# Discussion thread for the "Polls only" thread (Part 3) **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 29, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157 "2026-01-29T18:21:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 104
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2061 "2026-06-22T18:18:10Z")
> [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > For one thing, I’m fully capable of assessing for myself whether a particular outfit is flattering or not. Seriously. I’ve been planning my outfits based on what colors, shapes, and fabrics flatter me since before puberty. I can usually tell an insincere compliment, and I don’t appreciate them (not that I’d say anything back other than thanks). I don’t want a touchscreen in my car, either. I find that I have a tendency to miss-hit with touch controls, like on my washing machine. I have learned to wait to hear the door lock after I press the Start, because when we first got this washer/dryer combo, I’d often hit the Start enough that it’d beep, but not enough to really engage, lock the door, and start. I’d come back 45 mins to an hour later and find dirty dry clothes. Not a fan. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2062 "2026-06-22T19:30:29Z")
Headlight Dimmer? All the cars I remember owning had high beams as something you had to select, and then unselect, usually with a stick on the left of the steering wheel. I think one had a little button on the floor, a long time ago. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2063 "2026-06-22T19:31:33Z")
> [@psychonaut](#): > > Even fully electric cars usually have some sort of “gear shift” that at least selects between forward, neutral, and reverse. Yeah, you need to tell the car whether to go forward or backwards. I also want neutral, park, and traction. But fully automatic, usually continuous, not discrete gears, when I’m going forward. Beyond that… I’m afraid i might accidentally trigger a paddle on the wheel. And i don’t want a touch screen, i want something i can feel, and where i can feel how I’m changing it. I don’t care a great deal among the other options. I want the dimmer to be fully automatic. Just give me high beams all the time, except when there’s a person or a vehicle that the high beams will blind. Then let the car figure it out and dim them for me. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2064 "2026-06-22T19:33:20Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > > [@Spice\_Weasel](#): > > > > For one thing, I’m fully capable of assessing for myself whether a particular outfit is flattering or not. > > Seriously. I’ve been planning my outfits based on what colors, shapes, and fabrics flatter me since before puberty. I am not fully capable of assessing whether a particular outfit is flattering, fwiw. Mostly i just don’t worry about it too much. ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2065 "2026-06-22T19:48:24Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I want the dimmer to be fully automatic. Just give me high beams all the time, except when there’s a person or a vehicle that the high beams will blind. Then let the car figure it out and dim them for me. My Hyundai has this feature. It’s the first one that I’ve seen that is smart enough to not turn on the high beams if I’m behind someone or if I’m going slower than 25MPH. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2066 "2026-06-22T19:59:32Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I want the dimmer to be fully automatic. Just give me high beams all the time, except when there’s a person or a vehicle that the high beams will blind. Then let the car figure it out and dim them for me. Mine are auto and work suprisingly well. But you need a switch so you can override for things like fog. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2067 "2026-06-22T20:15:22Z")
Fair enough. Having it on a stalk near the wheel, or a paddle on the wheel, would be good, then. ---
**Author:** ![chela](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chela/32/21582_2.png) [@chela](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chela)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2068 "2026-06-22T20:25:33Z")
Arlo Guthrie has an amazing head of hair, thick curly, now gray. I have no preference on vehicle controls. Never ask anyone if you look fat, what’s the point? ---
**Author:** ![Mollie\_Magill](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mollie_magill/32/20882_2.png) [@Mollie\_Magill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mollie_Magill)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2069 "2026-06-22T20:43:49Z")
My mother’s 1979 VW Vanagon had rack and pinion steering. The wheel was about 24 inches in diameter, and you needed a team of Oompa Loompas in the foot well to turn quickly. ---
**Author:** ![Thumper668](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thumper668/32/20803_2.png) [@Thumper668](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thumper668)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2070 "2026-06-22T20:59:27Z")
I almost never use high beams for anything other than signaling other drivers of a hazard or speed trap. After a decade of living in the mountains I have learned that fog lights are far more useful for visibility than high beams. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2071 "2026-06-22T21:01:12Z")
I voted twice for Taintfins. ---
**Author:** ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2072 "2026-06-22T21:05:16Z")
Taintfins? I’m guessing their just in front of tail fins. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2073 "2026-06-22T21:09:57Z")
I don’t need spellcheck, because I am so smart, I am so smart. S-M-R-T… ---
**Author:** ![thorny\_locust](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thorny_locust/32/431_2.png) [@thorny\_locust](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thorny_locust)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2074 "2026-06-22T23:05:15Z")
I don’t want any of the things suggested in @WildaBeast’s poll; but I have the uneasy suspicion that some people do, ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2026, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2075 "2026-06-22T23:38:29Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > But you need a switch so you can override for things like fog. I think a lot of people also flash their brights when they want to get the attention of a pedestrian or another driver, such as when yielding one’s right of way at an intersection. You’d need a switch for that too. ETA: I see now that @Thumper668 uses their brights this way… ---
**Author:** ![carrps](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carrps/32/2957_2.png) [@carrps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carrps)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2076 "2026-06-23T00:22:25Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > I am not fully capable of assessing whether a particular outfit is flattering, fwiw. Mostly i just don’t worry about it too much. I don’t know if it’s something I’ve developed or something I was born with. I also like to rearrange people’s rooms in my head. It’s like I can’t not do it. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2077 "2026-06-23T00:26:17Z")
I have rearranged a friend’s kitchen in my head to make it more functional. (It’s a huge kitchen with a big counter between the stove and the fridge. It’s really weird.) I’ve never rearranged a room to attempt to make it prettier. ---
**Author:** ![WildaBeast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wildabeast/32/6_2.png) [@WildaBeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WildaBeast)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2078 "2026-06-23T00:27:21Z")
There was no option for wine in the in-flight beverage poll, so I am counting wine as a “straight alcoholic drink”. And I guess it’s included under the “soda” category, but ginger ale specifically is something I often ask for on flights, but rarely drink on the ground. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2079 "2026-06-23T00:29:39Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > I don’t want any of the things suggested in @WildaBeast’s poll; but I have the uneasy suspicion that some people do, I think a Bubble Pexiglass, etc dome looks so cool and modernistic. Impractical, however. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2026, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157/2080 "2026-06-23T00:30:15Z")
I was going to count it as “other”, because it’s usually free on international flights, and the “straight up alcoholic drinks” aren’t. But then i decided i didn’t ask for wine often enough to choose it. Still, i _have_ asked for wine on flights. I’ve never asked for a beer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=103) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/discussion-thread-for-the-polls-only-thread-part-3/1027157.md?page=105)