Read an article about Bengaluru being the second most noisiest. And saw a pic with Rahul Dravid holding an "I don't honk" sticker. Agreed, being second noisiest is something for the traffic and transport departments to take notice about. But to deflect the blame to "honking" is pure escapism!
The reasons were in the article itself: They said people honked to express frustration. Traffic Jam, or some other driver making a mistake. Well, then what you have to fix are the traffic jams, the honking will automatically stop.
My point is I've seen this about USA too. People there, especially in the suburbs hold honking in very low esteem. But go to the downtowns with actually filled up roads, and then you see the difference. It's all honking, no different from a metro in India.
The reason I honk does fall into the other category, where driving habits, and traffic rules are poorly enforced. And it is indeed mostly linked to the traffic jams (or potential traffic jams ahead why drivers have gotten used to be so much in a hurry, something in the blind spot or not!). So I better honk, at a passing stray dog, the pedestrian who's looking the other way and crossing, or the motor cyclist who's joining the road from a T-junction, but doesn't even bother to look if vehicles are coming at speed at him before joining.
So what the message needs to go out, loud and clear - even by Rahul Dravid if he could kindly - is represent the motorists, and go to the traffic department, and with them to the transport department, and with them to the planning and financing department, and with them to the chief minister even if need be: Bengaluru is the second noisiest already, please fix it!
The reasons were in the article itself: They said people honked to express frustration. Traffic Jam, or some other driver making a mistake. Well, then what you have to fix are the traffic jams, the honking will automatically stop.
My point is I've seen this about USA too. People there, especially in the suburbs hold honking in very low esteem. But go to the downtowns with actually filled up roads, and then you see the difference. It's all honking, no different from a metro in India.
The reason I honk does fall into the other category, where driving habits, and traffic rules are poorly enforced. And it is indeed mostly linked to the traffic jams (or potential traffic jams ahead why drivers have gotten used to be so much in a hurry, something in the blind spot or not!). So I better honk, at a passing stray dog, the pedestrian who's looking the other way and crossing, or the motor cyclist who's joining the road from a T-junction, but doesn't even bother to look if vehicles are coming at speed at him before joining.
So what the message needs to go out, loud and clear - even by Rahul Dravid if he could kindly - is represent the motorists, and go to the traffic department, and with them to the transport department, and with them to the planning and financing department, and with them to the chief minister even if need be: Bengaluru is the second noisiest already, please fix it!
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