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It just always seemed funny to me that a buck's worth of plastic could be evolved into something, well, so complex.


I think you'll find that something so "complex" evolved into a bucks worth of plastic. Cats eyes were invented in the 30's. Bucks worth of plastic are much more modern inventions (googling reveals them to be 30 years newer). And they don't work half as well


Yes, I'd read the story of the Catseye from the manufacturer's website (linked at the bottom of the wikipedia article) and I knew that the reflector system had a long history in the UK, although I didn't realize the history having started as early as it had.
My choice of order in the evolution comment was mistaken. However, I still can't make ammends with the cost (unit and implementation) of catseyes vs surface-mount reflectors.
If indeed the catseye works "twice as good" as our reflectors, then any sane person would want to only pay "twice as much".
Indeed, I feel that surface mount reflectors could be doubled in number (in common per mile usage) and still be a radically smaller financial burden than a standard number of catseyes.
I don't know the cost of either unit we're discussing here, so I'm open to changing my opinion based on such real information.
As it is, I can see several things about the catseye that increases the cost.
1. insertion into the road surface
2. 'plunging' mechanism
3. 'eye wiping' component

They're great. They're cool. Nifty. Fine. Safe. Good.
No dispute.

Inexpensive to make?
Doubtful.
Easy to install/repair/replace?
Doubtful.
Robust? Yes.
Indestructible? No.

I saw one on the side of a road that I drove every day in July. I really like cateyes, you know? I wanted to take that one home with me- just because I think they're sort of a 'road culture' anomaly.
I did stop- but changed my mind about taking the thing when I realized how heavy they are- lots of beefy steel in that housing!
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