Windscreen Wiper Weirdness

[#1]

About two weeks ago my son went out to got to work and noticed that the driver's side window wiper blade was torn, with a piece of about 12 cm hanging off it. That's odd as he couldn't remember seeing it the day before, anyway, I order a new set from Amazon and these were put on the day after. However, yesterday he went out to go to work and yet again the driver's side blade was torn exactly the same way and it wasn’t like that when he parked the car the night before!

I'm suspecting birds are doing it but how to stop them is another matter.

Does this happened to anyone else?

[#2]

Never heard of that before but I expect you are right about the birds. Probably just a passing phase?

I guess a plastic bag slipped over the wipers is the best that can be done for now.

[#3]

I know the rubbers can fail quite quickly (after an inspection) but a week or so in from new. I'd be sending them back. Has he checked the windscreen for a slight crack?

Vast majority of the wipers fitted to my cars over the years, have usually lasted a good couple of years before failing. I usually buy the complete item. Becomes even more important if its an MPV with BIG wipers.

[#4]

Not parked across somebody's drive is he.

Not sounding like birds to me, more like somebody with the hump. Used to happen with car aerials back in the day. 

Edit: Just read the post again - thought it was the entire wiper arm being torn off so yep, birds are a good guess but never heard of it or have it happen, 

[#5]

@idonno 

Same here, easier and less of a fiddle to replace the entire item.

We also keep a spare off-side one in the car as if it does snag, bend or get broken for whatever reason we'd be in a right pickle if it started to rain. 

[#6]

My neighbour builds a cane bean frame tied at the top with string annually.

Within hours the birds have removed much of the string for nest building which he has to replace.

Maybe some birds have discovered the suitability of rubber strips as nest building material.

[#7]

I don’t know if it’s a passing phase either for birds or someone with the hump, but I’m not convinced by that one and I’m sure its happened before i.e last year. If you had the hump then why pick a £10 wiper blade, when the tyres cost 200 each!

[#8]

That's what I was thinking @Strat some birds may well be at that stage now which is why it doesn't occur every other week or month. Maybe they're trying to get it to stop draughts around the nest door!

[#9]

Googling suggests it's not uncommon, and the usual suspects are corvids - usually crows.

[#10]

Maybe someone wanted to replace theirs, and snuk in over night, and nicked yours, replacing them with his old ones .

[#11]

I bet I know who it is. I'll bet it's Jeremy Corvid, he's a local with a squawk that would wake the dead, and he's been known to dislike certain minorities in life. Mmm... I wonder.

[#12]

Erm... well he has been accused of being anti-screenwipe.

[#13]

@198kHz That's bad, I mean really bad, how long did it take you to think of that?

[#14]

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@Anonymous wrote:

About two weeks ago my son went out to got to work and noticed that the driver's side window wiper blade was torn, with a piece of about 12 cm hanging off it. That's odd as he couldn't remember seeing it the day before, anyway, I order a new set from Amazon and these were put on the day after. However, yesterday he went out to go to work and yet again the driver's side blade was torn exactly the same way and it wasn’t like that when he parked the car the night before!

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If it had been winter it might have been possible to explain because of the wiper blades being stuck to the screen by ice.

So, is it possible for 'extreme' heat caused by the weather to stick blades to screens?  

Probably not, I'm thinking.

[#15]

It would be a brave bird to tackle a 'vindscreen Viper' - they have a deadly bite - a Kookaburra may have a go but you don't see many of those loose in the UK.