Playing the Whistle While Driving Your Car

Greg The Pianotuner · Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:46 pm

If the airbag in your car ever inflated while you were driving and playing the whistle...

I don't think I'll ever do it again.

FJohnSharp · Post by **FJohnSharp** » Sun Jan 20, 2008 11:50 pm

Good idea. Glad it occurred to you in time.

riverman · Post by **riverman** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:17 am

...but you'd die happy!

Bothrops · Post by **Bothrops** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:22 am

Whistling while driving? That's insane! Can't wait till arrive home?

Post by **Dale** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:23 am

http://www.chiffandfipple.com/kneedriving.html

fancypiper · Post by **fancypiper** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:29 am

I quit playing while driving (no airbag, but I did try it once or twice

). Now I play during long red lights and construction/wreck delays (I hate the ones that continually creep along), but I keep an eye on the rear view mirror. I also play while getting gas or waiting on orders from a fast food joint.

It is funny, but you get faster service in a walk in resturant

pancelticpiper · Post by **pancelticpiper** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 8:45 am

Does somebody have a link to that video of a guy in Spain (as I recall) playing a recorder in his car getting rear-ended?
But yes, I do this quite a bit though not as much as I used to.
I actually have a high D, a low D, and a Scottish practice chanter in my car.
I used to do the six-hour drive to our largest Scottish festival playing the practice chanter nearly the entire way.
The real master of this sort of thing was a Scottish piper I used to know who would both get dressed in his kilts and warm up his entire set of bagpipes while driving to the funeral or wedding he was going to perform at, at around 90mph. He never got pulled over by the CHP, never had an accident. All in his 1968 Mustang- no airbags to worry about!

mutepointe · Post by **mutepointe** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 9:00 am

Do not play the whistle while you are driving. Do not play the whistle even at red lights. Both of those things are or sound illegal to me and are a safety hazard. If you must play the whistle, pull over, put the car in park, maybe even turn the motor off, then whistle to your hearts content.

Said like the true geezer that I am.

Ctrl Alt Del · Post by **Ctrl Alt Del** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 12:54 pm

I'm in the pull over to the side of the road category. It's a good excuse to have a bit of a rest during the drive. In Australia it's called "stop, revive, survive".

Post by **Dale** » Mon Jan 21, 2008 1:07 pm

pancelticpiper wrote:Does somebody have a link to that video of a guy in Spain (as I recall) playing a recorder in his car getting rear-ended?
But yes, I do this quite a bit though not as much as I used to.
I actually have a high D, a low D, and a Scottish practice chanter in my car.
I used to do the six-hour drive to our largest Scottish festival playing the practice chanter nearly the entire way.
The real master of this sort of thing was a Scottish piper I used to know who would both get dressed in his kilts and warm up his entire set of bagpipes while driving to the funeral or wedding he was going to perform at, at around 90mph. He never got pulled over by the CHP, never had an accident. All in his 1968 Mustang- no airbags to worry about!

Putting aside the risk to yourself, it puts others at risk. Like, children in other cars. Don't do this. Seriously. Stop.

IDAwHOa · Post by **IDAwHOa** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:32 pm

riverman wrote:...but you'd die happy!

Wrong activity....

Denny · Post by **Denny** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 7:47 pm

IDAwHOa wrote:
riverman wrote:...but you'd die happy!
Wrong activity....

gives one pause, it does....

Jason Paul · Post by **Jason Paul** » Tue Jan 22, 2008 8:38 pm

Funny, the first time I played while driving the first thing I thought of was that airbag going off. So, I purposely played with the whistle at an angle. I figured that would end up better than having the whistle shoved through my head.

Of course I've since decided that it's best to leave whistlin' time to parked time - but once in a while I play a few seconds at a red light.

The worst one I've seen was a guy playing a guitar while driving. He was in a small car and the headstock and part of the neck were actually sticking out of the window. And I'm sure it was pretty crowded between his belly and the steering wheel.

Jason

pipersgrip · Post by **pipersgrip** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 5:47 pm

i do it all the time in rush hour, and on my way to college when the roads are always backed up.

Trixle · Post by **Trixle** » Thu Jan 24, 2008 6:04 pm

It's kind of a strange conundrum....

on the one hand, if the airbag ever did deploy, i'd be royally screwed if i had a whistle in my mouth.

On the other hand, in 33 years of life and driving and being driven almost every day, i've never had an airbag deploy. I have been in a few accidents, but never one such as to cause my airbag to deploy.

Something in my mind tells me "nah, no risk, your airbag has never even deployed, why not whistle at this stop light?" On the other hand.....

I wonder if it's a bit safer playing a flute at a stop light...