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I cannot remember the last time I beeped anyone. Best check it later on to see if it's still working.
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>>I cannot remember the last time I beeped anyone. Best check it later on to see if it's still working<<
+1 :)
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Can't remember where but i had to give someone a warning blast last week, apparently they couldn't see a sparkling clean and shiny artic tanker and tried to drive into the side of me when they were entering a motorway.
I had nowhere to go as the road was crowded, they got upset, if they'd used their eyes as they came down the slip road they could easily have slippped in front of me as i don't tailgate.
I do use the horn on blind counrty bends in daylight, evening hours in darkness i will use the main beams to light the far side hedge or walls up, then dip again hoping for a return flash as i approach.
That particular message system seems to have been forgotten by most now, even some truck drivers don't get it, but most do thankfully, when i meet them unannounced on the sharp bend in Farthinghoe in the dark.
By the way, why when i'm approaching that bend in the dark from Brackley so i'm on a sharp right and the trailer cutting the corner, do young women in cars assume they can drive their Fiestas through a 4ft gap at 30mph, have they no spatial or any sense whatsoever....the fact i've lit the outside of the bend up light Blackpool hasn't registered either as they approach at speed.
Last edited by: gordonbennet on Mon 2 Jan 12 at 11:15
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>>I do use the horn on blind counrty bends in daylight<<
Ah - so it's you is it!! spare a thought for us that choose to retreat from the 'real' world guv.
;)
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spare a thought for us that choose to retreat from the 'real' world guv.
>>
Come now D, i don't indiscriminately use the horn when people living nearby would be disturbed, i mean country as in remote uninhabited.
.;)
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The poll was sponsored by webuyourcar.com - they of the ultra annoying advert....I used my horn the other day for some purpose...use it more often on the bike.
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>>Come now D, i don't indiscriminately use the horn when people living nearby would be disturbed<<
Course I realise that gb - a beep is hardlly a BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP!
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Never, ever use it. I would contend that if you feel the need to do so as a warning it wasn't just the other party who failed to anticipate a situation emerging.
Used as a reprimand it serves no purpose other than to make a clearly already synapse challenged driver even more nervous or excitable. No point.
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>> Never, ever use it. I would contend that if you feel the need to do
>> so as a warning it wasn't just the other party who failed to anticipate a
>> situation emerging.
Not always, in the situation above unless i'd braked which could have meant a serious hiccup back down the line behind to let the unobservant in, i really had nowhere to go, he could easily have stuck his foot down and got out in front of me, but in fact i really don't think he was aware of anything other than entering the motorway, should i have let him ricochet off the side of the truck or hooted, which woke him up to the fact i was there and prevented a problem developing worse.
If he had hit me no doubt the officer attending would have asked me quite rightly if it was getting close and there was likely to be an accident why didn't i warn him with the horn.
Why do some drivers make such a pigs ear of entering a motorway, it's not rocket science but does require a bit of common sense and speed and positioning adjustment, most drivers in the inside lane will accomodate if they can.
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Fair enough might be different for trucks given their size etc. I can only speak for cars. Never needed the horn and never ( so far ) had an accident either.
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I call it "mugging". There seems to be a lot of motorists who think they can join a motorway by signalling and just pulling out regardless of what the traffic already on the motorway is doing.
Most times a bit of brake or, heaven forbid, accelerator pedal on their part would enable them to fit in a gap before or behind the vehicle already on the motorway.
I do of course move over when I can, but it is irksome to pull out to let a car out, that once on the motorway accelerates - if only they'd done that on the slip road, we'd all be happy bunnies.
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Now then GB you know this situation was entirely of your own making and its in the latest edition of the Highway Code
Traffic travelling along the Motorway must make all necessary manouvres to allow any arrogant richard head to enter the motorway without any observations or inconvenience to themselves. Failure to acknowledge these superior drivers will result in them being allowed to be abusive, gesticulate or if necessary attempt to force you off the road.
Happy and safe hauling in 2012 :-)
Last edited by: Fullchat on Mon 2 Jan 12 at 11:52
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>> Happy and safe hauling in 2012 :-)
>>
Thanks, excellent commentary on the mentality too.
Which page will i find the updates on waving a magic wand to create a clear path for self important drivers..;)
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>> I cannot remember the last time I beeped anyone.
28th December 12:30, here
tinyurl.com/78hn92m
Mrs dozy farmer in her land rover 110 drove straight across in front of me, left to right. I had a handful of stuff to do with the ABS chattering flick left to avoid her behind, and right to avoid the looming scenery. The handful of angry horn came afterwards. FiFi was most reproachful as well huffing angrily as she untangled herself from the rear headrests.
I can still see the surprised look on her round blank rosy cheeked turnip she calls a head.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 2 Jan 12 at 13:10
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>>The handful of angry horn came afterwards.
Honestly not reproaching you Z but what exact purpose did that serve other than to make her more nervous and flustered than she already was? If it was just to vent your spleen there are better places to do that than in a moving vehicle.
All "accidents" involving more than one vehicle can usually be attributed to one driver having done something stupid and another failing to anticipate and avoid them.
I find assuming all other road users are probably stupid helps a lot. Most of them seem well able to live up to it.
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>> Honestly not reproaching you Z but what exact purpose did that serve other than to
>> make her more nervous and flustered than she already was? If it was just to
>> vent your spleen there are better places to do that than in a moving vehicle.
Struth, you wouldn't get far in India.
Not that it makes much difference.
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>> >>The handful of angry horn came afterwards.
>>
>> Honestly not reproaching you Z but what exact purpose did that serve other than to
>> make her more nervous and flustered than she already was? If it was just to
>> vent your spleen there are better places to do that than in a moving vehicle.
My spleen was vented AFTER the vehicle had stopped moving, and so had she. Yes I was damn angry. Flustered? too damn dense and stupid to be flustered. She was lucky she only got a blast of horn and angry glares rather than 3/4 ton of Lancer through her door.
>> I find assuming all other road users are probably stupid helps a lot. Most of
>> them seem well able to live up to it.
Indeed but sometimes you don't see them till they are in the process of being stupid.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 2 Jan 12 at 13:35
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Try to save the anger for after the journey. Doesn't serve any useful purpose during it. Reprimanding others doesn't usually help either. I tell my wife not to overcook meat most weeks but she still does it no matter how cross I get !
:-)
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>> Try to save the anger for after the journey.
Ok I shall just murmur appreciatively, go peacefully about my way and go home and slap the wife and kick the dog.
Last edited by: Zero on Mon 2 Jan 12 at 13:44
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Come now. You know what I mean.
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>> Come now. You know what I mean.
Kick the wife and slap the dog?
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Try to have a little more sympathy in 2012 Humph, after all - he does live in the South East.
:-(
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I'm a tooter myself. I toot under bridges and in tunnels to hear the noise (I used to do it for the children, but I never stopped). I issue pre-emptive toots at stationary people who put their pulling out indicators on as I approach (what happened to mirror, signal, manoeuvre?) and I toot thank yous where a wave can't be seen. Any excuse really.
Except that I don't toot at hump back bridges, and certainly not at the three close by me where there are adjacent houses. In twenty years of living here, slowing down, keeping left and looking has been enough - except on one occasion where the mad girlfriend of a local resident actually crossed with me on the crest of one of them without hitting me - I look at that bridge now and wonder how it could have been - it's about 14' wide between the walls, and she must have been doing 20-25mph when she passed me. Come to think of it, tooting wouldn't have done any good then, either.
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As mentioned in my original reply I have tooted, but only in a defensive driving/riding situation - thinking about it I will sound my horn quite often on a bike, especially in towns, to avoid, shaving, drinking, mobile phone using, eating car-drivers...!
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Rather like Z the last time I beeped in anger was on 18th Dec (I remember it well) when a local farmer in an LR pulled out on me, damp road ABS did its job, he was pulling out from my left atempting to turn right though only looking left.
I have said before on here how the kids (when a little younger) would joke about how the Clio horn was beep "would you kindly ..." whereas the Mondeo was parp "shift or else ...". I have since changed the Clio horn (about the only thing to fail in 11 years of ownership) for a Kawasaki one, no higher pitched though perhaps a little more aggresive.
I was kind of expecting a bit more BMW sterotyping here ...
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Posted an old unpublished piece of mine on horns on HJ a couple of years back. Some liked it.
My present car has a nice warm American horn. I agree with people that heavy horn use is not in our national DNA and I seldom use mine. However when I do, it is a quiet inoffensive parp to remind the driver in front that the lights won't be green for long and could they put off the search for crab lice until a bit later, or a furious bawl of rage like Zero's on the rare occasions a total piece of, you know, that brown stuff, has managed to take me by surprise or really offend me. But it's rare.
Some horns are really offensive and overbearing when the driver leans on it. Mercedeses used to be like that, yobbish and bawling. And the traditional cheapo English beep beep is pathetic.
PS: Oh the sadness of a stuck-on beeep horn after a traffic shunt in the silence of the night...
Last edited by: Armel Coussine on Tue 3 Jan 12 at 02:02
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Why would anyone not use a horn? It's an essential piece of equipment, comes within the remit of the MOT, to not have a working one is illegal and as such is an excellent warning device.
I use it to gain eye contact from pedestrians in towns, hovering around the kerb and waiting to dash across the road. Once they look at me I know they have seen me. Similarly for those who have pulled up by the kerb and are likely to throw open a drivers door to get out without checking mirrors first.
In cases like Zero's, it's an automatic reaction, or should be, that will alert that young lady to the fact for quite some time, that she did actually do something wrong.
Nothing wrong with that.
Pat
Last edited by: pda on Tue 3 Jan 12 at 03:46
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I don't understand an aversion to using the horn.
Use mine mostly properly to alert other road users to my presence.
Sometimes improperly to register my displeasure at the driving of another motorist.
The latter use is stupid, but at least it proves there is still some red blood in my veins.
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How's about back in the olde days of air horns, I had triple set up, some even played Colonel Bogey using 5 trumpets ~ www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ZYy180eNRI
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I always pap my horn when the lights change to wake up the person at the front who are usually fiddling with a smartphone. A very quick beep. Also, the light phases are so rubbish these days everyone falls asleep staring at an empty junction as the lights go through each phase including multiple phantom phases.
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>> A very quick beep.
Can't do that with my Vectra-C. The canbus system gives a full blast of the horn regardless of how briefly you press the centre of the steering wheel.
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In our part of the world it's common courtesy to give a little beep of thank you to someone who has pulled into a passing place or reversed to reach it. Especially at night - in daytime a wave is more friendly.
In other circumstances, if you see someone in a car or on foot dithering as if to pull out, seeming as if they haven't looked or seen you, it's madness just to press on and run them down when a toot would make them aware.
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I don't know why a car can't have two horns - a simple polite little "hello it's me" tooter and a full on blaster, controlled in whatever way would work.
Last edited by: Crankcase on Thu 5 Jan 12 at 08:30
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>>I don't know why a car can't have two horns<<
Triumph Stag?
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...I don't know why a car can't have two horns - a simple polite little "hello it's me" tooter and a full on blaster, controlled in whatever way would work...
Good idea, the horn on the CC3 is far too nice-sounding for some applications.
Although perhaps not, an aggressive horn option would only encourage me to offer on-road driving tuition to other drivers more often.
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Perhaps it's only older cars that work like this, but every car I have owned gives a different degree of noise depending on how the button is pressed.
If I hammer the pad on the Volvo it gives a blast from the two horns, high and low tone.
But lightly stroked it gives a muted noise that is inoffensive and couldn't possibly be interpreted as aggressive.
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>> I don't know why a car can't have two horns
Two horns were quite common at one time. Usually marked "town" & "country".
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My brother once had a Lambretta, with a foot-operated klaxon. Quite a shock to bystanders:) Luckily the transmission woodruff key failed before he got his come-uppance.
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I had one of those aftermarket twin air horn kits on my Sierra, driven by a compressor the size of a large beer can.
So satisfying in the right circumstances :-)
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>> I don't know why a car can't have two horns - a simple polite little
>> "hello it's me" tooter and a full on blaster, controlled in whatever way would work.
>>
That would be brilliant! There are many times when you need a polite 'excuse me' kind of beep and now and then an 'oy richard head' foghorn.
Normal horn for the first and a full on lorry/boat horn for the latter that makes their face ripple :-)
I only use the horn on single track roads at bends usually.
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Use the horn on a few local blind bridges/bends in the way of a polite cough. Like GB I find using/watching for lights more use at night.
The Brompton's bell (a little ping-ping device) is used in 'polte cough' mode with dawdling pedestrians in London. Don't want to alarm, just make sure they've seen me at a distance where we can 'negotiate' who goes where. If I wait for them to notice I'm getting close and then they jump around unpredictably!!
Could do with a louder setting for those who confidently ignore the red man & step out on corners as I approach from behind them - High Holborn north onto Southampton Row is a black spot for this behaviour.
There is a device called an AirZound that runs off a pop bottle pressurised with a bike pump and makes a noise like a train klaxon.
Fun, but probably antisocial in London traffic.
Last edited by: Bromptonaut on Thu 5 Jan 12 at 13:33
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>>>The Brompton's bell (a little ping-ping device) is used in 'polte cough' mode with dawdling pedestrians in London.
This was I assume a "Victree Spring ring". Very popular with the racing lads as it was very light and made the machine legal. I had one on the tandem which I was using in early 70's. Just the ticket for a gentle reminder on towpaths. 'Ting Ting' This was backed up by Twin Tone Marine Hooter powererd by pressurised Air Canister. Bought at marine chandler in Stourport on Severn. "BLAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH We are coming through" For use with dozy herberts emerging from side roads on A449 on the way back home.
Happy Days long gone.
Phil I.
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>> >> I don't know why a car can't have two horns - a simple polite
>> little
>> >> "hello it's me" tooter and a full on blaster, controlled in whatever way would
>> work.
>> >>
>>
>> That would be brilliant! There are many times when you need a polite 'excuse me'
>> kind of beep and now and then an 'oy richard head' foghorn.
>>
>> Normal horn for the first and a full on lorry/boat horn for the latter that
>> makes their face ripple :-)
Twin airhorns, wired with the main horn are great in this respect. It takes a little while for the airhorn compressor to spool up, so a quick press of the horn button just gives a standard parp, while a longer press unleashes the air horns.
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>> I'm a tooter myself. I toot under bridges and in tunnels to hear the noise
+1
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BMW beep, beep - Clk Sec
