Rant: vehicle mirror positioning

[StL Dan]

Every time I get into our family van, I have to adjust both side view mirrors so that I can see my blind spots.

Drives me nuts.

The wifey and teen aged daughter insist on re-setting them so that they have a perfect view of the side of the van. I don't want to see the side of the van I'm driving. I'm well aware of where my van is located. I want to see what is in my blind spot!!!!! Ridiculous.

[wart57]

Every time I get into our family van, I have to adjust both side view mirrors so that I can see my blind spots.

Drives me nuts.

The wifey and teen aged daughter insist on re-setting them so that they have a perfect view of the side of the van. I don't want to see the side of the van I'm driving. I'm well aware of where my van is located. I want to see what is in my blind spot!!!!! Ridiculous.

Mrs. Wart does the same damn thing. It drives me bonkers.

[heyzeus]

Depending on the angle of the mirrors, your height will affect what the mirrors show you, so a shorter/taller person would have to adjust them no matter what they prefer to view.

[StL Dan]

Depending on the angle of the mirrors, your height will affect what the mirrors show you, so a shorter/taller person would have to adjust them no matter what they prefer to view.

I hear you, but it's simply not the case in this situation.

[cardinalkarp]

So do u adjust them so u can't see any part of your car in the mirror? Not sure where I picked it up but I was always under the impression that you should be able to see right along the window line of your car?

[StL Dan]

About 5 or 6 years ago, I was working p/t jobs while looking for f/t work. One of my jobs was driving a school bus for the local school district.

During my training, they taught us how to set our mirrors.

Lean left against your driver's side window while looking into your mirror. Adjust the mirror angle outward until you can no longer see the side of the bus. Then, lean as far right as you can while looking into your right side mirror and adjust outward until you can't see the side of the bus.

At that point, an instructor outside the bus would stand in your blind spot. And, there he was. Previously unseen, now right there in your mirror.

The whole point is to see what is in your blind spot w/o having to turn your head to look over your shoulder, thereby reducing the amount of time your direct and/or peripheral vision is taken off the road in front of you.

My wife and I argue about this all the time. For some reason, she feels like her mirrors aren't set right unless she can see the side of the van. I just laugh everytime she has to spin her head to look over her shoulders to see who is next to her when trying to change lanes when all it takes is a simple glance into either mirror, then eyes back onto the road ahead.

[cardinalkarp]

I would have to think adjusting the mirror on a bus would be a bit different than adjusting for a car

And wouldn't adjusting your mirror so you can see your "normal" blind spot only open up another area as your blind spot?

[StL Dan]

Same theory for any sized vehicle. Next time you are next to another car, simply pull forward until it's in your blind spot, then adjust your mirror until it comes into view. Walla...it's a beautiful thing. Now, you have a panoramic view out your passenger window, right side blind spot (covered by mirror), rear view (mirror), left hand blind spot (mirror) and out your own window.

[wart57]

Same theory for any sized vehicle. Next time you are next to another car, simply pull forward until it's in your blind spot, then adjust your mirror until it comes into view. Walla...it's a beautiful thing. Now, you have a panoramic view out your passenger window, right side blind spot (covered by mirror), rear view (mirror), left hand blind spot (mirror) and out your own window.

I have been doing this for years, I just figured it on a long road trip one night, this idiot just insisted on sitting in my blind spot, so i adjusted my mirrors until I could see him, it was like magic.

[StL Dan]

Same theory for any sized vehicle. Next time you are next to another car, simply pull forward until it's in your blind spot, then adjust your mirror until it comes into view. Walla...it's a beautiful thing. Now, you have a panoramic view out your passenger window, right side blind spot (covered by mirror), rear view (mirror), left hand blind spot (mirror) and out your own window.

I have been doing this for years, I just figured it on a long road trip one night, this idiot just insisted on sitting in my blind spot, so i adjusted my mirrors until I could see him, it was like magic.

Hi five! LOL