# Omnibus Stupid MFers in the news thread (Part 2) **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 5, 2024, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657 "2024-01-05T16:15:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 429
**Author:** ![Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.winston_oboogie/32/2945_2.png) [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Winston_OBoogie)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8561 "2026-09-23T20:30:43Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@Jackmannii](#): > > > > Satellite radio i.e. Sirius carries few AM stations > > In my experience, no, they generally don’t carry the feeds for local radio stations. > > SiriusXM carries some _national_ radio networks (e.g., an NPR feed, an ESPN radio feed, the CBC and BBC radio news feeds); Actually, the SiriusXM radio in my car picks up FM Radio Broadcasts. I have my favorite channel programmed in. When we’re on the road, it gets… whatever is broadcasting at 93.1 in that area. I don’t have an AM station I like, so I’m not _positive_ it picks up the AM signals, but I don’t see why it wouldn’t. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8562 "2026-09-23T20:35:41Z")
I’m not sure I can envision a scenario short of nuclear Armageddon in which a car’s AM radio would be the only way to transmit vital information to the public. And I’m less sure of what that information would even be besides “you’re all screwed, goodbye forever”. ---
**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:** [September 23, 2026, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8563 "2026-09-23T20:42:53Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > **“Loo”** : from French _lieu_, “the place”. I was told that “Loo” was from _l’eau_ “the water.” No? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8564 "2026-09-23T21:04:11Z")
They weren’t already? I’m surprised. Is the stupidity that they weren’t already required? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8565 "2026-09-23T21:14:39Z")
> [@Dr.Winston\_OBoogie](#): > > Actually, the SiriusXM radio in my car picks up FM Radio Broadcasts. I have my favorite channel programmed in. When we’re on the road, it gets… whatever is broadcasting at 93.1 in that area. That sounds like you have a multi-band AM/FM/satellite radio (as do I). It’s not that the SiriusXM satellite signal is broadcasting local FM radio stations to your car radio. ---
**Author:** ![fachverwirrt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/94ad74/32.png) [@fachverwirrt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fachverwirrt)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8566 "2026-09-23T21:14:47Z")
> [@carrps](#): > > I was told that “Loo” was from _l’eau_ “the water.” No? loo(n.1) “lavatory,” 1940, but perhaps 1922 (based on a pun of Joyce’s); perhaps [Dictionary of American Slang] from French lieux d’aisances “lavatory,” literally “place of ease,” picked up by British servicemen in France during World War I. Or possibly a pun on Waterloo, based on water closet. From [etymonline](https://www.etymonline.com/word/loo). ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8567 "2026-09-23T21:22:00Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Is the stupidity that they weren’t already required? The stupidity is requiring obsolete trchnology. You may as well insist on the necessity of carrier pigeons or the signal fires of Gondor. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8568 "2026-09-23T21:23:48Z")
So, when there’s a sign saying to tune to a certain station for important road information, what’s the modern replacement for that? ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8569 "2026-09-23T21:27:17Z")
Is there no means other than AM radio by which to communicate information to the driver of a model 2026 automobile? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8570 "2026-09-23T21:29:37Z")
I dunno, is there? That’s what I was asking. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8571 "2026-09-23T21:31:43Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Is there no means other than AM radio by which to communicate information to the driver of a model 2026 automobile? I don’t think that that’s the right phrasing for the question. It’s more like: “Is there no **reliable** means other than AM radio, which does not require a smartphone or a music subscription, by which one can communicate information to the drivers of effectively\* all drivers of vehicles, regardless of model year?” \*- I put in “effectively” because, yes, there is always going to be a proportion of drivers who don’t have a working radio of any sort, don’t have it turned on, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8572 "2026-09-23T21:34:45Z")
If you accept that there are a small number of drivers without working radios or ones that are turned on, you might just use cell phones as the communications method; the vast majority of American adults have cell phones (whether or not they are smartphones) and they’re already used for emergency communications. We received an obnoxious warning recently when flash flooding was expected in this part of Southern New England. Though when I’m driving, I’ve got my smartphone in my pocket and if that horrible blaring noise occurred while I was on the road, I might be startled. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8573 "2026-09-23T21:36:53Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > If you accept that there are a small number of drivers without working radios or ones that are turned on, you might just use cell phones as the communications method; the vast majority of American adults have cell phones (whether or not they are smartphones) and they’re already used for emergency communications. Consider that keeping AM radio is sort of a belt-and-suspenders approach to ensuring that we aren’t relying on a single communications method for emergency information. As noted earlier: cell networks can and do go down, and significant portions of the country (especially rural, heavily forested, and mountainous areas) have poor cell phone reception. Also, terrestrial radio can not only deliver the emergency alert message, but ongoing information updates from local authorities in an emergency situation. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8574 "2026-09-23T21:51:55Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > “Is there no **reliable** means other than AM radio, which does not require a smartphone or a music subscription, by which one can communicate information to the drivers of effectively\* all drivers of vehicles, regardless of model year?” Is AM radio even reliable for that purpose? I can’t recall a single time I’ve seen a flashing sign saying “Tune to AM XXX for information”, done so, and heard anything other than static or a barely comprehensible voice that fades out before you can hear the entire message because the transmitter apparently has a range of about 50 feet. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8575 "2026-09-23T21:56:35Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Is AM radio even reliable for that purpose? Yes, it is. Those “Tune to AM XXX” signs are pointing to you to a low-power AM transmitter, which, yeah, have very limited range and fairly poor quality. Those are nearly always used for non-emergency information related to road construction, parking availability at a venue, etc. I’m talking about the necessity of being able to communicate _emergency_ information, such as: - Emergency Alert System messages - Ongoing information and coverage of emergency situations The signals from fully-fledged AM radio stations (not those low-power ones) typically have a range of 50 miles or more during the day, and even longer at night. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8576 "2026-09-23T21:58:51Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I’m talking about _emergency_ information: > > - Emergency Alert System messages > - Ongoing information and coverage of emergency situations Again, I can’t recall a single situation where I’ve ever required access to an AM radio to get that information. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8577 "2026-09-23T22:01:06Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > Again, I can’t recall a single situation where I’ve ever required access to an AM radio to get that information. Great for you! Maybe your experiences are not typical. And, solutions which cover 90% of people and situations aren’t good enough for emergency communications. If you are in BFE wilderness, a severe storm is rolling in, and you have a bad (or no) cell phone signal, or your smartphone’s battery dies, you just might want another option to turn to. ---
**Author:** ![Spice\_Weasel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spice_weasel/32/5435_2.png) [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8578 "2026-09-23T22:29:26Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > And I’m less sure of what that information would even be besides “you’re all screwed, goodbye forever”. I think I already heard that one. ---
**Author:** ![Smapti](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smapti/32/17938_2.png) [@Smapti](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smapti)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8579 "2026-09-23T22:40:01Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > If you are in BFE wilderness, a severe storm is rolling in, and you have a bad (or no) cell phone signal, or your smartphone’s battery dies, you just might want another option to turn to. I’m sure that in such a scenario I could have acquired an AM radio without Congress mandating that there be one in my car. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2026, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657/8580 "2026-09-23T22:40:29Z")
> [@Smapti](#): > > I’m not sure I can envision a scenario short of nuclear Armageddon in which a car’s AM radio would be the only way to transmit vital information to the public. Tornado, earthquake, hurricane? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=428) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/omnibus-stupid-mfers-in-the-news-thread-part-2/995657.md?page=430)