Another Fine Idea Down the Drain

I’m a little annoyed with Japan right now.

Many years ago I came up with the novel idea of creating musical rumble strips. I figured this would revolutionize the way we drive, turning a drab, boring trip into a new, more festive experience.

The concept is actually pretty simple. You know how you currently drive over rumble strips as you approach a construction zone or a tollbooth? If you’re not paying attention, it can startle the crap out of you as your car goes over them. They sound like this:

“BBBBRRRRRRMMMP! BBBBRRRRRRMMMP! BBBBRRRRRRMMMP! BRRMP! BRRMP! BRRMP!”

With just a little work, this annoying noise could be turned into a musical interlude. To make notes, they’d simply have to space the individual bumps of the rumble strips differently. Rumble strips spaced close together would result in higher pitches; ones spaced further apart would make lower pitches.

I told coworkers of mine that I was going to become quite wealthy with the invention of musical rumble strips, but they all mocked the notion. Ask anyone who knew me in 1995; I was semi-serious about this amazing innovation. Frankly, a few people in the office threatened me with bodily harm unless I’d shut up about it.

So, 13 years later, I got an e-mail from one of those former coworkers – a person I hadn’t heard from for a good decade -- who said, “Japan stole your musical roads idea.” Sure enough, he sent a link along that outlined EXACTLY what I was proposing.

From now on, I’m keeping my invention ideas to myself, lest they once again fall into the hands of the Japanese.