A Car’s Horn
For those that are not aware, the use of a car’s horn is to warn others of emergencies on the road, especially if those emergencies might result from them not knowing your location. “Honk” generally means “I’m over here. Danger is involved!”
So of course it should come as no shock to people that if they honk their horn when there is -not- an emergency, any reasonable driver will stop, and look for this sign of danger. If they already are stopped, such as at an intersection, a reasonable driver will stop, and look around for the source of said danger.
If they cannot see said danger, a reasonable driver will get out of their car (if there is a median strip to stand on), and go back to ask the driver behind them why they are honking at them, and where the danger is so that the driver being honked at can avoid it.
I intend to take this course of action, if I am ever honked at.
I’ve heard that some people honk their horns to make people in front of them go faster. This is not the intended use of a horn, and if I am the person in front of them, will actually cause delays.
Of course, if I hear a slight tweet of a horn, I may look up and around, and since the honk was not long and loud, go, if I see a light has turned green while I was discussing something important with, say, my grandmother, or someone holding a map. But if the honk is long and loud, it of course is a sign of danger.
July 8th, 2007 at 1:37 am
Heh…with me it usually means “Dammit this new car has the horn right where I used to tap my hand in time with the music in my old car! BAKA!”
July 9th, 2007 at 10:38 pm
*Snickers* But you see?
Generally, if more drivers acted reasonably about horns I described above, less people would think honking to hurry people up was a good idea.