Why are people so passionate about honking horns?

stuart in mn said:

1988RedT2 said:

I think it's a regional thing.  Having grown up in northern New Jersey and being acclimated to the "Cult of the Horn," I was somewhat surprised when I moved to Virginia and found that the horn is a rarely used instrument in these parts.

Horn honking is pretty uncommon in Minneapolis and Minnesota in general.  I can't remember the last time I used mine.

It's funny, because I never used my horn there. My hand is about glued to it here for the amount of ignorance in the drivers. 

I live in New York and I rarely blow my horn.   In fact it is rare to hear one

In reply to Wally :

Whoa whoa whoa, my knife situation was a complete fabrication. My point was what IF I was fanatical about it, calling you callous and rude for using a knife to cut your onion! We should not allow you to cook!!! Roarrrrr.

Or react like I think I should which is, "OK, cool if you use one or the other it is up to you."

In general used very little here in the Midwest. 

Elsewhere, the worst I’ve personally seen it was in Boston. 

And regarding the coal rolling, maybe the diesel bro-dozer guy was waiting for you to take his bait? 

I don't use my horn, I find screaming to be just as effective and far more relaxing.

In reply to Advan046 :

It seemed believable enough.  With everyone a critic on all things food now it amazing the odd “rules” I hear.  I had to break up an argument between two workers over the right way to eat an orange. 

In reply to Wally :

There's a wrong way to eat an orange?

Although my new favorite way is to peel it, section it, then put it in the fridge for an hour. That white part around the pump crisps up a little bit and the orange kind of pops in your mouth. I can thank my daughter for that one. 

25% used to say hi....
75% used to make sure someone is looking when I flip them the bird for not signaling/cutting me off/being on their phone/etc

Occasionally people use horns as a warning but usually I see it used as punishment. People think they can shame someone by hitting the horn after a dangerous maneuver instead of when it happens. I'm glad they do this though, it's a clear warning to stay far away from them as possible. Angry drivers are dangerous drivers. If I honk at someone and an accident is avoided I'm happy. That's what it's there for. Same for anyone who does it to me.

In reply to TopNoodles :

Interesting so I am openly trying to understand how someone honking a horn is punishment to anyone around. It isn't a punch or theft. It isn't even an insult as it is omnidirectional.

Why do you see it as punishment? I guess if a man started yelling on the sidewalk. I would not think he is punishing me. 

RIn reply to iceracer :

Yes, but also a courtesy when there is no reason not to go. How about left on red when there are two one way streets? Where I typically drive that is a rare situation and I wouldn’t honk if behind someone figuring they do not know they could go, but right on red? Come on.

My wife honks at someone nearly every time she drives. She gives me grief for not honking at times, usually in situations where the last thing I want to do is take a had off the wheel because I’m making sure Mr Textytexterson doesn’t hit me. 

T.J. said:

RIn reply to iceracer :

Yes, but also a courtesy when there is no reason not to go. How about left on red when there are two one way streets? Where I typically drive that is a rare situation and I wouldn’t honk if behind someone figuring they do not know they could go, but right on red? Come on.

Ah, the games people play.

I sometimes drive in a city that has a lot of one way streets and I have never seen anybody turn left on a red in that situation. So when I'm stuck behind someone I will give them a nudge with the horn. Hopefully they learn something

I think it's ignorance of the law in the left turn situation, and just not paying attention in the right turn situation.

Car horns are very nearly useless. A few years ago I remember reading an article saying that EU regulators were considering banning car horns, but I guess nothing came of it. People using their horns should generally be using their brakes or steering instead to avert a dangerous situation instead of honking and hoping the other driver does it, at best.

A horn only saved me from an accident once, just earlier this year. I was backing out of a parking space, driving my aunt's car, and soon after I started backing out someone in an SUV started rather aggressively backing out of the opposite row, mere inches from the car's trunk! I didn't have room to go forward or back yet, and the other driver couldn't see me at all I guess, so my mom reached across and did her favorite thing, honk the horn. This got the other driver to notice a car was there and stop just in time. It's also a good example of why it's better to back into a parking space.

Had to do it last night.  I'm on the inner circle of a well a circle with a concrete divider.  The traffic engineers made sure the outer circle could see the inner cirlces turn arrow to exit which they take to be as a go for them.

This twat had his head buried in his phone as he enters the two exit lanes ( fortunately I was in the second one from him ) and I start to converge.  Had the most non-plussed look on his face as to what was happening.  

I usually put the brights on.  The occasional toot for the lame brain that thinks being lost is a right to park in the road and not move over and a blare for those that are about to hit me ( the latter doesn't work with SUVs/Buses/Trucks and commercial vehicles that think they need to swing around like a Semi to make a turn rather than use all of the lane to approach first.) 

In reply to GameboyRMH :

There are still plenty of situations where a horn is necessary.  My favorite new behavior is mom pushes a stroller with an iPad open resting on top watching whatever.  She walks until her toes are at the curb and stops without ever looking up. Unfortunately that puts the stroller three feet into traffic.  I see this almost daily.  

Wally said:

In reply to GameboyRMH :

There are still plenty of situations where a horn is necessary.  My favorite new behavior is mom pushes a stroller with an iPad open resting on top watching whatever.  She walks until her toes are at the curb and stops without ever looking up. Unfortunately that puts the stroller three feet into traffic.  I see this almost daily.  

Wow, that's really taunting the concept of Darwinism

Around 1989 I moved to Toccopola MS. This place is firmly off the side of the side road in the Mississippi Boonies. After a while I started noticing that passing pick-ups would rev their engines when they passed the house. I ask a local who happened to be at my house about this and he said that's what they did since "Noneuvm's horns works" The "Toccopola Hello"

In reply to Wally :

Apparently peeling the orange, but leaving it whole and eating it like an apple will infuriate people.  They believe it should be broken into wedges and eaten piece by piece. 

Count me among the ignorant.  I had to look it up to see if it was actually legal in Virginia.  This would constitute an extremely rare situation for me, and I would most likely just wait for the signal to change. 

§ 46.2-836. Left turn on steady red after stopping.

I want one of those 150db train horns I keep seeing.  Modern cars have so much sound deadening in them most of the people don’t here a normal horn. 

In reply to T.J. :

But it is still up to the driver.   I get behind them and I just sit and wait.   I don't blow my horn.

So, its highly regional. Suburbs? "Honking gets you shot"-half my family. Reserved for road rage and friends telling each other to hurry up

City? "GTFO MY WAY!", "I forgot breakfast and feeling shiny", etc. Common.

The rural areas are where it tends to get fun... 1 lane rd? Honk at every corner. (The road to hana in maui is like this). 4way? Whoever honks goes first. See someone you know? Honk while passin em. Mailman pulls up in driveway? A few toots. Deer in rd ahead? More toots. Its a language, with layers and context. 

Finally, I miss City/Country horns and petition for their return. I hve put some on my cars. One light polite 'beep', and a massive 'you f'd up' airhorn. It makes speaking to your other motorists much more fluent and actionable. 

Ninja edit: I also wish horns flashed your high beams. That way you'd know which shiny pp is honking, and just maybe work out why. This would also highlight the person honking, making it less likely to honk when not helpful.

Wally said:

In reply to Wally :

Apparently peeling the orange, but leaving it whole and eating it like an apple will infuriate people.  They believe it should be broken into wedges and eaten piece by piece. 

It wouldn't infuriate me, but considering that I can't even eat a slice without covering my chest with orange juice, I am sincerely baffled about how you could eat it apple-style without winding up a sticky mess.

Get this bumper sticker and proceed to cut people off!  (Just kidding, don't drive crazy)