Motoring Discussion > Use your horn why don't you ? Miscellaneous
Thread Author: hawkeye Replies: 17
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 09:43 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - hawkeye
My house and the yard wall block any view of the traffic on the single-track road outside so I have to creep out to a position where I can see. The authorities won't let me install a mirror on the telegraph pole opposite so I'm stuck with inching the car out until I've got some visibility. Years ago Highways installed a kerb opposite for reasons that are unclear. Until recently traffic would stop or use a blast of horn to stop me. Recently I've had cars drive up to inches away from my car door and fix me with a sour glare, a cyclist rode up so close to the house she was in the foot of gravel between house and tarmac, mums stop with pushchairs invisible under my car's bonnet and the Citylink van just bounced onto the kerb opposite and kept going. My hope has always been that if traffic can't see me, they could work out that I can't see them.

Why won't drivers use their horns; do they know what horns are for; do they know where to find the buttons? Or do their horns make such a pathetic squeak (like Mrs H's C3) that it's too much of an embarrassment?
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 09:58 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Harleyman
>>
>> Why won't drivers use their horns; do they know what horns are for; do they
>> know where to find the buttons?

Some are reluctant to use the horn, for fear that their correct use of it (as specified in the HC, to warn of a vehicle's approach) be misinterpreted as aggression. I posted on another thread about the unpleasant reaction I'd had from some cyclists when giving a quick tap on the horn to warn them of my approaching lorry; I'm afraid that most people nowadays only use the instrument to vent their frustration at someone blocking their way or preventing an aggressive manoeuvre.
Last edited by: Harleyman on Tue 5 Jun 12 at 09:58
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 10:11 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - L'escargot
Most people use their horn to signify their annoyance. I use my horn once a year, just before MOT time, to check that it's still working.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 10:24 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - teabelly
Ignore the authorities. Stick a mirror on the telegraph pole. If they get difficult make them sign a letter taking all responsibility for an accident, injury or damage that occurs as a direct result of there not being a mirror there. They'll scurry off and self destruct in a pile of H & S and red tape.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 10:29 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - R.P.
Agree, we've done it here with our shed. They are truly unbelievable around here, the planning department of Mona's isle is a joke amongst the locals.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 10:31 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Bromptonaut
Plenty of blind canal and rail bridges round here in Northants dating from era of horse and cart. Slow down and bip the horn is the obvious sensible approach.

Far too many drivers fly on and hope - the rail bridge scores several accidents every year.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 11:09 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Robin O'Reliant
I've often felt that cars should have a two position horn switch - one for a polite "Yoo hoo I'm here" warning and another for a more healthy "Get out of my &^%$")! way" blast.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 11:15 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - R.P.
Astons had/have "Town and Country" horns for that very reason
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 11:17 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Bill Payer
You need a car with cameras pointing sideways from the front bumper - RangeRover and X5 have them.

Or knock the wall down.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 13:01 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Harleyman
>> I've often felt that cars should have a two position horn switch - one for
>> a polite "Yoo hoo I'm here" warning and another for a more healthy "Get out
>> of my &^%$")! way" blast.
>>

Fitted as standard to my old Volvo truck; press small button on steering wheel spoke for gentle hint, and centre boss for twin train horns to wake the dead. Latter also useful for finding sheep farmers reluctant to help in off-loading; couple of quick blasts sets off every animal in the place, and has his missus kicking him out of the house to get rid of me so she can get some peace! :-)
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 13:26 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Zero
>> Ignore the authorities. Stick a mirror on the telegraph pole. If they get difficult make
>> them sign a letter taking all responsibility for an accident, injury or damage that occurs
>> as a direct result of there not being a mirror there. They'll scurry off and
>> self destruct in a pile of H & S and red tape.

Absolutely. That would be my course of action.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 13:19 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - L'escargot
I assume you know that a wall or fence adjacent to the highway and higher than 1 metre needs planning permission.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 14:35 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Cliff Pope
>> I assume you know that a wall or fence adjacent to the highway and higher
>> than 1 metre needs planning permission.
>>

It needs planning permission to erect, not to keep if it's already there and been unchallenged for whatever the period is - 4 years, 10 years ?

But if it is the OP's wall then it does sound like a self-created problem.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 13:47 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - teabelly
Or change the solid brick boundary wall for one of those with the patterned breeze blocks with holes. They are a bit old fashioned but you can see through them.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 14:04 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Dutchie
Stick a mirror on the post I would.For your safety and others .I use the car horn usually two fingers are stuck up to me.>;)
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 15:10 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - Shiny
Put a mirror either side of the entrance on the entrance gateposts.
My bank has these as the carpark exits a gap in a high wall onto a 40mph A road and they work well.
You look at the left side mirror to see to the right and vice versa.
As you are close to the mirrors, they can be smaller too than if one was mounted across the road.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 18:52 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - hawkeye
The wall features on an aerial photo dating from about 1910 so not a self-created problem.
Knock it down? Yes, but the house is on the other side of the gate and just as opaque.
Mirrors. I like the idea of just getting on with it. If I'm brave enough to do it, I'll let you know.

Town and country horns? Mum's Mercedes 280 CE had a rocker switch on the dash to select the horns required. But I prefer the Citroen system where the horn button first sounded the electric, then the air horns with more pressure. Available on the DS and CX.
It was possible to mimic that effect by connecting air horns through a relay energised by the existing horn circuit. A touch of the button sounded the electric horn but didn't give the air horn compressor time to spin up. A longer press sounded both horns. Goodness knows what a canbus system would make of an old-fashioned relay and power being taken directly from the battery.
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New Tue 5 Jun 12 19:19 
 Use your horn why don't you ? - R.P.
I had something like that on a bike I owned (fitted by the previous owner) one press for a lazy but loud grunt, a long press for the compressor to wind up and fir the twin air-horns.
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