Is it rude to honk your horn? Yes. Is it rude to not use your turn signal lights when changing lanes. Also, yes. Is it rude to be on the phone at a stop light looking at memes? Well, it depends on what color the light is. Just kidding. It’s always rude. And yet many of us do these things anyway. Which of these are you guilty of? What’s the rudest thing you do when you’re driving?
Our own Bradley Brownell posed the horn question to readers recently, asking if you habitually honk at others. The Jalopnik staff was overwhelmingly in favor of honking at other drivers, who are themselves acting rude. I know we’re fighting fire with fire here, and while it may not be the best approach it sure is effective.
How else am I supposed to alert someone rudely drifting into my lane to my presence? Or how else do I remind someone to look up from their phones and move ahead after a light change? Hell, I’ll even admit that every once in a while I may switch lanes without a blinker — but never without a head check!
Funny thing, I apparently believe listening to music loudly is rude. I tend to turn down the volume any time I drive through a neighborhood. Or when the police drives by. I couldn’t really tell you why I do it, but something in my lizard brain says, “It’s a cop! Quick! Turn down the radio.”
Come to think of it, maybe those cop jump scares are rude in and of themselves. Anyway, what bad behavior are you guilty of behind the wheel? What’s the rudest thing you do while driving?
