Forget about it. If you want to advertise that you are traveling alone, just go ahead and do just that. You can put plastic bags over your mirrors but not just when you are traveling alone. There are logical reasons why you should protect your mirrors. Advertising that you are alone is not one of them.
There are certain times when you should put plastic bags over your mirrors. When you are alone or when you are driving are not those times. This should be done when you are camping in the winter or colder months of the year to protect the glass from cracking.
To learn more about this topic, just continue to read our article. No one seems to know where this urban myth started but it is not something you do when you are traveling by yourself. Unless you are camping in winter and want to protect your mirrors from any damage.
Why are There Plastic Bags in Car Windows?
The most logical reason you see windows with plastic bags is for protection. Some people place plastic bags over their windows to protect the interior of their vehicles from UV rays.
This is the same reason why people put tire covers over their RV or trailer tires. They do not want the sun to shorten the lifespan of their personal and expensive items. Also, plastic bags over the windows when the weather turns colder helps protect them from freezing and cracking.
Another reason would be to keep the sun from reflecting back into the living area of your RV and causing annoying light distractions. In some states, there is another important reason why you see plastic bags in the windows of cars.
It is supposed to be the proper signal to use to tell authorities that the car is broken down and has not been abandoned. This is not a nationwide signal and if you do it in some states, they will not understand why you left the plastic in the window.
But be careful, not everyone responds to these signals in a safe or courteous manner. One story has it that a passerby used the plastic bag as a toilet and tied the filled bag back onto the car when they were done.
Why Put Bags Over Car Mirrors When Traveling Alone
We have looked at the following reasons supporting this point but none of them make any sense whatsoever. Other than putting out a flag that you are alone, placing a bag over your mirrors does not stop any theft attempt, mugging, or more serious criminal intent.
We will give you the many reasons why some people say to do this so that you can see the ridiculous mentality behind such thinking.
- 1. To protect glass cleaner and other cleaning solutions from leaking out while traveling.
- 2. A thief could use the mirror to see if you have valuables in your car then break in to steal them.
- 3. Blocks the glare from the headlights from the cars behind you
- 4. Block incoming light from light poles or, etc., when parked and getting a nap
- 5. To hide objects that may fall into your car while driving.
- 6. To avoid reflecting the sun’s rays and giving yourself a sunburn
- 7. To keep dirt and debris off your mirrors
- 8. Block out sunlight
We did not make these reasons up. You can find them. Their list of benefits for doing this is even more ridiculous. Most websites that say ‘when traveling alone’ never provide any reasons why you should do it.
Those titles are merely clickbait used to get you to click on their websites and look at videos or other advertisements. There is no legitimate reason to put a Ziploc bag on your mirrors just for when you are traveling alone.
There are some for when you are traveling in different weather conditions but you have to be careful when you do this. Most states have laws that state you need to have a clear field of vision when driving and covering your mirrors with plastic bags when driving interferes with that requirement.
You could get a ticket if the police officer who spots you is in a bad mood. Even if it is a clear plastic Ziploc bag.
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