Honking at Intersections

[TheHuckster]

To the lovely impatient driver behind me:

I know, we all have places to go. Where ever I go, I intend to get there safely. When I'm pulling out of a parking lot onto a busy road flanked by 5-foot snowbanks on either side which makes this road even narrower than it normally is, I am going to make sure I have clear sight of any oncoming traffic. It is up to me, and ONLY me to determine whether it's safe to pull out onto the road.

You, on the other hand, have ZERO discretion to make such a judgement, especially considering the snowbanks completely obscure your view of the road, and you can't even tell what oncoming traffic I'm seeing that's making me maintain my stop.

No, honking at me doesn't make this go any faster. If my car could phase through other cars, or if I had a monster truck and had no regard for other people's lives, I might have pulled out right then, but sadly neither of those things are true. Please calmly wait your turn.

[bainsidhe]

I think you might live near me.

I recently had someone behind me, honking and flailing arms in frustration, because I was taking my sweet time going through the intersection. Of course, this was because I had no traction and my wheels were simply spinning in place, but I guess he didn't see the bits of snow flying from my wheel wells and assume I was being extra cautious.

[HYHYBT]

Ugh. That's bad enough without weather complications. There's a certain intersection near here where... OK, I don't get it often, but I've come to *expect* it every time it's possible. Right turn is optional on red, after stopping and if nobody's coming. Optional: not mandatory. And if there's a tall vehicle in the next lane, and sometimes even when there isn't, it's impossible to know for certain nobody's coming... so I wait for the green light, or at least for the cars making the same turn I am, but in the opposite direction, to get their green left arrow and block the intersection for me. Other drivers seem to hate that, for some reason.

[Kaylyn]

I love getting honked at near a large intersection close to my apartment, when I'm in the right turn lane at a red light, next to and under signs that say "NO RIGHT ON RED". I just watch them rage in my rear view mirror. I'm not stupid, cops LOVE that intersection!

[sophie]

The best is when someone honks at you in the middle lane at a red light. Where do they want me to go? Do they really think I'll run the light just for them?

[mjr]

I'll admit it. I've done my fair share of honking at people.

Sometimes it's because someone cut me off. Sometimes it's because someone's more interested in what's happening on their smart phone than watching the lights change from red to green.

See, that long thin vertical pedal is called an accelerator. It triggers a mechanism that makes gasoline go to your engine, thus accelerating your car. That big, round thing in front of you? That steers it.

I grew up in a small town. I got used to things a certain way. Roads weren't as crowded, and most people exercised at least some courtesy. I moved away for a few years, lost my patience for certain things related to driving, and I moved back to my hometown. Unfortunately, I haven't re-gained the patience I lost. Probably because I still have to put up with crowded roads near the major metro area where I work.

[DGoddess]

I love getting honked at near a large intersection close to my apartment, when I'm in the right turn lane at a red light, next to and under signs that say "NO RIGHT ON RED". I just watch them rage in my rear view mirror. I'm not stupid, cops LOVE that intersection!

Sounds like the intersection just below my house where my road crosses Wendover Speedway.

Not only do we have the "No Turn on Red" sign but also a left turning lane and signal light.

Half the drivers I've watched will forget that the No Turn sign is there and turn right anyways - which is how at least several wrecks at that light have happened in the past.

Cops love to pull up on someone's bumper in that lane when the light is red. Good time for them to run a plate check.