One problem with driving is it gets in the way of your texting, and for all but the most dexterous, entirely rules out getting some work done on your laptop.
But no more, thanks to this handy new laptop steering wheel desk. For less than $20, you can make the road that much less safe.
Even better, the desk can be used as a tray for the food you’re eating as you swerve to avoid traffic, as well as a resting place for your cell phone as you surf the net and pound out some TPS reports.
Laptop Steering Wheel Desk [Amazon]
(Thanks, Tim!)
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First boring post on the item: It’s pretty obvious you couldn’t drive the car with this on, unless you are driving in a perfect circle…
@shepd: Why would that be?
@MostlyHarmless:
Because the steering wheel is upside down, implying that the wheels are turned in one direction or the other, thus making the car drive in perfect circles!
@shepd:
If the steering wheel were held at a constant position, the car would drive either straight (if the steering wheel were perfectly straight) or in a perfect circle.
It makes no difference exactly what position the steering wheel is in, except to change the radius of that circle. Any angle would work.
Nevertheless, the tray appears to hook on in such a way that the steering wheel can still be turned. It’s a horrible idea to use it, but it wouldn’t necessarily render a car undriveable.
@acvicari: That would be true…if cars used fly-by-wire systems for the steering. Maybe some do. But I haven’t seen any of them…
@shepd: Can’t….
Or shouldn’t…
@shepd: I think the thing rests on your lap and the wheel turns freely from it..
lol@ the customer photos.
I could see this being useful at times. Using a laptop is most difficult when you’re in front of the steering wheel. if you try to push it with your chest or stomach into the steering wheel it slides up as you try to type.
I don’t believe the intention is to use this while driving(if you ignore the fact the steering wheel is upside down)
C’mon guys…you wouldn’t even be able to drive period with that thing on your wheel.
You may as well raise a “consumer alert” for those front window sun screen thingies you put in your car when you park it in the sun. I suppose if the sun’s really bright you’d be SO tempted to drive with it in place?
@YouDidWhatNow?:
LOL excellent point! Get with it, consumerist!
@YouDidWhatNow?: Actually, my wife’s wind shield cover actually says “Do not drive with shield in place” so apparently someone not only did it, but sued the manufacturer for negligence.
They have had mountable/adjustable laptop pads/workspace/mini-desks for a while so we’ll just file this under
“cheap imitation of the real thing you can’t actually use while driving…and oh yea, your steering wheel needs to be upside down”.
Read the customer reviews; they’re amazing.
Well now the picture you included shows right away why it can’t be used while driving, ruins the joke it does.
Judging by the picture, I’m guessing this makes driving with your steering wheel rotated upside-down even more challenging.
Man, the amazon reviews are awesome on this one.
As funny as the reviews are of the product, I think it’s obvious that it can’t actually be used while driving. It attaches to the steering wheel, so what do you think is gonna happen when you turn the wheel?
25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars These worked great in the cockpit for our tanscontinental flights!, November 4, 2009
By Linky’s Dad (Alexandria, KY) – See all my reviews
My copilot and I both used these during our “daily grind” transcontinental flights from San Diego to Minneapolis. We had to modify them a bit to fit snug against the instrument panels (when we bought them we didn’t realize the planes we fly don’t have steering wheels!), but in the end it did the job. With our laptops firmly in place we were able to focus our attention on what really mattered, participating in raids with our WoW clan. During our last flight we were so immersed in trying to take down Eranikus that we overshot Minneapolis by a full hour and a half before some annoying flight attendant interrupted us, babbling something about “FAA and F16 fighters.”
We’ll definitely use this product again at our next gig, whatever and whenever that happens to be…
Highly recommended!
@christoj879: If they’re still trying to kill Eranikus with their guild, its no wonder they can’t fly.
I’m not sure what disturbs me most… the humor I got from reading the reviews or the people who feel compelled to “enlighten” everyone that you can’t use this while literally driving.
Love the picture galleries for this item.
[www.amazon.com]
@Awjvail: That made my morning.
I’m disappointed. I thought this was a new product from Conan O’Brien for desk driving.
#1: it’s nice to have a little humor on a wed morning
#2: it CAN be mounted when the wheel is upright … It just sits a little higher … The better to obscure you driving
@TakingItSeriously is Simon: It’s even nicer when it’s Thursday.
This doesn’t worry me as much as the existence of sex toys which plug into a car’s cigarette lighter.
[gadgets.boingboing.net]
The product is for use when you are parked, duh.
Looks like the user will be sliced in half in the inevitable collision. Lots of Darwin Awards candidates with this thing.
Wow, my review from 6 months ago is listed as the “most helpful”.
Any reasonable person would realize that you should not use this while actually driving. However, pity the company if they fail to point this out in BOLD LETTERS on the packaging – since someone would do it and sue them.
I made myself one of these years ago from 3/4-inch marine plywood. Sitting in the car waiting is a good time to read, but also a good time to respond to some e-mail.
I want a steering wheel mount for my Fleshlight. If you see me weaving a little bit that’ll be why.
Great! Now i have a spot to put my DVD player, snowcone maker, fog machine, record player, deep-fryer, Lite-Brite and fax machine!
@Jfielder23: I understand why you have a dvd player (to watch movies), snowcone maker (for cold snacks), deep-fryer (for hot snacks), fax machine (for work), record player (for music), and fog machine (for club-like atmosphere to accompany the music from the record player)
But you lost me at the Lite-Brite…
My car won’t be complete until I have a washer/dryer combination in the back seat, a refrigerator, a stove, and a big screen tv. I’ll never have to leave my driveway to go into the house.
hey, does anyone have the dimensions of this? I want to make my own.
@MostlyHarmless: Maybe since the middle part usually sticks out, it wouldn’t be able to fit when turned?
@ShiningSquirrel: Do you really think that warning is going to stop people from trying it?
Judging by what I see on my daily commute, people would take a shower in their car if they could.
@ShiningSquirrel: Let’s all say it together, kids: Joke! J-O-K-E.
@pecan 3.14159265: And then, when whatever needs to stay in place starts to move? ROLLED VEHICLE. Or they would be looking at it the whole time and rear end someone.
Just do what my dad did when he taught me how to drive a manual: get the instructor a glass of wine then take them around the course, letting them know they’ll get their asses kicked if he/she spills.
Problem solved.
@Eyebrows McGee (now with more baby!):
[bows]
I salute your astute vigilance of motorized morony.
@YouDidWhatNow?: In the hot summer in the South, I would sometimes see people wanting to pull from one part of the parking lot to the other (in big multi-big-box-store center where you couldn’t really walk to the ohter store without risking death), who’d start to pull out with the screen still up. Usually they’d stop right away (often in the middle of the aisle, when they went to go forward after backing out) and take it down, but once or twice I saw someone trying to actually drive across the lot like that.
Also used to see people doing a “pirate” job where they left HALF of it up so as not to waste the extra 3 seconds, I guess.
@squinko: I think this would have gotten a little more leeway tomorrow. I’m just biding the next 3 hours waiting for 4:00 to hit so I can go home.
@squinko:
If it’s supposed to be a joke, the editor either needs to get another job or a sense of humor.
@squinko: But not more than I love Tuscan 1 gallon 128 oz milk!!
@ohenry: I’m sorry, but my Three Wolf Full Moon shirt is much better than some dumb whole milk.
@ShiningSquirrel: Um…if you don’t get the joke, wouldn’t you be the one with the sense of humor issue?
@Smashville_now with Monster Energy: It’s not that we don’t get the joke, it’s that the joke is stupid. Other stupid jokes Consumerist hasn’t made (YET):
The Club — people could try to prevent carjackings by installing this crazy thing that makes it impossible to steer! How unsafe!
iPods/iPhones with video shouldn’t exist because people might try to drive while using them!
power outlets in cars shouldn’t exist because people might plug in an electric razor and shave while driving!
See? All stupid jokes.