Horns

Sometimes I just reprint NYC Bike Snob:

Some people are actually so stupid that they think horns make things happen. They actually believe their car comes with a magic button in the middle of the steering wheel that can change reality. Suddenly, I became aware of the constant chorus of beeping all around me–the kind that’s always present in a big city, and the kind you simply tune out like you do crickets in the country. In every case, I realized the drivers stuck in traffic all around me were using their horns not to communicate information but simply in a vain attempt to change what was happening to them. It was as though they thought sitting in congestion was a bad TV show, and that by honking they might somehow change the channel and be transported to a clear roadway. I’m not sure where this notion comes from. I don’t think there’s ever been a traffic jam where somebody beeped and the thousands of others also caught in the traffic jam suddenly realized, “Hey, he’s right, we can all just go!” and it was over.

You can and should read the whole post here. Yeah, it’s a bit too long. But if your time is that precious, what are you doing reading this?