How Often: Do you Honk Your Horn?

"BJL" (simplifyandaddlightness) 08/25/2013 at 10:00 • Filed to: How Often

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Honking the horn is supposed to be for alerting drivers of your position. Now as a result of texting, it is a common occurrence at a green light. On your daily commute, there could be a few bottlenecks, and that is a prime location for some honking also. And when you see your friend going the other way, another honk. Sound off.

There is an intersection, a rotary, where I live. There is a two lane entry to the rotary. The left lane is if you want to go around, the right if you want to go to the first exit. The rotary is controlled by lights. For me, I almost always have to honk. I always stop at the red in the left most lane, and then someone wants to pass me so that they are first, and they try to nudge in. They don't look, and pull in while my truck is in the lane right next to them.

I get really angry some times because there is nothing that I can do... My truck weights 8600 pounds, stops like a freight train, and I plan to stop behind the car in front of me, not behind the car that just cut me off.... What about you?

Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:06

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Well, i rarely do that. I prefer to flash my light instead.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:08

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Inb4 the "Horns should be illegal and only assholes ever use them, even for off-road purposes" crowd shows up.

When I used to work at a tire shop, I honked 5-20x per day, in other people's cars. That's what got my coworkers to open the doors. They did it too.

On the road, I rarely use my horn, because

A. it's a euro twin-horn, but one is burned out

B.the other one is half busted, and asthmatically buzzes, instead of honking

I'm thinking about getting one of those cheapo autozone horns that are something like 120 dB, so I can piss off EVERYBODY.

fhrblig > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:21

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Every time I'm behind a Toyota Highlander. Without fail, when I'm behind one at a stoplight they will ALWAYS sit there after the light turns green.

CalzoneGolem > vdub_nut: scooter snob 08/25/2013 at 10:22

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Hit a junk yard pick up some old Benz horns.

Takuro Spirit > fhrblig 08/25/2013 at 10:24

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Its because they fell asleep from boredom.

Horkin' Up Dangle Hams > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:25

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This is really a matter of culture. In China, beeping your horn means a lot of things. Often people beep at pedestrians crossing the road, which is really a courtesy to say "hey, I'm coming so you need to watch out." This is a result of the insanity that is crossing the road in a Chinese city.

Then again, they also beep whenever a person stops for longer than 3 seconds, whether it's dropping someone off, or missing a green light change. That shit drove me crazy, because I'm American, and beeping the horn is just rude in almost any case. In the states, the horn is like the middle finger, so we have serious hang ups about using it.

It is worth mentioning that I am from the south, and a small southern town at that. I have been to New York, and they are much closer to China in their beeping habits. Still not nearly as bad though.

desertdog5051 > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:36

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Unfortunately, a lot. The unwritten rule around here is if you are the first person in line at a traffic light, you are allowed to not pay attention and do other things so you do not see the light change. Other drivers are too polite to honk, not me. I do not deal with stupidity well. Pay attention and drive you moron.

6cyl > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:45

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I use my horn a few times a week. It is useful to alert other driver that are not paying attention or that leave on a turn signal or that for some reason should be let know something is wrong with the safety of their car or their driving.

I have driven with several friends who refuse to use their horns if fear that they might offend the other driver or something. This drives me nuts. Sometimes its a person who wastes an entire green light and backes up traffic because they are fucking around on their phone other times it a person drifting out of their lane for what ever reason. These are times when a horn should be used.

Of course there are different ways to do it. At a light 2 quick soft beeps should do the trick. When some one is drifting out of their lane lay on it till they snap to their senses.

Just my two cents.

6cyl > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:50

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Before I read the title of the article, from the thumbnail on the front page I thought these were epic velocity stacks

Nibby > BJL 08/25/2013 at 10:51

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Depends... I will go weeks without honking at someone and sometimes there are days where the Long Island drivers around me just do stupid things like cutting off without indicating and forgetting to yield when they merge, etc.

Nibby > Aya, Almost Has A Cosmo With Toyota Engine Owned by a BMW. 08/25/2013 at 10:52

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I do that at stop lights!

Fred (FreddsterExprs) > BJL 08/25/2013 at 11:09

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Never. In three years I have used the horn once, and that was to say hello to a friend I saw on the road.

Ferrero1911 > BJL 08/25/2013 at 11:10

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It really depends on the situation. If someone doesn't go when the light turns green I usually rev my engine and they get the point. If some one cuts me off, almost hits me, or is drifting into my lane I honk.

If someone decides at the last second that they want to take a left, but they're not in the turn lane (or some similar driving idiocy), I lay on the horn until they move. I don't really car if it takes a minute, I will lay on it until they get out of my way.

If I'm on the freeway and someone is going 60 in the left lane I flash my lights.

153624 - Straight Six > BJL 08/25/2013 at 11:12

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Not often, but I think I might start laying on the horn whenever some douchenut in a debaged something with a body kit cuts me off without signalling.

v8corvairpickup > BJL 08/25/2013 at 11:28

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Often! Usually to send a message to an idiot cutting me off because they need to make a left turn but they were in the right lane.

LuczOr > BJL 08/25/2013 at 11:32

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I never honk my horn. This is because my first car had no horn, so I never really learned when to use one. I also learned that people honking their horn is more annoying than helpful. Also, more often than not, it's used in frustration in an attempt to show one's displeasure at another driver as opposed to it's intended use which is to notify someone of impending danger.

Another reason that I never honk my horn is because my current car also has no horn.

I like cars without horns.

It's a "Porch-uh" > BJL 08/25/2013 at 12:02

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At least a few times a week for me. The highway intersection on my way home from work involves three lanes: stay on I15 (left), exit to 78 W (middle), and exit to 78 E (right, where I go). Traffic slows down here because 78 W is always a mess, but 78 E is always clear. So you have people who run down the 78 E lane, then hop back over to the 78 W lane to skip some of the traffic. I have no problem with this.

However, I do have a problem when drivers come to a full stop in the 78 E lane because they skipped all the previous openings to move over. The 78 E is always blocked up because of this. Yes, there will always be inconsiderate drivers trying to get two more car lengths ahead, and me honking doesn't do anything to change them (I'm sure they think I'm the a-hole), but I feel better for some reason.

idriveamommobile > BJL 08/25/2013 at 12:09

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Only when another driver is just plain not paying attention, and I usually perform the act by shoving my arm through the top of my steering wheel so my elbow actually honks the horn, freeing up my hand to perform the one finger salute.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > Horkin' Up Dangle Hams 08/25/2013 at 12:55

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You're right. In India they beep their horn just to let other drivers know they're there. The roads in India rarely have designated lanes, and it's awash with big trucks and little bikes/tuktuks. Lots of the big trucks have 'please honk if you're near me' written on the back of them.

BiTurbo228 - Dr Frankenstein of Spitfires > BJL 08/25/2013 at 13:05

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The only time in the past year I've actually used my horn was last week. I'd had a bonnet come down on my head, and bled pretty badly. I wasn't feeling faint or losing consciousness, so I was driving myself to the local minor injuries unit. Even though I was certain I'd be OK, I didn't really want to stay in the car longer than absolutely necessary.

I got a bit close to the car in front of me when they took their time accelerating out of a roundabout, and they took that as a personal affront and started slowing down gradually, inadvertently causing me to tailgate them worse. I backed off again, but they evidently didn't feel like I'd payed enough, so they started creeping around the next roundabout at 15mph. That annoyed me slightly, so I layed on the horn for about 30 seconds until they started picking it up. At the next junction, they were going the other way so I managed to pull up beside them, gesture at my blood covered face and shout something about 'getting to the fucking hospital'.

I don't often get properly annoyed when driving, but this was one of those times. I know that the speed limit is a limit, not a target, but I can't help but feel that holding up traffic is utterly inconsiderate. You might not be in a hurry, but the people behind you might be trying to get somewhere important. If you're holding up traffic and they can't get past you, at least have the decency to pull over. It'll let them get on their way, and make the drive more peaceful for you.

Silvermannn > BJL 08/25/2013 at 14:03

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I honk my horn quite a bit.... I'm definitely more aggressive than I need to be but I hate when people 'lane camp' in the passing lane when the left lane(s) are open. I don't care what the reason is, I dont care what speed you're going. The passing lane is for passing.

Also... New England. On top on everything that happens with aggressive drivers here, if there is room for a car someone will try to put one there. Sometimes your gotta honk and stand your ground.

Mikeado > BJL 08/25/2013 at 14:46

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I've used it once. A van driver cut me up at a mini-roundabout. He then told me to fuck off. I hope he's dead...

JasonStern911 > BJL 08/25/2013 at 15:53

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Often, but I ride motorcycles quite a bit and other drivers have a tendency to switch lanes without looking, nearly hitting me on multiple occasions.

Dunnik > BJL 08/25/2013 at 16:19

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I honk my horn as needed, but I never overdo it.

This is my personal Honk Code. It seems to get the message across.

1 Honk : Like a polite tap on the shoulder, as if I'm saying,"Yo, light's green."

2 Short Honks: A less polite poke, as if I'm saying, "C'mon, man, wake the fuck up".

1 Short Honk, 1 Long: Communicating my presence to the other driver, and warning of an imminent collision, as if I'm saying, "Abort. ABORT!"

2 Short Honks, 1 Long: Used to warn off dangerous hoonage and otherwise deal with general asshattery. Especially effective against oncoming drivers due to the Doppler Effect .

High beams are, of course, another means of communication. They are to a horn what SMS is to voice calls.

vdub_nut: scooter snob > CalzoneGolem 08/25/2013 at 22:59

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might have to do this

CalzoneGolem > vdub_nut: scooter snob 08/26/2013 at 08:42

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http://jalopnik.com/354139/for-saf…

vdub_nut: scooter snob > CalzoneGolem 08/26/2013 at 09:08

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Now I just miss miss murilee martin.

;_;

Dan And Morothy > BJL 08/31/2013 at 18:00

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Chicago is mad with horn-honkers. Sitting at an intersection and the light turns green? Before you can move your foot from the break to the gas pedal someone behind you is honking. You've got about a nanosecond to get that fucking car moving, mack! It's pretty ridiculous. Trying to turn and having to wait for the pedestrians to get out of the crosswalk? The guy behind you is guaranteed to honk. He can see the pedestrians, but you should be able to get your car through them without killing them, you rube! It's the honkiest city I've ever been in.

BadWolf359 > BJL 09/08/2013 at 21:15

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I honk as a form of disapproval, and shaming. Like when someone makes a ballsy left-turn in front of oncoming traffic.