Janet Sumner Johnson
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To Honk or Not to Honk?

Feb 14, 2010 Uncategorized 10 comments

So, we were driving at night. HUGE drifts of snow cover full traffic lanes. They blindside you at every corner. They fill half of every parking lot. But the snow is not the problem.

Blinker on to enter the Kohl’s parking lot. Roll slow over the sheets of ice that cover the road.

But no.

Two people (no cars in sight!) are standing in the middle of the entrance. Apparently oblivious of the car (for which the entrance was intended; and which could cause them some serious bodily damage).

We stop. We wait. They don’t move.

In the end, Rick flips off the blinker and heads to a different entrance.

Discussion ensues.

Me: You have a horn you know.

Rick: I don’t like the horn. I think the horn is rude.

Me: It depends on how you do it. If you lay on the horn, of course it’s rude! But if you tap, tap, tap, it’s merely a way to say, “Excuse me. May I get by?”

Rick: Well I think it’s rude.

Me: You, who drives ten inches from the next car thinks the horn is rude?

Rick: I drive in DC, so sue me.

Me: If you had any money, maybe I would. [Okay, so I didn’ really say that.]

What I really said was: Hmmm, this would make a good subject for a blog. Let’s let the masses decide.

So we ask you to end our perfectly civil “discussion” for us. Is it rude to honk the horn?

10 comments , , , ,

10 Responses to β€œTo Honk or Not to Honk?”

  1. MikeS says:

    Take a lesson from New Yorkers. What good is a horn that never sounds? It's not just for emergencies. I say it is less rude than the people that need to be honked at.

  2. Celeste says:

    I think people sometimes need a wake-up call. Quit texting and get a move on!

  3. I just can't believe that they probably saw you waiting to get through, and did nothing. Now that is rude! I probably would have honked πŸ™‚

  4. Michelle says:

    When we went to Chicago, we realized that they have their own language in honking. πŸ™‚

  5. Shelli says:

    i would have probably honked to if I knew they saw me.

  6. betsey says:

    After getting aggressively honked at today because I did not run through a yellow light, I'm with you and Michelle, there is a language to honking. A nice, light little tap on your horn is perfectly acceptable. A series of honks, followed by the person passing you at a ridiculous speed is not acceptable.

  7. Rob and Tiff says:

    Yes, honking is definitely used to its full capacity here in Chicago and most people find it perfectly acceptable, even older people. But there are different ways of using your horn and it's not hard to tell when it's being used in a rude manner.

  8. Melanie says:

    I'm with you, Janet–honk away, politely, and slide less ; ) Being a traffic-obeying-mom=defensive-driver who goes the speed limit, I actually honked (impolitely, I might add) at a car who passed me on a 30 mph street with double-yellow lines. Some people are just idiots . . . and where's a cop when you need one? : )

  9. janet says:

    Vindication is good. I'll have to break the news to Rick gently. πŸ˜€

  10. Dana says:

    Honk away! Tap tap then hands up in the air and say "HELLLLLOOOOOO"…..they'd get mad then I'd roll my window down and say something that would get me in trouble.

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