Hiromi_X
meep
Was riding in the main aisle of a big parking lot today when asshole in sports car darts across my path from a little side aisle. Hit brakes. Angrily pressed the horn, which emitted a comical and completely unauthoritative "meep." I originally typed "Meep!" but the sound doesn't merit a capital letter or an exclamation point. I may as well have had a jingling bicycle bell on the thing. I had the same problem with my little car: I'd be full of a righteous rage, but the car was only able to produce a Yip! sound like an angry chihuahua. But the funny thing about the motorcycle horn is that it's hugely loud when I press it instead of the turn signal.
Comments
Reminds me of a time in Sri Lanka when I was riding in one of those Bajaj three wheelers. The drivers are always honking but this guy was particularly aggressive about it and the horn did have an authoritative sound. I made some comment about it and the guy said. "It is only a Bajaj, but the horn is BMW" and laughed. Maybe I need to invent an emotion activated horn....
1. Posted by Captured Shadow on October 28, 2007
Perhaps you can have a more "serious" horn installed. There are cars and trucks here in NYC that have had extra loud horns installed. Some of them sound like the cruise ships that dock on the west side each week, blowing their horns as they steam up the Hudson. Sometimes you'll hear what sounds like the horn on a Mack truck, and you'll look up to see that it's a guy in a delivery van. Obviously he's had the horn "beefed up" to deal with New York traffic. Before I moved to NYC I hardly ever hear people use horns. One used it only in emergency situations, like the one you described. Someone cuts you off, nearly backs into you, etc., and you beep the horn. Here, people blow their horns for seemingly no reason, beyond the general frustration of driving in Manhattan.
2. Posted by Brian on October 29, 2007
I was giving a friend of mine that rides a hard time about motorcycle horns. He told me he had another smaller bike and he bought a louder horn. When he honked with the new horn, it did two things:
1. It scared the crap out of people because usually they were not aware of his presence. One time a car swerved TOWARDS him.
2. People still don't always "see" you because they are not looking for a motorcycle or bicycle.
He didn't "upgrade" his horn with his new, larger bike.
Be safe on the road, and ride defensively!
3. Posted by gregarious on October 29, 2007
Harbor Freight sells air horns (like on a semi) for $12 each. I have a friend who has two of them.
4. Posted by Tina Marie on October 29, 2007
I think a horn upgrade is a worthy investment. I had what basically sounded like a car horn on my old Hawk and it saved my ass several times. It does scare the crap out of them because you're invisible until you suddenly start making noises like a vehicle much larger than yourself.
I remember on rec.motorcycles back in the day somebody joking about mounting speakers that play a recording of an 18-wheeler locking up its wheels, and watching the cagers shit themselves.
5. Posted by Ray on October 29, 2007
Meep?
Did the driver of the sports car happen to be a...coyote?
6. Posted by Miss Syl on October 29, 2007
I call my car horn The Duck. It quacks. I say check into horn changes, even as an eventuality.
Sic_un says: Feel ya on the horn. Don't know how many times I've gone for the turn signal and scared the piss out of myself. 10 years later and I'm still doing it.
7. Posted by Darkneuro on October 29, 2007