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Can anyone explain why my factory fit privacy glass appears darker from the outside than from the inside regardless of lighting conditions? And no, my grandkids are not that ugly. :)
Last edited by: Old Navy on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 13:01
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It's darker on the inside.
"Privacy glass". Eurgh.
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>> "Privacy glass". Eurgh.
>>
I was of this school of thought until the second hand car I drive came with all my boxes ticked, except privacy glass, which I didn't think I wanted. Now I have it I would seek it out in future (though it's not essential).
Strange as it may sound I find people cut me up (I drive in London) less. I can only put this down to two things:
1. They can't see how many people are in my car, and don't wish to try it on with a car-full. I think lone drivers (clearly visible with 'normal' glass are more likely to get cut up.
2. They think I'm a drug dealer ;-)
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I've had it on my previous two cars, not through choice but it was part of the spec. Don't have it on the X1 although it did prove useful in keeping the back area cooler for the dog......
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Neither of my current cars have it but I did like it on some I've had. I can't get everything I need in the car without folding the back seats down and removing the load cover so privacy glass is handy for keeping things a a bit more, well, "private" really. Especially if I'm away from home and have to park up overnight with kit on board the darkened glass was sufficient to hide the contents of my loadspace during hours of darkness. Made it more like a van I suppose.
Given the choice I'd specify it every time...oh and a sunroof. Could take or leave lighty uppy handles.
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>> "Privacy glass". Eurgh.
>>
I had a Fiesta courtesy car with privacy glass at the rear side windows and rear windscreen and it was awful.
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>> >> "Privacy glass". Eurgh.
>>
>> I had a Fiesta courtesy car with privacy glass at the rear side windows and
>> rear windscreen and it was awful.
Apart from the safety/driving enjoyment aspects, did it have those chromed plastic door handle covers and little blue LEDs in the windscreen washer jets?
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>> >> >> "Privacy glass". Eurgh.
>> >>
>> >> I had a Fiesta courtesy car with privacy glass at the rear side windows
>> and
>> >> rear windscreen and it was awful.
>>
>> Apart from the safety/driving enjoyment aspects, did it have those chromed plastic door handle covers
>> and little blue LEDs in the windscreen washer jets?
>>
As far as I know it was to standard production specification.
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Tonight, stand in an unlit room with the curtains open and look out. Then go outside and look back through the same window. Looking out you will see quite well, looking in you won't.
Looking from a dark place to a light one is easy but not the other way round.
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But I haven't got privacy glass in my house, or curtains in my car. :)
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You probably haven't got the sun in your house either - although I've not seen it all day so I suppose it's possible. What you see depends on the light falling on it, and there generally isn't much of that inside a car.
Try the house test after dark too. A lit room through an uncurtained window looks shockingly bright from a darkened street, but the people inside won't notice you unless you walk right up to the glass. (Just don't tell my probation officer I told you.)
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My take on it is that from the outside you're as good as looking through two sheets. The light getting into the car has already had to pass throught the dark glass and then you're looking through the dark glass again from the outside at this reduced level of interior light levels.
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It's dark inside, it's bright outside, as said above.
John
Last edited by: Tooslow on Mon 4 Oct 10 at 18:24
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The RAV4 we have bought has privacy glass. Never really liked it as a look, but I am sold on the practicalities now.
It keeps the sun off our 9 week olds face without those silly blinds stuck on the window.
It keeps the back of the car cooler.
It makes things much harder to see from a "nickable" point of view.
Surprising it negates the need for an auto dimming rear mirror - the privacy glass makes it much easier to drive in the dark in that respect (and the higher seating position means you don't get caught by anywhere as many bad headlights coming the other way - it made a massive difference).
It also hides how disgusting the back of the car gets when the Mrs is driving it all the time....
As to the darker/lighter question - do you pull the blind in your bathroom in the winter when its dark out and the lights are on?
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I had privacy on my 330d Touring, I opted for it instead of rear blinds and have to admit that I liked the styling effect.
My rationale was that the kids played with the blinds on my previous A4 Avant, however privacy glass neither provided better heat insulation and I suspect it contributes to travel sickness although I can't say how (empirical observation from my kid's in the BMW and a C-Max we had on holiday).
however an excellent security feature was that you couldn't really see into the boot of my Touring even if the tonneau cover wasn't closed. I guess my ideal would be privacy glass on the rear-most windows of an estate, unfortunately manufacturers all seem to do the door-glass too.
Auto-dimming mirrors are a real boon in my experience.
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...and I suspect it contributes to travel sickness although I can't say how...
Could be lack of connection to the outside world and movement of the car.
Reading - looking down - can do the same thing.
I appreciate you can see out of privacy glass, but the heavier tint might just be enough to have this effect.
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>> ...and I suspect it contributes to travel sickness although I can't say how...
>>
>> Could be lack of connection to the outside world and movement of the car.
>>
>> Reading - looking down - can do the same thing.
>>
A way of reducing the effect of sea sickness is to make sure you can see the horizon. I don't know the medical technicalities but a visual reference offsets the balance signals from the ducts near the ears.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 5 Oct 10 at 14:33
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...seasickness...
I've been out in one of the RNLI's offshore boats, impressive piece of kit.
I was fine barging along at 25 knots, even though the boat was pitching up and down a fair bit as it crashed through the waves,
Started to feel a bit sick when he held station at idle, I think because the boat was moving in all directions, albeit not a great deal.
A couple of the crew told me this bobbing motion makes quite a few people sick.
I sat inside on the way back - comfy aircraft-style seating - but still felt sick.
I was in the back row, which meant I couldn't see the horizon, so I'd agree with ON on that one.
Last edited by: Iffy on Tue 5 Oct 10 at 14:59
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>>>I've been out in one of the RNLI's offshore boats
Lucky chap Iffy... been a big supporter of the RNLI for years.
>>>Started to feel a bit sick when he held station at idle, I think because the boat was moving in all directions.
Yes that's a real test of sea legs. I've been lucky going on the sea since 7yrs old I've never felt queasy. I actually like that feeling when you stop in a swell 3/4 onto the bows and get that corkscrew type motion.
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...Lucky chap Iffy... been a big supporter of the RNLI for years...
If you fancy a run out, I'd be inclined to approach the cox of your local station, although most big boats are 'fast afloat' these days, which means they are permanently in the water.
There will be a crew room/office on the quayside near the boat somewhere.
The RNLI don't advertise joyrides, but the boat will be taken out two or three times a week for various reasons anyway.
As a supporter, they should be more than happy to fit you in as a guest.
It seemed to me there was a short list of people waiting to go out.
Sunday mornings are popular - back to harbour in time for a wash and change before the pubs open.
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>> A way of reducing the effect of sea sickness is to make sure you can
>> see the horizon.
>>
What do you do in a sub.?
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Well it would seem to conclude thus..
If you have poor night vision, don't specify privacy glass
If you are exceptionally tall, don't etc
If you have car sick kids, well you know
If you just don't like it then...
For everyone else, specify it if you want but be aware that some will irrationally despise you for it and will even believe it's unsafe despite the fact that most manufacturers have it as an option and that it is very often standard on higher specced models...
I'm not even sure why I'm bothering to defend the ruddy stuff. I don't have it on any of my cars. I have had it in the past though and guess what, I didn't crash and found it handy in concealing my loadspace.
My humblest apologies to all those who were concurrently offended by it !
:-)
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"I'm not even sure why I'm bothering to defend the ruddy stuff."
I'm glad you are, because I have it and it looks the business. Hasn't made me crash or become seasick either. It's all about snobbery, people don't like it because young lads buy it as an aftermarket job and paste it on their old Honda Civics.
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Quite right Dave - as someone said in HJ's time an useful accessory to have if one has ugly children.
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Yep thanks for defending on behalf of all the forum dark tints Humph.
Not just useful for the ugly kids though... my teen girls and their friends look an attractive bunch and it stops the lads leering in when I'm caught in traffic taking them to gigs etc.
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I keep my mother-in-law in the back before transferring her to the house under cover of a blanket.
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My son makes my wife sit in the back and she's not too bad looking considering her advancing years...
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My mother-in-law has been staying for a couple of weeks and will probably here till the end of the month. There's a documentary on Channel 5 this evening at 8 pm about a family in a similar predicament.
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>> Quite right Dave - as someone said in HJ's time an useful accessory to have
>> if one has ugly children.
>>
I think I referred to it a "Ugly kid glass" on HJ many moons ago. Now I have it on my car.
Last edited by: Old Navy on Tue 5 Oct 10 at 19:00
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Well I haven't got it on the current car, although I may be tempted if to soften it's bluff looks - worked a treat on the Roomie.
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When I finally retire the Mondeo I'm going to have it chopped and stretched. Privacy glass fitted all round. A bar installed, get m'self a hat and hire it out for slapper's hen nights.
Got to be a plan.
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>> When I finally retire the Mondeo I'm going to have it chopped and stretched. Privacy
>> glass fitted all round. A bar installed, get m'self a hat and hire it out
>> for slapper's hen nights.
>>
>> Got to be a plan.
>>
You forgot the pink paint job, or is it already pink?
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No but that's a great idea. I'll get it blown over when they chop it.
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>> >> A way of reducing the effect of sea sickness is to make sure you
>> can
>> >> see the horizon.
>> >>
>> What do you do in a sub.?
>>
In my day you would have had at least two years in surface ships before submarine training and sea time. If you have not got your sea legs by then you are beyond hope.
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One possible problem with privacy glass. I'm sure I'm not the only one who is very unlikely to let you out at a junction if I can't clearly see you.
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Factory-fitted privacy glass is never on the windscreen and driver/passenger windows so hopefully you can still see the driver, unless your behaviour is motivated by some other instinct ?
I agree that cars with retro-fitted privacy glass on all windows (except the windscreen of course) do convey a certain image and might arouse suspicion about the motivation for making such an (illegal perhaps) customisation.....
Last edited by: idle_chatterer on Thu 7 Oct 10 at 03:34
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Does factory fitted privacy glass purport to be functional, of is it just a chav's gimmick like go faster stripes?
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>> Does factory fitted privacy glass purport to be functional, of is it just a chav's
>> gimmick like go faster stripes?
>>
Well BMW offer it as Sun Protect Glass, I don't think it really fulfils this purpose but it does improve security for the rear windows of an estate / people carrier in my opinion and experience. I also quite like the aesthetic effect of factory-fit installations but wouldn't specify it again due to my suspicion that it foments car sickness. Can't say I'd ever considered myself to be a Chav though, I don't own any Burberry for a start.
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We all know that too dark a glass is illegal but sunglasses which are even darker are not.
A fact brought to the fore by the ADAC if you think about it it is quite correct to ban certain glasses when driving probably explains why a women ran into the side of my car saying she didn,t see me she had glasses on which could only be described as black.
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Privacy glass. - FotheringtonTomas
