To beep my horn?

[KIMv]

When some rude dickhead looks straight at me, while I'm already on the roundabout, and decides to pull out in front of me anyway. I had right of way and he just went anyway, right on top of me.

I'm assuming he knows the rules of the roundabout, and was more a case of just not caring. He was in a van and had a trailer so I had to come to a complete sudden stop. And yes, he knew exactly what he was doing.

So I beep at him (nothing rude or prolonged, just a polite beep)... but then he rolls down the window, roars at me, gives me the fingers, big red face on him. WTF? Is he so precious that how dare anyone beep at him?

And my heart literally jumps into my mouth, feeling vulnerable as a woman- with a new baby in the back of the car. It was scarey and has put me off ever beeping again (esp with baby in car), i actually panicked and drove off in the opposite direction in case we got stuck at traffic lights together!

AIBU to have beeped? If I'm in the wrong and someone beeps at me, I either wave to say sorry (if I made a mistake) or kind of just duck and shrug if I was being a bit cheeky, which I'd never do anymore anyway now that I've baby in car.
Now I'd be afraid to beep at someone just in case!

Technically you aren't meant to beep at people no, but I would've in that situation too.
Some men people can't handle being told they're wrong!

He knew you were there but he chose to bully his way onto the roundabout, I don't think sounding the horn at him is going to change his behaviour and he is the type of dickhead that is likely to start a road rage type situation. I'd just swear inwardly and move on.

He was a tit. But I don't like continued aggression after I've been cut up, so I don't beep. There's nothing wrong with either beeping or not beeping wankers on the road. They don't learn anything from it anyway, so it's fairly pointless, and if you get rattled by the inevitable gurning from the other car that follows, it seems easier to just not do it.

Well a horn is supposed to alert another driver to your presence so it's the correct usage really.

You're not supposed to sound your horn in retaliation and responding to an aggressive bully just puts you at risk.

@ZigZagIntoTheBlue in my experience there are just as many aggressive/abusive female drivers as male 🤷🏻‍♀️
Last abuse I got was a Middle Aged woman cutting me up then calling me a “skinny slut” when I had to beep

Years ago I'd have beeped and if I'd gotten that reaction probably blown him a kiss just to see him implode fully.

These days I can't be arsed. There are idiots everywhere and getting annoyed by them only affects my blood pressure. I'm more likely to just shake my head in amusement and carry on. Life's too short OP.

No you were not being unreasonable. He's obviously a massive twat. You have correctly used your horn to alert him to the fact that you were there - given his behaviour he obviously had an issue with seeing you.

The horn is used to alert other people you’re there, other people have turned it into an aggressive thing. You used it absolutely correctly imo

He’s a wanker. Best ignored. It was about him, not you OP. Don’t take his problems on your shoulders.

I think that's the sort of scenario when it's ok to use your horn actually. Not as a rebuke but to say "I'm here!"

Sleepy is correct, horns are only to be used "to alert other road users to your presence". So you were fine to beep, you were alerting him to his dickish behaviour of not giving way to traffic from the right on a roundabout and to your presence on the road. Clearly that didn't matter to dickhead, though, as he already saw you! Sorry it was upsetting.

Hell yes I would use it in that scenario. Not the correct use of it however. I would do the same to people who pull out without looking to be like "hey there was someone right here, look next time!"

There are men out there (yes, always men when it happens to me) who look me dead in the eye and pull out anyway with a "what you going to do about it" expression on their face. Infuriates me.

Please read the Highway Code.

Rule 112. The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving.

See, if you're certain that he knew you were there, the beep didn't serve the purpose of warning another road user of your presence. What was the purpose of sounding the horn?

Bad drivers will get on and have their accident/ticket/whatever at some point down the line and pay the penalty.

I have spent a lot of my career being philosophical about people getting away with things! If they never do it again, great! If they do, they'll shoot themselves in the foot soon enough.

Don't give anyone a little beep, a nice 10 second long blast is where it's at.

I understand why you did it but I think you were unreasonable to beep him. It wasn't to let him know you were there (the only proper use for the horn) as you'd already established that with eye contact. He was either being a cheeky sod or had a brain blip and made a genuine mistake, and you beeped in retaliation (always tempting, admittedly). Personally I just let stuff like that wash over me these days as it can be very stressful to be on the receiving end of an aggressive driver, as you found out.

I'd have beeped too!

I was at a set of red traffic lights yesterday where just after the lights, 2 lanes merge. I was behind a car, and there was one in front position in the other lane.

The lights changed, we pulled away - and the 2 in front suddenly realised that they were NEXT TO EACH OTHER, and needed to merge - but they couldn't figure out how, so they both stopped and sat there doing the "after you!" "No, after YOU!" polite gesturing. Blocking the entire road.

More traffic was approaching behind us at speed, having arrived when the lights were still green. Yes, I beeped, and not a polite one either!

Some people are so stupid they shouldn't be driving. I did laugh as we all drove away though, I try not to hang onto the rage :D

The whole purpose of the horn is to use it as an “I’m here!” sort of thing. So in your case, yes you were perfectly entitled to use it as he clearly saw you but potentially could’ve caused an accident. You’re use of your horn was basically you saying “I’m here you dangerous twat!”. Fair play I say.

kingdom

Should people who don't know the highway code be driving?

It's always men! They don't like being told by a woman when they are driving badly.

In my experiencing when I've beeped at a someone who pulling out in front of me/cutting me up/neatly causing an accident, they like to intimidate me.

I've had one man follow me all round town and when I diverted he went the other way and ended up cars nose to nose and he wouldn't let me past before he wound his window down and screamed at me.
I didn't even beep at him, I just lifted my empty hands in an exasperated fashion when he pulled out of a junction causing me to slam on my brakes.
Yet he felt it was needed to track me down, real me at intimidate me and the kids.
Cunt.

Ive had other men's drive right up close, pull down their window, threaten me, etc etc etc

Men don't like women pointing out that they drive like a cunt.

Third

See overnight's comment upthread.

Yanbu
I'd have blasted my horn! You did well just giving a little peep on yours!

Horns are to alert other road users of your presence. Especially when they're about to do something potentially dangerous.
I'd have bleeped him too.

Why do I want to see her comment?

In my experience it's only ever been men that have stalked me down and intimidated me.