Ever honk your horn and then regret it?

[SlitheryDee]

Nope. The only times I ever used my horn was to alert someone who was changing lanes that I was in the space they were trying to occupy. It never occurs to me to use it to hurry people along. I think I'm an unusually patient driver though.

 

[Zenmervolt]

I do not regret intentionally going well below the speed limit, matching speed with the semi beside me, on the way home today when the jackass behind me decided to tailgate. Then as soon as he changed lanes, I sped up to 10 above like normal.

So you clogged the entire freeway, and inconvenienced yourself, to perform an action that, by any realistic assessment, only caused an aggressive driver to become more aggressive, thereby increasing the risk to everyone else on the road?

*golf clap*

Seriously, though, let it go. I've given up caring about tailgaters. If they want to be that close, let 'em. The last thing I need to do is antagonize them further; all that does is encourage them to cut me off or attempt to sideswipe me when they finally pass or to make an unsafe passing attempt. It's better for everyone else on the road if I just move right and let them by.

ZV

 

[Carson Dyle]

here is one of my favorites:

I was in the drive thru and they were taking forever. The guy behind me actually starts honking his horn at me.

What does that do?

LOL!

What makes you think he was honking at _you_? That's hilarious.

 

[rudeguy]

So you clogged the entire freeway, and inconvenienced yourself, to perform an action that, by any realistic assessment, only caused an aggressive driver to become more aggressive, thereby increasing the risk to everyone else on the road?

*golf clap*

Seriously, though, let it go. I've given up caring about tailgaters. If they want to be that close, let 'em. The last thing I need to do is antagonize them further; all that does is encourage them to cut me off or attempt to sideswipe me when they finally pass or to make an unsafe passing attempt. It's better for everyone else on the road if I just move right and let them by.

ZV

No freeway. It was on a surface street. Speed limit is 45.

 

[rudeguy]

LOL!

What makes you think he was honking at _you_? That's hilarious.

I was the only one ahead of him....

 

[Aikouka]

I can't think of an instance, but that's probably because I don't use my horn often. There are a couple instances where I probably should've manned up a bit and showed the slowpokes how I really feel ...but whatever.

Most people that honk at me are usually just idiots. I had one guy honk at me to do a right-on-red, which was legal... except we were in a straight+right lane and I was going straight. Of course, I didn't have a turn signal on, which indicated this! I had one guy get really mad because I was a little too close to him (he was going 40-45 in a 55 after all). After I had a chance to pass him, he was laying on the horn and flashing his lights.

The only time that I can recall where someone has used a horn on me in a somewhat valid manner is when I'm changing lanes into their lane. Although, it's not like I change lanes in an unsafe manner; I always check before I start changing lanes and I signal before I start moving. However, sometimes, someone just ends up getting into the lane right after my initial check. To be fair, I do look while in the process of changing lanes, so I notice them and start moving back before they can even honk. That doesn't stop them from doing it anyway.

Seriously, though, let it go. I've given up caring about tailgaters. If they want to be that close, let 'em. The last thing I need to do is antagonize them further; all that does is encourage them to cut me off or attempt to sideswipe me when they finally pass or to make an unsafe passing attempt. It's better for everyone else on the road if I just move right and let them by.

I don't really care either. If I notice someone that close to me, I may mutter, "I hope you have insurance", but that's about it. Although, I don't normally find myself in that situation unless it's a single lane road, but I'm usually going 5 MPH over the speed limit. A friend of mine was telling me about all the stuff he does to antagonize tailgaters, and my only response was, "Why are you trying to make the situation worse? That's just about as bad as brake checking someone."

 

[BD231]

More often I regret not using the horn when I should.

About a month ago I had a guy standing in the middle of a street leading to my house between two parked cars on both sides of him and directly behind a blind corner. I came flying around to witness him in a baseball stance swinging a bat as if he was about to receive a pitch.

You figure a guy would move considering he was blocking all traffic both ways but he just stood there swinging as if he was about to receive a god damn pitch. I could have legally got away with running him over due to the blind corner but, I didn't. Some lady walking her dog got his attention.

 

[noobsrevenge]

honk, and then start looking around, to pretend it wasn't you are you are trying to see who honked.

 

[yhelothar]

Just last week I was in the McDeez drive thru. The guy in front of me seemed like he was ordering the entire menu. Being the calm patient guy I was, I didn't care. I tapped the horn, accidentally as I leaned forward when my hand was still on the wheel. The guy looked back at me with the most WTF look ever. I said sorry, accident. Then he put his head back into the car and I hear him cracking up with his friends.

 

[Sluggo]

My new favorite thing is:

Someone does something stupid
I honk at them
they flip me off

Am I supposed to let their moronic driving go unnoticed?

 

[zinfamous]

motion to have jeebus add "gas" and "break" to thread tags.

 

[Carson Dyle]

My new favorite thing is:

Someone does something stupid
I honk at them
they flip me off

Am I supposed to let their moronic driving go unnoticed?

Of course not. Being an asshole is expected of you in this day and age. And then get out your gun if the other guy really looks like he's angry. If he stops on the side of the road, you stop too. You can't let that kind of thing go unattended. You HAVE to do something about it.

 

[skyking]

One morning I was driving very carefully on this glare ice. Dude does not think it is that slick, passes me with the courteous beep-beep that was the requirement back in the day.
About two miles up, I find him merged with the guardrail on the left turn to an onramp.
yeah, he got the beep beep back, plus a wave.

 

[MrPickins]

Nope. The only times I ever used my horn was to alert someone who was changing lanes that I was in the space they were trying to occupy. It never occurs to me to use it to hurry people along. I think I'm an unusually patient driver though.

The only time I use it to hurry people is if they've been sitting at the light for more than 5-7 sec or so after it turns green. At that point I assume they didn't notice the change and give them a quick beep. Usually gets me a wave, and they head on.

Other than that, yeah...people like to try to merge into you a lot on the freeways here.

 

[KlokWyze]

pics of the woman you harassed and then stalked?

lmao

@ OP. Yes, I've done this many times. (honking not stalking)

 

[SMOGZINN]

YES! The other day I was driving along when this old beat up pick up suddenly cut in front of me. His movement was much too abrupt causing me to hit my breaks hard. I accompanied this action with my horn so he would know that he is in danger. But once stopped I looked down only to see a sticker on his bumper that read (and I’m paraphrasing here) ‘Honk if you love large dark male genitalia’. I instantly regretted honking, because I don’t generally love large dark male genitalia.

 

[Jeeebus]

I instantly regretted honking, because I don’t generally love large dark male genitalia.

So what you're saying is that you particularly love large dark male genitalia? I mean, who doesn't? Am I rite?

 

[fjmeat]

So what you're saying is that you particularly love large dark male genitalia? I mean, who doesn't? Am I rite?

true true

 

[bradly1101]

I keep getting behind jerks in the left turn lane who try to impeed traffic. They wait until the light turns yellow before they go despite being honked at for just sitting at the green light. Then I can't make the light. It's a new game drivers play.

 

[nageov3t]

it's happened.

usually its the results of giant SUV's and tinted windows that make it impossible to actually see what's going on in front of the car in front of me, so I don't feel too bad.

 

[rh71]

There was a lady at the McDonald's drive through in front of me, she gets her food and then decides to stop at the trashcan at the exit to the drive through and then stops and proceeds to clean her car out. Not just one or two items. She starts digging around the front seat and back seat and all over the car. I honk and she got all pissed off. If she didn't move I would have kept honking!


On the opposite side of the horn this guy was honking at me for not turning right on red. However I was at an intersection with a no right turn on red sign. I point to the sign and boy did he look embarrassed.

- I hate when the car ahead of me orders then does not move up far enough for me to get to the speaker myself. They DO have space. They are just not thinking. Idiots.

- Those right on reds are ALWAYS optional. So he can go F himself IMO. Especially these days with red light cameras that get you if you don't actually stop for 3 seconds. Better not chance it if you're not in a hurry.

My story is I was biking with my kids and we were crossing the street at an all-way stop sign. Then in the direction we were going was a lady in her SUV honking with her left turn signal blinking - she was going to the street we're crossing. I thought it was because we were going too slow for her. As she turned behind us I yell WHAT'S THE PROBLEM (no expletives around kids right?) in the nastiest way I could. She stops and rolls down her window and tells me the honking was for the car behind us that went straight but blew the stop sign. Oh yeah I think there was a car behind us too. What's the appropriate facial response for that oops? I just stayed looking mean and shook my head as she drove away.

 

[HamburgerBoy]

I had one guy honk at me to do a right-on-red, which was legal... except we were in a straight+right lane and I was going straight. Of course, I didn't have a turn signal on, which indicated this!

Were you going to make a right turn shortly after that light? Because people that stop in a straight+right lane just because the lanes to the left have a line deserve to DIAF.

 

[_Rick_]

Back to the subject of tailgating.
The other day, at around 100mph in the wet, some Audi or Skoda (those are two key tailgaters and 150mph drivers, ahead of the BMWs) was glued to my rear, so near, that I didn't even see his headlights anymore, merrily flashing away, while I was driving a speed that was adapted to the current traffic situation, and the traffic in front of me.

He kept flashing them, to the point where it started irritiating me - so I flashed back with the rear fog light. Not sure why, but apparenly this acknowledgement stopped him from further flashing, and he merely remained glued to my tail. until traffic cleared up sufficiently that I could pull over.

But no, I do not see a need to antagonize assholes. They're already demonstrating that they are assholes, and nothing I do will do anything but put myself at risk. But then, going slow on the left lane is actually a ticketable offense over here....

 

[Aikouka]

Were you going to make a right turn shortly after that light? Because people that stop in a straight+right lane just because the lanes to the left have a line deserve to DIAF.

Sort of. Technically, my turn is the third and final turn in that relatively long turn lane. There are three turns where the first and third are at intersections. The first two go into a shopping center and the last goes onto another road. That first one is where I begrudgingly hold people up, but it's only for about 10 seconds or so since we're on the dominant side of the intersection. Also, there are times when I enter the turn lane while the light is green, but the light starts to change with enough time for me to stop.

Personally, I would prefer not to do it at all, but I've had issues with staying in the straight-only lane, and trying to merge into the turn lane later on. People don't normally pay attention to turn signals, and they won't let you in. Also, when you say there's a line, you need to understand the sort of lines I have to deal with at times. If I were to wait until right before my turn, it would probably take another two to three minutes to go the 100 yards. People are that slow around here.

There are other situations where I make sure that this doesn't happen like at my old job where we the exit had a left+straight lane and a straight+right lane. If I wanted to go straight, I used the left+straight lane.

EDIT:

But no, I do not see a need to antagonize assholes. They're already demonstrating that they are assholes, and nothing I do will do anything but put myself at risk. But then, going slow on the left lane is actually a ticketable offense over here....

We do actually have left lane laws in the United States, but they're at the state level. If I remember correctly, Alabama's law is that you're not supposed to impede other drivers in the left lane if you're capable of safely moving over.

 

[shortylickens]

If you get into a self defense situation, the judge is gonna wanna know about how you antagonized the other person.
This is bad if there are witnesses.