TransitBiker

Yea, i don't get it either. Then i remember lot of people don't take driving seriously enough, or just suck at it.

Eh, just let them be idiots, no need to join in. If you do say something, have it be like "thank you have a lovely day".

- Andy

The B

That's really probably about all I'd do...

spivonious

This has happened to me a few times too. First time was "boo", second time was "hey". Just anything to startle me. Since I'm usually looking at them because they've slowed beside me, their plan doesn't work.

Sullalto

Ah, a kindred soul.

Seeing as how it's my left ear that's deaf, If it isn't a siren, I don't care.

GhostSS

Here honking is really only done by buses, trolleys, and large trucks because the roads are too narrow and there isn't enough room on the margin, so the honk is more of a courtesy of the driver rather than rudeness. So no, I don't look behind me I just switch to the sidewalk when possible to let the oversized vehicle pass.

Mark Stone

Actually, I do get honked at from time to time, but - hey - I'm married.

Robert C

I'm in China, the honking never stops; so, no, I don't bother looking.

TransitBiker

I had a convertible full of attractive women honk at me exactly 2 times. I pulled an Einstein and stuck my tongue out at them quickly then went back to Mr. Serious bicyclist man.

- Andy

walrus1

Almost always. Most of the time they're not honking at me, some of the time they, once in a blue moon their honking at me because I did something wrong or there is some danger I need to be aware of. Also honking could be the only warning you get before an angry motorist before they pass you in a dangerous manner. It's best to be aware of what is going on around you.

anon06

I usually don't look around when someone honks in my neighborhood, unless it's a long honk because that means that one car driver thought that another driver was about to crash into them or do a dangerous move; I ignore the short horks because they're done when nothing dangerous is going on, usually by teens.

I'm not their age, so I assume that they've mistaken me for someone else; no one knows me in my neighborhood, so there isn't any reason for them to honk at me in a friendly greeting.

halcyon100

I rarely ever get honked at. Once in awhile at a stoplight, I'll be behind a car that doesn't realize the light turned green. Then, the car behind me will honk, which is fine with me as I have no ability to "honk" on my bike. Sometimes my husband will honk to say hello if he passes me while driving home and I'll wave hello. I have had a few people I know say they passed me on my bike or waved or said hello out the window and I had no awareness of it... I guess I was too focused on the road ahead.

if I hear random honking that I don't think it directed toward me, sometimes I turn to see what is going on and sometimes not. I will turn around to look at drivers when they are tailgating me, usually because they are afraid to pass me on a road without a bike lane. Or they have some kind of passive-aggressive issue...

I hate it when cars trail right behind me without passing. It is amazing how many people have problems with this. I have a few elderly relatives and one mentally ill family member who have all expressed abject fear about driving near cyclists. It is because they have never been on a bike near cars, ever. They have no idea about the passing distance you need. I offered to cycle next to them on some wide country roads and help them learn to do this, but they all said "no, we don't want to kill you...".

jowilson

Ughhhhh I absolutely DESPISE it when people tailgate me. When they do that I usually take up the full lane just to show that I'm not going to budge. By not looking around me, I'm hoping to send the message that I really don't give a damn that they're having problems with me being where I'm at, but I'm not sure if they're getting that message and I'm only furthering the whole 'cyclists suck' mentality.

beerbaron2002

I swerve into them and tell the cop they were aggressively driving then sue their insurance for play money.

CommuteCommando

It's a better than 50-50 chance they are honking at someone else, not me. If it is a couple of short toots the odds are they are someone who recognizes me, or a nearby cager. I don't worry unless there is something about it that sets off my Spidey sense, like a continuous blast Dopplering high.

The B

Of course... I generally have my ear budz in blasting electro... so it's not like I'm usually gonna hear it anyway.

Buddy of mine just told me he honked at me the other night... I never heard it.

jfowler85

Maybe the motorist is being an ass. The last time I was honked at, riding in southern California, it was by some individuals who also threw a melon at me. They missed, and it was because I was riding lawfully along a broad shoulder...that and the kid who threw the melon had poor aim. The last time I was honked while running was just the other day, and far be it from me to understand why they honked; maybe my shorts are too short? The last time I honked at someone riding a bicycle, it was along a very long and lonely stretch of interstate in Utah; I honked at the guy because he was trucking up a steep grade and I thought he was awesome. It appeared he paid me no attention.

Generally I pay no attention to honkers. I'm pretty sure I would know if my tire was danger-low or if perhaps my ass was hanging out in the wind.

FBinNY 

No I rarely, if ever look behind me if someone honks. Frst of all, I'm not a pigeon and my head can't rotate 180°. I can turn it enough to see someone behind me in a adjacent lane, but not someone directly behind me. In any case, a horn says someone is there, what good can come from turning and trying to see who or what?

Depending on conditions, and the type of honk, I may move to the right, or at least make sure to hold line, (or pass potholes on the right) so passing is safer, but that's about the only reaction. Plenty of time to see who or what it is after they pass.

The B

I was in a bit of a debate with some non-cyclist gentlemen the other day about... well, pretty much everything related to cycling and what self-entitled, inconsiderate, unsafe Lance Armstrong wannabes we are.....

Anyway.. one guy is a dump truck driver. He told a story of coming down a pretty empty two lane road with a cyclist in the lane... he said he moved way out to the left to give the bike plenty of room, and about as he was doing this, a moped false-started from a a left intersection- probably not expecting a dump truck to be going the wrong way in a lane he was about to turn into. So he hit the horn to warn the moped driver he was about to get absolutely atomized by a dump truck. He said moped rider saw him, waited, and that was that... he continued on his way for another some odd number of miles till the next town, and after a couple of signals, he hears someone screaming at him. It was the cyclist, who'd apparently been chasing him down for the last 15 or 20 minutes to scream at him about honking at him.

Obviously the cyclist didn't see or understand the issue with the moped and just assumed the truck driver was honking at him.

I just thought it was interesting to get the perspective of the dump truck driver. Like I said earlier in the thread, trucks always seem to be the ones that honk at me, but I'm never sure if they're honking AT me or what, when I'm just peddling down the road in a straight line minding my own business. I don't make any guesses as to what's going on... maybe someday it'll kill me, but what else can i do?

FBinNY 

I never fret or get upset if someone honks. Obviously, I don't like idiot who lean on their horns, but those are very rare. OTOH- a gentle tap of the horn saying I'm back here is actually a good thing. It lets me know that the driver has seen me and will be adjusting. The local county bus line instructs it's drivers to tap the horn from a distance as they approach cyclists. Most do so, and as their horns have a distinctive sound, I know exactly what's there.

jin_yeugh

I usually look ahead and around me briefly to make sure the honk isn't a warning of impending danger. If I see nothing to worry about, I usually ignore them. Often times it's an impatient/unskilled driver who wants me to move over so they can confidently pass me. I'll typically point out to them that they have more than enough room to pass me safely without endangering me.

As for friends getting my attention, I try to tactfully tell them, when they ask about it, that I was paying attention to the road and couldn't say hello. This way they don't get their feelings hurt and are reminded how dangerous it is to needlessly avert people's attention from the road.

Rudz

I generally ignore it. I've had friends tell me they seen me and they honked. Most of my friends know better, so they don't bother.

I've had women ask if I had a girlfriend, tell me I was hot ect. Most kids leave me alone because my arms are tattooed and they're probably afraid I'll catch them at the next light.

I do check my mirror every once in a while when u hear a honk. If I hear a bus or truck honk I make sure they have room, some of the student truck drivers act like they need a lane and a half though.

Reinofratch

Some Aholes yelled at me and both tried to grab onto me and tried to run me into the curb at a strip mall once by riding at my speed and slowly edging towards me. And I was going a good 20mph so that would have hurt. I hit the brakes and kicked hard at their rear bumped and broke the tail light lens.

I don't understand how some people are just okay with being like that. They just don't care about anyone except themselves.

I still wish I'd pulled up beside them at the next light and told them very calmly that they had a tail light out. XD

TransitBiker

Back in 2011 some special case pretended to jump out at me from a curb sidewalk in the borough... They laughed as i pulled over, little did they know that i pulled over to call the cops.

I swear some people have brains missing that common sense lobe.

- Andy

ItsJustMe

Mirror. Turning my head is distracting, I only do it if there's a safety reason to do so. I might wave a hand.