Is horn honking anti-social?

[Grumpybear31]

We live in the country. It is not completely in the middle of nowhere, but a small village quite cut off, with some residential streets with various types of houses. It is a very peaceful area, the loudest noises around are usually the odd sheep or cow. Obviously there is the odd car and occasional delivery vans, but most of the people here are retired so not busy at all.

We had new neighbours earlier in the year, they have been generally very friendly, stopped for a chat or waved etc and they seem nice. They had work done to the house which was fine, everyone expects noise when people move in and have builders but the issue we have with them is that they honk their car horn every time they leave and arrive. They also have adult children who come and go regularly and do the same. We have gently asked them not to and they seemed to lessen for a bit but now have started up again in full force. They also do not just honk once but several times, and it doesn’t matter what time of day, although they have stopped doing it very late in the evening (waking children was one of our initial issues with it). It now really irritates me and I don’t know whether I am completely overreacting. I am really not a confrontational person so don’t feel comfortable going round there. They thought it was quite funny last time my husband said something. They just don’t seem to understand that it is antisocial, or is it just me and I’m being unreasonable, grumpy and overly sensitive?!

PS. I name changed for this thread but have been on mumsnet for many years

It is antisocial, but I honestly can't think what you can do about it without falling out and that might be worse. Sorry not to be much help.

Do you have any other near neighbours who might be affected by it? Maybe if several people mentioned it it might make a difference.

I have exactly the same issue and I find it so inconsiderate. My next door neighbours have their family around often. The family honk their horns before they’ve even turned into to the car park, presume to let them know they’re here and do it again when they leave. So loud and intrusive.

Yeah that would piss me of to its just unnecessary but I don't think you will be able to stop them you've asked them nicely and their obviously choosing to ignore you.

We've were renovating on/off for several years, but not one workmen honked their horn on arrival and when leaving. Are they friends of the family, hence they all have a honking fest?

That is utterly bizarre IMO! I too am not sure what you can do, other than mention it to them again- or speak to the workmen directly.

It’s not actually the workmen, it’s the neighbours themselves sorry if I wasn’t clear. The husband and wife and adult kids just seem to announce their arrival and then say an extra goodbye with a cacophony of horn tooting!

Its not workmen honking its them and their children

Yes, and illegal:

Rule 112 of the Highway Code states:
'The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You must not use your horn:

while stationary on the road
when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am
except when another road user poses a danger.'

I’d talk to them again. They sound thoughtless.

This is the exact problem I don’t want to fall out with them but if it carries on we are going to have to say something otherwise I will go completely mad 😡

What about if you start doing it to then they might realise how irritating it is. Start nipping to the shop at 6am every morning

Or get one of those novelty horns

😂 that is brilliant but I think I would annoy every other neighbour while I was at it!

Yes, it’s anti social

I think you need others to complain, as if it’s just you they will just think you are the oddball.

Sadly few people seem to call out bad behaviour and so parts of the country are getting over run by hooligans

We have spoken to another neighbour about it and he is equally annoyed by it but is such a lovely old guy I can’t imagine him confronting them. Most of the neighbours are elderly. Maybe I can see if we can talk to a few more neighbours about it.

My neighbours have multiple cars visiting their home and I get an awful lot of horn honking - even quite late in the evening. And sometimes if there are cars already parked outside their house the visitors park outside mine and honk their horns.

Drives me mad. I'm quite a nervous person and sudden noises make me jump.

I was aware it contravened the Highway code but they are too intimidating to say anything to them about it though.
I was cutting my hedge one day last year when the woman neighbour approached her house in her car and she mounted the pavement and drove with 2 wheels along the pavement right next to where I was standing so she could park outside her home. I looked at her when she got out the car. I didn't say anything, but she gave me a tirade of abuse and told me she was allowed to drive along the pavement. So I'm certainly not raising the matter of honking horns with her!

I would say it's a bit of both, you're not used to it, so the sound is more in the forefront. Although not what I would call as anti social as loud swearing and shouting, or someone burning rubbish, horn honking can be bloody annoying. It's good that they've lessened it in the late evening because of the kids, so they obviously care about the impact they have to an extent.
When they leave, are they honking at someone stood at the window waving them off? I'm just trying to rationalise why they would do this. There are worse things to worry about with next door neighbours, but you've been used to living there without the extra noise, so I can see why it would be irritating. I suppose you have to weigh it up really, they've stopped the late night honking, how are the other occasions they sound the horn impacting you, apart from irritating the hell out of you? Is it going to fester and breed contempt, or do you think you'll eventually get used to it?
It's really difficult isn't it OP, you want to live in peace but at the same time, you don't want to upset next door.

Yep, got the same thing two doors down. The family have a plethora of adult kids and relatives which seem to come and go every five fucking minutes. Every. single. time they all loudly honk their horns on arrival and departure. You'd probably come away with a punch in the gob if you mentioned it. Still, I live on a deprived council estate and there are worse things to worry about. But it still bloody grates.

When they leave it is usually one of them standing in the open door or driveway waving and the other person drives off and honks their horn (just outside our house). Every time they do it, it makes me jump because it is so quiet here (which is exactly why we chose to live here!).

I think I am hypersensitive to it now and you are absolutely right there are definitely worse things they could be doing!

Yeah please do this 🤣🤣

Why do some people feel the need to do this? Ring the doorbell or phone them to announce your arrival and the saying goodbye I really don’t understand, you have just said goodbye why do you need to say it again with a horn honk?

That sounds scary, I would agree not a good idea to raise the horn honking! At least my neighbours have never done anything like this.

I tried looking/glaring out the window when they honked the horn but they waved back not sure they got the message or maybe they did and they’re being ironic and saying p* off?!

I want a horn honker to come on here and explain why they do it and whether they realise it annoys their neighbours or whether they just don’t care?

Any horn honkers out there?

I reckon nuisances such as this can be traced back to our being a society now in which we’ve toddlers over the age of 30 in charge of vehicles, sound systems, and anything else that can be made noisier or in other ways more bothersome.
[Harrumph!]

......have builders but the issue we have with them is that they honk their car horn every time they leave and arrive. They also have adult children who come and go regularly and do the same

I wrongly thought the OP meant it was the workmen, in addition to their own family honking. Either way, yes, its anti-social.

OP- Start a noise diary.

I could really do with opposites friend not announcing she is there and ready to take opposite to work by honking her horn - at 5am....

It's totally unnecessary. And affects people outside if those who need a "notification". So totally unacceptable.