A Time to Honk

I wrote this letter to the editor of my local paper last week.  I don't think they are going to print it.  They usually call me within a day or two if they are going to print what I send in.  (Yes, I have sent a few letters in.  Several have been printed.)  Anyway, since they aren't going to print it, here it is:

To the Editor,

There are times when honking one’s car horn is an appropriate action.  We’ve all be cut off by a reckless driver who may or may not know that they are being reckless.  A honk of the horn will hopefully make them recognize their behavior.  But there are times when it is definitely not appropriate and downright rude to honk the horn.  When the car in front of you probably could have turned about 5 seconds earlier and the light is going to turn green in another 5 seconds?  That is not an appropriate time to lay on the horn until they turn, and then continue to lay on the horn as you turn after them.  That is what I witnessed on my drive home from work this evening.  I was shocked at this behavior by the honker and I felt sorry for the honkee.  What has happened to people?  Why are we all in such a hurry that we can’t wait an extra 10 seconds to turn a corner?  Several times in the past couple of weeks, I or someone in my family have said “Why is someone honking?”  We’ve heard the honking and looked around, trying to see anything that would obviously warrant it.  We’ve seen nothing.  People just need to calm down and think before they honk.  There are more important things in life than arriving at our destinations 10 seconds earlier.  Life’s short…be happy!!

Angela Johnson