When's the last time you honked at someone, and someone honked at you... and why?

[Anonymous]

I honk all the darn time at an intersection in Arlington that has a very short turning light for a left turn. If the first car is paying attention 3-4 cars can get through. Too often the light turns and the first car just sits. Once they go, no one else can. It’s so selfish and infuriating.


I can’t recall ever being honked at.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone who is at the front of the line at a red light and then wastes 10 seconds of green time by not moving gets a honk. Nearly all of these people are staring at their cellphones.

This is especially bad in DC, where the traffic lights are laughably mistimed just about everywhere.

10 seconds is an entire light cycle in many places!

I give them a "one Mississippi." If your brake lights are still on, you get a honk. Pay attention, people. Don't be a selfish and distracted driver.

And yes I've been honked at after the light turns green, and I feel completely embarrassed. By all means honk at me if I'm also engaging in selfish and distracted behavior.

[Anonymous]

I honked at someone yesterday because they didn't follow the lane shift as we went through an intersection and cut me off in my lane. It didn't do any good (it was too late) but it made me feel better and I also think it helps to alert all drivers to an issue like that. I was in a center lane and the person who cut me off forced me to stop suddenly in the middle of the intersection, so honking also alerted oncoming traffic to my presence, and especially any left-turning cars coming from the opposite direction who would not expect me to be stopping.

I used to honk more and when people did really egregious things I'd lay on my horn. I used to live in California and the traffic was so aggressively bad and I definitely had some road rage that I channeled by honking. But since moving to the east coast I've gotten a lot calmer, largely because I don't drive as often, but also because I'm older and understand that honking a lot adds to traffic noise and aggression and can be a nuisance to the people who live and work nearby. I never thought about stuff like that when I was younger.

But I still think sometimes you have to honk your horn. It's a safety device. So many people are totally oblivious as they travel through traffic, and if a horn will yank them into reality so that they will pay attention to where they are going, so be it. I will even honk at a pedestrian or cyclist on occasion as a way of alerting them to a dangerous situation. It's simply the fastest way to force someone to look up or to stop.

[Anonymous]

I gave someone a beep the other day because they were driving slowly and I couldn’t figure out why until they pulled into a parking garage.

Indicators people!

[Anonymous]

Yesterday, at someone who tried to merge on top of me without checking their blind spot and cut me off. That's probably the most frequent one, along with people who snooze at green lights. But the snoozers get a short friendly tap and the bad mergers get a longer blast.

I get really angry and give a sustained blast to people who obstruct traffic by doing illegal things. Like, if it says no U-turn or no left turn and you are going to block the entire left lane of Georgia Avenue trying to do just that because you are a moron or think you are special, I'm going to honk long and loud at you. Or if you are in a turn lane and suddenly decide you do not want to turn, you do not get to sit there waiting for someone in the thru lanes to let you in or for the thru light to turn green, and causing everyone trying to turn behind you to miss the green arrow. At least, not without us trying to make you uncomfortable about it. You do what people with a modicum of awareness do, which is make the turn you didn't want to make anyway and then find somewhere to turn around or go around the block.

Yes, I get a bit rage-y sometimes. I don't mind the predictable aggressiveness and weird moves of Maryland drivers. Speeding, trying to cut in, turning on red when it says not to, making an illegal U-turn when there's a huge gap, what do I care what you do? Have at it. As long as you're out of other people's way quickly. It's when you are incredibly stupid and self-absorbed and block a line of cars with your idiocy that I can't stand it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I honk all the darn time at an intersection in Arlington that has a very short turning light for a left turn. If the first car is paying attention 3-4 cars can get through. Too often the light turns and the first car just sits. Once they go, no one else can. It’s so selfish and infuriating.


I can’t recall ever being honked at.

They are staring at their phone, and not watching their light (that’s why you miss the green arrow).

Give them a toot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week. I honked at someone who didn't see me as he was backing out. Before that, it's been years. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been honked at

That’s on YOU. You’re supposed to let people back out of spaces.

Nope. The driver in the "flow of traffic" has right of way. Insurance company will put you at fault if you hit someone backing out of a parking space.

[Anonymous]

I definitely honk at the red light sitters who are staring at their damn phones. I give them two seconds. And then I lightly tap my horn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:I was honked yesterday when I wouldn't make a right on red. In my defense, there was a No Right on Red sign.

Was it a No Right On Red or a No Right on Red when pedestrians are present sign? I see lots of people sitting at those and not turning, and I confess to honking at them.pretty often. It's like people see the first half and then have a reading comprehension fail on the second part.

Rght on red is permitted, not required. It is at the discretion of the driver who is the one who not only can see more of the intersection than the driver behind them but will also be liable if they hit someone or something because they just had to make that right turn right now. Or the person behind them thought they had to.

If it is permitted, and the intersection is clear, and you're choosing to block everyone behind you by not turning right on red... then it just makes you a willful ahole.

Honking at the driver in front of you who is not making the turn fast enough for you is worse. You should try going around really fast but do be careful of that pedestrian you can’t see until you hit them.

If simple reading comprehension is so hard for you, you really, REALLY should not be permitted to drive.

And you know this sitting behind a car waiting to turn at the intersection?

This actually happened to me once. I was the lead driver and a guy two cars back honked because I wasn’t going right on red. It was one of those wide open intersections near the Tysons Galleria - good lines of sight, etc. He didn’t see the wheelchair crossing in front of me due to the larger vehicle between us. But he sure thought he could.

You seem a bit ragey about this, PP. perhaps you shouldn’t be driving with all that pent up inside.

[Anonymous]

I laid on the horn when my DW was walking in front of the car in the parkin lot with her hands full. I was hoping to scare the crap out of her so she'd drop everything. I am evil.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Last week. I honked at someone who didn't see me as he was backing out. Before that, it's been years. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been honked at

That’s on YOU. You’re supposed to let people back out of spaces.

Nope. The driver in the "flow of traffic" has right of way. Insurance company will put you at fault if you hit someone backing out of a parking space.

You don't understand right of way.

[Anonymous]

I was riding my bike, in the shoulder. Guy honked for literally no reason but to be an ass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I was honked yesterday when I wouldn't make a right on red. In my defense, there was a No Right on Red sign.

Was it a No Right On Red or a No Right on Red when pedestrians are present sign? I see lots of people sitting at those and not turning, and I confess to honking at them.pretty often. It's like people see the first half and then have a reading comprehension fail on the second part.

Rght on red is permitted, not required. It is at the discretion of the driver who is the one who not only can see more of the intersection than the driver behind them but will also be liable if they hit someone or something because they just had to make that right turn right now. Or the person behind them thought they had to.

There are plenty of intersections around where you can see clearly as the second or third car. It may not be required, but it's annoying when someone sits there for no good reason. Which is often as evidenced by PP.

It might be annoying, but there is nothing compelling someone to turn right on red. Chillax.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Last week. I honked at someone who didn't see me as he was backing out. Before that, it's been years. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been honked at

Uh, you don't have the right of way when you are backing out. In this case, YATAH

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Last week. I honked at someone who didn't see me as he was backing out. Before that, it's been years. I couldn't tell you the last time I've been honked at

That’s on YOU. You’re supposed to let people back out of spaces.

This seems wrong. In most cases, drivers going forward in the flow of traffic have the right-of-way when someone is backing out.

Yeah, it is totally wrong. You pull out of a space (i.e., potentially interrupt the flow of traffic) only when it’s clear. Same reason why you have to yield to oncoming traffic when making a turn from a smaller street onto a larger street (if there’s no stop sign, for instance).

Incorrect PP probably also thinks they have the right of way at 4-way stops if they’re going straight (as opposed to the actual rule of “first to arrive is the first to go.”)

I think that the law and etiquette aren’t in agreement here. When backing out of a spot you really cannot see if any cars are coming. You should back out very slowly and make sure you stop the instant you see somebody coming. But if somebody is going faster than they should in the parking lot, there will be problems. If you’re backing out, even as slowly and as carefully as you can, and somebody hits you, you are legally at fault. Even if the other car is speeding. (I think). But I think it’s appropriate to recognize that people who are backing out can’t see and you should let them out if you are approaching that spot, without insisting on your right of way.

If you cannot see while operating the vehicle, then you should not be operating the vehicle. Wing and prayer won't hack it.