When a Driver Honks their Horn at you....

[threebikesmcginty]

.....what is it they want you to do????

Yesterday as I came back into town after a Sunday morning blast this happened to me. The road narrows slightly as there's a central crossing place for pedestrians, as I cycled through it a 4x4 came up behind me and started beeping away at me - short of launching myself and my bike onto the pavement so's not to hinder his progress any further what on Earth did he expect me to do?

I gave him a cheery two fingers and a hearty Foxtrot Oscar and away he went, the twat!

 

[TimP]

I always give them a friendly wave and a vocal hello*. It really throws them!

*unless I'm having a bad day and need a victim to take it out on.

 

[fossyant]

Usually a 'what' (raised hand) signal......

 

[eldudino]

I always assume they want you to gesticulate in their direction too. I'm ashamed to say I indulge them at times...

 

[Bman]

Maybe they think that we're completely oblivious to their massive loud engines rev'ing behind us?!

On a more refreshing note, on my last leisure ride at the weekend I signaled and pulled over for a 4x4 on a narrow country road, he gave me a quick "beep" and a wave as he passed

 

[alecstilleyedye]

legally, the horn is only to be used to warn other users of the car's presence. it's up to you to decide what to do with that information…

 

[marinyork]

Don't know what it is about the horn and summer. I had a great ride yesterday but probably a horn record. Had someone horn me on a tight bend on an evening ride, so I took the warning seriously and moved further out so they couldn't overtake.

 

[jimboalee]

legally, the horn is only to be used to warn other users of the car's presence. it's up to you to decide what to do with that information…

True.

 

[John the Monkey]

If you're in France, it means "I am in a car behind you. I am going to overtake once it is safe to do so, please do not be alarmed."

If you're in Britain it means "I am very anxious to reach the next queue of traffic/red light ahead of you, but am not willing to knock you off your bike (yet) to do so, please bugger off out of the way lest I change my mind."

 

[thomas]

.....what is it they want you to do????

Well, I generally like to give a big blast of my much louder bike horn along with some sort of finger action.

I don't mind getting honked when I'm doing something stupid/make a mistake, or it is just a friendly thing....but it really winds me up when people honk stupidly (yes, I'm a hypocrite back). God forbid I don't want to cycle over 3inch deep pot holes so might not be in the gutter.

If you're in France, it means "I am in a car behind you. I am going to overtake once it is safe to do so, please do not be alarmed."

They did that a lot when I was in Morocco. It's good really, just warning people you're there, rather than telling them off. That's why I'd use my bike horn at junctions when I'm not sure if people might jump out, just so they know I'm coming down too fast for them to pull out.

 

[Greenbank]

.....what is it they want you to do????

Turn up the volume on your iPod?

 

[Bodhbh]

My default response to people giving you the horn (!) was to give them the finger (!!), but for every 3-4 pointlessly aggressive beeps while you're minding your own business there's someone genuinely letting you know they're there or that somethings fell off you're bike or whatever.

Couple of lads in a workvan pulled up behind us several months ago and beeped as I was just pootling along, heading straight, a foot or 2 from the kerb, doing nothing wrong. So, stock response, I glanced back and gave them the finger. They pulled up in front and pulled down the windows they said they just let me know they were passing and seemed genuinely shocked. Oh dear. I don't bother anymore, aside from the rights and wrongs, they could just as easily got out and filled my head in too.

 

[Crankarm]

I always give them a friendly wave and a vocal hello*. It really throws them!

*unless I'm having a bad day and need a victim to take it out on.

A long level expressionless stare .

 

[caesar]

I think it means they want you to slow down and stop in the choke point so you can turn around and ask them what they want, then take a very long time to accelerate away again.

 

[vavavikki]

I never realised cyclists got so much s**t from motorists till I started a few weeks ago! They have no idea! I got honked at and hollered at by his ugly girlfriend "f***ing moron!" she said cus I was in the bike section at the front of a cue at a junction!

I have given up road rage, (after only 4 weeks, poor effort!) it only makes me feel bad and not shouting back makes them look silly.
I think some headphones might be a good idea!