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#11
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"Dick Durbin" wrote: (clip)tap on the horn (clip) ^^^^^^^^^^^^^ I have been looking at some videos about steam locomotives--what most of us don't know is that each whistle sound and pattern has a specific meaning. In a way, car horns are like that too, but that has not been mentioned in this thread. An impatient sustained, annoyed blast directed at someone who is asleed at a green light is far different from a gentle tap or double tap, which could be a greeting. Also, the distance from which the warning is given is part of the message. If you want the cyclist to know you intend to pass to his/her left on a narrow street, the warning should be softly given, and not when you're already on his/her elbow. IOW, horns should not be taken out of context. :-) Just a couple of added thoughts. |
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#12
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"Claire Petersky" wrote in message ink.net...
Dear fellow Bellevue residents: snip some excellent reminders from Claire regarding honking I'll share a minor annoyance I suffered the other day at the end of my commute home. I should preface this by saying that the amount of outright hostility I experience in general is far outweighed by the kindness of most drivers, but nonetheless: The last short streatch of my commute home involves one of those intersections which weren't really designed so much as they just kind of happened. I crest a hill and roll down the other side for no more than 50 yards when the road curves sharply down and to the right and I must turn left across traffic on a blind intersection. There are cars coming the other way, so after signaling I slow down at the far left of my lane to sort of roll/trackstand until the traffic clears. The car immediately behind me slows to be sure of what I am doing and then passes safely on my right (there is plenty of room), as does the car behind them. The guy behind that (in a huge Cadillac SUV, of course) winds the window down and honks and screams at me as he rolls past. This strikes me as odd for a few reasons. 1) I accelerated out of the last light faster than the line of traffic he was in and had already been sitting at this intersection for a few seconds by the time they caught me. So clearly I wasn't slowing anyone down. 2) Had I been in a car, they would have had to wait for me to turn, but because I am on a bike they can safely pass me, so I am slowing them less than I would otherwise. 3) In slowing to honk and scream he takes up more of his apparently precious time than he would otherwise. What is it with people in expensive SUVs? -Tim |
#13
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Nice post, Claire. But you're preaching to the choire. Maybe you should
post it in the auto groups (we won't chastise you for cross posting, promise!). ;-3) - - "May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!" Chris Zacho ~ "Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman" Chris'Z Corner http://www.geocities.com/czcorner |
#14
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When to honk: -Never-. Unless you want me to take the middle of the lane forcing you to either to change lanes to pass or stay behind me as I grind up this hill at ~7 mph. -- SpearSlinger1 |
#15
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When to honk:
When you want to see how quickly a person can remove one hand from the drops and raise the middle finger of said hand high in the air... --- But seriously...about a month ago while driving I came up behind four guys probably my age (late forties) on a two lane country road, ambling along at probably 10 - 12 mph (no spandex to be seen), gabbing to each other, 4 abreast - 2 in each lane...they took their sweet time, gave me a dirty look for daring to be on the same road with them, then the two in the "wrong" (passing) lane moved over so I had to go in the passing lane to get by them...stretching out single file never seemed to occur to them. Being a cyclist I didn't lay on the horn, but I sure wanted to...it's actions like that that give us all a bad reputation. |
#16
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On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 21:22:31 GMT, "Fred Hall" wrote:
When to honk: When you want to see how quickly a person can remove one hand from the drops and raise the middle finger of said hand high in the air... --- But seriously...about a month ago while driving I came up behind four guys probably my age (late forties) on a two lane country road, ambling along at probably 10 - 12 mph (no spandex to be seen), gabbing to each other, 4 abreast - 2 in each lane...they took their sweet time, gave me a dirty look for daring to be on the same road with them, then the two in the "wrong" (passing) lane moved over so I had to go in the passing lane to get by them...stretching out single file never seemed to occur to them. Being a cyclist I didn't lay on the horn, but I sure wanted to...it's actions like that that give us all a bad reputation. Sounds like a troll. Did they impede you for more than, say 3 seconds tops? Did they endanger you in your 2 ton metal cage? Poor thing. Urge to beep isn't related to anything about reputation or justification; it's just anger that something small and vulnerable asserted momentary dominance. -B |
#17
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#18
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Have you read any of my other posts in this group? I'd be careful with
casually tossing out the "troll" label so fast...I've put a thousand miles on my bike this season - so I don't consider myself a troll. Do you think it's impossible for 4 middle aged men to act like they own the road on bikes? Did I ever say I was endangered? WTF is your problem? "Badger_South" wrote in message news On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 21:22:31 GMT, "Fred Hall" wrote: When to honk: When you want to see how quickly a person can remove one hand from the drops and raise the middle finger of said hand high in the air... --- But seriously...about a month ago while driving I came up behind four guys probably my age (late forties) on a two lane country road, ambling along at probably 10 - 12 mph (no spandex to be seen), gabbing to each other, 4 abreast - 2 in each lane...they took their sweet time, gave me a dirty look for daring to be on the same road with them, then the two in the "wrong" (passing) lane moved over so I had to go in the passing lane to get by them...stretching out single file never seemed to occur to them. Being a cyclist I didn't lay on the horn, but I sure wanted to...it's actions like that that give us all a bad reputation. Sounds like a troll. Did they impede you for more than, say 3 seconds tops? Did they endanger you in your 2 ton metal cage? Poor thing. Urge to beep isn't related to anything about reputation or justification; it's just anger that something small and vulnerable asserted momentary dominance. -B |
#19
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Badger_South Wrote: Sounds like a troll. Did they impede you for more than, say 3 seconds tops? Did they endanger you in your 2 ton metal cage? Poor thing. Urge to beep isn't related to anything about reputation or justification; it's just anger that *something small and vulnerable asserted momentary* *dominance.* -B It's an attitude that an individual should establish dominance while using the road that causes problems in the first place, whether that attitude is shown by "cage" drivers or cyclists. -- twahl |
#20
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Badger_South wrote in message . ..
On Thu, 14 Oct 2004 21:22:31 GMT, "Fred Hall" wrote: When to honk: When you want to see how quickly a person can remove one hand from the drops and raise the middle finger of said hand high in the air... --- But seriously...about a month ago while driving I came up behind four guys probably my age (late forties) on a two lane country road, ambling along at probably 10 - 12 mph (no spandex to be seen), gabbing to each other, 4 abreast - 2 in each lane...they took their sweet time, gave me a dirty look for daring to be on the same road with them, then the two in the "wrong" (passing) lane moved over so I had to go in the passing lane to get by them...stretching out single file never seemed to occur to them. Being a cyclist I didn't lay on the horn, but I sure wanted to...it's actions like that that give us all a bad reputation. Sounds like a troll. Did they impede you for more than, say 3 seconds tops? Did they endanger you in your 2 ton metal cage? Poor thing. Urge to beep isn't related to anything about reputation or justification; it's just anger that something small and vulnerable asserted momentary dominance. Maybe it's that attitude that caused those truckers to harass you. Keep asserting your dominance and you'll wind up dead. |
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