Posted on 07/19/2014 2:42:55 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The latest version of the company’s Sienna minivan has a feature called “Driver Easy Speak.” It uses a built-in microphone to amplify a parent’s voice through speakers in the back seats.
Toyota says it added Easy Speak “so parents don’t have to shout to passengers in the back.” But chances are many parents will yell into the microphone anyway.
And the feature only works one way, so the kids can’t talk back. At least not with amplified voices.
The feature is an option on the 2015 Sienna, which is being refreshed with a totally new interior. It also has an optional “pull-down conversation mirror” that lets drivers check on kids without turning around.
(Excerpt) Read more at canadianbusiness.com ...
Does this model come with the HandiSmack or is that an option I have to pay extra for?
My kids rode in the back seat when they were small. No need to shout at them, they KNEW it was dangerous to distract the driver — any driver— so they refrained from shouting and scuffling. Good kids. It really was not difficult “getting them” to behave.
Junior will figure out how to disable that Mommy-Mike before you can say “Do I need to pull this car over? Cause if I do, we’re going straight back to the house! I’ve had it with you two! “
My Dad had the only amplified voice we ever needed, at no extra cost. Only one time would do the trick, none of us kids wanted to know the ramifications of a second “shout out” :)
Vans are great learning tools for kids.
If our two kids acted up in our minivan, we’d institute the “different seat rule”. We’d make one sit on the left side of the middle bench seat...the other kid would move to the right side of the back bench seat. Putting some space between them usually worked.
If we were in a restaurant, or any place really, when one of them acted up, we’d just ask “You want to go to the van?”. And, they knew without a doubt that one of us would haul their little fanny out to the van and just sit there. No smacking, no yelling...just sitting there while the others were eating or whatever. Didn’t take long to turn them around. Just the threat worked 95% of the time.
In the house we had the “different room” rule...they could not be in the same room at the same time.
If things got really bad...we’d do the nuclear option...the “different floor” rule (we live in a 2-story).
We darn sure didn’t need a microphone.
lol! That was along the lines of what I was thinking. That and that saying "you're not a parent until you've waved your hand wildly into the backseat hoping to come into contact with someone".
I can visualize embarrassed children slinking down in their seats as wise-guy dad does a tour bus monologue on the way to grandma’s.
Yearly 500 mile drive up to Aroostook County border town from CT(1960’s). Us 4 kids started acting up, dad pulled over in the Maine woods and threaten to leave us there. 2nd time we acted up, he dropped me off and drove off. Quickly turned around to get me, I learned my lesson quick.
Singing.
Sing to your kids — especially when their friends are in the car.
They’ll love that.
Not.
DONT MAKE ME PULL THIS VAN OVER!
Hmm, yeah, I sense a business opportunity here. For an additional $100 the kiddies can have their own microphones for a rousing chorus of “Are we there yet?” For an additional $1000 the adults can have a switch to turn it off.
This is one “innovation” I’m really glad hadn’t been invented when me and my siblings were youngsters.
Why not electrodes attached to the seats? A few hundred million volts and they’ll calm down nicely...Dang, maybe I should patent this for @sshole parents and worse kids.
Ours was "We punish both of you severely no matter who is at fault". "That's not fair!"..."Life is not fair, you both lose TV for a week"...
We have the best behaved children I have witnessed and they get along amazingly well.
Rapid path to maturity: Learn fast how to work together and compromise, or suffer deprivation of "privileges".
I really miss those days. They grew up too fast
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