RetroFed Forum
Your home away from modern life.
Cars should have two horns. A polite one and one that is a fuck you horn
Post Reply
AuthorMessage
cm0002 literature.cafe cm0002@literature.cafe
Joined: 2025-11-08
Quote

225   Original
SGGeorwell lemmy.world SGGeorwell@lemmy.world
Joined: 2024-01-09
#2 · Quote Reply

Honk? Shit, they won’t even let you drive it soon.

2
notamechanic321 sh.itjust.works notamechanic321@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-06-13
#3 · Quote Reply

Trucks already have this. A town horn and a country horn

17
Damage feddit.it Damage@feddit.it
Joined: 2023-06-12
#4 · Quote Reply

You misunderstand the purpose of the car horn

8
TheFrirish tarte.nuage-libre.fr TheFrirish@tarte.nuage-libre.fr
Joined: 2025-11-16
#5 · Quote Reply

Unpopular opinion: cars should have no horns. People use them to make incessant noise. Instead of turning the wheel when they are about to crash they just beep as if that's going to make the other vehicle move.

No reason to have them I will not give a full list of why they shouldn't exist and you can forget trying to convince me otherwise.

-4
AZX3RIC lemmy.world AZX3RIC@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-01-25
#6 · Quote Reply

https://youtu.be/lv8wqnk_TsA

2
FishFace piefed.social FishFace@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-10-16
#7 · Quote Reply

And both horns should only emit a short noise. The function is served with a short beep - anything more than that is just yelling at people in your multi-ton penis replacement.

-1
FishFace piefed.social FishFace@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-10-16
#8 · Quote Reply

Unpopular opinion: cars should have no horns. People use them to make incessant noise. Instead of turning the wheel when they are about to crash they just beep as if that's going to make the other vehicle move. No reason to have them I will not give a full list of why they shouldn't exist and you can forget trying to convince me otherwise.

How would you indicate to someone that they're about to reverse into you when you don't have time/space to get out of the way?

6
massive_bereavement fedia.io massive_bereavement@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-06-14
#9 · Quote Reply

Trucks already have this. A town horn and a country horn

And a fun horn?

9
Mountainaire lemmy.world Mountainaire@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-12-18
#10 · Quote Reply

You misunderstand the purpose of the car horn

Actually, they do have different volumes. At least, on Toyotas, the bottom of the steering wheel plays a much softer beep if you just tap it. I use that to indicate, "Come on, now," versus smacking the middle for, "Whoa, Nelly!" or "What the @#$% are you doing?"

8
pulsewidth lemmy.world pulsewidth@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-01-29
#11 · Quote Reply

I mean everyone's figured this out more or less though.

Gentle horn tap - polite, informative. "The light is green and you're spaced out, mate".

Pronounced depression (or two) on the horn - stern, informative. "You just swerved into another lane without indicating in heavy traffic, your behavior is risky".

Long extended honks, wild honking, something resembling Morse Code - impolite, abusive. "You just blew a stop sign", "you're driving on the wrong side of the road". "You could kill someone you fucking arsehat".

68
greatbigmodernmess lemmy.world greatbigmodernmess@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-01-02
#12 · Quote Reply

I saw this same post somewhere else but have the same reply: the INEOS Grenadier has two horns. There is a button on the steering wheel called “toot” and it is for pedestrians and cyclists.

5
TrickDacy lemmy.world TrickDacy@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-27
#13 · Quote Reply

Unpopular opinion: cars should have no horns. People use them to make incessant noise. Instead of turning the wheel when they are about to crash they just beep as if that's going to make the other vehicle move. No reason to have them I will not give a full list of why they shouldn't exist and you can forget trying to convince me otherwise.

You have not thought this through. Plenty of accidents are prevented and preventable with a horn.

2
Quilotoa lemmy.ca Quilotoa@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-04-01
#14 · Quote Reply

And a horn that says, "Hi there."

1
DishaweslemOride lemmy.org DishaweslemOride@lemmy.org
Joined: 2026-04-17
#15 · Quote Reply

Actually, they do have different volumes. At least, on Toyotas, the bottom of the steering wheel plays a much softer beep if you just tap it. I use that to indicate, "Come on, now," versus smacking the middle for, "Whoa, Nelly!" or "What the @#$% are you doing?"

It’s the same single horn.

5
Bluescluestoothpaste sh.itjust.works Bluescluestoothpaste@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-08-05
#16 · Quote Reply

How would you indicate to someone that they're about to reverse into you when you don't have time/space to get out of the way?

Flash high beams, but you may have given the best example.

2
cravl slrpnk.net cravl@slrpnk.net
Joined: 2023-06-10
#17 · Quote Reply

I just need a button to play frustrated R2-D2 noises at people. Polite, humorous, and a gentle reminder that there are other humans in those other cars, but still gets the point across.

14
kalpol lemmy.ca kalpol@lemmy.ca
Joined: 2025-06-05
#18 · Quote Reply

My old Mercedes had this. Switch on the dash for "city" or "country" horn settings. Had the same for the headlights, city or highway settings. I loved that car.

4
Carnelian lemmy.world Carnelian@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-27
#19 · Quote Reply

How would you indicate to someone that they're about to reverse into you when you don't have time/space to get out of the way?

I was playing devils’s advocate trying to come up with something, since I agree that car horns are obnoxious and repulsive if you’re just chilling at home or eating at a cafe

I wonder if theoretically, we could have mandated radios in cars? That way you could ping the vehicles around you directly? Maybe have a panic button that just causes the interior unit on the vehicles around you to flash?

1
zero_spelled_with_an_ecks programming.dev zero_spelled_with_an_ecks@programming.dev
Joined: 2023-06-19
#20 · Quote Reply

And both horns should only emit a short noise. The function is served with a short beep - anything more than that is just yelling at people in your multi-ton penis replacement.

If vehicles are penises, are Americans that want public transportation eggs?

Also, why are those people even in my penis replacement? No wonder I'm yelling at them.

3
errer lemmy.world errer@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-15
#21 · Quote Reply

I mean everyone's figured this out more or less though. Gentle horn tap - polite, informative. "The light is green and you're spaced out, mate". Pronounced depression (or two) on the horn - stern, informative. "You just swerved into another lane without indicating in heavy traffic, your behavior is risky". Long extended honks, wild honking, something resembling Morse Code - impolite, abusive. "...

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use.

Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go

SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep

Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

33
ironhydroxide sh.itjust.works ironhydroxide@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2023-11-27
#22 · Quote Reply

Gen1 Chevy Volt has this feature

2
Onomatopoeia lemmy.cafe Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe
Joined: 2025-01-02
#23 · Quote Reply

This used to be a requirement in NY - cars actually had a "NY horn circuit" in the 60's and 70's.

6
Onomatopoeia lemmy.cafe Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe
Joined: 2025-01-02
#24 · Quote Reply

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use. Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Yea, NorEasters have zero patience (this now extends down to northern VA)

6
fizzle quokk.au fizzle@quokk.au
Joined: 2025-11-21
#25 · Quote Reply

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use. Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Yeah here in Australia horn use is almost always offensive. Not reallyalways but that's the default assumption. If you're going to toot toot someone you know you do it fucking carefully after making sure there's no one near by that might think you're beeping at them.

My partner and I visited Vietnam about 15 years ago. The polar opposite. If you're in or in a vehicle and another vehicle is presently in or will be in your vicinity them you're toot toot tooting just to make everyone aware of your presence.

I genuinely like thee Vietnam approach if im honest. Very utilitarian.

9
DarkerRadical lemmy.world DarkerRadical@lemmy.world
Joined: 2026-04-23
#26 · Quote Reply

This used to be a requirement in NY - cars actually had a "NY horn circuit" in the 60's and 70's.

Presumably "eyyy I'm drivin here"

13
rants_unnecessarily piefed.social rants_unnecessarily@piefed.social
Joined: 2026-02-03
#27 · Quote Reply

I've thought about this as well, except I think there should be one polite/quieter one for pedestrians and one loud for cars.

I hate the idea of honking the mega loud thing at a pedestrian being a dumbass. I don't want to scare them shitless and make a dangerous situation worse.

3
teslekova sh.itjust.works teslekova@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2026-01-09
#28 · Quote Reply

A lot of trucks have this. I have only experienced the full Apocalypse Horn Array once, after I obeyed a stupidly placed 40 km/h sign with a truck close behind me as we were both going 80 on the freeway into Melbourne. Slowed my little hatchback down and almost became a speed bump. Good thing the truckie was on his toes. 😄

I will never do that again.

1
ChonkyOwlbear lemmy.world ChonkyOwlbear@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-24
#29 · Quote Reply

How would you indicate to someone that they're about to reverse into you when you don't have time/space to get out of the way?

All cars after 2018 are required to have back up cameras. Pretty soon people will have no excuse other than idiocy.

2
lol_idk piefed.social lol_idk@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-07-13
#30 · Quote Reply

I just need a button to play frustrated R2-D2 noises at people. Polite, humorous, and a gentle reminder that there are other humans in those other cars, but still gets the point across.

There are only humans in my car, other cars are filled with assholes, morons, and idiots, some have a “fucking” modifier attached to them too.

2
Optional lemmy.world homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-07-09
#31 · Quote Reply

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use. Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

Yes and it’s ridiculous. Settle the fuck down.

8
billwashere lemmy.world billwashere@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-12
#32 · Quote Reply

I just need a button to play frustrated R2-D2 noises at people. Polite, humorous, and a gentle reminder that there are other humans in those other cars, but still gets the point across.

Well shit... I have a new project now.

3
JasonDJ lemmy.zip JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2024-01-16
#33 · Quote Reply

A lot of trucks have this. I have only experienced the full Apocalypse Horn Array once, after I obeyed a stupidly placed 40 km/h sign with a truck close behind me as we were both going 80 on the freeway into Melbourne. Slowed my little hatchback down and almost became a speed bump. Good thing the truckie was on his toes. 😄 I will never do that again.

The number of people I see cutting off a semi on a downhill stretch of highway or an icy bridge is too damn high. That's what I get for living so close to Rhode Island.

4
18107 aussie.zone 18107@aussie.zone
Joined: 2023-07-04
#34 · Quote Reply

I just need a button to play frustrated R2-D2 noises at people. Polite, humorous, and a gentle reminder that there are other humans in those other cars, but still gets the point across.

Mark Rober video with R2-D2 horn sound.

2
Etterra discuss.online Etterra@discuss.online
Joined: 2024-12-10
#35 · Quote Reply

If you have a little electrical training you can install one on the bottom front of your car and with the button tucked away under the dash. That way you can't get caught having one unless they I' impound your car and dig around for it.

1
Drusas fedia.io Drusas@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-08-16
#36 · (edited) Quote Reply

The number of people I see cutting off a semi on a downhill stretch of highway or an icy bridge is too damn high. That's what I get for living so close to Rhode Island.

Oh no. You'll see that anywhere hilly. Worst I've ever seen was California.

1
Drusas fedia.io Drusas@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-08-16
#37 · Quote Reply

I've thought about this as well, except I think there should be one polite/quieter one for pedestrians and one loud for cars. I hate the idea of honking the mega loud thing at a pedestrian being a dumbass. I don't want to scare them shitless and make a dangerous situation worse.

The most common use for the polite one in the US is aimed at other drivers to tell them to pay attention because the light has turned green.

1
Drusas fedia.io Drusas@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-08-16
#38 · (edited) Quote Reply

There are only humans in my car, other cars are filled with assholes, morons, and idiots, some have a “fucking” modifier attached to them too.

A Buddhist priest once taught me a very simple and effective exercise to combat that sort of thinking.

As you drive, imagine your car in a bubble. Then expand your bubble to include the vehicle in front of you.

It started with imagining a bubble around yourself (not in a car necessarily) and then expanding it to include the person nearest you.

It's more impactful than it sounds. You quickly come to see/feel them as part of the "you" team.

3
Drusas fedia.io Drusas@fedia.io
Joined: 2024-08-16
#39 · (edited) Quote Reply

And a horn that says, "Hi there."

No. Just wave.

2
MML sh.itjust.works MML@sh.itjust.works
Joined: 2025-06-30
#40 · Quote Reply

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use. Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

PA

Light is still red

BEEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

8
cravl slrpnk.net cravl@slrpnk.net
Joined: 2023-06-10
#41 · (edited) Quote Reply

Mark Rober video with R2-D2 horn sound.

I knew when I had the idea that it wasn't original, just couldn't remember where from.

3
macaw_dean_settle lemmy.world macaw_dean_settle@lemmy.world
Joined: 2025-03-09
#42 · Quote Reply

My Volt has a pedestrian honk that works well for this.

4
Cethin lemmy.zip Cethin@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2023-07-01
#43 · Quote Reply

At this point, I think all cars should have an LED display for text. Flashing your lights can get people's attention, but it could mean anything. We should be able to set a message (maybe with a handful of defaults) to be displayed either on the front or rear of the vehicle. It can warn people that their light is out, or their trunk is open, or anything else. It'd clear up a lot of confusion.

8
Ensign_Crab lemmy.world Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-29
#44 · (edited) Quote Reply

At this point, I think all cars should have an LED display for text. Flashing your lights can get people's attention, but it could mean anything. We should be able to set a message (maybe with a handful of defaults) to be displayed either on the front or rear of the vehicle. It can warn people that their light is out, or their trunk is open, or anything else. It'd clear up a lot of confusion.

Yeah, being able to actually communicate to other drivers that they really need to go suck start a shotgun and make Hell a worse place isn't going to do much to alleviate road rage.

7
Ensign_Crab lemmy.world Ensign_Crab@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-29
#45 · Quote Reply

I moved from Boston to Southern California and it’s comical the differences in horn use. Light turns green, car in front doesn’t go SoCal: One one thousand two one thousand three one thousand four one thousand beep beep Boston, one millisecond after the green light hits your eyes BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

I've had people start honking when the light on the cross street turns red.

2
FishFace piefed.social FishFace@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-10-16
#46 · Quote Reply

All cars after 2018 are required to have back up cameras. Pretty soon people will have no excuse other than idiocy.

That'll be reassuring if you're reversed into save had no means of warning them audibly

1
Smeagol666 crazypeople.online Smeagol666@crazypeople.online
Joined: 2025-08-08
#47 · (edited) Quote Reply

I wish I had a train horn yesterday. Some asshat in a black Sequoia cut me off from the shoulder. If I were 10 years younger I would have followed this jerk and explained to them the error of their ways. I wish I had an rpg launcher, or at least a paintball gun, mounted on my car.

4
lol_idk piefed.social lol_idk@piefed.social
Joined: 2025-07-13
#48 · Quote Reply

A Buddhist priest once taught me a very simple and effective exercise to combat that sort of thinking. As you drive, imagine your car in a bubble. Then expand your bubble to include the vehicle in front of you. It started with imagining a bubble around yourself (not in a car necessarily) and then expanding it to include the person nearest you. It's more impactful than it sounds. You quickly com...

I just figure all theses people must have diarrhea. Except the dumb ones, they are probably just dumb

2
avocado programming.dev avocado@programming.dev
Joined: 2025-09-11
#49 · Quote Reply

At this point, I think all cars should have an LED display for text. Flashing your lights can get people's attention, but it could mean anything. We should be able to set a message (maybe with a handful of defaults) to be displayed either on the front or rear of the vehicle. It can warn people that their light is out, or their trunk is open, or anything else. It'd clear up a lot of confusion.

"Hey Raider!" "Wanna team up?"

2
Addv4 lemmy.world Addv4@lemmy.world
Joined: 2023-06-18
#50 · Quote Reply

The number of people I see cutting off a semi on a downhill stretch of highway or an icy bridge is too damn high. That's what I get for living so close to Rhode Island.

Nah, it's everywhere. I work Truck adjacent, and just know if I'm going in front of a semi, I usually give an extra sec or so on my turn signal so they know I'm merging. So many people don't, which is a big problem in my opinion.

2
JasonDJ lemmy.zip JasonDJ@lemmy.zip
Joined: 2024-01-16
#51 · Quote Reply

Oh no. You'll see that anywhere hilly. Worst I've ever seen was California.

Does California have icy bridges?

1
Post Reply Page 1 of 2   Goto page 1, 2 Last »
Back to top