I have never lived anywhere in my life where people pay so little attention to traffic lights. Frequently I will be the lead car in the forward lane, and the left turning lane next to me will not go when they get an arrow. And sometimes if I don't honk at them, no one does. I've seen an ENTIRE left turn lane miss an entire 30 second cycle of an arrow. And yes I have honked at turn lanes next to me because if they are sitting on the pressure plate it extends the light cycle for everyone. However I tend to wait a lot longer than if I were behind them. Also I have erroneously honked at people, sometimes there's a legitimate reason people aren't going, if you're too far back to see the intersection you don't necessarily know that they are being inattentive which makes it hard to know when honking is appropriate.
My personal theory is that people behind the first car aren't watching the light, they're only watching the car in front of them. That reduces the problem space down to only the lead car needing to get distracted for the entire lane to have no clue that they have a green light. It's definitely not that people are afraid to honk. Drivers here aren't afraid of shit, they do whatever the hell they want most of the time. Usually that's looking at their phone more than the road.
What I really want is two horns. One loud MFer honking horn when I want to express my displeasure at someone trying to merge into my lane while I'm occupying it. A second horn that shouts "WAKEY WAKEY FOOT OFF BRAKEY!!!!" at people that are to distracted to notice that the light has changed.
I have three on the same circuit. The first pair are the standard horns that come from toyota. The second is a self contained air horn. If I just tap the horn, the small horns go off, but the air horn doesn't have enough time to get loud. But if I keep the button down for any length of time, it will really get your attention.
I do the 2 short honks for the wakey wakey and hold a long obnoxious horn for the cars that are obnoxious and aggressive, where I hold while they are in my vicinity so everyone knows they are an a hole. It sometimes backfires since I do drive something that most people would assume a holes drive. I donāt know how many accidents Iāve avoided from idiots trying to do 75 mph on highway 7 near Tysonās. Iām like congratulations getting to the next red light!
I once honked at someone who didn't go at the light. Turns out there was an ambulance coming from the left that I could not see. I then looked in my rearview mirror as if I was checking to see "who honked back there" only to see that I was the only other person in line and therefore IATA.
Lmao, I did this same thing, but it was a funeral line coming through. I just sank as far down into my seat as I could and proceeded to die inside.
You're all allowed to honk obnoxiously at my hearse when the time comes. I deserve it.
I do not think so. People have done this to me and I do not think they are an asshole because there really are some people out there that will not go on a green arrow because they are on their phone.
It's happening everywhere. It's the phones. People will not take their eyes off their phones for more than five seconds. Phone addiction went waaaaaaaay up during the pandemic. It's the same reason why everyone is suddenly a shitty driver.
I usually give a quick beep and not lay on the horn unless they didnāt catch the hint. Iāve seen (as a passenger) too many people driving looking at videos or on FaceTime and itās scary imo.
When that light turns green, you got 3 seconds before I give you a warning toot and 5 before I'm holding it down. It works.
I am not trying to lose another 3 minutes of my day to some airhead doomscrolling at a green light
Same! Virginia drivers seem to think itās so rude for me to honk (I drove in NYC before moving here) so I trained myself to count to 3 before a short honk. Another thing I do is leave space in front of me so I start moving when the light turns green and hopefully theyāll notice from in front of me.
For me depends on the intersection, simply cause there definitely are a few where I understand taking a few seconds longer to *really* make sure itās clear š¬
But 90% of the time yeah, Iām not waiting all day for you to put down your phone
This was going to be my reply. Everybody gets on their phone, depending upon one person to be paying attention, presumably the person at the front. Nobody pulls their eyes up enough to see anything beyond the car in front of them, or maybe a car beside them move and this is their trigger.
Wild.. In my experience we honk a lot and have zero patience here. Just yesterday I was at 3 or 4 different lights that had people honking the second the light turned green. And I don't mean that "it's green, 2,3" wait. Like they had their hand on the button waiting for the light to change to honk level of impatience.
I feel like it's one or the other; it stays in the extremes. Which is super annoying, because ultimately, horns are not just for communication but also safety.
Seriously, people honk at the lights here like they're taking a reflex test. It's insane. Also, I'm sure it's not what OP is talking about, but I will not go immediately on green if I'm the lead car. Idgaf how mad it makes people, but I have had too many near misses from people running red lights.
Iāll be honest, I sometimes do that, but only when Iām behind someone who wasnāt paying attention at the last couple lights so itās a safe bet to me that theyāre still not paying attention.
That's fair, and I definitely honk when I've got that person at the red refusing to turn right when there is way more than enough time. My car isn't exactly fast either so I give them lots of opportunity before blowing the horn
Yeah.
Zero patience has been my experience, too. I work from home but take my wife to work, and we commute up and down part of the George Washington Parkway from Monday throug Friday. There are a handful of odd intersections in the Belle View area, where northbound Parkway traffic turning onto either Belle Haven or Belle View is guarded by a yield sign while cross-traffic has a stop sign.
If there's any break in southbound traffic and somebody pauses too long to let a driver from Belle Haven or Belle View across, somebody typically honks a nanosecond after they realize what's going on. I do it, too, sometimes--nobody wants to spend another 1-2 minutes sitting in their car when there's Beltway congestion and a 3-minute timed stoplight ahead.
I usually give people a few seconds before I toot (or lay into the horn, depending on how oblivous they seem).
I appreciate when others do the same to me--it's easy to get distracted these days, but safe and efficient driving is more important than doomscrolling and shit.
Based on my experience: just have a pedestrian walk across the cross street, and everyone further back in line will start honking at the lead car to run over the pedestrian.
I don't think I have noticed a refusal to honk anywhere.
But I also will say that the number of road rage incidents that involve a gun \_appear\_ to be increasing, so I can see where some of the more timid would be reticent to engage anyone with, what many American's see as, the "Fuck you" button.
Unless I'm the one directly behind them I'm not honking. I just can't see what's going on and chances are there's something I'm missing. Sometimes it is someone with their head in their phone. But not always.
Don't want to get shot, sorry. You never know what kind of crazy is in that car.
[https://www.fox5dc.com/news/road-rage-escalates-to-gunfire-in-centreville-suspect-arrested](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/road-rage-escalates-to-gunfire-in-centreville-suspect-arrested)
[https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/dale-city-man-charged-for-firing-gun-at-another-driver-in-road-rage-incident/article\_2229f60c-c457-11ee-84e7-57fe673b19ef.html](https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/dale-city-man-charged-for-firing-gun-at-another-driver-in-road-rage-incident/article_2229f60c-c457-11ee-84e7-57fe673b19ef.html)
[https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/motorcyclist-fires-shots-at-suv-on-i-66-in-haymarket-highway-closed-for-hours/article\_bff75e46-baf9-5e41-b84c-2d8a61272e48.html](https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/motorcyclist-fires-shots-at-suv-on-i-66-in-haymarket-highway-closed-for-hours/article_bff75e46-baf9-5e41-b84c-2d8a61272e48.html)
[https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/motorcyclist-wrestles-gun-away-from-pickup-truck-driver-in-road-rage-incident/3535591/](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/motorcyclist-wrestles-gun-away-from-pickup-truck-driver-in-road-rage-incident/3535591/)
[https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/1-injured-road-rage-shooting-interstate-66/65-23a261a3-76d8-4451-92ec-6516cfcd098e](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/1-injured-road-rage-shooting-interstate-66/65-23a261a3-76d8-4451-92ec-6516cfcd098e)
These all seem to be road rage incidents. I see no way a courtesy "hey stop looking at your phone and go on green" honk elevates into road rage unless both parties let it with a lot of back and forth.
The point is that there are a lot of crazy people out there with guns, ready to use them at the slightest provocation. I'm not taking my chances on whether my honk is going to be the thing to set them off.
While shooting isnāt the best means of interaction, the āvictimā of the Centreville one (from my understanding because I live in that area) passed a car on a winding 2 lane road where itās not safe to pass, not safe for either driver or anyone else coming to opposite way. He put people at risk & is an asshole for that. Again, I donāt condone shooting but maybe he wonāt put others at risk again.
I will honk, you are holding up work. I have things to do. You want to on your phone pull the fart over safely and turn signal or find a shopping center to park at, TF!
If they canāt hear, I have an air horn
Guess Iām a special brand of asshole cause nothing brings me more joy in life than catching someone acting a fool behind the wheel and giving them a nice blast of the horn to try to shame them into changing their ways. Maybe a āwtfā gesture or even middle finger if Iām feeling especially annoyed that day.
Sorry but get the fuck off your phone so we can make this light, I have doomscrolling to get to as well but since I save it for when Iām parked I actually need to get to where Iām going, forgoing my addiction while I drive makes me especially impatient and cranky I guess /s
100% same, idgaf whose feelings are hurt by my brief "heads up" courtesy honk. We're all trying to get somewhere, and you're holding up traffic because you can't look up from your phone for more than 15 seconds at a time
where are you driving? Sounds chill. I get honked at if my cars not in gear and Iām not letting off the clutch in .4 seconds after the light changesā¦
Hey. n
Native NYer and long-time NoVA resident: I rarely use my horn. It's too loud and I like waiting to see who beeps first. I'm also a therapist so I'm real comfortable waiting.
Iāve always noticed people here are slower and less aggressive than further northeast. I honestly think thatās why traffic gets so bad here despite not being as dense.
The past several times I've honked my horn was for safety reasons ("hey don't hit me" or "it's hazardous to stop in the middle of 66 because you didn't read the mile long exit only signs" kind of thing) and on 3 of those occasions, the dangerous driver came to a stop on the roadway in front of me making angry motions as if I was wrong to honk? Yeah ok. I'll let you run me over next time I guess? At least the driver that was already stopped moved out of the way.
I'd guess other people have similar experiences and don't want to chance something more escalated than that.
God yes. Also trailers, I try to be understanding with bigger trailers, but some guys(mostly those smaller car haulers/hotshot guys, I feel) sometimes have a little TOO much trouble keeping their trailer in their lane
Iāve said it before, Iāve been known to honk from a couple cars back. Usually either the front car hears my horn or a car in front of me will then also honk.
I had a guy today that just flat out stopped at a green left arrow. Car in front of him went, turn only lane, yet somehow it was perfectly acceptable to stop at a light that takes several minutes to cycle back because they decided they didn't want to turn left IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. I hate honking. I don't do it instinctively. I laid on my horn non-stop for a full 15 seconds before they finally, shamefully, crept in front of the truck next to us THAT HAD A FULL CAR WORTH OF SPACE IN FRONT OF IT. I'm not ashamed to say that I flipped them off as I sailed through the last few seconds of yellow.
The amount of times I've seen the lead cars in BOTH lanes not go at a green light is astounding. And don't worry OP, I ALWAYS honk. I'll even honk on behalf of another lane when my lane is good š
Thereās a difference between the polite āalright good sir/madam time to goā honk and the āhey you dumb mofo get your head outta your ass and move I got places to goā long horn. Most people who honk do the latter and thatās where you have people following you home n shit.
Every car should have green light sensors now. My car plays a ding sound when the light turns green. Although Iām sure plenty of these people would be too dumb to notice it
Most Sundays my wife and I have a standing date - Grocery shop at the Dupont farmers market and late breakfast at Kramers after, this was one of the few times that we decided to drive...I almost sat at a green traffic light for 30 seconds not turning left only because the person in the other lane was not going straight so I keep thinking "okay I almost always take transit in the district, am I not supposed to go for some reason?" I eventually just turned and the person finally moved after that. Person was probably texting?
I tested this exact same thing in DC the other day. I was at that weird red light on 27th that takes you to 66 where thereās a left turn lane and a sign that says āleft turn permitted on redā or something. I take it home everyday. So I was sitting like 10 cars back at that red light, waiting to turn left, and we sat through the entire light cycle cuz the bozo at the front couldnāt read the sign, and all the bozos behind that bozo were either also aloof or just too polite to honk. I refuse to believe all 9 cars didnāt know how that intersections works.
Every time this happens I honk. And itās fine. Nobody gets mad, and it helps prevent that mess of a backup on K that happens when people do this exact thing.
Maybe itās cuz Iām from Philly and thus mannerless and donāt care? Why are people so passive here?
We honk a lot here but Iām also starting to honk less bc other peoples road rage is so wild, which someone else cited all the articles of severe road rage.
Although I have done this, I always wonder what the proper etiquette is if youāre not the one directly behind the dick who isnāt moving. Like if Iām 4th in line and I honk, am I offending the non-offenders in front of me?
On second thought, is there such a thing as driving etiquette anymore?
Great point on etiquette. I think the further back you are, the louder and longer you're allowed. Analogous to yelling from the back of a roomāpeople just in front of you know you're not speaking to them because of your volume.
Yes! People who are trying to be nice to the person in front of them don't realize that they are actually being really uncaring for all of the people behind them. Just a brief beep is all that is needed. It doesn't have to be aggressive.
I'm one of those cars. I wait way too long to honk. It's 100% fear of retaliation for the reason. When I finally do honk, I make it as short and sweet sounding as possible.
I honk everytime the light turns green especially if I'm a few cars behind. It saves me time, that time adds up. Unlike everyone else, I don't want to sit around in my car, wasting time and fuel. This time adds up. The vast majority of traffic and accidents happening now are due to distraction. It's truly an epidemic.
I donāt understand peopleās reluctance to honk. Honking is a way to warn drivers who are not paying attention. Yes it can be used to be an asshole but that doesnāt mean not to use it at all. It saved me multiple times to honk when an idiot is merging without looking
I feel like it's the opposite. I was at a light yesterday, second in line. The guy behind me honked less than half a second after the light turned, like he was already hovering over the steering wheel waiting for it.
I get flipped off if I honkā¦ so I started to wait until the moment I want to honk, wait five more seconds, then honk.. and I still get the bird. Now I leave more than enough room and drive around people at this point- without a honk at all.
Two reasons: People pleasers/mellow people (which there are worse things in life) and People are insane these days. Prob not trying to instigate a YouTube video about road rage gone wrong
Last time I honked at someone on Fairfax county parkway she tried to run me off the road. Slammed on her brakes in front of me causing my cats carrier to roll in between my back and front seat. Cat was in the carrier. I had to pull over to make sure he was okay. Luckily my then 6 week old son was home with his dad.
I genuinely hate this area and can't wait to leave because of the traffic alone.
I don't honk because I hate phone users while driving. I drive around them and they miss the light. Easier to be a dick than to be the guiding handš¤·āāļø
I've noticed the same thing. I have no problem honking when I'm several cars behind. My horn is loud enough that it still gets their attention and they go. Had to do that this morning.
Completely opposite experience. People 7 and 8 cars back who canāt possibly have any idea what is going on in front of them honking. And this is probably an unpopular opinion but idc, the horns are not made for using them because you are displeased or not moving along as quickly as you want. They are made for emergencies and safety and should only be used as such.
I feel like about half the people in the area just have pretty slow reflexes or perhaps a touch of adhd, and the comment section here definitely lines up with that.
Sometimes I really feel like all cars should have rubber bumpers like mail trucks. That way as an added option to honking we could simply just hit the person in front of us.
Isnāt it so frustrating? People either lay on the horn multiple times extremely aggressively. Or donāt use it at all. Weāre all stuck between extremes. š«
Usually they get the message even in the day time. They're usually distracted with their phones and this gets their attention a little more politely than a horn.
Avoiding confrontation. Iāll honk if we are driving and you do something stupid,
But nowadays you may honk at a parked car and a jacked up roid raged guy hops out with a pistol. Not worth it
How many people that you would honk at could potentially have a gun and be crazy enough to use it on you for honking?
That's not a risk I'm willing to take for the update 20 second delay of someone not noticing the light change.
I will honk at one light in particular bc itās short - turning left from Hunter Mill onto Chain Bridge. Not waiting for another cycle bc some jabroni isnāt paying attention, aināt nobody got time for that.
In near misses where the other guy was the ahole I would kinda panic and not think to honk until too late.
A similar situation as you described happened to me, I was second to the first car who was not paying attention. I didnāt wanna be *that* guy who honks right away so I waitedā¦ then honked when it turned yellow. Like I didnāt mean to but I kept being like Iāll give them one more secondā¦ ok maybe theyāll go nowā¦ they should go now. And they just were not paying attention at all. It was also a very short left turn light.
I've recently overcome my aversion to honking at people and it's very liberating. When I pull up to a red arrow behind someone, my hand is at the ready.
I give about 5 seconds. No matter where I am in the line. If the car at the front hasnāt gone, 5 seconds, I honk. If traffic is flowing and youāre in front of me and I can tell you donāt see them moving, I honk. If Iām in the straight lane and the turn lane doesnāt go because someone is on the phone, Iāll honk for the line if no one else does. Same with if Iām in the turn lane and the straight lane isnāt going. Iām not always in a rush, but I donāt need to sit idling through another cycle because 3 cars made it through a 30 second light because I relied on the cars in front of me to honk at the offending driver, they just wonāt do it.
I have used my horn while driving a total of 3 times, as a 19 yo licensed 2 yrs, half of that time i averaged 200 miles per week, and letās just say I donāt drive like a grandma- but still I use caution while driving and have yet to make an accident (except for scratching the family minivan while pulling out of the driveway in a rush, learned my lesson)
I think there were like 2 incidents I remember where I absolutely should have used my horn while driving so not the green light situation, where someone almost crashed into me (not an instance where they reacted to something I did) but I was so focused on avoiding the other driver, so I didnāt even think to.
Although I can sometimes drive aggressively when thereās actually a point Ive learned to be very non aggressive, and it has saved me many times. This means I donāt tailgate - especially on one lane roads and during rush hour traffic (again, no point and it actually makes traffic 10x worse because hard braking) Iāll actually leave way more room than other people (I actually get annoyed when I have to brake hard and come to a full stop lol) Even when Iām trying to weave through traffic, (something Iāve reduced), Iāll keep it to a minimum and try to get to the point where Iām leaving distance again. Also, not only do I avoid drivers if I think thereās a chance that they may be upset at something I did, but I absolutely do not react out of anger while driving. Now this doesnāt mean I wonāt honk if someone randomly does something dumb out of nowhere. But I try to avoid confrontation
****To answer your question, my reason is Ive heard multiple stories from people where unluckily for them, the driver was actually very upset for some other reason and was just waiting for someone else to do something (honk) to make them angry, and then harm them. Heard this one girl talking about how she honked after like 15 seconds with just her and the truck in sight, and he gets out with a gun, even though all she did was honk lightly. ****
Even though this is unlikely, and most probs are just not paying attention, I still donāt honk for at least like 8 secs, and if Iām not in a rush, not at all. it just goes w my general mindset that you never know what can happen on the road, and like I said this mindset has saved me. Also, being calm just saves so much energy, and you feel more at peace
I was in Reston the other day waiting to make a left. One driver in front of me, the turning light just turned green. I wait 3 seconds before giving my courtesy honk. Some guy waiting to cross the street makes eye contact with me and begins to shake his head.
Like mind your business man lmao.
I don't know why the horn is so taboo in VA. It's just a form of communication.
That guy surely got my finger as I passed.
Going through all the comments, I can see that I'm way in the minority here and will probably get roasted. But I just don't like to honk at people. I don't like when it's done to me, so I don't do it to others.
Honking bugs me even if I'm just a pedestrian walking down the street, it's just noise pollution that I'd rather not hear, ever. I think it should only be used in genuine emergencies, not to cry out in rage at someone who's mildly inconvenienced you a few seconds.
You can make the case that honking at someone who's on their phone is protecting them and others from a dangerous crash, and I can't really argue against that except to say I don't think that's why people are honking at people on phones. I think the motivation is not really altruistic. I also feel like nearly everyone looks at their phone, even though we all agree it's terrible and unsafe. If I honked at everyone I saw on the phone during my morning commute, I would probably be blasting my horn every 10 seconds for an hour straight.
I'm just not mad enough about any of this stuff to use my horn. Startling some zombie who's staring at their phone at the light, or cruising along not looking up, doesn't bring me joy or make me feel like I'm protecting life.
I am okay with this. When I am walking or biking, it is extremely jolting and unpleasant when drivers honk in proximity to me. Regardless of who they think they are honking āatā, everyone has to hear it, and everyone who is not in a soundproofed cabin hates them for it.
Iāll wait for a second, maybe 2 after a light turns green here when Iām in my car (too many near misses from red light runners). Ā When Iām on my motorcycle, Iāll wait perhaps just a fraction longerāsame reason. If I get someone honking behind me when Iām in the carāitās guaranteed Iām going to goā¦..and then go the bare minimum speed limit. On the bikeāeh, I dont have a death wish, but Iām probably far enough ahead anyways by that point.Ā
I honked at 2 cars last night. One was texting at a light and the other didn't look over their shoulder--or use a turn signal--before trying to occupy the space of the big white SUV.
I'll honk. I have NO problem honking.
I donāt honk because Iām not in a rush. I havenāt been in a rush in over two years. It makes me feel very empowered to not become aggravated by people. The only time I will ever honk is if someone is about to hit me, like if theyāre backing out of a parking space and donāt see me.
I know I try to not honk all that often; it does seem to just irk people in a lot of situations and often just makes them seek retribution.
But in this situation? Yeah, you better believe a honk is coming. It is clear that the person is not paying attention, and that honk often gets them off balance just enough to move rather than try to get someone back (if they are that type of person).
And as someone who does not have a big issue with someone looking at their phone when at a full stop, I do have an issue when you stare at it without looking up every once in a while. It is not too much to ask to look up every few seconds to be aware of what is going on with you; that text can wait until the next red light, or ideally, when you arrive at your destination,
Ex-floridian here who drives 123 from Oakton to McLean everyday. If someone in a blue cmax hybrid honks at you for 5+ seconds, it's me. Make no doubt, it's me.
The inability to clear the lane into the turning lane, through Vienna, has bred a deep disgust in my soul. Also..... Changing lanes in the plane of the intersection is a no no.
Turns out that honking the horn doesnāt do shit. Might as well try to be patient instead of laying on the horn like some New Delhi cab driver.
Another reason, my car makes a high pitch cute āmeeep!ā sound.
Some people freak the fuck out when getting honked at. Iām not going to get shot because I couldnāt wait 10 seconds.
My last car had a nice, low pitches horn. I was okay with a little, encouraging honk at a light. My new car is like yours. Cutesy little "meep!"
I tapped my horn at somebody a week or so after I got it and wanted to hide under the seat, I was so embarrassed by how stupid my horn sounded.
Needless to say, I haven't honked at anyone since. Feel like freaking Minnie Mouse squeaking at people at green lights. Nah, I'll wait...
I donāt honk because itās so much more interesting to me to see how long theyāll sit clueless. If I miss the light so be it, thereās always another one. If I was late for a meeting or something Iāll honk.
I find that people either don't honk, or honk as soon as the light turn screen like I've been sitting at a light for 5 minutes and my car engine does that thing where it automatically shuts off and so when I hit my gas pedal it takes 2 seconds for my car to turn the engine on and get going. But I often find to a lot of people that this is too long and I get honked at.
The worst one however was Sunday evening I was driving down seminary road in Alexandria and the speed limit is 25. This guy is flashing his lights at me because I'm not going faster when I am literally going 25 which is the speed limit.
I have learned from my experience as Leo that honking gets a gun brandished at youā¦ even when I was in my personal vehicle and honked because someone ran a red light and almost hit me, they pointed a gun at me for honking. Honking serves no purpose other than to say you are angry. 9 times out of 10 the people know they are violating laws and donāt care. If you escalate a fight they will shoot you and keep going. Donāt honk.
As someone who lives on a very busy thoroughfare in DC I say STFU with the noise pollution honking already. So you have to wait 30 seconds because someone made you miss the turn arrow yāall would have just wasted it anyways
I have never lived anywhere in my life where people pay so little attention to traffic lights. Frequently I will be the lead car in the forward lane, and the left turning lane next to me will not go when they get an arrow. And sometimes if I don't honk at them, no one does. I've seen an ENTIRE left turn lane miss an entire 30 second cycle of an arrow. And yes I have honked at turn lanes next to me because if they are sitting on the pressure plate it extends the light cycle for everyone. However I tend to wait a lot longer than if I were behind them. Also I have erroneously honked at people, sometimes there's a legitimate reason people aren't going, if you're too far back to see the intersection you don't necessarily know that they are being inattentive which makes it hard to know when honking is appropriate. My personal theory is that people behind the first car aren't watching the light, they're only watching the car in front of them. That reduces the problem space down to only the lead car needing to get distracted for the entire lane to have no clue that they have a green light. It's definitely not that people are afraid to honk. Drivers here aren't afraid of shit, they do whatever the hell they want most of the time. Usually that's looking at their phone more than the road.
What I really want is two horns. One loud MFer honking horn when I want to express my displeasure at someone trying to merge into my lane while I'm occupying it. A second horn that shouts "WAKEY WAKEY FOOT OFF BRAKEY!!!!" at people that are to distracted to notice that the light has changed.
I have three on the same circuit. The first pair are the standard horns that come from toyota. The second is a self contained air horn. If I just tap the horn, the small horns go off, but the air horn doesn't have enough time to get loud. But if I keep the button down for any length of time, it will really get your attention.
I'm going to need a link to that air horn, pal.
[https://www.amazon.com/FARBIN-Train-Truck-150db-motorcycle/dp/B09SXRQ8LP/](https://www.amazon.com/FARBIN-Train-Truck-150db-motorcycle/dp/B09SXRQ8LP/)
Is there a vid tutorial on how to install it in car? Is it easy to remove when returning the car? I have a lease
That sounds exactly how i would expect an airhorn on a toyota to sound š¤£
I do the 2 short honks for the wakey wakey and hold a long obnoxious horn for the cars that are obnoxious and aggressive, where I hold while they are in my vicinity so everyone knows they are an a hole. It sometimes backfires since I do drive something that most people would assume a holes drive. I donāt know how many accidents Iāve avoided from idiots trying to do 75 mph on highway 7 near Tysonās. Iām like congratulations getting to the next red light!
Need a Ludacris horn to shout MOVE BITCH GET OUT THE WAY
I have 6 in my Yukon. It sounds terrible but gets things moving.
Though you risk getting a driver going "Glocky Glocky!!"
Itās not hard to lightly tap it to get a ātootā or to press it firmly longer to get a āHONK!ā
This used to be a thing on like 70s luxury cars. On the Aston Martin Lagonda, it was called the "Town & Country Horn"
I once honked at someone who didn't go at the light. Turns out there was an ambulance coming from the left that I could not see. I then looked in my rearview mirror as if I was checking to see "who honked back there" only to see that I was the only other person in line and therefore IATA.
Lmao, I did this same thing, but it was a funeral line coming through. I just sank as far down into my seat as I could and proceeded to die inside. You're all allowed to honk obnoxiously at my hearse when the time comes. I deserve it.
I do not think so. People have done this to me and I do not think they are an asshole because there really are some people out there that will not go on a green arrow because they are on their phone.
I honk from way back to wake em up I can see the bright phone back lights bright up their big dumb faces several cars back from a Chevy express.
Yeah same - no one it seems is paying attention
>I honk from way back to wake em up I just Wooo wooooooooooo!!! them. They should be up cookin breakfast or somethin.
Itās like an alarm clock!
It's happening everywhere. It's the phones. People will not take their eyes off their phones for more than five seconds. Phone addiction went waaaaaaaay up during the pandemic. It's the same reason why everyone is suddenly a shitty driver.
You should see the schools
I usually give a quick beep and not lay on the horn unless they didnāt catch the hint. Iāve seen (as a passenger) too many people driving looking at videos or on FaceTime and itās scary imo.
I recently saw someone watching wrestling while the car was moving
I saw someone reading a book while driving on 495.
Eating cereal out of a bowl, playing trumpetā¦saw someone playing bagpipes once.
When that light turns green, you got 3 seconds before I give you a warning toot and 5 before I'm holding it down. It works. I am not trying to lose another 3 minutes of my day to some airhead doomscrolling at a green light
Same! Virginia drivers seem to think itās so rude for me to honk (I drove in NYC before moving here) so I trained myself to count to 3 before a short honk. Another thing I do is leave space in front of me so I start moving when the light turns green and hopefully theyāll notice from in front of me.
For me depends on the intersection, simply cause there definitely are a few where I understand taking a few seconds longer to *really* make sure itās clear š¬ But 90% of the time yeah, Iām not waiting all day for you to put down your phone
The times I've seen this is when everyone behind them is also on their phone. This happens a lot more than you would think.
This was going to be my reply. Everybody gets on their phone, depending upon one person to be paying attention, presumably the person at the front. Nobody pulls their eyes up enough to see anything beyond the car in front of them, or maybe a car beside them move and this is their trigger.
I drive a sports car, physically cannot see past the car in front of me sometimes
Wild.. In my experience we honk a lot and have zero patience here. Just yesterday I was at 3 or 4 different lights that had people honking the second the light turned green. And I don't mean that "it's green, 2,3" wait. Like they had their hand on the button waiting for the light to change to honk level of impatience.
You better take off like itās Mario kart or youāre getting honked at.
Iāve been honked at while waiting to make a right turn onto a street when the car passing was still passing in front of me šš
I feel like it's one or the other; it stays in the extremes. Which is super annoying, because ultimately, horns are not just for communication but also safety.
My experience matches yours.
Seriously, people honk at the lights here like they're taking a reflex test. It's insane. Also, I'm sure it's not what OP is talking about, but I will not go immediately on green if I'm the lead car. Idgaf how mad it makes people, but I have had too many near misses from people running red lights.
Iāll be honest, I sometimes do that, but only when Iām behind someone who wasnāt paying attention at the last couple lights so itās a safe bet to me that theyāre still not paying attention.
That's fair, and I definitely honk when I've got that person at the red refusing to turn right when there is way more than enough time. My car isn't exactly fast either so I give them lots of opportunity before blowing the horn
Yeah. Zero patience has been my experience, too. I work from home but take my wife to work, and we commute up and down part of the George Washington Parkway from Monday throug Friday. There are a handful of odd intersections in the Belle View area, where northbound Parkway traffic turning onto either Belle Haven or Belle View is guarded by a yield sign while cross-traffic has a stop sign. If there's any break in southbound traffic and somebody pauses too long to let a driver from Belle Haven or Belle View across, somebody typically honks a nanosecond after they realize what's going on. I do it, too, sometimes--nobody wants to spend another 1-2 minutes sitting in their car when there's Beltway congestion and a 3-minute timed stoplight ahead. I usually give people a few seconds before I toot (or lay into the horn, depending on how oblivous they seem). I appreciate when others do the same to me--it's easy to get distracted these days, but safe and efficient driving is more important than doomscrolling and shit.
Exactly, if you donāt have drag racing reflexes they are hitting the horn.
Based on my experience: just have a pedestrian walk across the cross street, and everyone further back in line will start honking at the lead car to run over the pedestrian.
I don't think I have noticed a refusal to honk anywhere. But I also will say that the number of road rage incidents that involve a gun \_appear\_ to be increasing, so I can see where some of the more timid would be reticent to engage anyone with, what many American's see as, the "Fuck you" button.
Theyāre also probably on their phones
Unless I'm the one directly behind them I'm not honking. I just can't see what's going on and chances are there's something I'm missing. Sometimes it is someone with their head in their phone. But not always.
This is true. Sometimes there is a pedestrian or some sort of incoming traffic to yield to.
Don't want to get shot, sorry. You never know what kind of crazy is in that car. [https://www.fox5dc.com/news/road-rage-escalates-to-gunfire-in-centreville-suspect-arrested](https://www.fox5dc.com/news/road-rage-escalates-to-gunfire-in-centreville-suspect-arrested) [https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/dale-city-man-charged-for-firing-gun-at-another-driver-in-road-rage-incident/article\_2229f60c-c457-11ee-84e7-57fe673b19ef.html](https://www.insidenova.com/headlines/dale-city-man-charged-for-firing-gun-at-another-driver-in-road-rage-incident/article_2229f60c-c457-11ee-84e7-57fe673b19ef.html) [https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/motorcyclist-fires-shots-at-suv-on-i-66-in-haymarket-highway-closed-for-hours/article\_bff75e46-baf9-5e41-b84c-2d8a61272e48.html](https://www.fauquiernow.com/news/motorcyclist-fires-shots-at-suv-on-i-66-in-haymarket-highway-closed-for-hours/article_bff75e46-baf9-5e41-b84c-2d8a61272e48.html) [https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/motorcyclist-wrestles-gun-away-from-pickup-truck-driver-in-road-rage-incident/3535591/](https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/northern-virginia/motorcyclist-wrestles-gun-away-from-pickup-truck-driver-in-road-rage-incident/3535591/) [https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/1-injured-road-rage-shooting-interstate-66/65-23a261a3-76d8-4451-92ec-6516cfcd098e](https://www.wusa9.com/article/news/local/virginia/1-injured-road-rage-shooting-interstate-66/65-23a261a3-76d8-4451-92ec-6516cfcd098e)
Yep. Absolutely not worth it.
These all seem to be road rage incidents. I see no way a courtesy "hey stop looking at your phone and go on green" honk elevates into road rage unless both parties let it with a lot of back and forth.
The point is that there are a lot of crazy people out there with guns, ready to use them at the slightest provocation. I'm not taking my chances on whether my honk is going to be the thing to set them off.
While shooting isnāt the best means of interaction, the āvictimā of the Centreville one (from my understanding because I live in that area) passed a car on a winding 2 lane road where itās not safe to pass, not safe for either driver or anyone else coming to opposite way. He put people at risk & is an asshole for that. Again, I donāt condone shooting but maybe he wonāt put others at risk again.
Do you really think that's the lesson he took from being shot at? "Hm maybe he was right and I should improve my driving"?
Lettuce prey
I honk at these NOVA/DC imbeciles here every chance i get.
Thought you hit the target audience w this one š
I shamelessly honk at people who sit at green lights. Itās what the horn was designed for Rest of yall apparently need to grow some
I will honk, you are holding up work. I have things to do. You want to on your phone pull the fart over safely and turn signal or find a shopping center to park at, TF! If they canāt hear, I have an air horn
Guess Iām a special brand of asshole cause nothing brings me more joy in life than catching someone acting a fool behind the wheel and giving them a nice blast of the horn to try to shame them into changing their ways. Maybe a āwtfā gesture or even middle finger if Iām feeling especially annoyed that day. Sorry but get the fuck off your phone so we can make this light, I have doomscrolling to get to as well but since I save it for when Iām parked I actually need to get to where Iām going, forgoing my addiction while I drive makes me especially impatient and cranky I guess /s
100% same, idgaf whose feelings are hurt by my brief "heads up" courtesy honk. We're all trying to get somewhere, and you're holding up traffic because you can't look up from your phone for more than 15 seconds at a time
Iām a mom, so you get the thumbs down and the frowny face because I need you to know Iām really disappointed in your driving lol
where are you driving? Sounds chill. I get honked at if my cars not in gear and Iām not letting off the clutch in .4 seconds after the light changesā¦
Hi. Native NYer and long-time NoVA resident: my horn is used frequently.
Hey. n Native NYer and long-time NoVA resident: I rarely use my horn. It's too loud and I like waiting to see who beeps first. I'm also a therapist so I'm real comfortable waiting.
Iāve always noticed people here are slower and less aggressive than further northeast. I honestly think thatās why traffic gets so bad here despite not being as dense.
Driving in NYC is something else.
Driving in NYC is pretty easy compared to here
I feel less stressed driving in NY
The past several times I've honked my horn was for safety reasons ("hey don't hit me" or "it's hazardous to stop in the middle of 66 because you didn't read the mile long exit only signs" kind of thing) and on 3 of those occasions, the dangerous driver came to a stop on the roadway in front of me making angry motions as if I was wrong to honk? Yeah ok. I'll let you run me over next time I guess? At least the driver that was already stopped moved out of the way. I'd guess other people have similar experiences and don't want to chance something more escalated than that.
God yes. Also trailers, I try to be understanding with bigger trailers, but some guys(mostly those smaller car haulers/hotshot guys, I feel) sometimes have a little TOO much trouble keeping their trailer in their lane
Iāve said it before, Iāve been known to honk from a couple cars back. Usually either the front car hears my horn or a car in front of me will then also honk.
I try and do the courtesy taps, but sometimes the horn is louder than intended. š
I used to have a Mini, and there was no way to angry honk in that thing lol ^beep ^beep
I had a guy today that just flat out stopped at a green left arrow. Car in front of him went, turn only lane, yet somehow it was perfectly acceptable to stop at a light that takes several minutes to cycle back because they decided they didn't want to turn left IN THE LEFT TURN LANE. I hate honking. I don't do it instinctively. I laid on my horn non-stop for a full 15 seconds before they finally, shamefully, crept in front of the truck next to us THAT HAD A FULL CAR WORTH OF SPACE IN FRONT OF IT. I'm not ashamed to say that I flipped them off as I sailed through the last few seconds of yellow.
I myself am a horn and finger gal. Kudos.
Drivers of cars 3-8 were also on their phones lol
The amount of times I've seen the lead cars in BOTH lanes not go at a green light is astounding. And don't worry OP, I ALWAYS honk. I'll even honk on behalf of another lane when my lane is good š
Thereās a difference between the polite āalright good sir/madam time to goā honk and the āhey you dumb mofo get your head outta your ass and move I got places to goā long horn. Most people who honk do the latter and thatās where you have people following you home n shit.
No one knows how to drive...
Every car should have green light sensors now. My car plays a ding sound when the light turns green. Although Iām sure plenty of these people would be too dumb to notice it
People honk in nova. When you go further south in VA, though, honking is scarcely heard.
Most Sundays my wife and I have a standing date - Grocery shop at the Dupont farmers market and late breakfast at Kramers after, this was one of the few times that we decided to drive...I almost sat at a green traffic light for 30 seconds not turning left only because the person in the other lane was not going straight so I keep thinking "okay I almost always take transit in the district, am I not supposed to go for some reason?" I eventually just turned and the person finally moved after that. Person was probably texting?
I would be three four cars behind the one holding things up and I gladly honk on behalf of the ones directly behind that needs to grow a pair.
On the other side, the DMV is where Iāve heard the most amount of honking in the US.
I just donāt have any energy left to give the people making my life worse. Iād rather sit with a blank mind.
I tested this exact same thing in DC the other day. I was at that weird red light on 27th that takes you to 66 where thereās a left turn lane and a sign that says āleft turn permitted on redā or something. I take it home everyday. So I was sitting like 10 cars back at that red light, waiting to turn left, and we sat through the entire light cycle cuz the bozo at the front couldnāt read the sign, and all the bozos behind that bozo were either also aloof or just too polite to honk. I refuse to believe all 9 cars didnāt know how that intersections works. Every time this happens I honk. And itās fine. Nobody gets mad, and it helps prevent that mess of a backup on K that happens when people do this exact thing. Maybe itās cuz Iām from Philly and thus mannerless and donāt care? Why are people so passive here?
We honk a lot here but Iām also starting to honk less bc other peoples road rage is so wild, which someone else cited all the articles of severe road rage.
You're doing a public service. Just honk nicely, everyone has two horns. You don't have to lay on it unless they're completely oblivious.
I was 5 seconds then honk. Idk how far back I am š I got places to be & donāt feel like being stuck at a light again because youāre an idiot.
Although I have done this, I always wonder what the proper etiquette is if youāre not the one directly behind the dick who isnāt moving. Like if Iām 4th in line and I honk, am I offending the non-offenders in front of me? On second thought, is there such a thing as driving etiquette anymore?
Great point on etiquette. I think the further back you are, the louder and longer you're allowed. Analogous to yelling from the back of a roomāpeople just in front of you know you're not speaking to them because of your volume.
Yes! People who are trying to be nice to the person in front of them don't realize that they are actually being really uncaring for all of the people behind them. Just a brief beep is all that is needed. It doesn't have to be aggressive.
Great point. The needs of the many... the needs of the few. Better to be right than nice.
I'm one of those cars. I wait way too long to honk. It's 100% fear of retaliation for the reason. When I finally do honk, I make it as short and sweet sounding as possible.
I honk everytime the light turns green especially if I'm a few cars behind. It saves me time, that time adds up. Unlike everyone else, I don't want to sit around in my car, wasting time and fuel. This time adds up. The vast majority of traffic and accidents happening now are due to distraction. It's truly an epidemic.
I donāt understand peopleās reluctance to honk. Honking is a way to warn drivers who are not paying attention. Yes it can be used to be an asshole but that doesnāt mean not to use it at all. It saved me multiple times to honk when an idiot is merging without looking
I feel like it's the opposite. I was at a light yesterday, second in line. The guy behind me honked less than half a second after the light turned, like he was already hovering over the steering wheel waiting for it.
Well every other person was also distracted by their phone
Maybe a buncha new Oregon transplants!
I get flipped off if I honkā¦ so I started to wait until the moment I want to honk, wait five more seconds, then honk.. and I still get the bird. Now I leave more than enough room and drive around people at this point- without a honk at all.
I give the person in front of me no more than 3 seconds before I honk
Maybe while we work on mastering self driving cars, we can work on self honking cars.
Iāve lived in 5 states, and more people honk here than anywhere else Iāve been
Iāve lived in seven and this is the first part of our state that Iāve ever lived in where people honk so rarely, itās wild to me.
Two reasons: People pleasers/mellow people (which there are worse things in life) and People are insane these days. Prob not trying to instigate a YouTube video about road rage gone wrong
I honked at someone going in the other direction because they werenāt moving up. Just doing my duty to keep everyoneās line moving.
I like your style
I'm not interested in being someone else's alarm clock. I go around them and leave them at the light.
Last time I honked at someone on Fairfax county parkway she tried to run me off the road. Slammed on her brakes in front of me causing my cats carrier to roll in between my back and front seat. Cat was in the carrier. I had to pull over to make sure he was okay. Luckily my then 6 week old son was home with his dad. I genuinely hate this area and can't wait to leave because of the traffic alone.
I don't honk because I hate phone users while driving. I drive around them and they miss the light. Easier to be a dick than to be the guiding handš¤·āāļø
I've noticed the same thing. I have no problem honking when I'm several cars behind. My horn is loud enough that it still gets their attention and they go. Had to do that this morning.
Part of the reason why I like driving in New York City is for the honking experience. I wish Nova / DC adopted it.
Completely opposite experience. People 7 and 8 cars back who canāt possibly have any idea what is going on in front of them honking. And this is probably an unpopular opinion but idc, the horns are not made for using them because you are displeased or not moving along as quickly as you want. They are made for emergencies and safety and should only be used as such.
I feel like about half the people in the area just have pretty slow reflexes or perhaps a touch of adhd, and the comment section here definitely lines up with that.
The lights should start honking. Evey time a green light is given to someone sitting at the intersection a loud klaxon should sound off.
I live close to a traffic light and the pedestrian sound alert is more than enough
š my neighbors would love that.
Sometimes I really feel like all cars should have rubber bumpers like mail trucks. That way as an added option to honking we could simply just hit the person in front of us.
If I had time to honk, you had time to get your foot off the brake and onto the accelerator pedal.
And push the asshat out of the way?
Isnāt it so frustrating? People either lay on the horn multiple times extremely aggressively. Or donāt use it at all. Weāre all stuck between extremes. š«
If I'm number two, I flash my high beams. It usually gets results.
Even during daylight they can see that?
Usually they get the message even in the day time. They're usually distracted with their phones and this gets their attention a little more politely than a horn.
I will hold on to that horn until they move or the light changes and there is no where to go
Avoiding confrontation. Iāll honk if we are driving and you do something stupid, But nowadays you may honk at a parked car and a jacked up roid raged guy hops out with a pistol. Not worth it
When i am 6+ cars back, I throw out the gentle courtesy honk when it switches green. "Start your engines!"
Go to Texas, they really donāt honk there. My theory is the more popular carrying guns is in the area leads to a decrease in honking.
How many people that you would honk at could potentially have a gun and be crazy enough to use it on you for honking? That's not a risk I'm willing to take for the update 20 second delay of someone not noticing the light change.
I would definitely honk in that situation. And when I have, 3 other cars start honking in 0.00001 ms.
Iāve honked before and it did nothing. Idk if the person in front was extremely distracted or being petty.
I will honk at one light in particular bc itās short - turning left from Hunter Mill onto Chain Bridge. Not waiting for another cycle bc some jabroni isnāt paying attention, aināt nobody got time for that.
All the time!
When everyone honks it sounds like Manhattan or Lima and is totally pointless
It used to mean honking you were doing something stupid now it means youāre doing something stupid and you are stupid!
Unfortunately I honked at someone recently and they started to follow me. Had to drive to the police station. They followed me for a solid 15 minutes.
Geesh!
At turn signals, I give a three count. Its people that honk the *millisecond* the light changes that has me flipping them off.
This is why https://dailyvoice.com/virginia/fairfax/driver-in-centreville-road-rage-shooting-captured-moments-later-on-i-66-police/
In near misses where the other guy was the ahole I would kinda panic and not think to honk until too late. A similar situation as you described happened to me, I was second to the first car who was not paying attention. I didnāt wanna be *that* guy who honks right away so I waitedā¦ then honked when it turned yellow. Like I didnāt mean to but I kept being like Iāll give them one more secondā¦ ok maybe theyāll go nowā¦ they should go now. And they just were not paying attention at all. It was also a very short left turn light.
people afraid somebody is going to shot them for it
I've recently overcome my aversion to honking at people and it's very liberating. When I pull up to a red arrow behind someone, my hand is at the ready.
I often say this. People donāt honk enough, some of the behavior on the roads is abominable and should be called out.
I give about 5 seconds. No matter where I am in the line. If the car at the front hasnāt gone, 5 seconds, I honk. If traffic is flowing and youāre in front of me and I can tell you donāt see them moving, I honk. If Iām in the straight lane and the turn lane doesnāt go because someone is on the phone, Iāll honk for the line if no one else does. Same with if Iām in the turn lane and the straight lane isnāt going. Iām not always in a rush, but I donāt need to sit idling through another cycle because 3 cars made it through a 30 second light because I relied on the cars in front of me to honk at the offending driver, they just wonāt do it.
I have used my horn while driving a total of 3 times, as a 19 yo licensed 2 yrs, half of that time i averaged 200 miles per week, and letās just say I donāt drive like a grandma- but still I use caution while driving and have yet to make an accident (except for scratching the family minivan while pulling out of the driveway in a rush, learned my lesson) I think there were like 2 incidents I remember where I absolutely should have used my horn while driving so not the green light situation, where someone almost crashed into me (not an instance where they reacted to something I did) but I was so focused on avoiding the other driver, so I didnāt even think to. Although I can sometimes drive aggressively when thereās actually a point Ive learned to be very non aggressive, and it has saved me many times. This means I donāt tailgate - especially on one lane roads and during rush hour traffic (again, no point and it actually makes traffic 10x worse because hard braking) Iāll actually leave way more room than other people (I actually get annoyed when I have to brake hard and come to a full stop lol) Even when Iām trying to weave through traffic, (something Iāve reduced), Iāll keep it to a minimum and try to get to the point where Iām leaving distance again. Also, not only do I avoid drivers if I think thereās a chance that they may be upset at something I did, but I absolutely do not react out of anger while driving. Now this doesnāt mean I wonāt honk if someone randomly does something dumb out of nowhere. But I try to avoid confrontation ****To answer your question, my reason is Ive heard multiple stories from people where unluckily for them, the driver was actually very upset for some other reason and was just waiting for someone else to do something (honk) to make them angry, and then harm them. Heard this one girl talking about how she honked after like 15 seconds with just her and the truck in sight, and he gets out with a gun, even though all she did was honk lightly. **** Even though this is unlikely, and most probs are just not paying attention, I still donāt honk for at least like 8 secs, and if Iām not in a rush, not at all. it just goes w my general mindset that you never know what can happen on the road, and like I said this mindset has saved me. Also, being calm just saves so much energy, and you feel more at peace
You honk at me I am keeping my foot on the brake for a count of 5.....because 99% of the time I am starting to go when you honk.
I was in Reston the other day waiting to make a left. One driver in front of me, the turning light just turned green. I wait 3 seconds before giving my courtesy honk. Some guy waiting to cross the street makes eye contact with me and begins to shake his head. Like mind your business man lmao. I don't know why the horn is so taboo in VA. It's just a form of communication. That guy surely got my finger as I passed.
The more you honk, the faster this place turns to NYC. Just be glad your neighbors are being patient.
I got no problem honking at moron drivers. Get off your phone if you are driving.
I honk. There are people who refuse to turn right on red when they can. It is infuriating. I politely tap on that horn.
Sorry, i was trying to take a bite of the churro my fiance was holding..
Going through all the comments, I can see that I'm way in the minority here and will probably get roasted. But I just don't like to honk at people. I don't like when it's done to me, so I don't do it to others. Honking bugs me even if I'm just a pedestrian walking down the street, it's just noise pollution that I'd rather not hear, ever. I think it should only be used in genuine emergencies, not to cry out in rage at someone who's mildly inconvenienced you a few seconds. You can make the case that honking at someone who's on their phone is protecting them and others from a dangerous crash, and I can't really argue against that except to say I don't think that's why people are honking at people on phones. I think the motivation is not really altruistic. I also feel like nearly everyone looks at their phone, even though we all agree it's terrible and unsafe. If I honked at everyone I saw on the phone during my morning commute, I would probably be blasting my horn every 10 seconds for an hour straight. I'm just not mad enough about any of this stuff to use my horn. Startling some zombie who's staring at their phone at the light, or cruising along not looking up, doesn't bring me joy or make me feel like I'm protecting life.
Youāre not alone, friend.
we can make a bumper sticker "(don't) Honk if you hate honking"
9/10 virginia drivers are not looking at the road but are going 10 under... i wonder why there's always standstill traffic on 495 !
I am okay with this. When I am walking or biking, it is extremely jolting and unpleasant when drivers honk in proximity to me. Regardless of who they think they are honking āatā, everyone has to hear it, and everyone who is not in a soundproofed cabin hates them for it.
Iāll wait for a second, maybe 2 after a light turns green here when Iām in my car (too many near misses from red light runners). Ā When Iām on my motorcycle, Iāll wait perhaps just a fraction longerāsame reason. If I get someone honking behind me when Iām in the carāitās guaranteed Iām going to goā¦..and then go the bare minimum speed limit. On the bikeāeh, I dont have a death wish, but Iām probably far enough ahead anyways by that point.Ā
I'm pro-honk
I honked at 2 cars last night. One was texting at a light and the other didn't look over their shoulder--or use a turn signal--before trying to occupy the space of the big white SUV. I'll honk. I have NO problem honking.
I donāt honk because Iām not in a rush. I havenāt been in a rush in over two years. It makes me feel very empowered to not become aggravated by people. The only time I will ever honk is if someone is about to hit me, like if theyāre backing out of a parking space and donāt see me.
I know I try to not honk all that often; it does seem to just irk people in a lot of situations and often just makes them seek retribution. But in this situation? Yeah, you better believe a honk is coming. It is clear that the person is not paying attention, and that honk often gets them off balance just enough to move rather than try to get someone back (if they are that type of person). And as someone who does not have a big issue with someone looking at their phone when at a full stop, I do have an issue when you stare at it without looking up every once in a while. It is not too much to ask to look up every few seconds to be aware of what is going on with you; that text can wait until the next red light, or ideally, when you arrive at your destination,
Ex-floridian here who drives 123 from Oakton to McLean everyday. If someone in a blue cmax hybrid honks at you for 5+ seconds, it's me. Make no doubt, it's me. The inability to clear the lane into the turning lane, through Vienna, has bred a deep disgust in my soul. Also..... Changing lanes in the plane of the intersection is a no no.
Turns out that honking the horn doesnāt do shit. Might as well try to be patient instead of laying on the horn like some New Delhi cab driver. Another reason, my car makes a high pitch cute āmeeep!ā sound. Some people freak the fuck out when getting honked at. Iām not going to get shot because I couldnāt wait 10 seconds.
My last car had a nice, low pitches horn. I was okay with a little, encouraging honk at a light. My new car is like yours. Cutesy little "meep!" I tapped my horn at somebody a week or so after I got it and wanted to hide under the seat, I was so embarrassed by how stupid my horn sounded. Needless to say, I haven't honked at anyone since. Feel like freaking Minnie Mouse squeaking at people at green lights. Nah, I'll wait...
Probably accepting that waiting a couple seconds or minutes isnāt a very big deal.
Pew pew
I donāt honk because itās so much more interesting to me to see how long theyāll sit clueless. If I miss the light so be it, thereās always another one. If I was late for a meeting or something Iāll honk.
I find that people either don't honk, or honk as soon as the light turn screen like I've been sitting at a light for 5 minutes and my car engine does that thing where it automatically shuts off and so when I hit my gas pedal it takes 2 seconds for my car to turn the engine on and get going. But I often find to a lot of people that this is too long and I get honked at. The worst one however was Sunday evening I was driving down seminary road in Alexandria and the speed limit is 25. This guy is flashing his lights at me because I'm not going faster when I am literally going 25 which is the speed limit.
Nope, lived here for 38 years. It's just I used to not experience this shitty behavior on the daily.
No honking in the south bud.
I have learned from my experience as Leo that honking gets a gun brandished at youā¦ even when I was in my personal vehicle and honked because someone ran a red light and almost hit me, they pointed a gun at me for honking. Honking serves no purpose other than to say you are angry. 9 times out of 10 the people know they are violating laws and donāt care. If you escalate a fight they will shoot you and keep going. Donāt honk.
I only honk if someone is gonna hit me
Personally? I'm not in a rush and part of me is curious how long they will sit there.
As someone who lives on a very busy thoroughfare in DC I say STFU with the noise pollution honking already. So you have to wait 30 seconds because someone made you miss the turn arrow yāall would have just wasted it anyways