Today my favorite “rag” (newspaper)printed a list of what signs to look for if it is time to hang up the keys. I agreed with all of the “signs” except the one that said “if other drivers are honking at you”. I think that there could be many different reasons for getting honked at (like the other guy is rude).
About ten minutes after I read the story a obviously elderly driver halfway cut me off but I just let it slide. Then he pulled out in front of someone else that really laid on the horn, perhaps it is a good indicator. Yes or No,please.
*a(n) elderly
sorry I’m the grammar nazi.
One honk can be chalked up to rudeness. Two honks maybe the same. But three? And I don’t mean at one time. I wouldn’t say its whether you’ve been honked at or not. I’d say if its a fairly regular thing…
Even then it depends on where you live. I live in LA where drivers generally are nuts. Very aggressive, pushy. The kind that speeds up if you signal for a lane change to close the gap before you get over. A cautious person has no choice but being honked at. So what.
If you live in a small town where there are traffic jams at stop signs because they are so courteous that nobody will want to drive first - I would take it as a sign.
Like others say, having lived in NY and LA, I will say being honked at means you are in rush hour traffic.
Honking is a sign that there is something wrong. It just might be frustration that is being expressed, or it might be a warning to others to “pay attention to what I am doing”, but most of the time, it means “WTF are you doing?”
Considering that the article was directed at folks who are not only reluctant to give up driving, but may also be unaware that there is a problem, certainly repeated honking is something they would become aware of. That just might push them a little closer to accepting the fact that their driving days are over.
Even if the other guy is rude, he wouldn’t honk at car X unless car X was doing something dumb, thoughtless, or dangerous.
Point taken. So maybe you just need some kind of ratio: honks at me / all honks. I think the DMV should keep track of this and analyze every time you go renew your license.
(Ok, please don’t anyone assume I am serious about that).
Consider yourself lucky that you don’t live in India. They ride the horn more than the accelerator or brakes.
If it’s an occasional thing, or it isn’t related to your driving errors, that’s one thing. When it happens often because mistakes a driver makes, I think it is a clear indicator.
Maybe their horns work better than the brakes or the engine of their cars!
Let’s see now–the 0-60 acceleration time for the Tata Nano is…tomorrow…if I recall correctly.
I agree that getting honked at more often than you used to AND more often than you hear other drivers being honked at is a sign that your driving skills may indeed be slipping.
Also, feeling an increased need to honk at other drivers, all else being equal, can be a sign that your own skills are slipping more than you realize. I’ve known elderly drivers whose growing impatience with the rest of the world was a sign. They didn’t see it that way, of course. They’d mutter about how everybody else’s driving skills were going to hell in a handbasket. But their honking was inappropriate, showing poor judgment of the situation. Not good. Those are the people who drive until they have an accident and their family says, That’s It. You’re Done.
It’s highly dependent on the region. Out east, you’ll get honked at regardless of whether or not you actually do anything “wrong”. It’s the other driver’s perception of the situation that triggers their reaction. Like you should have pulled out even though you’d have to risk a rear ender to do so. Or they can’t see the pedestrian crossing in front of you and are impatient. These are typically the guys with the bumper stickers that say “horn broke, watch for finger”.
It depends on the circumstances. Everyone daydreams at a traffic light occasionally. The guy behind you might be in a hurry, even if you aren’t. Road rage on either end of the honk is a good reason to stop driving, though. At least until an attitude adjustment takes place.
I am OK with you being the “grammar nazi” but you took the time to correct me but did not answer the question, this makes you look dumber than me.
I believe you are right. I’ve been told that the Tato Nano’s speed is often clocked using a calendar.