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The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

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Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#211

Post by gumby »

aniforprez wrote: post #190
kelvin0 wrote: post #173

No where in the article do they even try to ask the people who own or paint these words on the vehicles? Speculation throughout and not a shred of input from any of the people actually involved (Drivers, Lettering painters, police..). Conclusion: none! We don't know and didn't ask either. Really weird article.

I've asked and they don't know for the most part either. It's become tradition at this point and it's not known by the drivers or the painters why. It's just cute

Most of them don’t speak English either — this is merely something that has to go on your lorry.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#213

Post by junoper »

ramraj07 wrote: post #27

A reminder that pretty much no lorry driver in india knows English. Vehicles here have inane phrases like this and it’s for the most part almost protocol to paint them when you get a vehicle of that class. The guy who paints Lorry backs with the company name probably asks “you want the horn ok please phrase right” and the drivers probably like yeah whatever. Not like the drivers here expect courtesy from anyone aroun…

> A reminder that pretty much no lorry driver in india knows English.

It would be rare to find a lorry driver who can converse in English but most of them would know the words "Horn, OK, Please". Thye aren't obscure words and phone/smartphone is widespread in India with mostly latin script interface. So, while I agree that it has become kind of a protocol/decoration, drivers while knowing the meaning, wouldn't care much about it given that it doesn't hurt to write that and can potentially help.

> Of course you expect every passerby to steal your car and you act accordingly.

That would be an exaggeration. There hasn't been any vehicle theft in my wider social circle ever. I read news about capture vehice thieves and I wouldn't be careless about the vehicle but I wouldn't expect everyone around me as potential thief. May be things are different in TN.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#214

Post by appleiigs »

gumby wrote: post #211
aniforprez wrote: post #190

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've asked and they don't know for the most part either. It's become tradition at this point and it's not known by the drivers or the painters why. It's just cute

Most of them don’t speak English either — this is merely something that has to go on your lorry.

OK Please ask them in whatever language they speak.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#215

Post by CraigJPerry »

sdfjkl wrote: post #85

Different cultures have different unwritten behaviours on roads. In the mountains of Italy, drivers give a short honk before entering a turn on a serpentine road, which usually can't be seen around. If there is no responding honk, they will take the full width of the road (making the very tight turn easier and faster). Tourist drivers have to pick up on this :) In much of Europe oncoming cars flash their lights to wa…

>> In the mountains of Italy, drivers give a short honk before entering a turn on a serpentine road

At night i was on an airport transfer bus heading down the Amalfi coast and the driver was flashing his headlights before barrelling into a hairpin turn giving no room for oncoming traffic. I stopped stamping on the imaginary brake pedal quite so hard when i realised this signal must mean I’m coming through which is the opposite from here in the UK where it means I’m giving way to you.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#216

Post by toast0 »

unicornfinder wrote: post #199
thrwyoilarticle wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The Ineos Grenadier 4x4 has a button specifically for this purpose (& because it's made by a cycling team & makes for good PR). I don't know how useable it really would be. I don't think I'd ever use my horn to let a cyclist know I'm there. It's hard to do a friendly, quick double-toot consistently and, as you said, it's just too loud. It's more likely to cause an accident than just waiting longer to overtake. Horns…

As a cyclist, I find it hard. I tend to avoid using the bell for the reason you've stated (i.e. it tends to just make them jump), but equally I've found not using it gets responses along the lines of "Use your f**ing bell".

I don't have a bell, so I call out 'on your left', but you have to do it early enough that people have time to think about which side ks their left.

If you've got a freewheel, pedaling backwards can be useful; it makes a pretty distinctive, but not terribly loud noise.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#218

Post by mnw21cam »

CraigJPerry wrote: post #215
sdfjkl wrote: post #85

Different cultures have different unwritten behaviours on roads. In the mountains of Italy, drivers give a short honk before entering a turn on a serpentine road, which usually can't be seen around. If there is no responding honk, they will take the full width of the road (making the very tight turn easier and faster). Tourist drivers have to pick up on this :) In much of Europe oncoming cars flash their lights to wa…

>> In the mountains of Italy, drivers give a short honk before entering a turn on a serpentine road At night i was on an airport transfer bus heading down the Amalfi coast and the driver was flashing his headlights before barrelling into a hairpin turn giving no room for oncoming traffic. I stopped stamping on the imaginary brake pedal quite so hard when i realised this signal must mean I’m coming through which is th…

The highway code disagrees with you. Flashing your headlights or sounding the horn should only be used to draw someone's attention to the fact that you are there.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#219

Post by sjg007 »

calahad wrote: post #143
sdfjkl wrote: post #85

Different cultures have different unwritten behaviours on roads. In the mountains of Italy, drivers give a short honk before entering a turn on a serpentine road, which usually can't be seen around. If there is no responding honk, they will take the full width of the road (making the very tight turn easier and faster). Tourist drivers have to pick up on this :) In much of Europe oncoming cars flash their lights to wa…

Flashing the high-beams to warn of police is a thing in the US also, although you can get ticketed for it. (Apparently this has been successfully challenged in court as free speech though lol https://www.myimprov.com/flashing-headlights-in-florida-prot... )

Most people these days drive with their LED high beams on all the time.

Re: The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous phrase (2016)

#220

Post by ddingus »

sjg007 wrote: post #219
calahad wrote: post #143

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Flashing the high-beams to warn of police is a thing in the US also, although you can get ticketed for it. (Apparently this has been successfully challenged in court as free speech though lol https://www.myimprov.com/flashing-headlights-in-florida-prot... )

Most people these days drive with their LED high beams on all the time.

A switch to low and back will still be seen as a flash.

Edit: I do actually see this on the road all the time where I live. Just saying.

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