Is honking your car horn ever okay?
Posted by chazzawuzza@reddit | AskAnAmerican | View on Reddit | 180 comments
Context: I was driving in South Carolina near Charleston when a pick up truck swerved in front of my car and braked hard causing me to do the same to avoid crashing. I honked my horn as a ‘hey didn’t you see me you nearly caused a crash’ type thing. The pick up then slows down further up the road to wait for me to pass, as I do the driver throws something (it was dark so not sure what) at the passenger side of the car, taking some paint off the bodywork in the process. In the U.K. honking the horn isn’t considered particularly out of the ordinary if someone is driving dangerously.
Subject_Stand_7901@reddit
Pretty rare in my town (~500k people) unless some kind of misfortune is imminent or someone's taking too long at a green light.
ThatPokemonNerd2521@reddit
Driving in the USA in a nutshell.
FerricDonkey@reddit
Honking in that situation (and some others) makes sense. Unfortunately, you ran into a dick.
Quix66@reddit
It my state it's illegal to honk after the fact. It has to be a warning honk, not a way of expressing frustration or anger.
Cacafuego@reddit
"Your honor, I had every reason to believe the other driver still had his head up his own ass, and I was alerting him to that ongoing dangerous situation."
TomMyers_AComedian@reddit
I wish it were actually enforced. Imagine if pedestrians all walked around with air horns and blasted them whenever someone inconvenienced them, or they saw someone they knew.
Imightbeafanofthis@reddit
My biggest peeve about horn use is people who use them to get someone to come out of their house. Lazy bastard! Get out and knock on the door!
CrownStarr@reddit
Oh my god thank you. This happens at one of my neighbor's houses sometimes. It's 2025! We all have cellphones!! I'll grant you I did it when I was a kid sometimes but A) I was a kid B) we didn't have cellphones.
FerricDonkey@reddit
When someone pulls out in front of you and you have to slam on the brakes to avoid a wreck, this is "during" in my view. The driver needs to be aware that there is someone approaching quickly from behind, trying to brake to avoid a wreck.
But regardless, honking in such a situation is normal, and the behavior of the truck is not.
Quix66@reddit
I'm not defending the driver of truck or passing judgement on OP. Stayed what's the law in my state and in many others. I don't have an emotional attachment to whether it not honking is normal.
It seems clear to me that OP honked after the swerve according to this account in order to rebuke the other driver. This did indeed draw the ire of the other driver, something my family has discussed not doing for this very reason, 'normal reaction' or not. We prefer to not risk death over a honk and therefore we restrain ourselves. No judgment implied regarding what's normal behavior after an incident, just a prudent decision for us.
techieman33@reddit
I basically never honk at people that do something dumb for just that reason. It’s just welcoming a road rage incident.
CrownStarr@reddit
I agree. I'll honk at people that I think are making a mistake (like drifting in their lane, sitting at a green light, about to merge into me in their blind spot, etc), or if someone's doing something insane like driving the wrong way on a one-way road. But people doing intentionally selfish asshole things both don't care if you honk and are absolutely the people most likely to escalate and road rage at you. Just curse them out in your car and drive on.
mid-random@reddit
I honk. If they want to road rage at me, I keep a crowbar within easy reach. Yes, I realize I could get shot, but I’m fed up with assholes. I’m willing to risk it.
UnfairHoneydew6690@reddit
I mean honestly if someone gets out of their car and starts coming at you, it’s probably safer to use your car as a weapon.
mid-random@reddit
Ideally, It's safer to drive away, but with the traffic where I live, there's a good chance that nobody's moving much.
Quix66@reddit
Our family talked about this after some incidents in the news where the other drivers's reactions were fatal or dangerous. We've resolved not to honk in such situations.
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CaptainPunisher@reddit
You run into an asshole in the morning...
GMHGeorge@reddit
Yeah that guy was an ass. I have started honking at people looking at their phones at green lights. Rarely get a reaction.
Lothar_Ecklord@reddit
A normal person makes mistakes. An asshole gets mad at you for noticing.
OldDogWithOldTricks@reddit
I honk at people all the time. About 1 in 50 will try and start some shit.
thanatos0320@reddit
It depends on the state. In the South we don't like it when people honk their horns unless it's absolutely needed.. You honked your horn because it was necessary, and that guy was just an asshole.
An example of an unnecessary situation would be a light that just turned green. You have to give the person a few seconds to go before you honk your horn, because honking your horn the instant the light turns green is considered rude and could lead to a dangerous situation - in extreme examples people have been shot.
mostlygray@reddit
I think I chirped my horn at someone about 10 years ago. They weren't paying attention at a green light and were monkeying with their purse.
Other than that, I've been driving for 30 years and don't recall any other time I needed a horn.
Honking at someone because they're driving weird, or because the aren't going fast enough for you, or because the sky is blue is never OK.
If I see someone driving erratic, or cuts me off, or runs a red, my hands are at 10 and 2 and I'm driving. I'm stopping/turning/avoiding the accident. I'm not finger-blasting the horn. I'm a driver first. If I wanted to use the horn, I'd hire a horn operator to ride shotgun.
No_Engineering_718@reddit
Honking is fine. That particular person was a douche
gagnatron5000@reddit
r_GenericNameHere@reddit
Yes, people are too scared to honk nowadays, people do shitty things then you honk at them, so they know they did shitty things. People who just let it happen and ignore it just encourages the behavior because there are no consequences for their shitty actions.
xx-rapunzel-xx@reddit
honking can make you feel like an a-hole but in this case it was necessary to do so. that’s why the horn exists. as a “student” driver, i’d get stressed out by it, but i understand it if it’s a safety issue.
some people will use it as an F-U to a bad driver. it’s not great but it’s a better outlet for road rage than getting even. throwing something at your car is reprehensible.
NikkiBlissXO@reddit
People honk all the time in the states.
devilbunny@reddit
Try Mexico. Especially Mexico City. One of my drivers once joked that Mexicans learn to honk before they learn to walk.
NikkiBlissXO@reddit
lol I go to Mexico often so I’m well aware of the driving conditions there. I also live in a very Mexican centric city in Chicago so everyone just brought their fantastic driving skills with them lol
devilbunny@reddit
It’s chaotic for sure, but I have never seen a wreck happen there. I’ve seen a lot of dented cars, so they obviously happen, but it seems to work.
NikkiBlissXO@reddit
lol all 3 of my cars have been totaled. I wasn’t even in my car for one of those. I was across the street getting breakfast. I had one catch fire from being hit.
hugeyakmen@reddit
Overall yes, but it does seem to vary a lot by state. People in northern CA seem to rarely honk even over really dangerous stuff, but I remember a lot more honking on the east coast
thegoatisoldngnarly@reddit
You have to be more specific than “east coast.” In NY, it’s basically part of the language and people do it constantly. In the South, it’s only used as a “fuck you.” The exception is a quick microsecond beep for “the light is green.”
JungleBoyJeremy@reddit
In Hawaii nobody honks, you will basically never hear a car horn
treylathe@reddit
I have a funny story about that. I was driving my 9yo niece born and raised on the Big Island. Someone honked a horn (not at me) angrily.
My niece, shocked: what was that? Me: a car honking My niece: oh, sounds different in TV
I so rarely hear a horn honking in Hawaii. It’s nice
JungleBoyJeremy@reddit
Haha i like that story, for real thanks for sharing
Imightbeafanofthis@reddit
Yeah, but Hawaii is the one state where minimum speed limits are posted and people regularly tickets for driving too slow because they're too laid back. Aloha culture is great, but it does make for some wacky driving.
Cebuanolearner@reddit
From SoCal and never really heard honking. Unless someone sitting at green light and busy on phone. Currently Illinois and also little to no honking.
GrandTheftBae@reddit
Guessing you haven't spent time in L.A. then
Cebuanolearner@reddit
I'm from LA. The horns are basically nothing compared to other places I've lived.
NikkiBlissXO@reddit
I hear it alllll the time in Chicago.
Hell, I work downtown and hear it 7 stories up in my office.
Cebuanolearner@reddit
I'm from a few hours south, and it's basically dead silent.
anneofgraygardens@reddit
yeah tbh I recently tried to honk at someone because they weren't going at a green light and I actually couldn't figure out how to do it. I'd never tried on this car before! (I've had it got about a year.) And I've still never honked because the other driver noticed that the light had changed before I figured it out.
_BlueJayWalker_@reddit
Some countries honk more than they don’t honk. Like echo-location.
Rrrrandle@reddit
I swear that's Cairo... They drive with their lights off at night and honk instead every time they see another car, or bike, or pedestrian. And it's Cairo, so that's like every 1/2 second.
Repulsive_Set_4155@reddit
You're from Chicago though. Our opinion might be a bit off compared to a lot of the nation. We honk to avoid accidents, to signal someone is not going as fast as we want, to express a general dismay that other people exist, because it's a Wednesday and we're lonely, etc.
PaRuSkLu@reddit
In some big cities.
NikkiBlissXO@reddit
I live in a big ass city lol. Lots of honking.
Quix66@reddit
Not my state. People I used to honk more often but it's now illegal to honk for anything but a warning of a potential accident. The cops cracked down, and people stopped honking a lot.
Of course, some will honk after getting cut off or something, but you don't hear it a lot.
Appropriate-Food1757@reddit
Yes, obviously it’s there for a reason. If someone is backing up into you. If done is texting a red they need quick boop.
Playful_Fan4035@reddit
A little short honk when someone is just sitting when the light turns green is okay. A more aggressive, loud honk is okay for someone who is either trying to merge poorly or isn’t staying in their lane and they are about to hit your and you need them to realize you exist quickly. These types of honks usually at worse only embarrass the other driver and sometimes they actually appreciate it.
Other than these two, honks seem to risk inducing road rage in unstable jerks, at least where I live.
Prowindowlicker@reddit
Sometimes the short honk isn’t enough for the green light sitter.
There’s been times I’ve short honked and the guy still didn’t move. So I just laid on the horn. Dude eventually moved.
Prowindowlicker@reddit
I honk a lot. You sit at a green light for longer than a few seconds you better believe I’m gonna lay on the horn.
You start to come into my lane I’m gonna lay on it.
And in many other situations
whyisitbrightoutside@reddit
Welcome to SC! Honking is typically okay. The person you had an interaction with was just pissed at the world. You're good.
charlieq46@reddit
That is the perfect reason to honk. You are saying , "excuse me! I exist, please don't run into me!" Also a single small honk at an intersection if the person in front of you isn't paying attention and the light turns green. I usually give a 10 second grace period.
outofcontextsex@reddit
Honked mine until it quit working
JadeHarley0@reddit
Yes. Sometimes it's a safety necessity if someone is doing something really unsafe, and sometimes you can do a mild tap on the horn to get some one's attention, like if they are sitting at a stoplight and haven't noticed it's turned green. But it is always considered a confrontational act and no one likes getting honked at.
AppState1981@reddit
In the South, it's used solely as a greeting. Many people become raving nutbags when they get behind the wheel so it is not advisable to admonish people with your horn.
baalroo@reddit
The horn is to get someone's attention to avoid an accident. Using it after a situation is over to express your displeasure is just being a dick to feed your own ego.
MyUsername2459@reddit
That was a completely justified use of your horn.
However, sadly, some people are just antisocial jerks.
VictoriousRex@reddit
It's a regional thing for the most part but also some people are just complete dicks. In the regional note, in Colorado where I grew up, it used to be never honk just throw the bird.
Moved to Chicago, it was honk whenever, never flip someone off. I moved back to Colorado and now it's Russian roulette. If you indicate displeasure with someone's driving in any way, it could become a road range incident.
PNW_lover_06@reddit
you ran into an idiot
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Maybe the idiot was trying to keep that from happening?
WhiskeyJack-13@reddit
People hardly ever honk where I am and it's pretty dangerous in some areas. 2 or 3 people have been shot at in Indianapolis recently for honking.
trilobright@reddit
You were absolutely justified in honking in that particular situation. The US generally follows the same social mores as the UK, in that honking is acceptable only when someone is doing something dangerous, or when they're stopped when they should't be (e.g. refusing to go at a green light, stopping in front of an empty rotary/roundabout, etc). Just don't honk because you're frustrated with traffic, as is the norm in parts of Africa and Asia I've visited.
The guy who threw something at you was just an absolute snowflake.
Real-Psychology-4261@reddit
Honking is okay if a person is nearly causing an accident.
plation5@reddit
Honking is fine I’ve done it in a similar situation to what you described. The other driver was completely out of line I would have called the cops if someone threw shit at my car.
witchy12@reddit
Honking is how you communicate in Boston. I grew up in Michigan and I've honked more in my \~1 year of having a car in Boston than my entire \~22 years in Michigan. It really depends on where you are.
Crissup@reddit
My wife is from Boston. When she moved to the Chicago area to be with me, she commented how shocked she was that Chicago drivers don’t honk a lot. I explained it was because in Chicago, honking basically means I want to see your middle finger.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Wait, you're saying in Chicago people don't throw each other the bird as a matter of course? That's just how you say 'hello' when you're driving a car.
Crissup@reddit
Of course, but the horn just reminds them that they're not showing it frequently enough.
biddily@reddit
Oh, the light turned green, better honk to make sure the person in front of me is paying attention. (I fucking hate this)
I want to go right on red but there's a no right on red sign, better beep at the person blocking me from turning! (I hate that)
Somebody tried to skip the long wait at an exit and no one will let them in, time to honk like a petty bitch. (fuck you bitch)
Someone did something dumb and now people are just in a beeping match with each other. (but why tho)
I'm a lifelong Bostonian. I don't know how to describe it. The horn is there to have a conversation with other drivers thru beeps. Long beeps, short beeps - there's a rhythm to it and it matters.
Can_I_Read@reddit
Philadelphia too. It’s like the cars are talking to each other.
smurphy8536@reddit
Haha I was gonna comment about Boston. It throws people if they’re not from around here because every intersection will have someone beeping.
Death_by_Hedgehog@reddit
I low-key yearn for this. I don't think I've touched the beeper in my current or previous car aside 1-2 accidental bumps with a bag or something. It's like a nuclear button you "can't" push.
Quake_Guy@reddit
If you are in Mexico in a busy urban area with a Mexican driving, you will see him use horn more in one hour than the average American will use in his lifetime.
RevolutionaryWeek573@reddit
Car manufacturers should add a few types of honk-sounds.
An angry, “I’m mad at you, you idiot” honk.
A friendly honk for things like, “hey, the light changed to green.”
A honk that means “oops, my bad”.
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
I find it crazy how many responses are basically I don’t honk as people carry guns in their cars. It’s something I’ve never had to think about before and momentarily forgot… won’t happen again.
UnfairHoneydew6690@reddit
I find it crazy how most of the responses are actually people saying you used the horn correctly and the guy was just an idiot, but all you’re apparently noticing is “Americans are all gun toting psychos”
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
Not true at all, I said many responses not all. I agree most responses are the former but the gun comments stuck out at me more for obvious reasons, I don’t think that’s unfair. I’ve never even seen a gun.
UnfairHoneydew6690@reddit
Well I guess if I’m ever in the UK I should probably be scared of random knife attacks since that’s apparently a daily occurrence from what I see on the internet. That’s just crazy to me since I’ve never seen anyone here have a knife pulled on them.
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
While that does happen in some places it’s mainly between rival gangs in places tourists would never go. And it’s rare, I’ve never seen a knife pulled on anyone. 262 people died in the U.K. from knife attacks last year compared to over 30,000 gun related deaths in the US so it’s not really comparable.
Cheap_Coffee@reddit
Speaking as someone who drives in Boston, honking is absolutely necessary. It's how you get people to look up from their phone screens.
Highly_Regarded_1@reddit
Absolutely. The purpose of the horn is to notify another driver if they're doing something that's about to cause an accident. That's when I lay it down hard.
I will also give it a light tap if the person in front of me at a light doesn't start moving when it turns green after a few seconds.
mmaalex@reddit
Yes.
First its intended as a warning device, thats why cars are required to have horns. Using it for that purpose is always 100% acceptable.
Second there are times where its appropriate to honk at people doing stupid shit. How acceptable varies regionally.
SyrupUsed8821@reddit
That’s a different situation because he was an asshole but, honking isn’t nearly as common or accepted in the south. Most people just don’t honk their horn unless absolutely necessary from my expirience
machagogo@reddit
Yes. That's why cars come equipped with them.
Puzzleheaded-Eye6596@reddit
Its best not to honk in that situation. The guy may be an asshole but you already avoided the accident. you aren't going to 'teach' them anything by honking just showing your frustration (with cause).
The only time honking is really useful is if someone is maybe reversing their car and don't see you there. also if there are really tight turns on small roads some may honk to show their presence to oncoming cars
vadabungo@reddit
I use my horn pretty regularly
TreeOfLife36@reddit
It's fine to honk in that situation. That was just an a-hole.
waltzthrees@reddit
You did what’s accepted under road rules and the other driver engaged in road rage. He was in the wrong twice. Once when he swerved and cut you off, once when he threw something.
Exciting-Parfait-776@reddit
Honking in that scenario makes sense. The thing you need to be careful of. Is that it could cause road rage in the person you honked at.
MagicalPizza21@reddit
Yeah. Honking your horn is fine when threatened. It's also fairly common when blocked, though people's judgement on this tends to be pretty bad (e.g. honking in gridlock is absolutely useless but far too common).
Vert354@reddit
Honking after the fact will always be seen as a form of reprimand. Some people are introspective and will accept it, and some will be giant assholes like your person.
To be honest, though, I don't really hold with this kind of honking as it doesn't really accomplish anything. Honking should be used to alert someone in the moment that they are or are about to do something problematic. Since while the car is moving, I'm focused on avoiding collisions. I usually only honk at people who have become distracted at a traffic signal and don't notice the light has changed.
Electronic-Can-8943@reddit
South Carolina shares two collective braincells. Charleston is known for its bad drivers and road ragers. Source: I live here
PghSubie@reddit
There are a bunch of poor drivers out there, many of them younger, who incorrectly feel that ANY use of the horn at all is rude. They're very wrong
unique2alreadytakn@reddit
The purpose of the horn is to warn a person not to cause an accident, not to communicate a "fuck you asshole". Id go as far as to okay it as an alert to someone that may be unaware that an accident almost happened. Ive been in an emergency situation where some one blasted the horn at me continuosly and made the situation worse. But it probably made them feel better. Of course in chicago its a constant, "F you get out my way" and is normal. South Carolina voted for trump so its hard to say...im thinking you "treaded" on them.
Meilingcrusader@reddit
In New England, people honk somewhat frequently when someone does something like that
Vachic09@reddit
Honking is typically a warning or to alert. It's not polite to use it after the fact in my area. It also depends on how you honk. A long drawn out one at a light to remind the driver in front of you is inappropriate but a short one or two is appropriate. The drawn out ones would be okay while a person is starting to swerve into your lane but isn't afterwards.
NarrowAd4973@reddit
The truck pulling out in front of you close enough you has to slam on your breaks shows he was both an idiot and an asshole. Throwing something at your car confirms it.
I wouldn't have just honked. I'd have laid on the horn for several seconds. I've done it before in just that situation.
TheHarlemHellfighter@reddit
I don’t often, even in situations where I might have just avoided someone else. I think it’s because, up to this point, I’ve seen a lot of the bad driving and predicted a lot of the bad things would happen before they did. So, in my mind, when I see incompetent drivers, I usually suspect certain BS they’re gonna do wrong and they usually do what I suspect they’re gonna do wrong. The honking comes from either me being completely blindsided by an action or when I can tell the person is obviously not aware like they should be while driving.
bmccooley@reddit
Sure, if someone is about to hit you. It's also more likely in the US that you will encounter road rage.
Usual-Reputation-154@reddit
As a New Jerseyan this is the funniest question I’ve ever heard
skateboreder@reddit
I can hear the honks now as I cut over from the left lane all the way across traffic so I don't miss the jughandle
Usual-Reputation-154@reddit
We call that the Jersey Slide
horatio_corn_blower@reddit
Honking is half the fun of driving tbh
UnicornPencils@reddit
I never honk after the fact, that just runs the risk of getting into a road rage incident.
I honk if some kind of collision is imminent, and getting someone to notice something might help. And I might give the gentle, barely honk if someone is sitting at a green light too long.
PinchMaNips@reddit
Honking the horn is fine, you’ll just occasionally run into someone with a fragile ego who will get butthurt. This also isn’t something that is uniquely American. Honk at enough people in the UK and I’m sure you’ll eventually get a similar reaction.
CuppaJoe11@reddit
In the US, honking is considered to be a little hostile. (Even if you were in the right to do it)
This is totally different to other countries. I was in Costa Rica, and the drivers honked every chance they got. Going around a turn? A quick honk. Taking a right? A quick honk. The horn was basically there to let other drivers know you exist.
In the US it’s far more often used as a “you are in danger” warning. For emergencies.
chalkthefuckup@reddit
Americans that drive big trucks are usually very fragile. You hurt his feelings.
DCStoolie@reddit
A quick two hits of the horn when the car in front of you doesn’t move when time to go at an all stop is customary.
If a driver is recklessly driving, being dangerous fo other drivers because of their driving, yes a horn is warranted.
DrMindbendersMonocle@reddit
Yes, but some people are assholes and think honking is a personal affront. There are cases of road rage
iPoopandiDab@reddit
This is something that is going to vary person to person. I’ve lived in Europe (Italy in particular) and I understand that honking there is simply a means of communicating to other drivers like “hey I’m here and I’m going to pass you” type thing. But here in America, honking can be offensive for a lot of people.
I’ve given friendly short honks to people who were too busy texting and sitting at a green light and still gotten the middle finger. I’ve also gotten the friendly “my bad” wave from people.
cyvaquero@reddit
It really depends where in the U.S.
Pretty common method of communication in the northeast. Meanwhile, here in San Antonio it is rare enough that everyone looks when someone does honk.
It's something that in some areas they have very fragile egos about.
WiggWamm@reddit
The other driver was an asshole
No-Possibility5556@reddit
I’d argue it isn’t done enough but still common although varies by area. You just got unlucky and found a massive prick
travel-Dr@reddit
I used to travel a lot for work. Honking is normal - I got honked at for not knowing where I was going, I honked at people because people are dumb when they’re driving at night or in big cities. But if you’re renting a car test the horn - you don’t know if you have a polite meep-meep or a blaring horn if it’s not your car. But honestly I mostly lost my own irritation because my rental car horn was too polite to annoy anyone.
link2edition@reddit
Hell I honked at someone today because he was driving his pickup in the center of two lanes. He finally picked one.
Amazing_Basket2597@reddit
Honking is actually protected by the first amendment, you are fine, and anyways that’s an ok time to honk.
I’m sorry you dealt with that. I’d file a police report if there’s damage. Please don’t let our bottom5% of manners spoil the other 95%. I promise you we’re not all like that. Sincerely, Americans
elvensnowfae@reddit
I don't really like my husband honking his horn. Someone brandished a gun at a red light next to us (no one honked, I guess he was just showing the gun off? Tapping it outside his car door). Terrified me. Too many mentally unstable psychos here
JohnHenryMillerTime@reddit
Honking is cultural. For a brief period I had a company car in NYC. So Id commute in and take the car. There is a whole language of honking in NYC.
California is more relaxed. When I moved here I waited at a red light. I hit 5 before people honked.
My spouse is from Indiana and I have cousins in Wisconsin. They never honk because they are afraid someone will shoot them.
The Midwest is the nonviolent version of the South so your experience is normal.
ChristyM4ck@reddit
Sounds like that person was a moron. Typically tho a quick double beep isn’t seen as aggressive and more as a way to notify other drivers of something. Laying on the horn long is more of a “f@*! You!”
maxintosh1@reddit
In some residential neighborhoods in NYC there are "Don't Honk" roadsigns.
Nobody follows them.
peter303_@reddit
Throwing things at cars is felony here. One kid who killed a driver just got 45 year sentence.
https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/defendant-nicholas-karol-chik-colorado-deadly-rock-throwing-death-sentenced/
Expensive_Drummer970@reddit
i never honk
i honked once and someone followed me around for 10 minutes afterwards.
never underestimate how many people are actually crazy
BroCanWeGetLROTNOG@reddit
The further east you go, the more honking you hear in the US.
No_Perspective_242@reddit
One hand on the wheel, the other on the horn. Bite me.
Crusoe15@reddit
There are reasons to honk, you honked reasonably but the dude you honked at was a jerk
Physical_Bit7972@reddit
Honking is ok and probably the right thing to do in that situation. You just ran into an entitled asshole that doesn't like to be called out.
KrummMonster@reddit
I tend to honking only if someone is in imminent danger of actually hitting with me. I don't honk forndumb drivers, as I don't want to get shot.
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
Being from the U.K. this has never been something I’ve had to worry about before
KrummMonster@reddit
I envy you for that.
Anteater_Reasonable@reddit
Honking is almost a reflex to me.
brzantium@reddit
People have been driving especially shittier since covid so I've been honking my horn a lot lately.
Powerful-Cheetah6685@reddit
It absolutely is. You encountered an asshole.
I think I honk on most days I drive, mainly to wake others drivers from their stupor when they don’t move on green.
FunProfessional570@reddit
Yes. I’ve had some folks pull out in front of me ..had one guy trying move over in my lane and he had no idea I was there and I could t go anywhere. I was braking but laid on my horn and so did guy behind him. He narrowly abilities side-swiping me.
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
Thanks for all the responses, my sanity has been restored. Been having an amazing visit to the states so far but will definitely hesitate to use the horn next time!
Quix66@reddit
Pleas do hesitate. The outcome could've been far worse, or even fatal.
Complete_Aerie_6908@reddit
People around my area don’t honk unless they are actually trying to get your attention for safety. It’s considered rude.
Bluemonogi@reddit
I think it is better to honk to warn someone they are about to hit you or be hit by you not to express annoyance.
DegenerateCrocodile@reddit
No, you were in the right in that situation. He’s just an aggressive idiot.
OriginalFairmont@reddit
I never use my horn. I figure that if you do it enough times then eventually you’ll trigger someone.
MegaAscension@reddit
Driving in Charleston just sucks as a whole. Ridiculously aggressive drivers, people from out of town who don’t understand the roads, drunks leaving a party downtown, people racing down the Ravanel and I-26…
chazzawuzza@reddit (OP)
I think in this case it could’ve been a drunk throwing a beer can and you are bang on with the stretch of road
dmbgreen@reddit
When someone is going to hit you.
ReactionAble7945@reddit
If in a parking lot a honk has kept someone from backing into me and I couldn't go anywhere to get out of the way.
I think I also woke someone up who was sitting at a stop sign at 3am one morning.
But zooming down the road, if you have the ability to blow your horn for the count of 3 ....you had the ability to dodge. I dodge vs. Blow.
And for the other times it is a toot not a bbbbbblllllloooooowwwww.
CaptainPunisher@reddit
Honking is acceptable in many situations, especially when people aren't paying attention. The length of the honk is also significant; long honks are usually for when someone is being careless, and shirt honks are either a greeting, thank you, or just a wish attention grabber. Also, I have a horn that plays La Cucaracha, so that's just announcing my presence.
Past-Apartment-8455@reddit
My wife, especially in my car (MX-5) drives with one hand on the horn and one on the steering wheel. Once (only once) while I was driving, reached over and honked the horn before I set the ground rules. When I'm driving, this area (everything in front of me) is mine and she isn't allowed there. Kind of dangerous when you have more than one person trying to drive.
Myself, I tend to keep both hands on the wheel and avoid the danger. If I care after avoiding the danger, I might honk my horn.
A classic example is once someone decided to throw their car in reverse when pulling out of the parking lot into the street. A quick glance into my rear view mirror and throw it into reverse was safer than honking my horn and hoping that the bad driver heard me. While she was yelling 'honk!', I avoided the need and perhaps saved my car spending some time in the body shop.
But after over a decade driving a small car (7 years in a NC, 4 in a 2021 MX-5), I have upped my defensive driving skills.
Quix66@reddit
It should only be used to warn, not in anger. For one thing, in some places it's illegal to honk your horn in anger specifically because it should be used only in warning. For another, I think honking in anger risks exacerbating the situation. Some people will get road rage and retaliate, perhaps even fatally.
It's just not a good idea to honk after the situation has passed just to show your anger or frustration.
I just looked up my own state. It is indeed illegal to honk your horn if it is not necessary to ensure safe operation. The argument is that it helps with traffic safety and noise pollution. You can't even legally honk to get a friend's attention here.
RedvsBlack4@reddit
What you did was appropriate but that’s only guy was an asshole.
RespectableBloke69@reddit
So the problem here is it was a pickup truck driver. They are mostly psychos.
Subterranean44@reddit
I think you’re technically only supposed to honk to prevent an accident, but I think YOUR reason is probably the most common reason people use it. That or someone not paying attention at a light
Dangerous-Bit-8308@reddit
Horns are one part of U.S. traffic law that is regulated differently by state.
In my state, horns can only be used in an emergency situation.
fyrfytr310@reddit
I wear my horn out in city driving 😂
Pernicious_Possum@reddit
Yes. Often. There have been times I was thankful to get honked at
PoolSnark@reddit
Of course you think more over there. In the UK, people don’t carry guns in theirs cars.
KobeBeatJesus@reddit
It has nothing to do with honking your horn and everything to do with that person being a loser.
LibrarianAcrobatic21@reddit
Depends where you live, I learned to drive in the South, at that time it was generally considered rude to honk the horn. There were reasons to honk the horn, like running a light.
The_Awful-Truth@reddit
It's not even a judgment on the driver, it's more of a "hey, I'm here, don't forget about me" kind of thing.
Hot_Car6476@reddit
Honking is often okay. This driver is in the wrong on several counts and is not a representative sample of proper driving or proper driving etiquette.
Character_Wait_2180@reddit
It is totally normal to honk at people who are driving like idiots. We honk our horns for a lot of reasons. Especially in situations like this. What you encountered, though is also, sadly, pretty normal in this country: road rage. The U.S. is filled with angry, stupid, aggressive people who think they are entitled to be idiots without consequence, and get mad when you correct them.
THElaytox@reddit
I don't honk cause everyone in this country is a fucking lunatic armed to the teeth and I don't trust any of them to not try and murder me
44035@reddit
Yes, in parking lots when someone is slowly backing up and about to ram your car.
Dragonflies3@reddit
Throwing an object at a moving vehicle is a felony in most places. This guy was just a jerk.
ColoradoWeasel@reddit
I was taught honk to warn, not to chastise. I don’t always follow that, but it is what I was taught.
madmaxjr@reddit
Yeah in the US, the official rule is that honking should only be used to avoid an accident
Calm-Medicine-3992@reddit
There is no world where that kind of honking creates any good...it isn't making them aware of anything dangerous other than your displeasure.
I mean, it was justified and their road rage wasn't but it was still road rage. The horn is to signal someone or get their attention.
mustang6172@reddit
Honking is acceptable. Road rage is human nature.
BettyMcYeti@reddit
Honking your horn in your situation was called for so you were justified in doing that. You were just unfortunate to run into a jerk with road rage that day. I'm from South Carolina and in general South Carolinians don't use their horns nearly as much as other states do unless it's really necessary. We're a bit more polite than that. Please don't think we are all like that guy in the truck. Sorry you had to encounter that idiot driver while you were here, but once again, he totally deserved to be honked at, you did nothing wrong.
horatio_corn_blower@reddit
Honking is extremely common, but you do so at your own risk. I think when you do the “you fucking idiot” honk like you did, there’s always a risk you’ll trigger an idiot’s road rage. Personally I don’t let that stop me though. Sorry you ran into a particularly sensitive person! Keep on honkin’
Scrappy_The_Crow@reddit
It's OK to use the horn in many situations, or else cars wouldn't have them.
The situation you described is one of the many appropriate uses of a car horn. The other driver's actions that caused you to honk and then his actions afterwards show he's an ass, not that you shouldn't have used your horn.
Pitiful_Bunch_2290@reddit
White guys in pickups...9 out of 10 times it's going to be a douchebag.
dopefiendeddie@reddit
Honking is ok, that guy was being a dick
MotherOf4Jedi1Sith@reddit
Yes! Unless you want that reckless teenager who's trying to cross 4 lanes of traffic to actually hit you because he was going too fast to notice where you were!!!! (True story, and yes, I laid hard on my horn!)
stinson16@reddit
I’m from Seattle where people pretty much never honk and I’d honk in that situation. I am always aware of the possibility of road rage though, so if I have time to think about honking, I usually err on the side of not.
dystopiadattopia@reddit
It's always ok unless you're just trying to harass someone.
That truck driver deserved your honk. He was just an asshole.
Firm-Goat9256@reddit
Honking is normal in America
LongjumpingStudy3356@reddit
Pretty sure that's assault (what they did) lol, not normal at all... Honking is totally normal in situations where the driver is not acting right, especially if they're endangering themselves or others