Horn is used to get someone's attention. It's typically understood that it's not polite to use it at all. A wave should be used to indicate politeness, and you should hold out all five fingers and wave back and forth a couple times so it's clear you're not flipping the bird. Or you just hold up your hand and spread your fingers. There is also the two-finger salute, where you show your palm and hold up your index and middle fingers. Jeep has adopted this into their marketing, saying if you also hold out your thumb, it makes a J, for Jeep, to express solidarity with a fellow owner of an overpriced piece of shit that is prone to breaking down. But honestly, having just one or two fingers up can look, from a distance, to be the raised middle finger that means "fuck you" and you don't want to add to road rage, especially if you just meant to say hi.

The best kindness you can show on the road is to be predictable.

The horn is used to get someone's attention. Like when this massive truck pulled out and almost hit me, because while the driver was pulling out of his driveway and into traffic, he was scrolling on TikTok or something and not paying attention. He had a look on his face like I was the asshole because I happened to be going to work because I like not being evicted... but I wonder if he ever realised that he almost caused a wreck because what was happening on his smartphone was more important than human life. Probably not, but one can hope.

The INEOS Grenadier has two horn modes. There is a “Toot” button on the steering wheel for pedestrians and cyclists!

Tap vs hold

I just talked about that with my wife 2 days ago

We're drive an electric car and had an old lady walking the street in front of us, which didn't hear the noise the e-car makes
Using the real horn would be really not ok - and in some places you aren't even allowed to, because of the local housing and stuff

I settled for opening the window and asking politely, but loud (as she obviously couldn't hear as good anymore), to maybe step a bit out of the center of the street

A polite horn would have been really perfect

Sometimes it's not just about emergencies, where you need their immediate attention.
Sometimes you just want to kindly tell someone, that you're here as they obviously haven't seen you.

Like horning at a bicycle driver in front is pretty overblown, but I'd still like to alert them to me and my probable overtaking in a few

Also, I'd have this story to add: https://sopuli.xyz/comment/23291045

So cars need a horn and a bicycle bell, got it.

(Not even being sarcastic!)

Cars should have no horns. They should be open air and only go up to a speed that you can shout at someone and have them react before incident (around 10mph). They should also run off of human power instead of gas, but to be more efficient, maybe run on two wheels and be a light-weight triangle frame made of tubes. Oh shit it's just a bicycle.

Something like a bicycle bell was also our idea
That would have been perfect

I mean, I think that's the difference between a light tap on the horn vs really laying on the horn.

If someone hasn't noticed the green light or similar, you give a light horn tap. If someone cuts you off or is about to hit you, you lay on the horn.

Context makes the distinction, and if people can't read the context then two different horns isn't going to help anyways.

we all know everybody would use the fuck you horn every time.

Every use of the horn is a fuck you to everyone in hearing distance, most of which are not even involved in the situation

We could even bury it underground or put it up in the sky so high speed transportation is rarely mixed with human-speed devices! That way, neither the polite horn nor the fuck you horn are necessary

They should also have a seat ejector that automatically sends you to the stratosphere to die if you press the horn without a good reason, if you press it more than 5 seconds it also slaps you before launch

The fuck you horn is always necessary.

Got me good with this one. Any new metal albums coming out that you are excited for?

Peace stranger.

Im just gonna use my horn i guess.

Band from Texas “portrayal of guilt” just released a new record, they’re one of my favorites right now.

The only reason to use your horn is for an actual emergency. Anything else is car brained psychosis.