Miata Mailing List: February 1995, Message #240
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   From: RHULL@PALVX.NMSU.EDU
Subject: misc.
   Date: Mon, 6 Feb 1995 13:28:41 -0500

Sorry that incomplete message got sent - slipped on the keyboard!

First, thanks for the responses to my loudspeaker question - this
Miata net is so useful!

About the driving lights: I have spent many a mile driving in
Western Canada (work related) and found the daytime lights to be
a major safety enhancement. This is because you may not see another
vehicle for 1/2 hour and it sort of wakes you up to catch the
light from far off. So we all drove with our lights on as habit.
When we crossed back into the States, people would flash at us -
like "turn your lights off, dummy"!
I wonder if these DDL will suffer the fate of the center brake light - 
the newness (and noticeability) wears off once everbody has them?

Along the same line - part of the usefullness of lights (parking or
head-) is to BE SEEN, not just to see. In the fog, rain or dusk.
Invariably, its the driver in the dull brown car that leaves his
lights off until the last fading rays - He can see fine, but it
is the rest of us that can't see him until he's closer than need be.
I like to drive freeways with my parking lights on. Even with my bright
yellow MX5, the other drivers seem to need an extra boost to their 
awareness.

Wiper blades - with my previous Miata, I went to the dealer to get
replacement blades. The auto parts stores never seem to have the right
part, even though it is listed in the books. I was perturbed to find
that Mazda had a separate part for the right and left wipers and
charged something like $12 each! Indeed the left blade was about
5mm longer than the other (why, Mazda?) - I hope they have fixed,
or will fix this irritation.

Robert Hull
"Giallo"