Talking to Machines
When you need to communicate to another human being it’s pretty straight forward.
Trying to communicate with a machine is more difficult.
I know there’s a human being behind the machine. But can’t always see them and their vocabulary is pretty limited. So when I get honked at I’m left to guess what they’re trying to express.
While I know most people are decent, I’m too afraid to turn around and engage just in case the last driver is the one behind the wheel.
I too, don’t know what to think when I hear a car honking (at me or not at me). Except one time the honking was persistent. The vehicle followed me until the passenger called out to me through the car’s open window that my pannier bag popped off my bike rack several blocks away. The people picked it up and followed me to give it back. I was so relieved and grateful to them!
I now respond to honks with blowing a kiss with the peace sign – waaaay better for my heart than flipping a bird and cursing.
That is a good point. If a Driven hours at you it mean they see you and that is a good thing.
August 31, 2001, I met the male version of the last driver when he was doing about 60 MPH (according to the crash reconstruction) and after he had already threatened me once while driving the opposite direction. Even when those drivers are only one in a million, it doesn’t matter when they’re the one behind you…
Sorry, I am not giving the honk the benefit of doubt. The rules say it’s allowed as a warning from imminent danger only, so its legitimate use is very limited. On the other hand, when the horn goes off right next to me, on my bike in the open, the volume is deafening, the startle likely to make me veer into the car’s path, and the deed bordering on malicious injury and coercion.
I loved this post from David Hembrow: http://www.aviewfromthecyclepath.com/2013/10/a-toot-and-wave-dutch-cyclists-are-not.html
“I still tense up a little if I hear a car horn when cycling. I still glance around for escape routes. This is a learnt behaviour which comes from many years of cycling in Britain…”
while noticing someone in a car tooting a ‘hello’ to a pal on a bike. 🙂