To Be Annoyed At People Who Toot Their Horn At Pedestrians For "Fun"

[BigFatBully]

I've noticed an increasing phenomenon over the past five years or so. Whenever I walk down the street, I will notice cars beeping as they drive past people, with a big grin on their face as if they are sooo clever. It's not that they are passing someone they know, they just beep every time they see a pedestrian.

I've noticed they only do this when there are no red lights ahead....how funny? 😂

If you do this, I want to know why? What do you get out of it? Why would a grown adult find it amusing or endorsing to toot their horn at pedestrians from the inside of a steel shell and toughened glass? Do you think it makes you clever?

It is actually a violation of law in the UK jurisdiction to use the horn without good reason, such as to avoid a collision or before reversing out of a parking lot. Perhaps I should start recording their licence plates and reporting it to traffic police.

I've also noticed it happens a lot on quieter roads, but today when I was on the bus, I saw it on quite a busy road.

I have never seen this. Where do you live? Toytown?

Is it ‘people’ or is it ‘men’? The only times I have witnessed this kind of behaviour is from men towards women because it gives them a kick and it is an example of power play, to humiliate the woman.

I have probably seen this kind of thing maybe once a year or a variation of it. Certainly not every time though.

It's primarily men I find, but I've had women do it too. I don't know what power they think it gives them. It's really annoying and can be quite alarming if on a quiet road. It can be very unsettling and make me feel on edge.

I think horns should be removed from vehicles.
They’re either used in ‘fun’ or to indicate the driver intends to go round a corner at speed or when the driver is venting at (heaven forbid) having to wait more than 60 seconds for some other road user to pass. I’ve never seen one used for its intended purpose safely.

You would if you travelled in my car. It is very rare for me to use the horn but I have used it when someone has clearly not seen me and needs to be aware of my presence. I have very rarely used it when the driver in front of me at traffic lights which has a 10 second green phase has fallen asleep and I don't want to sit through another red phase.

It's just people having fun. There's so much bad stuff happening in the world, we shouldn't stop people having a laugh.

I've never seen this. I've only seen drivers tooting to people they know.

What's fun about it? There are ways to have fun without creating a nuisance. It's also illegal.

My horn broke once and it was hard to drive without it. Screaming out the window is not an adequate substitute.

There's the hiya beep when you see somebody you know.

There's the beep beep of yo, the light's green, you can go already.

There's the beeeeeep of I'm in this lane and you're about to hit me.

There's the beeeepbeeeepbeeeeep of assholes doing stupid shit.

Laying on the horn is semi's about to kill you or you're driving on the wrong side of the road or wrong way down a one way street or fuck you.

Legitimate reasons that I've used my horn in the last 18m

Car ahead had a poorly secured load falling off its roof (I also reduced speed and held back until they moved to the edge of the carriageway)

Car ahead at roundabout was rolling backwards downhill towards us while waiting for the lights to change.

Broken lights at roadworks. Lights had not changed for several minutes, no cars came through, advanced gently through but used horn first because there wasn't a clear view... there was a stack of traffic also stuck on red on the other side- no lights had gone green for at least 5 mins.

Using it to honk at random people is a dick move and not its purpose.

It does not give me cheer when I'm out walking/ running.

Men sometimes do it to make women jump. Obviously not intelligent men.

Yes, it makes me jump. I get anxiety walking on quiet streets because of it. It's a device intended to alarm people in the event of danger, not to cause distress for "fun" as another poster said upthread.

Yep, happens to me now and again, always young men. I can only assume it’s because I’m old and a bit fat and don’t walk too quickly, they think it’s hilarious to make me jump. They sometimes ramp it up by screaming out of the window at me, which is obviously doubly hilarious.
Pure arseholery.

It's a shitty thing to do and even dangerous if you do it to cyclist and they swerve.

Horns and shouting as well.

Someone did this to me the other day when I was walking my dog. It did make me jump which presumably is the intention. Pathetic really.

I hate it even when people I know honk their horn at me, it scares the shit out of me.

Haven't noticed this, but I have certainly noticed an increase in people using their horn out of impatience. Every day I have a left turn immediately after traffic lights where I'm immediately confronted with a pedestrian crossing. I always take this slowly when I'm waiting first at the lights when they change to green as I know pedestrians regularly step into the road as you turn, not noticing it has turned red for them. I've been following this route for over ten years now, but it's only in the last year or so I've had people behind using their horn.

I use my horn a minimum twice a day. Legitimately

On the school run, there is a single track road with two blind bends. I beep my horn as I'm coming to the bend because you can guarantee if I dont, there are going to be tourists walking in the middle of the road, usually with kids kicking balls or loose dogs, or a car flying round. I slow to about 5mph to go round the bend, but if a car the other way is flying around at 40mph, they probably are going to crash straight into me. The beep also - if they're paying attention - gives them the warning to pull into the hedge gap that is on their side of the road just before the bend.

We also have traffic lights by us that very bizarrely seem to confuse tourists (not at all confusing if they concentrate!) And during the height of the summer, you have to beep them to let them know that our lane is green so they can actually go rather than wait until the whole cycle goes again.

So to the ppl who said they need to be banned - no. They dont.

@didntlikeanyofthesuggestions how is it fun? These people must have no life if they think it's fun. But I suspect it's more likely done to intimidate.

Those who are having this experience, I walk facing oncoming traffic. Many reasons why that is a good idea. It might make you feel a bit less shocked if someone's honking their horn at you and you can at least see them. I'm going to guess that whoever does this will be doing it at people who are walking in the same direction as the car is driving. So coming up on them and beeping at them.

I think we need to start recording licence plates and reporting it to law enforcement. It's a good idea to have a note pad and pen to hand.