I honked at four different people on the way to work today, which is rare for me, and really speaks to the level of inconsiderate driving the honk-ees were engaging in. Then I came in and looked out my window to see beautiful snow-capped mountains in the near distance framed by perfect palm trees in the nearer near. No complaints.

Back in high school, I took Driver’s Ed as an elective in my junior year. It was the last year my high school was offering the class as part of the curriculum… which may explain the bad drivers I come across nowadays. Or I’m a hypocrite. One or the other, I’m sure.

At any rate, we were shown a laughable educational film that was literally made back in the ’50’s, characters named “Billy” and “Timmy”, poodle-skirts, and classic cars. I’m not sure if my memory is correct on this, but I choose to believe it was black and white with horrible sound as well.

The point of said film was to teach us about responsible horn use. As it turns out, horns aren’t designed as an aural manifestation of your anger, but instead as a courteous warning to other driver’s and pedestrians. It isn’t an after-the-event thing, it’s pre-emptive.:

.: Little Timmy is playing awfully close to the street. Give a quick tap of the horn to let him know you’re coming. *beep beep*
.: You can’t see around that parked delivery truck. You never know if Billy will run out into the street after his ball. Better give a few quick taps, just to make sure *beep beep*
.: Changing lanes? Be sure to turn your signal on, look carefully, and then sound the horn to make sure that you’re in the clear *beep beep*

I am not exaggerating. The fact that it would be a veritable cacophany of honking and beeping if we were all to behave this way didn’t seem to bother the good people at the DMV when they had this film commissioned. Freeways would be an un-ending wall of sound… but apparently ear-bleeding noise means safety, so I for one intend to comply.