Horn abuse!

[Moogle]

In the Philippines, honking is a common thing.  I have to honk when I overtake any vehicle since drivers just change lanes anytime they want to.  That was how I got my first accident.  Idiot driver entered my lane without bothering to see if there was any incoming vehicle.

The one time I really laid it on the horn was when I was behind a jeepney.  Stupid driver was in the right turn lane and he was supposed to turn left.  Drivers here also have no sense of the proper lanes for turning.   

[Lunadiana75]

I'm always baffled by people who sit in a traffic jam and honk at the other cars.  Do they honestly think that every other car in front of them simply forgot to drive?  And somehow honking nonstop will cause everyone to say "Oh that's right, I'm supposed to move!  Thank you citizen!"

[Twik]

I think the horn honking in traffic jams is not done with the anticipation that it will achieve anything. It's a release of tension, mostly.

An airline in Canada has an interesting recording for people on hold. After about ten minutes, it advises, "If you've been holding for more than 15 minutes, press 555. It won't do anything, but it may make you feel better."

[TheaterDiva1]

I had no idea it was illegal in parts of NY, guess I'm not the only one who is driven crazy by it.

I miss the good old days when I first startd my job.  Back then, our office was in Greenwich Village, and that's one of the places where unneccessary honking is illegal.  It was so nice and pleasant and quiet there.  Last year, we moved into our Midown office - it took me forever to get used to the noise here.

And somewhere in the Park Slope section of Brooklyn, I saw the sign posted saying honking was illegal (except in an emergency) and would result in a fine.  I just don't know how well it's enforced.

[alohomora]

Excessive horn beeping is one of my pet peeves.  It rarely accomplishes what people want it to and being a constantly rude and aggressive horn blower probably lands people on the "you're going to get poo'ed on" karmic list. 

I was in front of a woman a few days ago who decided that she needed to hit the horn whenever it took me more than 2 seconds to move forward.  There was an accident just up the road.  She couldn't have missed it--there were police and ambulance lights flashing ahead of us.  The police were just beginning to reroute traffic around the accident, so I hesitated when the light turned green, to see where I was going to need to go.  "Horn blower" gave me a little beep.  Ok, fine.  Maybe she didn't see the big, bright yellow ambulance ahead So I start going slowly and have to come to a stop while the car ahead of me inches around the accident.  We are literally A FEW FEET from the accident...yet she honks her horn AGAIN when I can't move forward because of the accident.   

I have a pretty notable level of road rage, but it is largely limited to using very unladylike language in the privacy of my vehicle.    I don't hit the horn often, nor do I flick people off, or get out of my car to threaten people, etc.  But when that lady hit her horn the second or third time, I was tempted to stick my head out of the window and advise her to pull her head and horn out of her butt and give me a second while those of us ahead of her try to avoid causing ANOTHER accident!   

[goblue2539]

I've been tempted a lot of times to use my horn willy-nilly and now I'm twice as glad I never gave in.   Usually, I take the time to ask myself what I hope to accomplish by hitting the horn.  That one question is enough for me to realize that it wasn't a dangerous situation, and usually also enough that the person I'm annoyed with has already done what I want them to do.

And if I honk first and ask questions later?  Every time it's happened it's been a dangerous situation.  Like someone trying to switch lanes into the spot I'm occupying at the time.  I might not be great at physics, but that Law about two objects not occupying the same space at the same time... that one sunk in. 

[kingsrings]

Years ago, I worked the drive-thru at a fast-food place. Occassionally the horn-blowers would come through. I especially hated it when they would blow their horns right at the speaker, because then it would blast my eardrums out through my headset. Anytime someone blew their horn at me in the drive-thru, I would tell them off when they came to pick up their food.

[Lunadiana75]

I think the horn honking in traffic jams is not done with the anticipation that it will achieve anything. It's a release of tension, mostly.

ztrue, but there are also the people who honk thehorn then wave their arms and scream "COME ON!!!" as if that might help.  Sounds like a recipe for an early heart attack.

[kherbert05]

Yesterday I was driving home. I was the last car to fit into the left turn lane. There were several cars behind me with their left blinkers going. Behind them some idiot was laying on the horn - even though the regular right lane was empty.

[Pixie]

I find it very annoying to be honked at when I cannot move. For example:

1. when you're waiting at a crosswalk for people to cross in front of you.   "Yes, idiot behind me, I really am going to drive over that baby in a stroller because YOU are in a hurry."   

 2. The idiot who sits behind me at a train crossing and honks the entire time the train is speeding by in front of me.   Perhaps I was rude for not driving into the train, but I just didn't want to.

3. The inconsiderate driver who sits behind me at a red light and honks.  I don't think the lights are sound-activated.

4. The "speed-demon" who honks at you on a 4-lane highway when the speed limit is 75 and I am going 75 (in the far right lane) so instead of passing me in the left lane (which is unoccupied)  he sits on my back bumper and honks.   MUCH more effective that simply going around, isn't it?


Personally, I just think some people are not meant to drive.

[ccnumber4]

a horn issue of a different type:

My nutcase neighbors (who have, thankfully, been evicted) used to have a lovely friend who would pull up to their home about 5am and lay on the horn until someone came out. 

[kingsrings]

I also can't stand the light-flashers who flash their headlights at you when they think you're going too slow. They can especially be found in the fast lane on the freeway.

[Twik]

Oh, and while listing the evils of The Horn, let us not forget car alarms.

I had a neighbor a few years ago with outside parking. His alarm would go off whenever it rained. Arrgh!

[hobish]

I've been tempted a lot of times to use my horn willy-nilly and now I'm twice as glad I never gave in.   Usually, I take the time to ask myself what I hope to accomplish by hitting the horn.  That one question is enough for me to realize that it wasn't a dangerous situation, and usually also enough that the person I'm annoyed with has already done what I want them to do.

And if I honk first and ask questions later?  Every time it's happened it's been a dangerous situation.  Like someone trying to switch lanes into the spot I'm occupying at the time.  I might not be great at physics, but that Law about two objects not occupying the same space at the same time... that one sunk in. 

heh heh heh ... when i was in a car accident years ago my mom told people that i didn't believe that law of physics & was trying to test it.

[goblue2539]

I've been tempted a lot of times to use my horn willy-nilly and now I'm twice as glad I never gave in.   Usually, I take the time to ask myself what I hope to accomplish by hitting the horn.  That one question is enough for me to realize that it wasn't a dangerous situation, and usually also enough that the person I'm annoyed with has already done what I want them to do.

And if I honk first and ask questions later?  Every time it's happened it's been a dangerous situation.  Like someone trying to switch lanes into the spot I'm occupying at the time.  I might not be great at physics, but that Law about two objects not occupying the same space at the same time... that one sunk in. 

heh heh heh ... when i was in a car accident years ago my mom told people that i didn't believe that law of physics & was trying to test it.

I'm going to hope and guess that you're ok though, since you can laugh at it.  And in that case, that comment is pretty funny.