Would those of you that drive in cars(or four-wheelers as we call them) and have children could you PLEASE tell them to stop making that pulling motion with their arm? I know they want me to blow my air horn, but that horn is for emergencies only. In certain states you can get a ticket for its unnecessary use. It violates many local noise laws. I never know when I’m traveling near a senior citizen (or anyone for that matter) who hears the horn and panics because they think I’m about to hit them.
I have actually gotten bitched at or gotten the finger from parents who think I’m being a jerk by not indulging their precious tykes(who amazingly are rarely wearing a seatbelt).
I have gotten a safety award from my company for 6 years running. It’s not worth it to me to lose it just because you or your kids think an air horn is cool.
Truckers have enough bad reputations from the few idiots we DO have driving the big rigs. Please don’t persecute those of us that are TRYING to be considerate of other drivers
Some radio/tv announcements addressing this might help your cause, Chris.
I know what you mean about the horn being distracting. I hate car commercials on the radio that feature a horn blowing, especially if I am driving in an unfamiliar area. It always makes me think someone is trying to get my attention or that I have made some dreadful mistake.
I am also no fan of blowing the horn to greet someone for
the same reason: it is distracting and a safety hazard.
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*Originally posted by riserius1 *
** I have actually gotten bitched at or gotten the finger from parents who think I’m being a jerk by not indulging their precious tykes(who amazingly are rarely wearing a seatbelt
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I bet they were macho poseurs who were driving SUV’s. They were probably circumscized, too.
[sub]I’m sorry, the temptation was too great…[/sub]
Thank you, Chris! I didn’t know this either, and I was one of the offenders as a kid, particularly on bus trips. I’ve never taught my children how to do it, however.
I’m glad you pointed this out! It makes sense, after all.
When you’re at a stop light or a stop sign, don’t pull out slowly when you see a truck eith a heavy load coming. Big trucks can’t just slam on the brakes. If they do, there’s a chance of the truck fishtailing(the trailer whipping back and forth), which can cause the truck to roll over. Either wait for the truck to go by, or pull out quickly when you’re still far enough of the truck. Out in the country where I live, a lot of trucks with grain are on the road now, and a lot of the drivers are in a hurry and/or tired. Be careful.
This reminds me of a suggestion a trucker made in a letter to a Sydney newspaper. He wanted to make taking a ride in the passenger seat of a fully loaded big rig in tight peak hour traffic a compulsory part of getting a driver’s licence. This is probably the only way some car drivers would get to understand what risks you take when you cut in front on a semi.
riserius1, when you see my snot-nosed… my tykes pumping their arms (I’ll try to get them to stop now- good luck to me) could you just wave? I’m think thay’d like that almost as much as a good blast of the air horn.
-Rue.
I have tried waving at them; they pump their arms even more furiously. I will mouth the word “no”, shake my head, and make a “no way” gesture with my hands(all while smiling). This usually ilicits one of two responses:
Pump arm even MORE furiously.
Give me the finger.
It’s gotten to the point where if I see them do it, I try to avoid eye contact because I don’t want to seem like I’m a jerk. It’s better to let them thiink I don’t notice them.
Just to back up Chris, I asked a truck driver today what a “Jake Brake” sounds like (I heard it mentioned in a documentary). He said it’s that sound like a car with glasspacks letting ff the throttle. He also said that anyone who does it in a populated area is breaking the law. It’s for use only on steep grades, like driving in the mountains.
Well this is the first time I have ever heard of a trucker complain about kids trying to get them to blow their air horns.Most like to see the big grin on that kids face when they hear it.
I’ve been around truckers my whole life.I’ve even driven some myself.
You also don’t give senior citizens enough credit.Very few are going to panic just because you blow your horn.
Its a good thing that you are trying to be safe but cmon. They are only kids once.