Being an interactive blogger and all, I thought I’d invite all of you to follow Part 2 of my Test to see if the new 3-D illuminating test strips are as good as advertised for lighting up the Amish buggies and whether or not they can meet the rigorous religious requirements practiced by my friend Moise Miller and his Amish Community.

Their carts are a sacred symbol of humility and plain life, and I’ve begun a conversation with Moise to see if we can make them safer to ride on highways in the dark.

I conducted the first test late last week.

Some residents are worried about the family (and themselves) and have gently asked me to try to intervene.

Being a notoriously non-gentle and well-documented fool, I am. I am practicing patience and active listening.

These strips, sent to me by Trent deGoesbriand of Sign Craft Digital Imaging in Canada, are two inches wide. The strips I used successfully in the first testing were 1/2 inch wide and black in color.

They are invisible by day when attached to cars, carts, motorcycles, and hopefully, buggies.

When struck by any automobile or motorcycle, or truck headlight, they turn a very bright white at night or in the dark.  Police cars are using them all over the United States and Canada.

I have no doubt they would make the Amish buggies safer, but I’m unsure if they can meet the religious requirements about how the carts must and have always looked.

Moise is Old Amish; they are the most conservative sect. We’re talking about it. He says he is keeping a narrow window of possibility open. He can stop me from doing this at any time – all he has to do is ask – and I will see instantly.

Test 2 is a bit more elaborate than test one. I took a photo of the strips – I attached them to a black cloth on my cedar garden bed – at 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., and I plan to take additional photographs at 6 p.m., 8 p.m., and 10 p.m.

I will post all of them on the blog as soon as they are taken.  You can follow this experiment with me.

You are invited to come along and make up your own mind about their effectiveness. Tomorrow I’ll bring all the photos and images to Moise, and the discussions will continue.

The first photo, taken at 2 p.m., is at the very top of this page, and again here:

It was taken in bright sun and full daylight; the two large strips were placed below the two thin ones. As you can see, they are almost entirely invisible from any distance. This photo was taken 20 yards away with my Iphoto zoom lens.

4 p.m:

At 4 p.m (above)., the skies darkened as a thunderstorm approached and it began raining lightly. I took this photo from 20  yards away with the Iphoto zoom light and pointed the car at the illumination strips with the headlights on.

The photo was taken from inside the car and through the front windshield, the most relevant place.

The strips had turned from jet black to white from the driver’s seat and just begun to sparkle. They were almost impossible to miss. I think this is about 1/5 of their potential brightness.

The residents who contacted me said it was difficult to see the red kerosene lantern on the left rear of the Amish carts, and often, they were right upon them and had to swerve when they realized what they were.

Moise points out that the current cart illumination – four white reflective strips and the lantern – were agreed upon by local and state police several years ago in New York State.

As an elder in the church, he can say there is great reluctance on a religious basis to change anything about the cart, which has been a precious religious symbol for centuries.

The residents say the carts aren’t obvious in rain or darkness or on curving rural roads.

The next photo will be at 6 p.m.; rain is forecast at that time. Come along.