What Pisses Me Off: Hoons with horns

Today I am really pissed off. Why? It’s because last night I was kept awake by stupid hoons with stupid horns. I live in a quiet suburb that I love. Except we have long roads with a few gentle rolling hills. Good for fuel economy, great for a cardio workout and perfect for young idiots who don’t have consideration for those around them.

At 2:30am this morning I was awoken by loud engine noises and blaring horns that wouldn’t stop. For over half an hour it went by – two or three cars revving their engines and honking each other like it was some kind of sport. I could hear them laughing when they came to a stop and yelling vile profanities at each other before laughing and driving off again. It stopped quite suddenly and I think it’s because one of the braver neighbours made a bold decision to call the police.

I couldn’t get back to sleep after that so I lay in bed thinking – why do we have no consideration for people when it comes to our horns? Do people not know why horns exist?

Horns are there for a safety feature. I can remember when I was much younger we would drive up into the mountain range of Lamington National Park and we went through an unusual earth formation that we called “The Plum Pudding”. It was almost like driving through a dark cave and you couldn’t see any oncoming traffic on the one lane road – so you drove around tooting the whole way. That is what a horn is for. For safety, to let others know you are there.

Not the way people use it now.

It’s become a tool of road rage and aggression. When someone feels like someone else on the road does something to annoy them or disrupt their daily commute they blast their horn while yelling at them. What does this achieve? Nothing except a mild earache for the other drivers around them.

It’s rude and it’s inconsiderate. My car broke down in a very unfortunate location on a very busy road at peak hour – what are the chances? As I stood beside it waiting for my roadside assistance a kind man stopped alongside my car and shouted, “Are you alright – do you need a mobile to call anyone?” Before I even had a chance to answer the lady behind him was beeping at him loudly. He had slowed down for about 15 seconds and there was a red light in front so it wasn’t like there’s any lost time for her!

People have forgotten why cars have horns and how to use them. Horns and consideration don’t go together in anyway and that is what has been pissing me off.

Tell us, do you also get pissed off by car horns and hoons? What stories can you share?