I almost never do anymore. I worry that the airbag will inflate and drive the whistle up into my brainstem (which would be for my kids, at once horrifying, and fit justice). I never play at stops anymore. The only time I do is when I’m waiting for someone and the car is in park.
I play on the Bluewater Bridge while I’m waiting to get into Canada or the States (I have the emergency automobile whistle for such occasions).
There is always a few whistles in my glove compartment. I play them at stoplights, construction delays, rest areas, etc.
I have been known to knee drive on empty interstate streches…
Hey, be careful out there.
I play in the car at stoplights and such - but put the whistle down before getting off the brakes. My commute has a number of stoplights, including a couple that are really long; I’ve been a lot less stressed-out since I started carrying a whistle in the car.
But whistling when moving? In town? I may be crazy but I’m not Stupid!
I once was sitting at a stop light, not paying too much attention, when someone ran into the person behind me. That person then rammed me. If I’d had a whistle in my mouth, I’d probably have had a quick tracheotomy. Whistles+cars=danger, always. But then, without risk, I guess life could be boring… just don’t get lulled into a false sense of security just because YOU are sitting still… other cars are constantly moving in your direction at alarming speeds, so watch out for them!
EXTREME WHISTLING, DUDE!!! YEAH!!! slams a Red Bull® 
Actually I just lilt. To the blazes with curious onlookers. Let them think I’m batty; they’re not far from the truth on that anyway, so what harm?
We have an obviously stalled-by-corruption or something retrofitting of the Richmond Bridge which means that for the last several years, they shut it down to one lane each direction every evening at 7:30. Because I have to drive across it several times a week to pick up my son, you bet I play the Obriaian Improved, as the jam is four miles long. It’s jammed coming back too, though at least I have my son to talk to. He whistles too, on my OTHER car whistle, a MEG. Sometimes we play together and I teach him about music theory.
I use my car time for that other important aspect of learning the music – listening to CDs! I leave the whistle at home. Seems the only sensible thing to do…
Steven
If my car had built-in CD player, I’d probably do that. I can plug a portable CD player into it, but I hate dealing with cords. I suppose I could just break down and buy an aftermarket car stereo with CD player, but I’d rather spend the money on whistles . . .
I have a Dixon nontunable in my glove compartment for car playing. Where I live traffic’s not too bad, so I only play when I’m parked and waiting on something or someone. Doesn’t happen too often, but it helps my impatient self keep from getting stressed. I do get some funny looks though . . .
Exactly…and with five children’s activities, that can add up to valuable time though almost never without a backseat “audience”. I have a narrowbore Silkstone D+ and a couple of Gen Ebs that live in the car. My two year old sometimes likes to chew along :roll: on one of them…Funny looks, what the heck!
Trisha
I’m sure that, averaged over all of the people who play whistles in cars, there’s a net gain in life expectancy. That is, for every one who’s impaled by a whistle, there are many whose lives are extended due to reduced stress and blood-pressure.
I am one who lives in a high traffic area. My evening drive is about 10 miles in 35 minutes. I do plenty of whistling at stop lights.
DO NOT PLAY IN FRONT OF AN AIRBAG, EVER!!! EVEN WITH THE CAR PARKED AND OFF!!!
A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine had his car stopped at a light and was rammed behind by an SUV. Most of the people in the car were ok, but the woman in the passenger’s seat had her sun visor down. The airbag went off and ripped the mirror off the visor, drove it down her face from forehead to chin; it then sliced through the purse she had around her chest. Her eye was severely traumatized and she had to have extensive plastic surgery. This was certainly a wakeup call for me, as we often have the tissue box on the dash or the garage door opener hanging from the visor, etc. I will never play in front of an airbag. Imagine what it could do with a whistle if it can send a visor mirror ripping through a woman’s purse?
P.S, It looks like she will be ok, she’s getting sight back in her eye. I haven’t seen her face, but my friend says it looks like it will heal ok.
Robin
We all have to go sometime. If my autopsy photo shows a fipple sticking out of the back of my skull, at least I’ll have gone out doing something I love.
Living in fear of what might, remotely, potentially, under certain circumstances, happen doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to me.
If your’re that worried about into a car accident, take the bus.
jb
I don’t worry too much about dying in a car crash. I don’t have a whistle in the car because I don’t drive much. But if I did I would be concerned about the whistle going through my head and cutting the connection between the brain stem and the cerebrum, thus turning me into a permanent vegetable. Not a fun prospect to consider but instructive.
Mike
The airbag thing is enough to dissuade me…but even with the car parked and turned off?
(instead, I’ll carry my whistles in this:)
edited to say: I knew that pic wouldn’t show up. Because, maybe, Snapfish is password protected? I don’t know.
(It’s a picture of a whistle roll I made.)
i did it..i did it! (but I can’t do it on the mac)
Janice: where do you live?
I whistle only when parked and waiting for somone/something. And, one of the advantages of owning a 14-year old car is NO NASTY AIRBAGS to make parked-whistle-playing dangerous. I’m really short and I think airbags should be optional–seems like I hear about them doing more harm than good.
I must say, though, whistling in the car is my least favorite place to whistle. Even first octave B’s are high enough to bother me in such a small space. Anyone else feel this?
Nico-check your PMs.