Ah, the car horn. The most under-used and under-appreciated part of the entire car. The car horn is there for a purpose. So, why do so many people shy away from using it? Are they afraid of bringing unnecessary attention to themselves? Are they afraid of being rude? Are they afraid of noise pollution? Or, are they simply forgetting about this wonderful accessory in their cars? The horn is meant to be used. Use it.
Let me just preface this post by saying that I have thought this for a long time. When someone pulls out in front of you or cuts you off, they need to be made aware that they wronged you. If I pull out in front of someone, I deserve a honk. I may or may not have even honked from the passenger side while Greg or my mom were driving. (Ooops!)
So, the other day, I was driving through an intersection in Riverdale. I had the right of way; the other street has to stop. As I was pulling through the intersection, a lady starts her left-hand turn right in front of me. Not to let her get off so easily, I give her a friendly HONK. She immediately stops her car before completing her turn to let me go. As I'm giving her a crusty look, she looks over at me all bothered looking, and waves her hand forward and backward as if to tell me where she's going. Do I really care? No. I just wanted her to know that it was my turn first. She needs to learn the rules of the road before getting behind the wheel.
Okay. So, maybe I OVER-use my horn. But, I don't enjoy flipping people "the bird," so I'd rather give a friendly (or not so friendly) honk.
Speaking of honks, don't you think that horns should have different settings on them? For example, if you see a friend on the road, the honk to get their attention should be all friendly and happy like a bike horn. But, the disgruntled honk you give to idiotic driving practices should be all rude and angry like a fog horn. What about when you see someone pulled over on the side of the road all handcuffed? Shouldn't their be a honk that would sound like "Ooooooh, you're in trouble now!"
My point is, if you're not using your horn for anything other than picking up your friends, you should become more aware of its many uses. If you are using your horn, kudos to you! And, just remember, the next honk you get could be from me. (lol)
4 comments:
You should move here to LA. Horn honking does not have nearly the same stigma attached out here. A small beep-beep rarely met with a nasty look or the dreaded "finger." However, I forget that when I drive in Utah, it is not usually welcomed. I love the different sounds idea!
OK..clearly you know I could go off on this topic for a while, so I will just second the fact that there really needs to be more horn honking going on. I also love the idea of the different sounding horns..genious. Good stuff..good post!!
Thanks for the laugh!
Ok, I admit it. I am scared of honking my horn. I even get mad at Jamie when he does it. I am slowly moving in the honking direction though- now I will honk at dogs if they are in the road. Love the idea for different horn sounds.
Post a Comment