When WILL car drivers ever learn what their horn is for?

**Bob** · 7th January 2005, 01:45

I long ago learned that there is no point getting wound up by the idiocy of car drivers - their capacity for stupidity being truly mind-boggling and you'd be treading the road to madness if every time they did something foolish got to you.

But the other day, my patience snapped.

The scene: Single-lane road, comes up to large junction. Once over junction, there are two lanes, one goes off to one major road, the other is a slip road to yet another major road. Due to volume of traffic, this is normally backed up - on the day in question, car drivers were sitting in "do not enter" zones etc, making it very difficult to get going. So tempers were frayed.

The situation was not being helped by drivers trying to use whichever slip lane was emptiest, darting over then back again.

And this is at about 6pm, so it is dark (well as dark as street lights allow).

So... as I rode down the lane (the correct one, btw), I spotted a car start to pull out to change lane. There is traffic behind him, so it is fair to assume he cannot see me (despite riding a bright yellow bike, having reflective stickers on my helmet and stripes on my clothing made from Scotchlite 3M).

He is just in front of me, so I give him a toot to warn him I am approaching... in other words, I use my horn for EXACTLY the reason it is on my bike - to warn other road users of my presence.

His reaction? To hoot me back and yell at me!

No idea why it got to me this day - perhaps the ride home had been a touch more hard work than usual - but today it really got to me.

I slowed down, up went the visor and I yelled - probably the loudest yell I have ever managed - "FUCK OFF!" Obviously, the lights went red, so I had to sit there. I was fully expecting him to get out of the car and go for me, so I was fully prepared to make use of the obvious weapon, ie my helmet and headbutt the fucker. I think I spooked him though, as he kept way back from me, even though he could have pulled up right behind me.

But why, oh why, can't they understand a horn is to WARN people? Not use as a tool of abuse, or to say hello to their mates, or as a replacement for a doorbell?

It really is simple - use the horn when someone may not know you are there. Use it like that and it is a lifesaver. Use it for every purpose under the sun and it's value is diminished.

Grrr.

**Mongoose** · 7th January 2005, 04:58

When they learn to spot motorcycles, may be the horn will be used. But even then only to tell you to "Piss off little person, my cage is bigger than you"

**Sniper** · 7th January 2005, 06:43

Good point Bob,

Seems that some cages dont realise that we are not out there to piss them off in every which way possible. Im sure noone on this site jumps on their bike to deliberatly go out and piss off people in cages. I go out for a good ride and Im the one usually pissed off when I come back because of the pure stupidity of some drivers. I use the horn when I can. It can sometimes piss people off but I have no hard feelings if Im just looking out for myself.

Huh, I didnt expect to write that much. O well, time for a

**Blakamin** · 7th January 2005, 07:59

Originally Posted by Bob

or as a replacement for a doorbell?

My neighbours dont do that anymore.... something about getting me out of bed at 8am on a sunday.... brandishing a piece of wood, in just a pair of jeans (fairly moderate tattoo work over upper body/back) yelling something like "get out of the fucking car and fucking knock like everyone else you inconsiderate c*nt or I'll shove this bit of wood thru your fucking head"
I think I was a tad grumpy due to a hangover......

**Hitcher** · 7th January 2005, 08:09

The horn, a.k.a. "The Italian brake pedal".

**Gasman** · 7th January 2005, 08:13

Right on Bob! I have been out and about in the city over the last couple of days, and seem to have struck every dumb bastard ever born! My horn was used on several occassions to warn people that I was there, because they simply hadn't looked, either for me on a m/c or anything else for that matter! Plus, every-one seemed to want to drive REALLY slowly/erratically, or worse still, to stop part way through an intersection. GREAT! I just so love stopping in a hurry in the middle of an intersection.

It's holiday time, sure, but why do these numbnuts insist on sleeping while at the wheel?

**Coyote** · 7th January 2005, 08:15

Originally Posted by Bob

But why, oh why, can't they understand a horn is to WARN people? Not use as a tool of abuse, or to say hello to their mates, or as a replacement for a doorbell?

Or, as the latest craze on What Now (NZ kids show) Honk along to the latest rap tunes at 8:30 on a sunday morning to win a petty prize like a rugby ball!

**6Chris6** · 7th January 2005, 08:22

Originally Posted by Sniper_CBR

Im sure noone on this site jumps on their bike to deliberatly go out and piss off people in cages.

only jokin.......mostly

**vifferman** · 7th January 2005, 08:30

Depends to some extent on how you use your horn, I reckon.

I don't use the horn on the VifFerraRi much, as it's pathetic. However, on the VFR750, I'd upgraded the horn by adding an extra one, and wiring them through a relay using heavy-gauge wire straight to the battery. So instead of going "Beep.", it went "BEEEEEP!! Ow! Don't do that Dad - it hurts!!" (if used in the gargre, to get the kid's attention

). So, if I wanted to say, "look out, Dude - I'm here!", it was a momentary press of the button, but if someone cut me off and I was grumpy, I'd hold the button down for 10 seconds or so till they got the message and everyone around knew they'd been a dick. Or dickess. Or dickless.

**StoneChucker** · 7th January 2005, 08:42

Originally Posted by Blakamin

get out of the fucking car and fucking knock like everyone else you inconsiderate c*nt or I'll shove this bit of wood thru your fucking head

I know exactly how you feel! I only hope, ONCE in my lifetime, that I'll be able to execute such an eloquent expression of my feelings, that was brilliant!

Vtwin and I have these, err, "interesting" neighbours who fit this bill

**Blakamin** · 7th January 2005, 08:44

Originally Posted by vifferman

Depends to some extent on how you use your horn, I reckon.

I don't use the horn on the VifFerraRi much, as it's pathetic. However, on the VFR750, I'd upgraded the horn by adding an extra one, and wiring them through a relay using heavy-gauge wire straight to the battery. So instead of going "Beep.", it went "BEEEEEP!! Ow! Don't do that Dad - it hurts!!" (if used in the gargre, to get the kid's attention

). So, if I wanted to say, "look out, Dude - I'm here!", it was a momentary press of the button, but if someone cut me off and I was grumpy, I'd hold the button down for 10 seconds or so till they got the message and everyone around knew they'd been a dick. Or dickess. Or dickless.

everytime I go for thehorn on the Duc, I just end up cancelling the indicators... then I stop fuming and give them the finger!

**Krayy** · 7th January 2005, 08:55

Originally Posted by Blakamin

everytime I go for thehorn on the Duc, I just end up cancelling the indicators... then I stop fuming and give them the finger!

The one thing I find is that when the initial panic of a near miss sets in, the thumbs get lost and I end up doing the passing light, indicators, full beam, THEN the horn, by which times hes gone and I'm thinking "Shoulda just kicked his door in"

**crashe** · 7th January 2005, 08:58

Originally Posted by alarumba

Or, as the latest craze on What Now (NZ kids show) Honk along to the latest rap tunes at 8:30 on a sunday morning to win a petty prize like a rugby ball!

Is this for real....?
Cos a complaint to TVNZ should be laid.... and tell them to read the road code book about horns and their useage.......
TVNZ control "What Now" tv programme.

Cos if any little upstarts started hitting there horn for that, I would go out and rip the friggin horn out of the car... its bad enough that we have to listen to the bass sound thumping in the neighbourhood all the time...
(I asked a teenager once about the bass noise and could they hear the music properly and what the passengers were saying to them. Their answer back was " Oh we wear earplugs in our ears when we are in the car" and so the point of the bass is what then????
I did also point out that they will go deaf and that I and the rest of NZ and the government, sure aint gonna be paying for their hearing aids when they require them... and that they will end up with permanant Tinnitus.

**inlinefour** · 7th January 2005, 09:14

Originally Posted by Mongoose

When they learn to spot motorcycles, may be the horn will be used. But even then only to tell you to "Piss off little person, my cage is bigger than you"

In some situations riders put themselves in such stupid situations (usually kids on scooters) that they really deserve to be knocked to the ground. Yea there are cage drivers that do not like being passed by a bike, but thats their problem. I like to smile and wave to them as I go on past

**Roadrash** · 7th January 2005, 09:22

Imagine a day when you won't need a horn, when drivers look before they change lanes, a day when they don't pull out from a stop or giveway knock you off your bike and then state that all it needs is a bit of glue and wonder why you then proceed to beat them to death with your helmet...
then wake up back to reality and get depressed
or VERY ANGRY, they are and always will be blind and thick as two planks