From NY1:Honking is the anthem of New York City streets.
Noise ranks at or near the top of 311 complaints and horn blowing, when drivers are not in danger, ranks among the city's most flouted infractions.
Just 400 tickets for horn blowing are given a year on average, about as many as one hears in an hour on some blocks.
It also may be the most selfish and counterproductive infraction. Experts say the vast bulk of horn taps do nothing to speed things along.
8 comments:
Trying to stop NYC motorists from honking is like trying to stop the tide from coming in.
I was in Pittsburgh a couple of years ago, downtown, and didn't hear one honk, not even when the lead car didn't take off like it was the Indy 500 when the light changed.
NYC drivers see the right to honk as a free speech issue. They know it won't make the traffic move, but since the guy in front of them can't hear them curse, they have to honk.
www.forgotten-ny.com
400 tickets? City-wide? Are those all types of noise infractions, or what? How about the audible back-up signals, which, granted, are important for safety but absolutely infuriating when you are exposed to them 18 hours a day, seven days a week. How about construction? How about late night garbage pick ups? -these last have regs on the books, btw. ENFORCEMENT is the problem. They pass these laws to create better quality of life for the priveleged few... they are meaningless for the rest of us.
WHY is it illegal to honk in certain areas?
Forest hills, Kew Gardens, Hollis hills, Upper East Side etc...
In Corona, honking is the equivalent of ringing the doorbell.
Beep. Beep.
"I'll be right out!"
Some of the car stereo systems are boom boxes on wheels. I'd prefer honking than listening to that bass rumbling for a few minutes.
The livery cabs and trucks are the culprits. In South America, a horn is badge or honor. Here this folks modify their horns to be louder and brassy - honk every-time the light turns green and the moment these black cars arrive to pick up their South American big shot clients who are running late to McD for work!
The "honk" is the anonymous driver shouting to the world: "I am somebody. I announce myself."
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