Mouton

Got this from noriel's byline. Its something I hear myself saying relatively often too. Do you agree? Is this a smart thing to base your riding style on?

chimblysweep

Rice!

Judah

If they honk it means they know you're there. Maybe it's an ******* thing to say, but it's true. The honk may be succeeded by them hitting you, but at least you know that they know you're there. I base my riding style on this concept, but people say I'm an *******, so....

giboyeux

Don't forget the courtesy honk. A lot of the buses in Chi, and a handful of drivers, will give you a short little toot on the horn to let you know that they're passing.

"Just letting you know, I'm passing.....don't do anything stupid." Car equivalent of ringing your bell on the way through a busy crosswalk.

skelly

I never really thought of it that way. I just assume they see me. The only good reason to be honked at I think is if they think you're unaware of them and they're going to hit you (ie. you're doing something stupid). But usually it's just that they want me to move on the sidewalk so they can get to the next red light faster.

giboyeux

For an ambiguous honk, all you have to do is glance in the window as they pass. Most pissed off drivers will look it.

Cynikal 

Carry a airhorn and roll up to thier open window and blow it in thier ear. Then politely state that this is how thier horn sounds to you and to not use it again.

46x17

Unless they are honking at someone else they are honking at you.
If they are honking at you it is safe to assume that they see you.
Not sure how knowing that they saw/see me is going to help me in anyway though.

mareesha

The crazy ***** who hit me honked first.
It still hurt.
Usually I appreciate them letting me know they see me by honking once. It's the *******s that drive right behind me while laying on the horn when there is no possible way for me to move out of their way any faster than I am that make me want to smash windshields.

mrRed

mareesha, i heard about your lil' accident from your brother the other night, glad to hear you're mostly alright, but **** that ***** who hit you and ran. you gonna press charges?

popluhv

What good are car horns? So many drivers take the time to honk, but not slow down. Honking also compromises the driver's grip on the wheel.

mareesha

You know the NYPD moves at snail speed when the victim in a hit and run is a *gasp* bike messenger. Even if it's a girl. (apparently batting ones eyelashes has no effect at the 1st pcnt.) If any of you NYC folks know of a good lawyer who deals in bike accident / injury cases send me an email / message.

evanyc

adam white is a "bike lawyer" and was really helpful when i talked to him... his info is on transalt.org

edit: here it is:

Adam D. White,
212-577-9710,
adam.white@adamwlaw.com

mareesha

You rule.
Thank you.

eddiebrannan

no. a lot of drivers will tap their horn as they're coming up behind you to let you know they're there. it's usually pretty easy to distinguish between that and the ******bags. i always acknowledge if i hear that, and mostly hold my line til i feel it's safe to move, but i've acknowledged them so they know i'm there and responsive, and when i do dip in i wave them through and throw them a thumb as they pass. we need to acknowledge good road manners and respect them. sharing the road works both ways

edit: [/sanctimonious]

s_9

ding!

That was the most sensible thing I've read on BF in a while.

Of course, there are drivers who antagonistically honk their horns at you, but the little "hey I'm here...I don't know if you know I'm here, but I'm here" honk is a pretty polite thing to do. The return gesture would be to safely & visibly move out of their path.

mrRed

damn eddie, that's mighty tighty whitey of you, and i don't usually go as far as dipping somewhere all the way to the side, but i get a lil closer to getting doored land and hold a steady line and give 'em the go ahead. Or if there's a red light ahead i'll give 'em the point to the red light light and than the slow down hand gesture, which is usually received just fine.

r-dub

Nice thing is that if they hit you after honking, it's easier to call it assault rather than accident.

mareesha

Unless you are a NY bike messenger.

skelly

Something I've noticed happening more often around Philly is the people in traffic who just hold their horn for *literally* 40 seconds or more. That gets me angry pretty fast.