Question for our British members

Collapse

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Question for our British members

    Thanks to Netflix and Amazon Prime, we've been watching a lot of British TV and movies during the stay-at-home COVID situation.

    My question: do cars in England have that glow-in-dark lever inside the trunk/boot that enables people trapped inside to open the hood and get out?

    So far, I've seen the following in two shows and one movie:

    A person locked in a car trunk ("boot") -- one, hands-free, the other two hands tied in front of them, unable to get out. All of these shows were released circa 2010 and later. And all of the cars were circa the same year of release.

    My research shows that in the US, all new cars manufactured after 2002 have this lever:

    "A mandate in 2002 required all cars to feature a standard glow-in-the-dark trunk-release lever, which opens the trunk from the inside in the event of an emergency. As many as 20 people die each year while trapped in a car trunk, where temperatures can rapidly rise to deadly levels."

    In fact, last night, we watched the last season of the TV series MI-5 (aka Spooks), released IIRC 2011. A woman is locked in the trunk and we hear her screaming "Let me out." Her hands are free and the character was an American which had me wondering why she didn't simply pull that lever to free herself. It sort of bounced me out of the story. Worse, later, the character ended up getting shot in the neck while stuck in the trunk during a shootout as the bad guys sprayed the car with AKs.

    So what's the story? No lever inside the boot?
    Last edited by sc111; 06-13-2020, 02:06 PM. Reason: typo
    Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

  • #2
    Re: Question for our British members

    I do not think this is a thing here, I've asked a couple of new-ish car owners to verify.

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Question for our British members

      No, they do not. However hatchback and estate cars usually allow for the rear seats to be folded down from within the boot, enabling access to the cabin where they can then open a door to escape.
      M.A.G.A.

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Question for our British members

        Hold on, I'll go check for you. I'll lock myself inside the boot of my mum's newish car. I may be gone for some time ...
        Know this: I'm a lazy amateur, so trust not a word what I write.
        "The ugly can be beautiful. The pretty, never." ~ Oscar Wilde

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Question for our British members

          Thanks all. Now it make sense. I couldn't understand why three well written British shows would use the "person in the trunk" scene if there was a lever. Thanks again.
          Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

          Comment

          Working...
          X