There’s a phenomenon I’ve encountered since moving to Jersey about 5 years ago that boggles my mind, so I’m writing this post to see if I’m alone or if it’s just a local, cultural, thing. No, I’m not talking about spray tanning, I’m referring to the use of the car horn. In this case, locals seemingly use their car horn as often as they breathe.
Now, I’ve worked for years in New York City and as such it’s nearly impossible to walk down any street at any time of the day without a cabbie or driver laying on the horn at another driver.
However, New York City residents move out of the city for the promise of a better environment to raise children: a yard with grass and trees, good schools, Costco – you know, the essentials.
It’s with that where I struggle to understand the mindset of people that come out to the ‘burbs for peace and quiet and instead can’t help themselves but to beep at everything. Didn’t make a turn fast enough? Honk. Didn’t accelerate fast enough when the light turned green? Honk. Didn’t let someone complete a “Jersey left”, whereby as soon as the light turns green the person across from you in the left turn lane guns it to cut off traffic? Honk. Honk. And honk.
Seriously, help me readers – is this just Jersey people being assholes or does this happen by you? And when it is acceptable to use the horn?
Out in the VA suburbs is fairly rare to hear a car horn. It seems like I most often use my horn to jolt the driver in front of me to look up from his smart phone and notice that the damn light is green.
It was the same in Michigan, Chris. If you used your horn it was a warning signal that a fight was about to go down, so you best check yo’ self.