Checking for functioning brakelights

Everybody knows that part of your “routine checks” such as oil, washer fluid, tranny fluid, coolant, tires, & etc etc that you should also check your lights. Being single, I’ve always run-into the problem of the “how” to check the brakelights are working; have always depended upon the ‘does that side of the garage behind the light work?’ in my rearview mirror … until it came time to replace one. Necessity being the mother of invention, throwing an (unopened) bag of fertilizer or anything granular on the pedal seems to work pretty well … you can also “form” most of the weight onto the pedal to ensure it stays down. Anyone have other and/or better ideas?

I don’t understand the problem unless you want to check them on a daily basis. Back up to a wall at night and try all the lights.

Single, ok. How about getting a friend to press the brake pedal for you while you check the brake lights?

I, too, don’t really understand the problem here.

You mentioned using the rearview mirror. Excellent! Why give it up for the clumsy heavy sack trick?

I’m in the habit of checking out the reflection of my brake lights (in the store windows) when I back out of a parking space at the local strip mall in the evening. Otherwise, you can usually tell is the are working by backing up to a wall and turning off your tail lights.

This is the way I do it. I always back into parking spots and in the evening if there is a window behind me I check the reverse and brake lamps in this manner. That way I never have to bother my 2 friends.