Forget the Airzound

[jonny jeez]

I got my Airzound because I was sick of motorists doing a SMIDSY, and then going on their merry way, totally unaware that they almost injured/maimed/killed. How are these drivers ever going to learn to improve their observation skills if they never even knew they were falling way short? The loudness is required because drivers are by and large cocooned inside their vehicle, with windows shut, and often music playing.

I only have one on my commuter, and sometimes it doesn't get used for several days or even a week, while on a bad day I'll need to wake up three gormless motards in just 20 minutes of riding.

Thats the problem with zounds.

They don't work like this.

For a start "these drivers" are not a tribe, a club or a secret fraternity that can be identified and infiltrated....they are just people who made a mistake...it might be the first and last time they will ever make that mistake...but sounding an air horn off...after the event... isn't going to make it any more likely that they wont reoffend. It'll most likely make them hate cyclists and the noisy self important, self righteous horns

Ask yourself this...did the smidsy really offend you...if so then why not go up the the window at the next lights and have it out with them...if it didn't offend you enough to do that then how does honking them help...its the cycling passive aggressive equivalent of coughing your discontent at a someone jumping a queue and then staring at your feet whilst they glare back at you...if it bothered you that much...say something...if not, let it go.

This isn't a dig at you Tim, its a general comment about peoples perception of zounds...i despise the things as they give riders something to hide behind and alienate themselves still further.

Sorry...bit ranty there.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

I think I've come across an Airzound once, the cyclist I was following on the A20 out of London was coming to a point in the dual carriageway where a van was parked to get in to a drive way, two cars were blocking the drive way and the back one of these was reversing blind on to the road, partly hidden from view by the white van. I was assessing options and going for stopping as the only safe one, which would have been a sod because traffic was busy enough I'd have had to end up walking the bike past the lot of them to be safe when the bike in front let out a loud barp and all the vehicles stopped trying to move at all, we both rode past without incident. Seemed like the perfect occasion to have one. Did it make me go and buy one? No, I've not had a situation close enough to that one since and couldn't imagine the extra faff of having one mounted to the bike would make up for the once in a blue moon time I'd want to use it.

 

[AndyRM]

Thats the problem with zounds.

They don't work like this.

For a start "these drivers" are not a tribe, a club or a secret fraternity that can be identified and infiltrated....they are just people who made a mistake...it might be the first and last time they will ever make that mistake...but sounding an air horn off...after the event... isn't going to make it any more likely that they wont reoffend. It'll most likely make them hate cyclists and the noisy self important, self righteous horns

Ask yourself this...did the smidsy really offend you...if so then why not go up the the window at the next lights and have it out with them...if it didn't offend you enough to do that then how does honking them help...its the cycling passive aggressive equivalent of coughing your discontent at a someone jumping a queue and then staring at your feet whilst they glare back at you...if it bothered you that much...say something...if not, let it go.

This isn't a dig at you Tim, its a general comment about peoples perception of zounds...i despise the things as they give riders something to hide behind and alienate themselves still further.

Sorry...bit ranty there.

This. So many times. Airzounds are un-necessary and cumbersome affairs.

The article in the OP sums this new gubbins up perfectly: "Obnoxious honking".

 

[jonny jeez]

I think I've come across an Airzound once, the cyclist I was following on the A20 out of London was coming to a point in the dual carriageway where a van was parked to get in to a drive way, two cars were blocking the drive way and the back one of these was reversing blind on to the road, partly hidden from view by the white van. I was assessing options and going for stopping as the only safe one, which would have been a sod because traffic was busy enough I'd have had to end up walking the bike past the lot of them to be safe when the bike in front let out a loud barp and all the vehicles stopped trying to move at all, we both rode past without incident. Seemed like the perfect occasion to have one. Did it make me go and buy one? No, I've not had a situation close enough to that one since and couldn't imagine the extra faff of having one mounted to the bike would make up for the once in a blue moon time I'd want to use it.

I stop traffic regularly, with a good loud shout...I can shout as loud as a zound and still take evasive action without having to find...or hide behind a horn button.

Try it...use your voice, it has massive effect and makes people far more embarrassed at their indiscretions.

The phrase Whoh! Works just fine. It works even better when followed with.."thanks" after they stop in their tracks.

Actually as proof of this I use my voice when I on the motorbike too, I never use the horn.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Oh yeah, I can shout too so use that. Judging by the slightly (very slightly) guilty look on the face of the woman I had to brake to avoid as she looked me in the eyes and pulled out in front of me this morning (well, her face was looking directly at me, Bob knows what she was actually seeing) it's loud enough to be heard inside a car too. To be honest, it's not something I'd have expected to work in the car reversing blind scenario though, I think they stopped because they presumed something much bigger was coming, lorry drivers don't tend to shout to get you to stop being stupid.

 

[Smurfy]

Ask yourself this...did the smidsy really offend you...if so then why not go up the the window at the next lights and have it out with them.

I'm not Traffic Droid. I'm just a commuter trying to get to and from work.

if it didn't offend you enough to do that then how does honking them help

They hear the honk, and stop their dangerous manoeuvre.

its the cycling passive aggressive equivalent of coughing your discontent at a someone jumping a queue and then staring at your feet whilst they glare back at you.

It isn't passive aggressive. It's alerting a road user who hasn't taken proper observation to my presence. Cars have horns for exactly that purpose, and they are tested as part of the MOT. Why shouldn't I have a horn for the exact same purpose?

if it bothered you that much...say something

Why? The fact that they took insufficient observation and got honked says everything that needs to be said.

 

[jonny jeez]

I'm not Traffic Droid. I'm just a commuter trying to get to and from work.


They hear the honk, and stop their dangerous manoeuvre.


It isn't passive aggressive. It's alerting a road user who hasn't taken proper observation to my presence. Cars have horns for exactly that purpose, and they are tested as part of the MOT. Why shouldn't I have a horn for the exact same purpose?


Why? The fact that they took insufficient observation and got honked says everything that needs to be said.

Salami.

 

[CopperBrompton]

I stop traffic regularly, with a good loud shout...I can shout as loud as a zound and still take evasive action without having to find...or hide behind a horn button.

This. A shout is instant, and can be done at the same time as braking or swerving. And if someone does something stupidly dangerous, my shout can be louder than an Airzound.

 

[Mugshot]

I stop traffic regularly, with a good loud shout...I can shout as loud as a zound and still take evasive action without having to find...or hide behind a horn button.

Try it...use your voice, it has massive effect and makes people far more embarrassed at their indiscretions.

The phrase Whoh! Works just fine. It works even better when followed with.."thanks" after they stop in their tracks.

Actually as proof of this I use my voice when I on the motorbike too, I never use the horn.

I had a "Woah" moment yesterday morning, mini-ish roundabout and the person approaching from my left decided they wanted to keep going despite looking straight at me. They stopped when they heard my stream of 6 or 7 woahs, the odd thing was I sort of sang it for some reason, maybe it's the Christmas spirit, I think I was probably more embarrassed than they were following my impromptu performance. Either way they sat behind me for the next mile or so despite ample opportunities to overtake me, they probably didn't want me to sing at them again.

 

[w00hoo_kent]

Did you add 'What's up Pussycat' before repeating the Woahs?

I did similar to a van, and had them shout back as well as not pull out on me. I think they were under the impression it was 'giving me hassle' by shouting, I just took it to mean they'd heard me and kept on going.

 

[Mugshot]

Did you add 'What's up Pussycat' before repeating the Woahs?

I did similar to a van, and had them shout back as well as not pull out on me. I think they were under the impression it was 'giving me hassle' by shouting, I just took it to mean they'd heard me and kept on going.

You know what, it probably wasn't that dissimilar to that, and then an ad lib to fade.

 

[jonny jeez]

SALAMI

 

[Turbo Rider]

If someone honks me, I generally feel anxious, irritated and flustered. I don't think that helps me at all. I see other people getting seriously pee'd off with being honked and having fights instead. All honking achieves, in most instances, is making the honker look like a pr1ck....IMO.

 

[Diggs]

Will it do this?

 

[Absinthe Minded]

Yep, I must say that I have indeed considered a 'zound or similar but I really don't see how it has any advantage over a good holler. What with all the messing about having to fit it, then as someone else pointed out; the decisions over whether or not the 'bad' manoeuvre deserves honking, fiddling for the button, etc, it's just easier to shout at them or have it out at the lights.