So why won't we use our windshield wipers? (rain)

[TCHP]

Nah, being frugal is extending their life by using 800 grit sandpaper to restore their streak free swipe after a season in the sun.

[cowboyxjon]

My newest vehicle has automatic windshield wipers. It turns them on, off, and adjusts the speed as it senses water. They aren't perfect, but, maybe that is what you might have been noticing? For the record, I usually override mine.

[BarryK123]

Time and exposure to sunlight kill the wipers faster than use, especially in our climate where it so rarely rains.

[Indigo Cardinal]

Don't look at me, I use my wipers when I see rain. Maybe that's the Missouri-born-and-raised in me.

[kygman]

I'm not in Colorado, but I've barely used my wipers at all in 10 or so years, even in hard, stormy rains. I keep a good coat of Rain-X on my windshield. I found out about this stuff when the windshield wiper motor in a car I had at the time went out. New wiper motor-$75. Gallon of Rain-X-$2. Even with what semis throw on your windshield when they pass you or you're behind them in traffic, the rain runs right off.

[davebarnes]

Originally Posted by Mach50

we have a blantant disregard for stop lights and stop signs in this city. I have never seen anything like it.

You need to spend a week driving in and around downtown Boston.

[randomparent]

Originally Posted by Indigo Cardinal

Don't look at me, I use my wipers when I see rain. Maybe that's the Missouri-born-and-raised in me.

Ditto. I use mine, too.

[wycoyote]

Originally Posted by Wheatridger

These two rainy days in a row gave me a rare opportunity to test a long-standing observation of mine, and once again it's true: Denver drivers hate to use their windshield wipers in the rain. Today on Wadsworth, we had light rain, but steady. My windshield was peppered with drops one second after a wipe, and in five seconds it would have been quite wet- but I turned on my wipers to fast intermittent setting, which wiped every two seconds or so. Meanwhile, of the drivers in the opposite lane, only two out of ten seemed to have wipers running, most of them on a continuous wipe. This percentage of non-wipers, which I'll call the Stubborn 75%, held for at least three blocks, and I've seen it before. Have you?

Here's some possible reasons why Denver drivers hate to use their wipers:
--Denial: They love sun and hate the rain so much that they don't want to admit its intrusion
--Poor maintenance: It rains here so seldom that windshield get greasy and wiper blades die in the sun, so drivers don't expect the wipers to help much, just to smear the mess
--Inattention: What? It's raining?
--Chemistry: Everyone uses Rain-X, which beads the water away!

Somehow I doubt it's number four. What do you think?

It's #4, really.

There's something about water beading up that makes us all think we're pavement pilots!

[Quietude]

Originally Posted by kygman

New wiper motor-$75. Gallon of Rain-X-$2.

I'm a Rain-X fan myself, but it's a helluva lot more than two bucks a gallon. It's about $5-10 for a small bottle.

A bit of a PITA to apply regularly, but it's worth all the trouble.

[Timmyy]

Originally Posted by Quietude

I'm a Rain-X fan myself, but it's a helluva lot more than two bucks a gallon. It's about $5-10 for a small bottle.

A bit of a PITA to apply regularly, but it's worth all the trouble.

We have used it on our shower glass before.