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Gee, on Maui locals use their turn signals all the time. Plus we stop to let you into traffic.
I would DEFINITELY have honked at someone swerving into my lane. At that point, it's not a cultural or social question. It's survival. If they are going to react badly, it's probably because they are either scared or just jerks. You can't do anything about either of those possibilities. Just keep going.
In my neighborhood, car horns function as sort of a doorbell. If a car pulls into your driveway, they honk to let you know they're coming. Very handy for long drives and properties that are hidden from the street.
i would've honked, its not an offensive thing, if honking stops an accident then its worth it. Who cares if they got angry, that lady should be happy you saved her insurance premiums from going up.
Good to see some other perspectives on this question. I've used my horn many times in Hawaii and never once had anyone get out of their car with an attitude or follow me anywhere. Of course, I use it when necessary and not to "make trouble" so that probably helps. To assume that every Hawaii driver who thinks you've honked at them will get aggressive is stereotyping the entire driving public, imho.
Balad1- I've lived in Ewa Beach, Salt Lake, Honolulu and Hilo and I have spent a great deal of time in Waianae with friends who lived there when I was a teacher on Oahu. I now work often in Puna on the Big Island. Still, I never have had anyone behave in even a slightly threatening way toward me for using a horn and I have never witnessed anyone threaten someone for using a horn.
I don't deny that in some instance blowing a horn at someone could tick them off and an incident could occur, but nothing in my experience in Hawaii has made me feel that I should not do so if it means I might protect myself or someone else from harm on the road. As in all things, using good judgment is the best approach.
Balad1- I've lived in Ewa Beach, Salt Lake, Honolulu and Hilo and I have spent a great deal of time in Waianae with friends who lived there when I was a teacher on Oahu. I now work often in Puna on the Big Island. Still, I never have had anyone behave in even a slightly threatening way toward me for using a horn and I have never witnessed anyone threaten someone for using a horn.
I don't deny that in some instance blowing a horn at someone could tick them off and an incident could occur, but nothing in my experience in Hawaii has made me feel that I should not do so if it means I might protect myself or someone else from harm on the road. As in all things, using good judgment is the best approach.
I'm glad your experiences have been good ones.
My wife blew her horn at someone and he followed her all the way home and finally backed off when he saw she was a female. I have no doubt it would have been ugly if she would have been a male.
Having lived in Hawaii you know how hot headed some of the locals can get especially at haoles. I think this hot headedness is the root of many confrontations.
Some of this conversation makes me think about why people honk their horns in the first place. Some posters have noted that they are used to living somewhere that people honk at each other all the time, and also make gestures or yell. It seems like that is not only commonplace, but people will just return the same kind of thing and everyone moves along.
But here it is not commonplace. People rarely honk at each other, or yell, or give the finger from one driver to another. So you have to understand that doing such is considered very, very aggressive. You can't measure how it will be perceived here in the same way as in some other place where it is commonplace and not so aggressive.
Consider if you started yelling at someone in church. That would be shocking, because in that environment yelling would be extreme. Now, don't think that I'm saying that Hawaii roads are a church. What I'm saying is that simple horn honking to one person is VERY aggressive to another. You have shocked them, and gone overboard. Their strong reaction is their own equal aggression back to you.
See? You are shocked that someone would react to horn honking and might think it is an invitation to fight. But that's the thing - here honking is not commonplace, and it IS considered very aggressive, and maybe even the start of more. So don't do it. It doesn't matter that you think it is OK where you came from. It is NOT OK here, and if you do it you have to understand what you are starting.
Except, of course, unless your safety is threatened, like the original post. Then give that horn a toot, but I suggest you don't lean on it or make it into something more than a quick warning.
I'm a bad driver and I have been honked at to pay attention here. Usually honking is used to get the attention of someone you know so you can wave at them, though.
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