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Old 6th May 2007, 17:45   #16
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Great! I see the scare on your faces when even thinking about it. I have my horn wired and in perfect working condition. Just that I dont use it. But let me tell you, I am practicing it for one year and will continue to do so. And I dont drive a small distance. I drive every weekday from Malleswaram to Electronics City and back (which adds up to more than 50kms through the heart of the city) and to other smaller trips on weekends. Regarding "not using horn is illegal", its a good joke. As if everybody on road is driving legally.

Regarding observing traffic rules, I had been doing that for much longer, in fact for about 2 years since I relocated from abroad. That is also not easy when you see the other 95% of the drivers breaking them shamelessly.

Actually, I feel that not using horn is easier in a city like Bangalore where traffic is always choke-a-block. How does it make a difference, if you honk, other than irritating people around you. It is more useful when you have blind curves, less vehicles on road with more people or animals moving around, driving in emergency etc. I have not come across any such situations so far.

People in general use horn to show that "they have arrived", not for FYI as mentioned above. And I care a hoot to such honkers. Anyway it gives me a opportunity to smile at others who think that honking through the traffic will take them faster, but increase their BP.
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Old 6th May 2007, 17:54   #17
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Yes we cannot drive without horns in India,but somebody should set a certain limit for the sound intensity.

Off late bikes have been given very very powerful horns,These youngsters are certainly not ringing it for anything related to traffic,some of them ring the horn continuously without any rhyme or reason,ok lets not target the bikers alone even some car/suv owners also do the same.Wish something is done in this regard.
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Old 6th May 2007, 22:22   #18
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appuchan,

Very commendable self-discipline. Appreciate the positive influence you've effected on Bangalore traffic - President APJ Abdul Kalam will be proud of you.

However speaking for myself, and I'm not a horn-happy person, when a situation arises where I feel my car or the other party (2-wheelers, animals, pedestrians) are in potential danger of any kind, I "blip" my horn and both parties never end up losers.
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Old 6th May 2007, 22:31   #19
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I love the sound of my horn so find the smallest oppurtunity to honk. cant live without it.
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Old 6th May 2007, 22:40   #20
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Wow that could be a difficult exercise.
But i think in India it is wise to use a horn up to a certain point. You don't know when the 2-wheeler or auto in your adjacent lane will jump in to yours without any notice. Whenever overtaking i make it a point to briefly press the horn so that the other person know somebody is passing next to him and he should hold for a while.
Forgot about 1 year i can't drive even for 1 min in Hyd traffic without horn.
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Old 6th May 2007, 22:42   #21
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I think the effort you have shown is commendable. I have an uncle who practices the same - he NEVER ever uses his horn. The max he does is to show annoyance or disapproval is a flash of his lights.

I try not to use the horn as far as possible when I'm in India, but yes there are those stubborn people who just refuse to get out of the way no matter what.

For them I have a secret weapon which I will have fitted in the car soon.
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Old 7th May 2007, 00:55   #22
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Its just USELESS using the horn anymore. People do not move even if you blow an AIR HORN thats loud just behind their you know what. *shrugs* I have given up. I think I must have used the horn about 10 times in the last 2-3 months.
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Old 7th May 2007, 01:32   #23
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I can understand what led you to that practice appuchan. I myself get tremendously irritated when someone honks needlessly. And in this country thats almost always. On a red light some nut will come from behind and will start honking, the light just turns amber to indicate that its your turn next and a couple of monkeys will immediately jump on their horns... Examples are many. I call them horn jockeys... HJs. At times it infuriates me enough to fly off the handle. I almost hit out at a cabbie once when I realized that he was trying to bully me incessantly since 1 km back as he though I was a novice driver (I was driving my friends new car with ribbons, minus the no. plate).

However, there ends the similarity. Although at times my wife gets exasperated when I refuse to honk in traffic muddles I still do use the horn. Its more kind of a toot (blipping the horn that is) while passing those 8-seaters or rogue buses. You see... in a country like this at times it can get excruciating. You probably drive in a bumper to bumper traffic from start till end and hence I can understand that honking is not required. However if you do find an open stretch of a road and are doing some 50kmph when all of a sudden you find to biker chums are happilly driving at 30kmph, next to each other, chatting their way to glory you will realise that you either will have to honk or else cut across lanes. For no matter how much you flash or get at a licking distance to their ar**s they just refuse to move to the left. In fact even toot won't make them budge. Its only when you pierce their diaphragms with a loud horn that they will give you an indolent glance and move aside.

Uhuh... it is difficult not to honk buddy... you can practice restraint but you can't airbrush that horn out of your car's vital stats... not yet.
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Old 7th May 2007, 04:06   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by iraghava View Post
wait there are times when I don't use the horn, I use the siren!!!!! Works like a charm!!!
we NCR guys are incorrigible!
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Old 7th May 2007, 10:25   #25
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@appuchan : Nice effort,pal ... and good that u succeeded so far, but lets not keep running out on luck here. Have the horn wirign back in place, as you would never know when you would just need it. From your description, i belive you drive through Hosur road on a daily basis.... how on earth do u manage without honking there??!!!
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Old 7th May 2007, 10:28   #26
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My views match with Zappo's word for word.

Most often it is my wife who tells me to use the horn as "FYI".
My method is to use the shortest possible duration for "FYI".
For the right of way to overtake, start with the shortest duration and then keep increasing the duration till you are heard.

Even when I ride my bike, I keep watching my mirrors to give way to a faster vehicle coming behind me. But not many people do that in the city - so horns are a must.
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Old 7th May 2007, 10:28   #27
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Well done appuchan, we truly appreciate your effort.
This country is hopelessly noisy and needs more citizens like you.

Why only automobile drivers, those who manage temples, mosques, gurudwaras, etc. fare no better when it comes to disturbing others through noise. And then we have those religious minded souls who stay awake all night chanting prayers on loudspeakers (jagrata). Which religious scripture tells you it's compulsory to use loudspeakers while reciting prayers?

About 7 years or so ago, the Govt. of India did introduce noise pollution norms under the Environment Protection Act but they are seldom followed except perhaps by manufacturers of DG sets - a soundproof accoustic enclosure is now mandatory.

I think the amount of honking drivers do also depends on their education level. Cars that are being driven by "driver" are the worst culprit.

As for myself, I don't horn much. When I do, I use two very short blips, one after the other - it's more audible, yet less noisy overall.
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Old 7th May 2007, 10:30   #28
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Steeroid View Post
but yes there are those stubborn people who just refuse to get out of the way no matter what.

For them I have a secret weapon which I will have fitted in the car soon.
And what's that? A ship horn?
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Old 7th May 2007, 10:32   #29
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rahul_intlad View Post
Yes we cannot drive without horns in India,but somebody should set a certain limit for the sound intensity.

Off late bikes have been given very very powerful horns,These youngsters are certainly not ringing it for anything related to traffic,some of them ring the horn continuously without any rhyme or reason,ok lets not target the bikers alone even some car/suv owners also do the same.Wish something is done in this regard.
Fully agree with you. The MV Rules should also specify the maximum permissible decible level for each category of automobile.
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Old 7th May 2007, 11:30   #30
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Hi,

I am also against the noise pollution caused by unnecessary honking. But then there are situations when it would be safer to honk. At times you honk for something that you do not see or expect, at blind turn may be, it serves more like a safety warning.

Cio
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