Oklahoma Ambulances Debut Sirens That You Can Feel

djupedal writes "Booming like a 1980s video game, the Howler can even make liquids ripple — Oklahoma's largest ambulance company will become the first ambulance service in the nation to outfit its entire fleet with new Howler sirens, designed to emit low-frequency tones that penetrate objects within 200 feet — such as cars — to alert drivers." This is all well and fine, but I wonder what they plan to do when their sirens call up one of the big worms from deep below?

Obligatory link

[Brian Gordon]

This is amazing if you think about it, because by this point I could nearly feel the pressure waves of sound coming from that siren. I have no idea what the decibel rating of a modern siren is, but it must be huge. Which makes sense, given that the sound of the siren has to penetrate the cabin of modern, sound-proof automobiles and overpower the sound of unmuffled Harleys. But the fact that I was having to hold my ears to avoid deafness, while cars were moving into the intesection oblivious to the siren's sound, shows that we have reached the end of siren technology. It is time to think of a better solution. Sirens cannot get any lounder without causing local earthquakes. Sound waves simply are not the answer.

http://sadtech.blogspot.com/2006/01/sirens.html [blogspot.com]

Re:bomb squad

[Aphoxema]

Or the even more sensitive situation of having already soundproofed a room at great expense on a popular street so your baby can get some damned sleep.

The really big worms?!?

[Anonymous Coward]

>This is all well and fine, but I wonder what they plan to do when their sirens call up one of the big worms from deep below?

You moron, that only happens in the open desert. If you stay in the spaceports and behind the shield walls you'll never have any problems. Of course, if you're a spice miner or you pilot a carryall, well, that's a different story....

Directionality

[schwaang]

Actually add one more feature - directionality. Half the time when I hear a siren I can't tell where it's coming from. In France I can tell whether it's coming towards me or going away, and it's a big improvement.

As a sometimes cyclist of the motored and non-motored kind, as well as being a car driver, I've been on both sides of near accidents, so I have both bike-rage and "oops, I didn't see you" guilt. I think it would be great if motorcycles constantly emitted some kind of "I'm passing on your left, stupid" sound that you would only hear from about one car-length away. Harleys already have that effect built in, though not exactly for that purpose.