Noises On
I’ve noticed lately, and maybe this is a South Austin thing, but there’s a lot more people honking now than I remember. This old guy in Westlake honked multiple times AND flipped me off for no reason (I couldnt have turned at this light, there were multiple cars coming). Is it road rage? I noticed a lot of honking at SXSW when people were here from out of town, but usually Austin roads are pretty quiet. It’s really jarring and it can’t be safe to abuse it like that. Also, this guy kept sounding his horn at about 7:30 in the morning several times while (I suppose) waiting to pick someone up at my apartment complex. Manhattan has city ordinances and fines against honking involving a points system AND a monetary fine that varies based on the neighborhood. Is honking becoming a problem in Austin? Should we do something about it? I dont think there’s anything in the city’s noise ordinance about honking.
Please don’t blame South Austin for the behavior of West Lake Hills, an entirely different jurisdiction, and proud *not* to be Austin.
This is written by someone who never, ever goes there unless there’s a Bollywood movie.
The westlake thing was just an example of the ridiculous heights this can go to. I’ve been honked at many a time in South Austin too. But sadly, I don’t think it IS neighborhood specific.
The most common examples of horn-honking that I hear are (1) people doing it before they come to speed bumps (2) taco trucks on construction sites, to call people out for breakfast tacos, (3) at squirrels, thinking it will somehow prompt them to decide which way to go when they’re in the middle of the street, and (4) at pedestrians legally in the crosswalk when a person in a vehicle is in a hurry to make a right turn at a redlight, and the last one is the one that makes me angry.
I’ve had the same issue with road rage. I was turning right from Barton Springs and Lamar and a the guy behind me apparently knew better than me that I could turn (that’s a wacky intersection and I’ll admit I play it safe, since people from the right hand turn lane tend to merge back into the straight lane without using a blinker), he honked quite a bit and then ended up pulling up beside me once I turned and screaming at me. So yeah, I think it’s just a road rage thing.
Oh and if my wife honks at you, it’s just because her Scion has a hair trigger horn that is very easy to hit while turning. Maybe that’s the problem. Poor horn design.