[V-16]

Honking in Indian driving conditions is more of a way to vent the driver's anger more than anything else. Also the impatience of Indians tends for us to honk every time a signal light goes yellow at the car infront of us. Even in traffic conditions when one knows one cant go anywhere nor can the poor fellow in front of us who is as badly stuck as us, we will still honk to show frustration if not anything else. Why? Because we are an impatient breed. I laugh at the two wheeler riders and cabbies who are standing with you at the start line of any traffic signal. They will always want to be one inch at least in front of the other cars as if this is a medal winning sport.

Some drivers are just honk happy. For no rhyme or reason, one will honk. All this comes from nincompoops getting their licenses without any proper test. Because of them others who are educated and sensible, also turn that way to counter them and slowly it gets into your system.

If licenses were issued strictly ensuring that the driver is aware of all safety and protocols of driving, India would be a better place to drive in. First amongst the ones to be trained should be Govt. Vehicle drivers, including the Police, then the commercial drivers and then public at large. Penalties should be ranging from warnings for first timers ti suspension of license for a minimum period.

[phamilyman]

So it must've been my post here inviting the wrath of the horn gods. My horn conked off on a drive back from roorkee to gurgaon. It is good that I am not prone to the sort of homicidal violence often displayed on Gurgaon roads, but the collective brain-dead driving that characterises this route ensured my blood pressure was on a boil. Without a horn - I had an opportunity to drive into / over atleast 50+ other road users who decided that they would just cut across my car because I was not protesting. Now all of you anti-horn saints, power to you - but I have never felt such powerless nor been such frustrated or driven as crazily (100 one moment, and down to 40 on seeing a potential for someone to cross my path).

I am in fact scheduling a time with the accessories guy for an add-on horn, just for peace of mind's sake

[latentpotential]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Interestingly enough, my (company) driver rarely honks. And he gets us everywhere as quickly as possible with the minimum of fuss and in great comfort.

Proper "chauffeur". He has this uncanny knack of always positioning the car in the lanes that progresses the fastest.

Some of our (company) drivers are out there with the worst of the cabbies when it comes to honking. But you really don't have too. My driver hardly does it and he has an excellent safety record with us.

Jeroen

Well he be willing to take classes? Will send my driver.


BTW, what about the college kids who play horn-tunes to get their friends or of a building? (Guilty in the past myself)

[dass]

Originally Posted by deetjohn

Maybe the best solution is to make the engine power the horn and let people know honking will affect the car's FE.

+1 to this. Unless something is linked to effeciency or losing money, we rarely seem to listen.

By the way, this one had me in splits

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by dass

+1 to this. Unless something is linked to effeciency or losing money, we rarely seem to listen.

By the way, this one had me in splits

A couple of weeks ago I remember reading in the ToI or ET that Sachin Tendulkar has come up with an innovative idea to curb the honking. His idea is every horn should only have a limited number of honks available. After the quota expires, i.e. the user has honked it the stipulated number of times, the horn will no longer work and user will have to buy another horn. And horns will only be sold by the government.

I must admit: it sure is innovative.

[faustus77]

Hi everybody.
Here is an excerpt from today's (page 12) Times of India titled "Indian at the wheel"

"There is no empirical evidence to back this up, but we must be the biggest honkers on the planet. We are a loud people. We are louder drivers. At the wheel, we behave like Moses expecting the seas to part. As that doesn’t happen anywhere except the Bible, we honk away to force divine intervention.
One day, some three years ago, i was heading home from the airport around three in the morning. The driver of the cab i hired wouldn’t tolerate the slightest movement in front of him. In fact, he started punching the horn almost as soon as i got in. Finally, after about 20 minutes, i tapped him on his shoulder and asked, “What are you honking at? There’s no one around.” He was so offended by the question that he sulked for the rest of the journey and refused to acknowledge my presence until it was time for me to pay up.
So what makes us so obnoxious and uncivil? Apart from our own flawed DNA, it is unwillingness on the part of the police to enforce traffic rules. Just after the Nirbhaya rape when cops began their crackdown on tinted glasses, i saw one cold Sunday afternoon an officer, who was chatting over chai with a bunch of his colleagues at the Khan Market intersection, spot a car with pitch black windows. He took a few steps towards the vehicle as if to stop it. Quite amazingly, he changed his mind midway and went back to the tea.

[Steeroid]

Deliver a shock through the horn button after every 3 honks, or base it on some random algorithm that cannot be predicted.

And yes, burn some extra fuel with it like someone suggested. $$$ talks.

[dass]

Originally Posted by honeybee

And horns will only be sold by the government.

Everything is fine about what he said except for the last line. If at all this were to happen, we would have a 'horngate' for sure and the media would get frenzy al over again.

[normally_crazy]

Can someone point me to where I can get a custom rear tail light made ?

Why are you honking, you idiot ? is what I want to make the driver behind me read, everytime I'm stuck in a jam.