Mr. Spectre, I once lived in a 4-unit apartment next to a “bad apartment building” that would have a honker in front of it every two weeks or so.
Eventually I developed the technique of walking outside with a concerned look on my face and asking, "Is everything okay? " or “Do you need some help?”
It worked. The people in the car would mumble apologies and usually go up to the front door. Presumably they didn’t know it wasn’t a “honk at will and at length” neighborhood, and as soon they realized it the situation resolved itself.
I’d be worried about getting stabbed or something.
When my wife and I first got together we lived in a very bad neighborhood, then we moved up a couple years later to a decent condo that was on the same street as some public housing and low-rent apartments. There’s a cultural aspect to it but I always thought that if someone came to pick up my daughter and didn’t have the decency to get out of the car and knock on my door, then yadda yadda yadda get off my lawn. Viking.
One of the funny things about the horn honkers though was often they would beep then yell out their buddy’s name so I took to saying “Hey pato!” imitating how they sounded. At some point my wife turned to me and said “You do know that you’re saying ‘hey duck’ don’t you?”
When this happened yesterday it was halfway down the block; I’m on the third floor of the building I live in. I’m sure you see where I’m going with this: in the time it takes me to drop whatever I’m doing, go downstairs, and walk over to the scene of the outrage it might well be all over, so there’s always this uncertainty about whether to intervene, or just wait it out. And, IMHO, I shouldn’t have to.
And the time of day shouldn’t be an issue, either, although technically it is with regard to noise ordinances. One glaring weakness about local ordinances in this city is that they are geared better to neighborhoods of single family homes. In that type of neighborhood, it doesn’t matter as much, because of the lower population density and generally older population. The in-and-out traffic volume is lower because there are fewer people to be picked up by impatient horn freaks.
Neighborhoods zoned for apartments should have stricter ordinances.
People on my street don’t do the horn honking thing, instead they just park in the middle of the street and wait for their person to come out. Hey buddy, how about you get out of the fucking road so I can drive past you to my parking spot? You could always pull ahead a couple houses and grab a parking spot, I’m sure your friend has the cognitive function necessary to scan the street for parked cars.
Timely. I was walking the dogs yesterday in our mostly quiet neighborhood and as we rounded a curve just behind a car parked in a driveway, the driver honked, just once, but loudly. Very loudly, since I was 4 ft behind the damn car. I immediately hollered “What!?!” As soon as it was out of my mouth I wished I’d just said SHUDDUP!
Stupid cow was all of 12 feet from the door of the house, but that was just too damn far for him/her I guess.
If the driver lacks the cognitive function to realize he should clear the fucking road, I think you’re being overly generous to your neighbors.
For me, after the first time, the sequence would be:
Get the plate number, make model & color.
Call the cops.
Also, read up in your driver’s handbook for your state as to the circumstances under which you are allowed to use your horn. Most places I’ve lived, it’s a pretty freaking short list.
