To Toot, or Not To Toot

[pzarquon]

Horn tap, rebel yell zap stress
Christine Strobel, Honolulu Advertiser, Feb. 1, 2005

Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with a judicious use of the horn. But doing that here is unspeakably offensive. People in the Islands shudder with horror when it's used. But we must communicate! Not only do we need to be alert stewards of the road, it isn't healthy to stew over everybody else's bad driving. Keeping that bottled up will only raise your blood pressure and cause an embolism. And that would really mess up your dashboard.

People don't use horns in Hawaii? That's news to me. I mean, our streets aren't New York City or anything (where horns are so common they often overlap in a bizarre urban harmony), but I hear quite a bit of honking out there. Heck, when I lived in Makiki, near Jeremy Harris' ridiculous miniature "roundabout," horn duels were pretty common.

Maybe the car horn was untouchable in the 60s or 70s or something, but for as long as our city roads have been congested and as long as "road rage" has existed, even mild-mannered, Drive Aloha locals have gone for the beep. (There was very little beeping in Hilo, as I recall, but it happened there, too.) Not just the "hey, buddy, the light is green" reminder toot, either... we're talking a "You cut in and dishonored my family and must pay!" three-second serenade.

Hell, I'm not afraid to use my horn if someone's being boneheaded to the point of endangering lives.

I wouldn't go so far as this writer and say that a honk a day keeps the doctor away, but if it's the only way to get the attention of someone who seems to have forgotten they're not alone on the road, then so be it. (Or so beep it.)

[Linkmeister]

Re: To Toot, or Not To Toot

You know, a horn beep I can understand (unless it plays "charge," like in the BOH commercial), but a rebel yell? Yikes!

[hkplayer]

Re: To Toot, or Not To Toot

You can also tell who are the nice honkers and the more aggresive honkers...lol. Those that are nice honk in short durations sometimes sharing 1-2 quick ones. Others honk for more than a second and sometimes even up to 2-5 seconds! Those are the ones that can make us a little peeved. I know in mexico they honk as if it was another language so over there its honkin' everywhere.

[LikaNui]

Re: To Toot, or Not To Toot

Hell, I'm not afraid to use my horn if someone's being boneheaded to the point of endangering lives.

Back in the day, I installed a marine 12-volt foghorn on my car. If I was stopped at a crosswalk, for example, and some punk with an attitude was taking his sweet time unnecessarily, I'd hit that foghorn and enjoy the results.

[kimo55]

Re: To Toot, or Not To Toot

back in the day, (60's, 70's...) Hawaii was a litle slower, and of course, not so overcrowded and overfull with so many transplants form the mainland. And it was quieter. We wouldn't honk. Unless for the obvious need of alerting for iminent danger on the road. Anyone being boneheaded, or showing attitude, well, it didn't happen that much first of all, but if it did, we still felt, aint no beeg t'ing. No huhu. Cuz to honk was just not da island style... Now unfortunately there is much more honking for the dumb, no shame, mainland reasons. For the reason we get too many mainlanders here bringing their L.A. ways with them.
And now, just like with that article a while ago in the advertiser, trying to make the point that people driving with aloha are the ones creating traffic problems... borderline bad driving habits & mainland driving styles are increasingly being justified and argued for.
so sad.

[1stwahine]

Re: To Toot, or Not To Toot

Hmmm, I roll my window down and give the Aunty Lynn Toot Toot. Works everytime!