Advertisement

I Never Honk My Car Horn, Does That Make Me Better Than You?

1
Bradley Brownell
·2 min read
Image: Ineos Automotive
Image: Ineos Automotive

It has been brought to my attention that Ineos delivers the new Grenadier off-roader with a polite little “toot” button on the steering wheel to offer pedestrians and cyclists a comforting notification that you’re nearby and see them, bringing you to their attention without startling or deafening them. I think this is a great idea that should be implemented in more vehicles, because horns are obnoxious and should be used as infrequently as possible. But it got me thinking about how much I would actually use it, because I never honk my horn. And that might make me better than you.

I brought this up in the Jalopnik slack this morning, and was met with a barrage from many of my co-workers that they absolutely relish every opportunity to lay on the beeps. I was simply appalled, taken aback, and distraught that the people I work with every day are animals on America’s roadways, peppering their daily commutes with more beeps than a radio-edit Eminem track. For shame. Okay, I’m being overly dramatic about it, but only just.

Read more

ADVERTISEMENT

It has gotten to the point that many of my cars simply don’t have horns anymore. I’ve swapped all of my sports car steering wheels out for smaller diameter Momo wheels, and I’ve stopped worrying about hooking up the horn again during the install process because I never use them anyway.

I realize that honking is viewed differently in different cultures. I’ve been to New York City once. At a certain point it’s just noise pollution, and makes everything unpleasant for everyone. Are you a habitual horn user, or do you refrain like me? I feel like there can’t be anything in between. You’re either one extreme or the other. Discuss.

More from Jalopnik

Sign up for Jalopnik's Newsletter. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.