warning light fun

My three cars (four technically) come from three different areas of europe. The fiat from the south in Italy, the BMW from the heart of europe in Germany and the Saab from way up north in Sweden.. I have noted how each country/area of europe treats their warning lights.

First Italy: The Fiat actually has warning lights. Each one is a small speck of a light with a diamond cut plastic lense. They glow brightly when provoked, but are generally hard to see and very pretty. It is obvious that the Italians designed them to be pretty first and useful (a close) second but not very easy to spot.

Germany: The warning lights on the Ti are business like. Just bright enough to get your attention, but not enough to slap you across the face. The colours correspond to how bad the problem is, as does their placement on the cluster. Typical German Efficency (aside from the check engine light)

Sweden: OH MY GOD YOU ARE GOING TO DIE! At least that is what the Air bag light tells me. It glows a BRIGHT Red (at least an inch square) and flashes at you for a good minute or so after you start the car. This warning light is actually closer to the centre of the cluster than the anti-lock warning light (Which is also illuminated btw) and is designed to warn you that you are going to die. The anti-lock warning light is a steady amber.. just to let you know that your brakes might not work as you remember...

Well, they're better than my Ford van. Most of them are on the far edges of the display where you won't see them until long after something is melted down to slag. I lost an alternator the other day. I noticed it when the radio and gauges started flashing in time to the blinker. The idiot light had probably been on for hours.

Why is it that traffic signs are in English, but cars have to have ISO heiroglyph symbols for warning lights?

When I watch Mad Max, and see him start up his 70's Ford, and the warning lights are red squares with purposeful words in them like OIL or BRAKE, I cry a little inside, because we can't have awesome things like that anymore.

And I used to have a 70's Ford, and I took the awesome warning lights for granted.

Additonally, European cars came here with their notations in their original language. Lots of BMWs with the "Uhr" under the clock, different lettering for the fuel gauge than F or E. We managed just fine. Hell, it was part of the fun of ownership of the vehicle!