In Defense of "Honkeys"

[cynsaligia]

Re: What pisses you off? - Chapter 7

there is an awful lot of impatient horn honking. By people who look "not from here"...

horn honking has no place in Hawaii. take that back to the conus where it is standard way of saying: I am the center of the universe. I DO own the whole road and I will justify my impatience any way i wanna.

as well as it being a plain obnoxious move, it should not be an inducement to continue along these lines simply because you happen to have other like minded drivers behind you apparently applauding ( how IS that perceptible?!)
wanton honking is most emplhatically, illegal here. And in the states. (tho ask a cop why they don't pull over honkeys in el lay and they will say, then the road would be damn near empty!)
so i beseech you with as much aloha spit i mean spirit as I can muster; puleese, take it calm and easy on the island roads. If ya don't wanna think about others, how 'bout: drive with aloha; you yourself may feel better for it.
(and if you accidentally end up stuck in an intersection, maybe blocking it, cuz trafic stopped suddenly, or the light was too quick, here's hoping others will be mellow behind you too. cuz they prolly will be.
start early if you need to get somewhere at an appointed time.
"we" thank you in advance.

what countenance, pray tell, is the kind that "looks not from here"?

if a driver blocks the intersection, clearly, s/he was the first to be impatient, self-centered, and of the thought that s/he is the only one on the road. if you look at my initial post and read it carefully and with comprehension, i name a particular location, where if you're blocking the intersection, you're doing so for more than one lane of traffic. additionally, maat this intersection, many people rush the light or run it to get on the other side of the line.

driving with aloha includes not inconveniencing other drivers. so, in effect, by honking, i am actually spreading aloha not only by reminding the intersection driver of his/her lack of aloha, but also by attempting to clear the way for the other inconvenienced drivers behind me, who have, as i said, in turn shared their own aloha with me by applauding (which i saw once when i happened to glance in my rearview mirror).

i'm not perfect--i, too, have suddenly found myself blocking an intersection. but i've gotten out of the way very quickly. if you find yourself "accidentally" blocking the intersection, it's very rare that you can't move into another lane of traffic going the same direction you are (just not in the lane you prefer to be in) so that you are no longer blocking the intersection. if if have time to drive up to you when you're blocking an intersection, then you've not taken the time to move out of the way, which is an option for you many more times than not.

honking has no place in hawaii? then how come horns are a requirement in order to get your hawaii safety check?

while it may be obnoxious, my honking is not wanton. my honking is not arbitrary. my honking is judicious. my honking is educational. and my honking is legal. blocking the intersection is not.

by the way, if you're blocking the intersection and i drive up to you, of course there is no way i can see your license plate.

think about that one for a minute.

take longer if you need.

i'll add here another pet peeve--people who want to correct me about my pet peeve. especially if my pet peeve is about something that is clearly wrong in the first place! wasn't this a thread about pet peeves, where we were invited to post our, duh, pet peeves?

i am of the belief that in a thread like this specific one, true aloha spirit allows someone to post their pet peeve without having to suffer being told to go back to CONUS for it.

so...aloha spit? right back atcha, babe. right back at cha.

[kimo55]

...contemporary definition of aloha, courtesy of the local Lawyers union and Paralegals United for Verbal Obvuscation Department Of Redundancy Department.

my pet peeve?
the fact we don't have shows like Martin and Lewis anymore. But it ain't so bad now with this!

>what countenance, pray tell, is the kind that "looks not from here"?

the kind ya recognotice if yer from here.

>if a driver blocks the intersection, clearly, s/he was the first to be impatient,

He started it!

>if you look at my initial post and read it carefully and with comprehension,

how about if I look and read just with comprehension but NOT clearly?
or slightly clearly and with some comprehension? like maybe 50/50?

> by honking, i am actually spreading aloha

wheeee!
the HVCB aint got NUTTIN on this one!

> the other inconvenienced drivers who have shared their own aloha with me by applauding

the true spirit of Hawaii: hitting two palms together in rapid succession to elicit noise.

>i'm not perfect--i, too, have suddenly found myself blocking an intersection

I, too. But then I wake up. Musta been the chiles.

>but i've gotten out of the way very quickly if you find yourself "accidentally" blocking the intersection, it's very rare that you can't move into another lane of traffic going the same direction you are (just not in the lane you prefer to be in) so that you are no longer blocking the intersection. if if have time to drive up to you when you're blocking an intersection, then you've not taken the time to move out of the way, which is an option for you many more times than not.

uhhh. what was that middle part?

>honking has no place in hawaii? then how come horns are a requirement in order to get your hawaii safety check?

uuuhhhh. Eleven!
wait.
is this a trick question?

>my honking is educational.

wheeee! (part 2)

>by the way, if you're blocking the intersection and i drive up to you, of course there is no way i can see your license plate.

ok, all seriousness aside, tho it will be argued in three paragraphs that you yourself MUST tailgate and ride the bumper, a legal stop is one that allows the person behind to see the bottoms of the tires of the car in front. This of course will allow for full ocular proof of the licence plate of said car in front nothwithstanding the aforementioned limitation of the parametersaaaaagghhhh! ya got me doing it too!

>think about that one for a minute. take longer if you need.

I'm going to Europe, on this one.

>i'll add here another pet peeve--people who want to correct me about my pet peeve. especially if my pet peeve is about something that is clearly wrong in the first place!

while i gotcha here:
Do you like how they allude to you in Churches? or would you prefer a more nondenominational, less kingly, grandiose sounding epithet? do you really hear prayers? What does heaven look like? ok, the pearly gates... Is that a color, a finish or are they actually made of pearls?

> true aloha spirit allows someone to post their pet peeve without having to suffer being told to go back to CONUS for it.

You are not the only one suffering.

>right back atcha, babe. right back at cha.

I am NOT a babe
well, I may be. But I don't swing that way.

[cynsaligia]

Re: What pisses you off? - Chapter 7

I am NOT a babe
well, I may be. But I don't swing that way.

where'd you go to school? punahou???!! (those of you who read this and know, know)

tsk tsk tsk, kimo. it took you TWENTY minutes to come up with this?

no wonder you're so vehement and blustery. if you're this slow and inept at coming up with a comprehesible retort, it's likely you're too slow to move out of the way when you've blocked the intersection.

you must have had a hard time with math word problems.

let me live some aloha and help ya out here.

if i am blocking the intersection, and you come up to me, to honk at me as an indication that i am in the way, then clearly, you are looking at the side of my vehicle.

where

there

is

no

license

plate!


i am kalihi born and raised, and am neither an attorney or paralegal. still no one needs to be 'from here' to 'recognotice' you for what you are.

here endeth the lessson.

thanks be to god!

[kimo55]

Re: What pisses you off? - Chapter 7

> kimo. it took you TWENTY minutes to come up with this?

thanks for waiting anxiously for my reply.
twenny minnits? yea ok, sounds good ta me.


> if you're this slow and inept at coming up with a comprehesible retort,

who sez I tried for comprehesible?


>it's likely you're too slow to move out of the way when you've blocked the intersection.

hmmmm...one follows the other I suppose in another universe.


>you must have had a hard time with math word problems.

hell, I dunno even what dat IS!


>let me live some aloha and help ya out here.

Nononoooo! I just showered!

[Leo Lakio]

Re: What pisses you off? - Chapter 7

honking has no place in hawaii? then how come horns are a requirement in order to get your hawaii safety check?

It ain't about Hawai`i. Car horns are valuable tools for safety, not for expressing opinions.

[anapuni808]

Re: What pisses you off? - Chapter 7

i am kalihi born and raised, and am neither an attorney or paralegal. still no one needs to be 'from here' to 'recognotice' you for what you are.

You may have been born & raised in Kalihi - but you obviously didn't learn your manners & behaviour here. You are rude in your manner of speaking to others and obviously have anger problems when driving. Anyone who was around, say back in the `70's or so - will remember when you hardly ever heard a horn honk. It was considered rude to honk your horn at another driver - and yes, the honker was usually someone with "foreign" plates still on their car.

and before you can ask - no, I was not born here, not raised here, & did not go to Punahou. However, when I did come here at age 20, I was taught right away by my Hawaiian friends how to behave and what was the customary form of behaviour and what was considered good manners. I forget once in a while (like now) but it usually doesn't take long for me to remember my lessons.

Leo Lakio phrased it very well - There really isn't that much more to say about horns honking.

Now, can we please get this thread back to just "what pisses us off" instead of attacking each other? It was so delightfully self-centered before.

[cynsaligia]

the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

first of all, let me start by saying that i hope i put this post in the right place. please move it if i didn't place it appropriately.

here is my original post that started some bitterness on the "what pisses you off thread"

two things that tick me off all too often:

1. people who are turning left off piikoi to get on lunalilo (is it lunalilo? or liholiho? i get them mixed up) so that they can go on the freeway, and in the process BLOCK THE INTERSECTION for the one lane that becomes two on the left side. i deal with this several times a week, and esp on weekends, this causes major traffic jams for those of us who live in that area and don't want to go on the freeway but want to get to pensacola street.

then again, i generally hate people who block intersections and i WILL drive up to your car and honk obnoxiously (but within what HRS allows) until ya frigggin move out da dang way, dangit! and i'll point at the sign that says "DO NOT BLOCK INTERSECTION" to educate you on the error of your ways!

2. people who do not signal when switching lanes or turning. my feeling is if you can't flick your middle left finger to do something useful (versus just giving others the bird), then you shouldn't drive, and your middle finger should be cut off. i know--hammurabi-ish of me, but what the heck.


oh yeah--people who say "people that" versus "people who" but then again, if you're the kinda person who (1) blocks intersections and (2) doesn't signal then i suppose you get demoted to being a "that" versus a "who."

reactions to my post included the rather grandfatherly and officious advice to cool it because "tufi in the nofa" will be inclined to show me how truly ignorant he is (craigwatanabe, 01/03/2007). i was scolded repeatedly for what they called my road rage (craigwatanabe, ibid, and 01/10/07, seconded by tutusue on 01/10/2007, and so on). but there are other responses which floored me (starting with kimo55 on 01/13/2007).

what was ignored or perhaps not clear was the fact that this specific blocking of the intersection that i'm referring to happens constantly in MY neighborhood, just several blocks away from where i have resided for more than five years. to be clear, this is the intersection of piikoi and lunalilo street. the far left lanes on lunalilo after piikoi are meant either to go to the makiki post office or turn left onto pensacola from lunalilo, but these two lanes are often blocked by drivers turning left from piikoi who want to get on the freeway. intersection blockage here has become worse and worse over the years that i've lived in this neighborhood--enough that it's not a rare topic of discussion amongst my neighbors. it causes a domino effect of traffic in the area, because of the one way nature of lunalilo, pensacola, and piikoi. many of us who get stuck on lunalilo for more than three light cycles feel like we are held hostage by the selfish whims of those who block the intersection. we already have to deal with the fact that we can't get on the freeway going ewa bound during weekday mornings--we have to hop onto vineyard and then turn onto punchbowl to get to H-1. our trying to get on the freeway diamond head bound is similarly affected daily.

we've tried asking police for help, and sometimes, they do come out and enforce the law. there are already at least two signs saying "DO NOT BLOCK THE INTERSECTION." having to deal constantly with the obtuseness of other drivers (many of them having come from ala moana center and going to parts west--this we know because blockages increase during the mall's busy times), many of us are frustrated. so i, like others i know in my neighborhood, honk our horns and point to the signs that say, "DO NOT BLOCK THE INTERSECTION." we call it proactive citizens' enforcement.

i've seen other people react proactively to other constant traffic/parking problems in their own neighborhoods which are caused by non-neighbors, like liliha, kaimuki, and manoa.

as for the heated comments made in the thread in response to my original post, let me point out that i was not the one who initiated a personal attack, or made this about hawaii/conus or said anything about people being or looking like they are "not from here." i wasn't the one who brought god into it, and i certainly wasn't the one who tried to make some inexplicable sideways insult towards attorneys, paralegals or anyone of any ethnicity.

i defended my point of view, and when someone personally insulted me because of outlandishly wrong assumptions about me, i stood up for myself, and i have to say, i did quite well, using both logic and wit.

if someone attacked you personally, wouldn't you try to fight back in an effective manner?

to be clear...the punahou comment i made refers on several levels to the fact that kimo55 evidently wrongly assumed i was white or at least "not from here" (i'm mostly pinay, and as i said, am a kalihi girl) and that he couldn't grasp the logic that if i'm driving up to someone who is blocking the intersection, i can't see that person's license...and the fact that i'm an iolani grad (which is something i wrote in depth about in a thread about public/private schools).

i expect that in every online bulletin board or blog there are going to be trolls. i'm not naive about that. deduction led me to the conclusion that kimo55 is a troll or tends towards the troll-ish, and i dealt with him as i felt appropriate based on that deduction.

so let me ask this, after reading some responses from others of you:

i'm the one who lacks manners and (good) behavior?

i'm the one who is lacking aloha?

the truth of the matter is that i really don't have to prove anything to any one of you.

the truth of the matter is also that not a single one of you has to prove a damned thing to me or anyone else on here, either.

whatever your opinions are about honking or not honking are your opinions. shoot--you can have whatever opinions you want on anything you want--this is still a free country, as best as we can make it.

whatever your background is, in terms of ethnicity, place of origin (eg, hawaii or not), profession, etc really shouldn't matter, especially here on HT (if i understand the mission of HT correctly). certainly, commentary on whether i am "from here" or "not from here" or a "honkey" (pun apparently intended, but errant) or whether i am or anyone else an attorney or paralegal or whatever doesn't and shouldn't matter, and should not be commented on derogatorily.

check my posts. i may have disagreed with some people's post, and perhaps once or twice, i did so vehemently. more often than not, i've tried to be supportive or helpful or educational.

but never, never, never once in the entirety of all my 70 odd posts in HT have i attacked someone else's opinion or stance. never did i tell someone they didn't belong in hawaii. never did i say that someone was "not from here." never had i been without respect, until, as i said, someone attacked me personally.

i mean, i was even figuratively spat on in a post...while being chided for lack of aloha!

i hope that there are some of you who still welcome my presence on HT, because there are many of you whose posts i enjoy reading and responding to.

i will not change my opinion about my honking, especially in specific reference to blocking that particular intersection. i know i wasn't wrong for posting my thoughts about that. the point of the thread, after all, was to post our pet peeves, which is what i did.

nor am i one single bit sorry that i defended myself in the manner that i did.

still, somehow i am regretful. but it doesn't have much to do with how i conducted myself.

[kimo55]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

dass alotta work there. this post was too much anal izing. whew.
I would just chill and enjoy life and not worry about traffic li dat.
k?

reminds me; some people would rather get even than get ahead.

let's get ahead of dis kukae.

a'ole pilikia
nuff arready.

[Miulang]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

OK, now I have a question: is there an alternate route for you to get into your neighborhood? Because if it was me, I would avoid making left turns on streets where I know intersections will always be blocked by idiot drivers who should realize that blocking intersections is not only rude, but illegal. Driving anywhere is aggravating enough as it is, and with road rage being so prevalent everywhere (yes, even in Hawai'i) , sitting on your horn might result in dire physical consequences for you someday (remember, you don't "own" that street).

Or maybe your Streets Dept (or whoever controls the traffic signals) should make that left turn signal stay on longer during the morning and afternoon rush hours so more cars can make that left turn before the light changes to red. Of course, then everybody not wanting to make a left turn would get all huhu because they would then have to wait longer!

Miulang

[anapuni808]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

To start off - you are not the only one who lives in Makiki and is affected by the situation you've described. However, it used to be much worse - until the traffic flow was changed to prohibit certain turns & freeway entrances at that particular intersection. Maybe more corrective action needs to be taken. If you are unhappy about what goes on there - go talk to the neighborhood board or Councilman Tam's office. That is how you effect change. Your mild road rage doesn't help matters.

Secondly, I don't think anyone told you to leave town or accused you of being white. Yes, I did chide you about your manners and yes, I did call you rude. I don't plan to apologize for that either. Loud, honking horns are rude - to the nerves and to the ears. and sometimes that person blocking the intersection may be stuck behind other cars and can't move. So what's the point of the honking? It's like commenting to a fat person that they should go on a diet. Well, DUH - like they don't know already?

Most drivers see that sign - it isn't exactly hidden away! Maybe it's more an age thing - I'm old and you come across as somewhat young & impatient to get where you're going 10 minutes ago. What I think was being put out there was a message to just chill.

You're totally correct saying that you don't have to defend yourself. However, If you don't want to be put in that position - don't keep coming back to have the last word. Someone WILL respond to you every time. If you've said what you wanted to say - just let it go & move on to other topics. But, don't stop engaging people in discussions here - you more than held your own. and I for one want to read more of your postings. We won't always agree and I may say things to you that you don't appreciate - as you stated, we all have strong opinions on here. You are certainly entitled to criticize me - you won't be the first and I'm sure you won't be the last.

Now, moving on.......................

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

*enters thread; immediately feels discomfort*

*exits thread*

[Leo Lakio]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

Couple-a quick comments:

if someone attacked you personally, wouldn't you try to fight back in an effective manner?

Well, past experience has shown that flaming back and forth in an internet discussion group is far from effective.

i hope that there are some of you who still welcome my presence on HT, because there are many of you whose posts i enjoy reading and responding to.

Of course, Cyn. Just because someone disagrees with you on a particular topic doesn't mean they wish you ill will or want you gone.

Please, consider putting a lot less value on what we do and say here - HT is a very enjoyable activity, but you needn't let it stress you to this level. (Some would say that's how we off-islanders would react, not residents of Hawai`i!)

[kimo55]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

reads post of mike describing his actions.. wonders... posts.
hits submit reply,
goes to get another beer.



uh mike. is this some new internet trend? it's dumb.


oh. sorry.
back on topic
uh.... honkey? ya don't HAVE to defend yerself.

[Mike_Lowery]

Re: the "honkey's" resolute defense of herself

uh mike. is this some new internet trend? it's dumb.
oh. sorry.
back on topic
uh.... honkey? ya don't HAVE to defend yerself.

[admin]

Re: In Defense of "Honkeys"

Ericncyn's new thread and the tangent in the original thread have been combined into this single "to honk or not to honk" thread, just in case folks aren't ready to hold hands and sing Kum-Ba-Yah just yet, or for whatever reason wish to again take up the topic of car horn use.