Originally Posted by H23
Jackasses aside...
Sometimes folks from other countries honk pre-emptively in an attempt to diffuse a potential traffic problem before it occurs.
People don't always honk with malice.
Yeah, and by crumb its annoying as all get out! I cycled into Istanbul centrum on tour. Everyone honks. I think they honk if they see an ant! The Dolmus (taxi minibus things) honk at EVERYONE standing by the side of the road-trying to get fares. Imagine a four lane road packed with mini bus taxis, along streets crowded with pedestrians on the sidewalk, going about 20 mph. Nitemare.
It gets a bit less annoying out in the countryside, as the honk is more of an "I see you" toot. Compared with the evil "get outa my way" lean on the horn, we seem to have here in the states.