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After reading a post on Gizmodo about a researcher who sent a student riding through college campuses dressed as a clown riding on a unicycle, and how he found people who were on cell phones/using electronic devices were 50% less likely to notice anything unusual happening, I got an idea.
People maintain driving with a cellphone doesn't distract them. I decided to see if that was true. I thought and thought about what I could do to prove it. Then it hit me. If I put something on my car roof, I could see if people notice. I decided a coffee cup was the best choice, and after consulting my friends, they said to go with a StarBucks cup w/attached "cup condom". I did , and the reaction was good enough for me to give the cup its own Twitter feed( twitter.com/RoofCoffeeCup ), where I jot down what people do while driving, then Tweet a recap later. It's hilarious because I can be driving at 65 miles per hour, and people don't consider how a cup could still be on my roof. When I take turns in front of them, and the cup doesn't move, they still tell me. Even at stop lights, when people get out of their cars and try to take it off, some people don't figure out it's not real.
With how hard it is to keep a straight face because I'm laughing so hard, I knew I couldn't keep the fun to myself. I also wanted to see the RoofCoffeeCup spread out from the small area of New Jersey I drive, and go across the country. Thus, I'm making my first Instructable. All I ask is that if you do make a RoofCoffeeCup, please tweet what reactions/where your cup is using the #RoofCoffeeCup hash tag, so we can all share the adventures.
Now some "legal" stuff. Even though the cup weighs 3oz, the magnets used are hard, and could damage should it fly off, and someone is tailgating you. Check your local laws before attempting. The magnets I use are stronger than the ones on those "tear-drop" lights some people put on their roofs, and this cup is lighter than those lights, so if those lights are legal, I don't see why this isn't. I take no responsibility for anything that happens to you if you try this. I'm only responsible for when I do it with my own car. I'm not responsible for any damage to your car through possible scratching or dents if you drop it close to the car. Don't be a hazard to others on the road. The reason I went with a coffee cup is it's not that out of the ordinary, and it's not a danger to anyone, like if I attached a laptop or something else heavy. It also will not cause a panic/calls to police, like doing this with a baby carrier or car seat would, which I DO NOT endorse trying.
People maintain driving with a cellphone doesn't distract them. I decided to see if that was true. I thought and thought about what I could do to prove it. Then it hit me. If I put something on my car roof, I could see if people notice. I decided a coffee cup was the best choice, and after consulting my friends, they said to go with a StarBucks cup w/attached "cup condom". I did , and the reaction was good enough for me to give the cup its own Twitter feed( twitter.com/RoofCoffeeCup ), where I jot down what people do while driving, then Tweet a recap later. It's hilarious because I can be driving at 65 miles per hour, and people don't consider how a cup could still be on my roof. When I take turns in front of them, and the cup doesn't move, they still tell me. Even at stop lights, when people get out of their cars and try to take it off, some people don't figure out it's not real.
With how hard it is to keep a straight face because I'm laughing so hard, I knew I couldn't keep the fun to myself. I also wanted to see the RoofCoffeeCup spread out from the small area of New Jersey I drive, and go across the country. Thus, I'm making my first Instructable. All I ask is that if you do make a RoofCoffeeCup, please tweet what reactions/where your cup is using the #RoofCoffeeCup hash tag, so we can all share the adventures.
Now some "legal" stuff. Even though the cup weighs 3oz, the magnets used are hard, and could damage should it fly off, and someone is tailgating you. Check your local laws before attempting. The magnets I use are stronger than the ones on those "tear-drop" lights some people put on their roofs, and this cup is lighter than those lights, so if those lights are legal, I don't see why this isn't. I take no responsibility for anything that happens to you if you try this. I'm only responsible for when I do it with my own car. I'm not responsible for any damage to your car through possible scratching or dents if you drop it close to the car. Don't be a hazard to others on the road. The reason I went with a coffee cup is it's not that out of the ordinary, and it's not a danger to anyone, like if I attached a laptop or something else heavy. It also will not cause a panic/calls to police, like doing this with a baby carrier or car seat would, which I DO NOT endorse trying.
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Signing UpStep 1Materials needed:
1 Coffee Cup, paper variety
1 Coffee Cup Lid
1 Coffee Cup Condom/holder/ sleeve
3 Hard Disk Drive magnets
1 piece of scrap plastic to mount magnets to
Lacquer
News and/or packing paper
Glue
1 Coffee Cup Lid
1 Coffee Cup Condom/holder/ sleeve
3 Hard Disk Drive magnets
1 piece of scrap plastic to mount magnets to
Lacquer
News and/or packing paper
Glue
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it could be kind of entertaining to do with say, a cell phone, but perhaps have it "resting" on the edge of the trunk lid :3
id do it with a dummy phone though, you never know if someone would be "courteous" and walk off with your $250 smartphone.
nonetheless, i LOVED reading this. just think of all the things you could up ontop (or maybe even on the side) of your car!
PS: you could do it with a laptop if you took all the internals out and just used the shell ;)
http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-separate-the-Magnets-from-an-old-harddisk/
But I will keep my eye out for an old microwave for exactly this reason, and see if they are stronger than the HDD magnets. As it is, even a small HDD magnet can hold up at least 2.5 lbs, as shown in the pictures of a RoofCellPhone. The picture with the weight is only being supported by one of the magnets. I didn't go heavier because those magnets were just attached with plain Elmer's Glue.
http://www.randomhouse.com/doubleday/palahniuk/rant/
My magnets are so strong they can open my full-size fridge door, like a door handle.
Thank You for the great instruct-able!
I have one question, How did you get the hard drive magnets removed from there mounts? Also I wanted to say that it would be funny if you put brown liquid in the cup and let it slosh around, THAT would get some funny looks LOL!
sambushed.com/dntmegallery/main.php/v/2e93b9_1.jpg.html
the lecturer tells you to focus on counting how many throws are done during the 1 minute film.
most people say 35 - 40 throws.
http://viscog.beckman.uiuc.edu/grafs/demos/15.html
watch it.
count the the number of throws.
don't read any further until you have seen the film
a few people might say "why was there a gorilla in the film?"
When I saw this I had to try it!!! so I did... Totally awesome! One guy this morning actually stopped at an intersection - in front of me - when the light was red, stepped out of his car, jestured and pointed to my cup. I then showed him the coffee cup I was actually drinking from and he just cracked up!!! LOL By the way, I have taken my cup upto 75 mph or 120kph no problem at all (on a closed track ofcourse). The key is to have the magnets in direct contact with the rooftop. My lawyer says its up to the discretion of the officer if you get a ticket or not, so be aware.
Great Instructable! Just Love It!
I am not a coffee guy... I am more into soda... I can just take a half full Mnt. Dew bottle and drop in some magnets... and I am done.
I was thinking a beer can would be funny.