Why honk at pedestrians in the crosswalk

[Anonymous]

If you honk at pedestrians in the crosswalk, who are crossing with the WALK sign, why do you do it?

And if you're behind a car who is stopped and not turning at the intersection and you honk at them, why? Do you think maybe they aren't turning because there's a pedestrian in the xwalk?

[Anonymous]

I’ve honked at dangerous non-lighted crosswalks (there’s one near my house) to warn other cars that there was a pedestrian crossing at that moment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve honked at dangerous non-lighted crosswalks (there’s one near my house) to warn other cars that there was a pedestrian crossing at that moment.

I think a lot of people hear honking and feel pressure to go. This sounds really dangerous.

[Anonymous]

For scenario A, I'd say probably it's just a fairly dumb person who thinks they have the right of way and the pedestrians are holding them up.

For scenario B, I'd say they probably just can't see anything except the bumper of the car in front of them and assume the driver is looking at their phone and that's why they're not going.

Every day on the way home from school I take my kid through the downtown shopping district and I have to cross a street in a weird zig zag with a very short light. Because the street I'm on isn't lined up on either side of the shopping street, pedestrians constantly cross when they have a do not cross sign, then my brief light turns green and I can either honk at them to get out of the way or miss the light. I don't usually honk but it's still annoying. Why doesn't it occur to them that there's a reason it says do not walk? I never put anyone in harm's way but I do enjoy when my light turns green and I can pull out to the surprise of someone who was just about to step in the street.

Then at the next intersection it's a traffic calming circle but for some reason every fourth person going the long block way thinks they don't have to yield to people going perpendicular and I nearly get hit once a week. There are yield signs in all four directions so they don't have the right of way but for some reason they don't know that. So I have to treat it like they have the right of way if I don't want a nasty surprise.

As a driver you not only need to understand the rules, but understand which rules other people tend not to be clear on so you can play defense and make sure you don't harm anyone, especially people on bikes and pedestrians.

[Anonymous]

One day I honked at a pedestrian who wasn’t sure if he could go or not and I honked and gave him the walk wave so he knew he wasn’t gonna get run over. Nearly a dozen cars hadn’t let him through even though he was in the middle of the road at a crosswalk.

[Anonymous]

I rarely honk my horn at others.

I guess I am just afraid of road rage.

I would NEVER ever honk at someone in a crosswalk just because I am in a hurry.

That would be the stupidest thing I could do as a driver.
Even if someone was walking at a 🐌’s pace!

[Anonymous]

I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

In that situation the pedestrian has the right of way so you are required by law to yeild to them. You think it is better to drive by and have the pedestrian have to wait until there are zero cars?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve honked at dangerous non-lighted crosswalks (there’s one near my house) to warn other cars that there was a pedestrian crossing at that moment.

I think a lot of people hear honking and feel pressure to go. This sounds really dangerous.

Not at all. I've been a pedestrian for most of my life, and I never feel pressure to go when I hear a honk! On the contrary, I look around and increase my alertness to see what the problem is and how I can stay safe. The immense majority of drivers, in every US, European and Asian cities I've been to, do not honk at pedestrians, but at each other, so I know the honks are not addressed to me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve honked at dangerous non-lighted crosswalks (there’s one near my house) to warn other cars that there was a pedestrian crossing at that moment.

I think a lot of people hear honking and feel pressure to go. This sounds really dangerous.

Not at all. I've been a pedestrian for most of my life, and I never feel pressure to go when I hear a honk! On the contrary, I look around and increase my alertness to see what the problem is and how I can stay safe. The immense majority of drivers, in every US, European and Asian cities I've been to, do not honk at pedestrians, but at each other, so I know the honks are not addressed to me.

Not the pedestrian the other drivers who would hit the pedestrian!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

In that situation the pedestrian has the right of way so you are required by law to yeild to them. You think it is better to drive by and have the pedestrian have to wait until there are zero cars?

No, it’s better to stop and wait, and let the pedestrian decide when it’s safe.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’ve honked at dangerous non-lighted crosswalks (there’s one near my house) to warn other cars that there was a pedestrian crossing at that moment.

I think a lot of people hear honking and feel pressure to go. This sounds really dangerous.

DP. You think honking is more dangerous than allowing a car to continue barreling toward the pedestrian in the crosswalk at speed?

Maybe if honking makes you that anxious, you shouldn’t be driving. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

In that situation the pedestrian has the right of way so you are required by law to yeild to them. You think it is better to drive by and have the pedestrian have to wait until there are zero cars?

No, it’s better to stop and wait, and let the pedestrian decide when it’s safe.

Wait you’re stopping in the middle of the road with no light or stop sign to wave a pedestrian across? That’s a good way to get rear ended. Pedestrians. Need to wait for traffic to clear.

Unless you live in Arlington where pedestrians step into traffic and expect them to stop.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

In that situation the pedestrian has the right of way so you are required by law to yeild to them. You think it is better to drive by and have the pedestrian have to wait until there are zero cars?

No, it’s better to stop and wait, and let the pedestrian decide when it’s safe.

Wait you’re stopping in the middle of the road with no light or stop sign to wave a pedestrian across? That’s a good way to get rear ended. Pedestrians. Need to wait for traffic to clear.

Unless you live in Arlington where pedestrians step into traffic and expect them to stop.

Dp. If there is a marked crosswalk and a pedestrian is in it, your after legally required to stop. It does not matter that you don’t have any traffic control there, you are obligated to stop. Do you really not know this?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hate when people honk, it kills my ears. Another dangerous thing to do is to stop at a crosswalk without a light (in the right lane) and motion for the pedestrian to go, when the left lane driver could just drive straight through without stopping and hit the pedestrian

In that situation the pedestrian has the right of way so you are required by law to yeild to them. You think it is better to drive by and have the pedestrian have to wait until there are zero cars?

No, it’s better to stop and wait, and let the pedestrian decide when it’s safe.

Wait you’re stopping in the middle of the road with no light or stop sign to wave a pedestrian across? That’s a good way to get rear ended. Pedestrians. Need to wait for traffic to clear.

Unless you live in Arlington where pedestrians step into traffic and expect them to stop.

This is a thoughtless comment given the recent tragedy in Arlington.