r/whatisit • u/Stepside79 • 1d ago
Solved! This CD situation on a dashboard
I pulled up to this parked Toyota Prius in a Canadian parking lot. Initially in thought they were using this as a sun reflector but it wasn’t sunny or particularly hot. It was still like this when I came back to my car about 25 mins later.
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u/JerryConn 1d ago
Trying to confuse bugs or birds prehaps?
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u/MrMontgomery 1d ago
Decades ago, in the UK at least, there was a rumour that hanging cd's on your rear view mirror confused hand held speed cameras
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u/CuriousBee789 1d ago
I do remember seeing that back in the day but thought it was just dumb people using a scratched up disk for decoration, lol.
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u/thomasrosendahl 1d ago
Myth busters tried this , they debunked along with a bunch of other "speed trap hacks".
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u/RuinFabulous3077 23h ago
Those were the days..
So many people's beliefs based on hokey myths were dashed (+/- a few). And even in 2026 you cannot convince them otherwise.
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u/Mediocre-Wafer-5176 15h ago
I read this as hockey myths and was very confused and intrigued
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u/accidentallyHelpful 1d ago
Birds
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u/dragonsign 1d ago
Yep, they sell holographic looking bird "tape". I put that in quotes because I was rather miffed when I found out it wasn't sticky on one side.
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u/AbyssalTum 1d ago
Did you check to see if it was sticky on the other side?
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u/dragonsign 1d ago
Yes I bought it thinking I could use it as a reflective tape. It was basically a mylar streamer.
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u/AdMother6743 1d ago
So you’re telling me I don’t have to keep taping a scarecrow on my hood everyday?!?
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u/Charming-Weather-148 1d ago
"adhesive tape" is not a reduant term, but the "adhesive" part has been dropped in most cases.
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u/sincerelyhiten 1d ago
Maybe this. I tie CDs around my dock if I know I won't be around for a week or so to keep the seagulls off it. If I don't and come back a week later it's completely white.
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u/Oily_Blob 1d ago
Likely an attempt to deter pigeons from hanging out near/shitting on their car
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u/MiddlenameMud 1d ago
Getting a rubber snake toy from the dollar store and throwing on your car will chase birds away - my dad keeps one on his corvette and it’s been effective
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u/MySeveredToe 1d ago edited 1d ago
I’ve seen plenty of slightly melted rubber toys on dashboards here in florida. Gotta get a high quality silicone snake
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u/maison_deja_vu 1d ago
Silicone for the win 😎
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u/swalabr 1d ago
Especially if they stand up on a suction base and can move with the breeze, that might keep em away
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u/MySeveredToe 1d ago
Definitely want a flared base. Larger suction pad keeps it in place better during rough rides
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u/bigtiddyhimbo 1d ago
This has to be what it is. We put cds on sticks in our back yard to deter hawks and owls from swooping down and snatching our chickens. I can’t think of anything else this would be for
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u/Here_4_the_INFO 1d ago
My sister has chickens and when she lets them out in the yard she will put old CDs on the ground. I guess it keeps the hawks away?
Maybe this car has been a bird poop target and they are just trying to keep them away, that is my guess.
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u/Lucky-Kangaroo-6337 1d ago
When I take my 3lb "dog" to the country I have a legitimate fear that a hawk could grab him. I'm going to tie CDs to him now. Tell your sister I think she's great but that my dog has mixed feelings!
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u/Magical_Savior 1d ago
There are other options that can be pretty punk rock.
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u/Here_4_the_INFO 1d ago
Now I want to get a small dog just so I can buy this! I would add little dog sunglasses and have them groomed with a mohawk!
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u/Here_4_the_INFO 1d ago
Just make your dog watch a video of hawks scooping up animals ... he'll come around.
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u/No_Difficulty3484 23h ago
When my Labrador was around 20 weeks old and still pretty small, at the dog park - a big hawk did a full swoop by and decided to keep going... Guess he was just big enough to be safe lol
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u/shmerk_a_berl 1d ago
Trying to burn CDs through solar energy
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u/OpieAngst 1d ago
You'll be lucky if anyone under like 25 can tell you what that means lol
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u/Sethyzir 1d ago
Im 24, it means to light the cd (cideo disk) on fire and pray your 140p copy of Spider Man 2 gets onto it by some form of archaic process
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u/northSideways 1d ago
Close! If the computer was made before ~2004 you can't pray, you have to make a blood sacrifice to an Eldrich being.
God was looking the other way when they were making the IDE standard
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u/w00tberrypie 1d ago
What type of blood sacrifice though? I used chickens and all I kept getting was copies of Chevy Chase's 1988 film Funny Farm.
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u/NonchalantRubbish 1d ago
If you go back that far, you need a floppy disc and about 8,000 of them to have the full movie.
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u/northSideways 1d ago
it usually happens automatically when you reach into the case and hit a random metal edge so sharp it makes the execs at Gillette blush
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u/Cyborg_rat 1d ago
Lol the other day I was flying my FPV Drone, explaining to some teen who were curious that Analog looks like a VHS Tape but it's cheaper. They didn't seem know what my reference was.
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 1d ago
Might as well walk with a cane and wear a jumper even in summer at this point my dude.
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u/Cyborg_rat 1d ago
Yep, starting looking for some. The other hit I got was Spotify saying that System of a down is classic rock.
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u/Nitemare2020 1d ago
So my 17 year old is in love with classic rock? Nice!
🤦🏻♀️😭 I'm old.
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u/Cyborg_rat 1d ago
Lol same for ours, she's into Korn etc.
These kids lisning to oldies.
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u/The_Pharos1 1d ago
Korn… listening to oldies. Two things I never thought would go together but here we are…. Damn I’m old…
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u/Shoddy-Patient9948 1d ago
I loved this Brit pop band called the futureheads in the early 00s. Now I see they are doing a reunion tour...damn.
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u/InevitableMinimum723 1d ago
Dude, I loved this band called The Grateful Dead in the last century. Now I see they are quickly dieing of old age not just drug over doses and misadventures. ... damn.
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u/Drunk_Stoner 1d ago
Weird attempt to distract/blind traffic cams? 🤷♂️
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u/TheTriNerd 1d ago
I remember that being a thing many years ago. Even though it was nonsense, people still did it
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u/antonio16309 1d ago
Back in the day some people hung a CD from the rear view mirror because it supposedly "jammed" a cop's radar gun. Not sure what the CDs on the dash are for but your guess sounds plausible enough to me (not plausible in the sense that it would work of course, but plausible that it's reason they are there).
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u/mwmikewilliamzzxx 1d ago
Flock camera zapper??
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u/AmputeeHandModel 1d ago
Someoheisshininga??
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u/OrallyObsessed8 1d ago
Shrinkydink laserdiscs. They’re all the rage.
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u/TheAbominableRex 1d ago
One time my cousin and I made "decorations" by putting CDs in the microwave for a few seconds (I know, I know). Turned out kinda crackly. Maybe this is a safer way to do it?
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u/HorsefaceWithNoName 1d ago
attempt at burning their car to the frame by having reflected sunlight light the sun visor or ceiling headliner foam or seat headrest on fire
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u/Less-Damage-1202 1d ago
There's a few different reasons why people do this.
The CDs on the dash are usually for bird deterrent so they don't poop on their car.
The cd hanging is done because it's thought to help reflect an oncoming cars high beams so they notice they haven't turned them off.
There also used to be this belief that hanging a cd would mess with cops speed radar so they wouldn't get caught speeding. But it's just an old urban myth, that had no truth behind it, & people don't really hang them for that reason anymore.
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u/doom_stein 1d ago
Looks like someone got their CDs wet and ran out of rice to stick them in to dry them out.
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u/UsefulEngineer 1d ago
Back in the day a friend left a CD on their dash in the summer sun. It changed from the silver color to a rainbow of colors. The data on the CD was not harmed. They could be trying to change the color of the CDs.
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u/Normal_Onion2555 1d ago
Using them as weights on their "dashboard sun protector" cloth. Probably goes flying when they close their door to go inside. Somehow I think this may have a downside if those discs get too hot.
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u/Spare_Laugh9953 1d ago
Seguramente habrá leído en algún sitio una leyenda urbana sobre que evitan los radares de control de velocidad
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u/PloddingClot 1d ago
We do the same thing on our windows and fruit trees, it keeps the birds away. I think he's trying to keep birds for crapping on his car.
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u/mad_grateful 1d ago
I seem to remember an urban legend from the 90s that hanging a CD from your rear view mirror could defeat the police laser speed detector guns that were new at the time. I would guess something along those lines is being attempted here
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u/vinnyvencenzo 1d ago
Keep birds from hanging out. I have parking garage managers that would hang them from the ceiling. My guy, we can invest in bird management.
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u/No-Step3301 1d ago
People hang these in trees to keep birds away. Maybe he is on to something.....
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u/BlackPaulRudd 1d ago
Some sort of magnetron. Beams are fly right into their eyes like Raiders of the lost ark.
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u/dragngamblrwolf 1d ago
Trying to keep away birds to stop either the government or aliens from spying on their car.
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u/Content_Ferrat-310 1d ago
I’m guessing they are doing this to deter birds from coming near their car. I’ve only ever seen this around pools.
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u/Major-Log-7018 1d ago
I know folks who use CD's tied to fishing line and the hung at the docks to keep birds away from their boats. I dont understand the science, but they told me it keep them from coming around and shitting on their boat. I've been multiple boat owners doing this thru the years.
Maybe this?
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u/Limepiink 1d ago
I have CDs hanging from my trees to keep hawks away from my chickens. Definitely bird deterrent. Works on the neighbors as well.
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u/wet_castles 1d ago
It’s to deter birds. I see farmers hang them in trees and other reflective things
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u/scarylittlegreenman 1d ago
Never leave reflective items in car, even half empty water bottles in summer days. Its fire hazard.
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u/ommmyyyy 1d ago
That can be very dangerous if you get into a crash since the CD can become very sharp as a flying object.
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