Wiper Start: Difference between revisions

An easy trope for a director to use to show incompetence starting a vehicle, because the camera is usually looking through the windshield at the driver already. The windshield wipers are more visual than the driver accidentally starting the radio or the A/C.

 

 

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== [[Advertising]] ==

* In a commercial for ''[[Twisted Metal]] 4'', [[Monster Clown|Sweet Tooth]] brings his souped-up ice-cream truck in for service. His midget clown sidekicks aren't all that familiar with the control scheme...

''(The midget turns off the wipers, and flicks another switch...firing a rocket and blowing up a car across the parking lot.)'' }}

 

== [[Anime]] & [[Manga]] ==

 

== Comedy Album ==

 

== [[Film]] ==

* In [[The Film of the Book]] ''[[Jumanji]]'', [[Robin Williams]]' character accidentally opens the sun roof of a car when trying to start it. Played for suspense rather comedy, as this almost lets giant poisonous mosquitoes into the vehicle.

* ''[[My Fellow Americans]]'' does this to emphasize that neither of the two former presidents has driven ''themselves'' anywhere in years.

** Of course he then becomes such a skilled chopper pilot that he can accurately slot plexiglass slabs into the hatch of an ''invisible'' spaceship.

**** That and he's like 50 in the movie. Which means it's been several decades since he's flew one in his academy days, I'd like to see you drive a car you drove in high school. (That is if you're like 30 now.)

 

== [[Live Action TV]] ==

* A [[Women Drivers|female]] designer does this on Restaurant Makeover when she tries to drive Igor's huge delivery truck. Igor has to get a member of the camera crew to drive it.

* Marcia Brady does a this on her road test on ''[[The Brady Bunch]]''. Slightly different, because she's actually a good driver, just extremely nervous. She also manages to cause the convertible top to go up and down before starting the car.

* In one of the episodes of ''[[Eastenders]]'' in which Dot is learning to drive, she turns on the windscreen wipers by mistake while trying to use the indicator.

* A Wiper Start happened to Clegg in an episode of ''[[Last of the Summer Wine]]'' when asked to drive strangers' cars in Foggy's attempt to set up American-style valet parking.

* Invoked on ''[[Top Gear]]'' by Richard Hammond, while hypnotised into believing he didn't know how to operate a car.

** And when he reviewed the Cadillac CTS:

''Cut outside to show the hood of the car popping open.'' }}

* Occurred on one episode of ''[[Scrapheap Challenge]]'' when a car's wiring loom had been cut. After the first attempt to reconnect the severed wires, the wipers ran whenever the ignition was on.

 

== [[Tabletop Games]] ==

GM: [[Cryptic Conversation|Sounds like something big just fell off.]] }}

 

== [[Video Games]] ==

 

== [[Web Original]] ==

 

== [[Western Animation]] ==

** In one episode, Buzz is trying to take control of a derelict ship. The first button he presses deploys the cup holder. After pressing every other button and failing to accomplish anything (although he does make the wipers work), he finds the crew. Turns out the "cup holder" is actually the steering wheel.

** In another episode, Buzz tries to find the controls of a spaceship and accidentally activates the turn signal. Of course he eventually starts the wipers too.

* In ''[[Futurama]]'' Fry turns on the coffee maker on the Planet Express ship when trying to start it up in "Space Pilot 3000".

** When Zapp Brannigan tries to pilot an orbital restaurant he activates wipers, opens and closes windows, and turns on the turn signal. And then he manages to crash the restaurant into a planet.

* In a memorable scene in ''[[Justice League]]'', [[Batman]], [[Martian Manhunter]], and [[The Flash]] are trying to figure out the controls of an alien space ship on the front steps of Wayne Manor. [[Martian Manhunter|J'onn]] admits that he doesn't know how to fly the device, and [[The Flash]] suggests pressing buttons. The first one activates the ship's weapons systems, blowing a large hole in the side of the mansion and irking [[Batman]].

* In an episode of ''[[Wacky Races]]'', Sergeant Blast ends up in the Compact Pussycat (Penelope Pitstop's car). Trying to stop it, he activates the controls that apply face powder and lipstick. Granted these are not standard controls in a car, but it does raise the question of why he thought the brakes would be activated by a button on the dashboard.

 

== [[Real Life]] ==