two vehicles and stopped carrying that door opener clicker thing because when I would sit down the alarm button would get pushed honk honk honk where is that damn thing honk honk honk ok I'm pushing the freaking button honk honk honk. Even with my own car I immediately assume it's my own stupidity because it's never been anything else.

Trollheart · 07-26-2015, 12:15 PM

There are ones that go off around here almost all the time. It gets to a point where you kind of block them out, fail to hear them anymore so that when they do eventually stop you really notice the silence. I often wonder if the people who own them are asleep or out of the house, as how could you leave your alarm going off for maybe 15 - 30 minutes, sometimes even an hour? Obviously, if someone is stealing the car then it's gone, as the sound would diminish as they drove away, so these cars are not being stolen, and yet they are apparently owned by people who either don't hear, don't care or think they're someone else's car and don't check. Can be really annoying.

RoxyRollah · 07-26-2015, 12:44 PM

******* your dbl parked and your alarm is ruining my sleep.

The Batlord · 07-26-2015, 01:02 PM

I usually just stop trying to steal the car. I get arrested a lot less that way.

Black Francis · 07-27-2015, 12:15 PM

I couldn't hear my car alarm even if i wanted to cause i live in a condo now but i do think they still serve the basic function of startling the car thief.

At least here ppl don't usually ignore their car alarms cause we understand those alarms are loud and f*ckin annoying so car owners quickly shut them off.

I still remember the car alarms that talked and said stuff like:

"This is an owned vehicle back away from the car"

whatever happened to those alarms? we shoulda made them more sassy to say sh*t like:

"Back away from the car or i'll blow it up."

Trollheart · 07-27-2015, 12:22 PM

I like the one in the Simpsons I think it is where the car yells "Get away from me! Someone help! I'm being stolen!" That would be so cool.

**Frownland** · 07-27-2015, 12:23 PM

"Self destruct sequence initiated. Please vacate the immediate area."

I think they're still around but they're not that popular.

07-26-2015, 11:13 AM	#1 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	Car alarms: your usual reaction? I was talking to my new neighbour the other day and she couldn't believe that people today won't respond to a car alarm going off, will just assume it's gone off by accident. I had to admit, I'm the same: if I hear one I tend to just get annoyed, not investigate or check. It seems to me that in general, car alarms no longer fulfill the function for which they were designed. Everyone is so pissed off now when one goes off that I'd be willing to bet a large percentage of people do one of two things when they hear one: a) assuming they own a car and are in its vicinity, flash the beeper out the window to make it stop or b) ignore it altogether. I know when I hear one my immediate reaction is not "Oh someone may be stealing my neighbour's car!" but "Oh no! That's gonna keep me awake/wake up my sister!" I don't think, to my shame I agree, about the possibility of someone losing their car, I only think of my own discomfort. So if this is the way most of us react, then what is the real point of a car alarm? It's supposed to alert you, or others, to the fact that your car is being taken, but if it gets ignored and everyone assumes it's just another misfire, what's the use? Wonder if anyone else feels the same way, particularly those of you without cars? __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-26-2015, 11:18 AM	#2 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	I'm the same way as you. In high school we had to sell a fake product for econ, and my group made a car alarm that was a woman screaming like she was getting attacked. I figured more people would respond to that than the standard. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x

07-26-2015, 11:43 AM	#3 (permalink)
Janszoon Mate, Spawn & Die Join Date: May 2007 Location: The Rapping Community Posts: 24,593	Car alarms go off so often in my neighborhood that it never even occurs to me that someone might be breaking into the car. __________________ A Night in the Life of the Invisible Man Time & Place 25 Albums You Should Hear Before the Moon Crashes into the Earth and We All Die last.fm

07-26-2015, 12:15 PM	#5 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	There are ones that go off around here almost all the time. It gets to a point where you kind of block them out, fail to hear them anymore so that when they do eventually stop you really notice the silence. I often wonder if the people who own them are asleep or out of the house, as how could you leave your alarm going off for maybe 15 - 30 minutes, sometimes even an hour? Obviously, if someone is stealing the car then it's gone, as the sound would diminish as they drove away, so these cars are not being stolen, and yet they are apparently owned by people who either don't hear, don't care or think they're someone else's car and don't check. Can be really annoying. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-27-2015, 12:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Black Francis Out of Place Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: in an abstract house Posts: 4,111	I couldn't hear my car alarm even if i wanted to cause i live in a condo now but i do think they still serve the basic function of startling the car thief. At least here ppl don't usually ignore their car alarms cause we understand those alarms are loud and fckin annoying so car owners quickly shut them off. I still remember the car alarms that talked and said stuff like: "This is an owned vehicle back away from the car" whatever happened to those alarms? we shoulda made them more sassy to say sht like: "Back away from the car or i'll blow it up." __________________ "Hey Kids you got to meet the MIGHTY PIXIES!" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbRbCtIgW3A

07-26-2015, 11:54 AM	#4 (permalink)
OccultHawk one-balled nipple jockey Join Date: Dec 2010 Location: Dirty Souf Biatch Posts: 22,033	No one worries about a crime taking place. I worry that it's going to bother me for a long time. But if I were breaking into a car and it started blaring I would get away fast. I think they probably work. Back in the 90's they were going off non-stop. Now I don't hear them that often. Half the time it's mine because I butt dialed the the beeper button on my key chain. I have two vehicles and stopped carrying that door opener clicker thing because when I would sit down the alarm button would get pushed honk honk honk where is that damn thing honk honk honk ok I'm pushing the freaking button honk honk honk. Even with my own car I immediately assume it's my own stupidity because it's never been anything else.

07-27-2015, 12:22 PM	#9 (permalink)
Trollheart Born to be mild Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: 404 Not Found Posts: 26,970	I like the one in the Simpsons I think it is where the car yells "Get away from me! Someone help! I'm being stolen!" That would be so cool. __________________ Trollheart: Signature-free since April 2018

07-27-2015, 12:23 PM	#10 (permalink)
Frownland SOPHIE FOREVER Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: East of the Southern North American West Posts: 35,548	"Self destruct sequence initiated. Please vacate the immediate area." I think they're still around but they're not that popular. __________________ Studies show that when a given norm is changed in the face of the unchanging, the remaining contradictions will parallel the truth. d e a f b o x