Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

General cycling advice ( NOT technical ! )
chomango

Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

I'm cycling in a residential neighbourhood, quite a gentle area occasional speeders but otherwise a pleasant cycle.

I 'm approaching a corner and can hear loud horn blasts, I turn cautiously expecting that there has been an accident.

The horn sounds again and again but there are no cars on the road.

I travel down the road cautiously then see the 4x4 parked up, I have a quick look and there are a few small children sat in the car, a 4 year old child is at the wheel 'playing with the horn' - I look around and then one of the parents steps out of the house with some boxes,

I yell out 'Sort you're horn out mate'

He just replies 'Yeah, Yeah'

So I then say 'It's illigel on a Sunday mate'

'No it isn't''

'Look it up!'

'Who the F*** are you?' he says

I just say 'Look it up' again and cycle off.

I'm waiting for waterproof housing for my bike cams, but this would have been good footage, would have saved having to have the 'altercation' with the man and question him about his children 'playing with the car horn' and the legalities.

Anybody experience this or have any thoughts on it, doesn't happen that often but It's quite alarming when a parked up car lays on the horn as you are cycling past - Had a similar one last week driver was stationary, parked up, smoking a fag, texting on the phone and then loudly beeping the horn - I stopped and asked if there was anything wrong with the way I was cycling and why she was beeping,she was picking her friend up from a nearby house and wanted them to hurry up!

My understanding that the horn is only to be used in emergencies and never on a residential street 'streetlights' between the hours of 11pm-7am and all day Sunday. And not to be used whilst stationary under any circumstances except to warn others of Danger.

I feel for this guys neighbours if he thinks it's acceptable to do that on a quiet residential street on a Sunday afternoon.

Maybe I am being too uptight,

Thankyou

Addendum - Also if I had filmed this, the constant multiple horn blasts then the revelation that the car is just children with a four year old at the wheel beeping the horn - What would I do with the footage - I'm guessing it probably wouldn't fit on youtube as the people in charge of the car/horn were minors. Would the Police be interested in something like that or would it be a council noise ordinance sort of issue.

Thanks for any replies, looking forward to getting out with my bike cams soon and catching some of the madness that I experience out and about on my bicycle.
tatanab
Posts: 5033
Joined: 8 Feb 2007, 12:37pm

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by tatanab »

adaws22 wrote:So I then say 'It's illigel on a Sunday.
Highway Code rule 112 states---
112.The horn. Use only while your vehicle is moving and you need to warn other road users of your presence. Never sound your horn aggressively. You MUST NOT use your horn
 while stationary on the road
 when driving in a built-up area between the hours of 11.30 pm and 7.00 am
except when another road user poses a danger. Law CUR reg 99

No mention of a Sunday. Use of the horn to alert friends of arrival or departure has been a common transgression for many decades and little more than a minor annoyance.
mattsccm
Posts: 5101
Joined: 28 Nov 2009, 9:44pm

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by mattsccm »

Legalities aside, it's a kid playing with the horn. Where the the issue with that? I assume its not all night. Non event.
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Paulatic
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Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by Paulatic »

I’m grateful you've not got waterproof caps for your camera :)
Who in the world would want to view that utter piece of nonsense? Leave it for the neighbours to sort if it’s bothering them.
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chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

mattsccm wrote:Legalities aside, it's a kid playing with the horn. Where the the issue with that? I assume its not all night. Non event.


Yeah because a toddler playing with a car horn on a 4x4 is perfectly normal.

Those horns are loud especially when pressed all the way down.

I'm not one to comment of other peoples parenting styles but surely this is a big no-no, Do you let you're small children 'play' with you're car horn whilst you are in and out of the house?
chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

Paulatic wrote:I’m grateful you've not got waterproof caps for your camera :)
Who in the world would want to view that utter piece of nonsense? Leave it for the neighbours to sort if it’s bothering them.


I don't know, but people do. I like to watch other cyclists uploads on youtube - It's hardly exciting as a boxset of Game of Thrones I agree, but each to their own. :D

I know a lot of the residents on this particular street are eldery, small retirement bungalows etc.. I've had good results in the past by just politely reminding car owners that there are elderly, ill, babies, shift workers etc...Most people are quite apologetic and know that they are in the wrong. In this case the guy was very hostile from the off so I just let it go not wanting to escalate things.

I am happy to say that this kind of thing doesn't happen that often on a Sunday as most people get that it is a restful day - Still in my opinion there should be an offence for letting a child play with a cars horn at any time.

I completely disagree about 'letting the neighbours sort it out if it is bothering them' - I think anti-social behaviour like this can and should be challenged if it's safe to do so, especially since I am using the road at the time and this stationary parked up car is loudly sounding there horn as I am approaching. If people never stood up to moronic things like this then everyones quality of life would go down the drain. I do wear earphones in my own house and am tolerant and respectful of all of my neighbours - however sometimes people do take it to far being completely stuck in their own world - This whole incident today was extremely selfish, unecessary and posed a potential hazard to boot.

On this occasion I just had a few words with the real 'owner of the vehicle' and then wen't on my way.

With the camera footage I could have just passed it on to the relevant authorities for them to decide, much safer for everyone.
Oldjohnw
Posts: 7764
Joined: 16 Oct 2018, 4:23am
Location: South Warwickshire

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by Oldjohnw »

Sigh.
John
chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

Thanks for that John -

Lovely bunch of folk on the forum today
chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

Yeah Yeah @philvantwo Jog on.
djnotts
Posts: 3036
Joined: 26 May 2008, 12:51pm
Location: Nottingham

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by djnotts »

I find it difficult to imagine living somewhere where this is the slightest noteworthy. Doesn't seem to have been any firearms or even blades involved.
chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

1st world problems djnotts - Standards must be maintained though, there is a thin line between order and chaos - Or so they say.

I didn't have enough time and a limited vantage point to see if the 4 year old behind the weal was concealing any offensive weapons, be glad when my waterproof housing arrive - The camera never lies - That 4 year old would be looking at a 5 stretch at the least if they were concealing offensive weapons as well as being uninsured/disqualified to be at the wheel of a motor vehicle, sounding off a horn whilst stationary in a threatening and antisocial manner etc... :D
Last edited by chomango on 29 Sep 2019, 8:32pm, edited 1 time in total.
Smudgerii
Posts: 99
Joined: 10 Jul 2016, 8:41pm

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by Smudgerii »

May I make a suggestion?

If you are going to rant at people as you cycle along it would be wise in the extreme to be correct in your assertions.

Alternatively, you could lighten up, enjoy your cycling and stay out of other peoples lives until they have a real impact on yours.
chomango

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by chomango »

@Smudgerii

How can I be incorrect - The use of Car horns is enshrined in law -

Use it unlawfully at a cyclist or in the vicinity - Open yourself upto criticism as the guy got - A short verbal exchange, nothing more nothing less.

If I had videod this behaviour and sent it to the bobbies he would probably be looking at a fixed penalty notice or a 'Driving Course' and points on the licence.

I can't see how trying to create a safer world for cyclists by pointing out motoring offences (And antisocial public offences) in a peaceful and non-violent way is anything but a good thing.

Addendum - The bit about impact - well more people are driving large saloon style cars, 4x4's and so then every in history - The horns on these cars are louder then ever - There designed for maximum safety to alert people of life or death situations on Motorways at high speed. - People need to start to realise that they are driving mini-tanks around with obnoxiously loud horns which are not purposed for trivial things, and they are certainly not toys!
cotterpins
Posts: 221
Joined: 6 Apr 2016, 9:38pm

Re: Cars using horn whilest they are stationary and you are cycling past.

Post by cotterpins »

Alternatively, you could lighten up, enjoy your cycling and stay out of other peoples lives until they have a real impact on yours.[/quote]

O! You are awful! . . . but I like you!
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