Sgt Al's Blog: DEAR SGT. AL: GO BLOW MY HORN!

DEAR SERGEANT AL: Two weeks ago I guess I got a little ahead of myself after a rough day and while trying to get through an intersection I blew my horn a little too much, to suddenly out of nowhere get pulled over by the CHP and cited for Improper Use of Horn. C’mon, Improper Use of Horn? How do I get out of this, and did the officer had any authority to write such a flim-flam ticket? –GO BLOW MY OWN HORN OK?

DEAR GO BLOW HORN: A horn is a device required in automobiles by federal regulation to warn of danger to oncoming motorists and pedestrians. Horns are not protest devices or weapons against foul driving or bicycling, or bad walking. Thus the federal government empowered the states to pass laws to ensure that horns were equipped and used for what they were intended to be used. In California as it is the case in most states, Vehicle Code Section 27001 (a) and (b) states you shall use a horn only when reasonably necessary. It’s skies the limit for the CHP officer to articulate what “reasonably necessary” is in court. Which brings us to your heavy hand on the horn button and a similar story that once happened to me.

I remember a few years ago I rolled up in the eastbound right lane behind a disabled tractor-trailer on I-95 somewhere near Westchester County. The tractor had a broken u-joint in the drive train, and if anyone reading this knows anything about fixing trucks, you know the only way to even tow such a vehicle under those circumstances is to fix the u-joint right there on the road BEFORE you can even tow the vehicle to a shop to figure why it broke in the first place. SO with one lane of the highway shut down, this created a 10-mile backup over the George Washington Bridge way back into New Jersey. It was so bad that the toll plaza couldn’t get traffic to move through the tolls. The bridge authority sent rescue trucks miles ahead to my disabled tractor to see if they could move it. But the truck was going nowhere until the ordered parts arrived at the scene and were installed. So the tractor driver, tow truck driver, and I stood there on the right shoulder not being able to do a damn thing and waited for the parts to arrive on the shoulder. This was a job that was going to take hours, and so it was also for anyone stuck on the Cross Bronx Expressway. The three of us had nothing else to do, other than me occasionally laying down detour flares, so we struck up a conversation. I guess for the people who were literally stuck in the stand-still bumper-to-bumper traffic from Fort Lee New Jersey through the bowels of the Bronx, this didn’t look too good, three people chatting roadside, one of which was the police. During that long conversation, somebody slowly crawled by not only to tell me they objected to this, but to what degree. A manly looking woman driving a small flat bed pickup truck drove by in the middle lane, and while blowing heavy on her horn, she unbelievably and with daring nerve, presented her finger out her driver’s window . . .

Her horn and finger interrupted my story. I stopped talking and the three of us stood there silently in disbelief. I said to the two gentlemen, “Is that finger for me?” I don’t think the two had the nerve to tell me at first, but one of the two got the muster to speak up and proclaim, “I think so.” I said, “excuse me gentlemen, I’ll be right back after I take care of this.” I got into my radio car with lights and sirens to catch up with Manly Madam Finger Offender miles down the road where traffic was now at highway speeds, and where we commenced our confrontation.

I asked her, “Is there any reason for the improper hand signal?” Her answer was, “YEAH, I WAS STUCK IN TRAFFIC, YOU GOTTA A PROBLEM WITH THAT?” I said, “yeah I do, and I also got a problem with you, and I’m about to do something about it.” I cited her for unauthorized/unnecessary use of horn, expired license, expired proof of insurance, and improper hand signal for the finger. It wasn’t enough that she had the gall to protest to a police officer the way she did, but she did so with improper/invalid papers. What a jackass woman she was. She pleaded not guilty in court, had the gall to try to make her horn blowing about me in her testimony, gave the judge a hard time (not a smart thing to do, but this revealed a lot about her character), and needless to say she embarrassed herself in front of the judge, AND she rightfully lost . . .

BLOW HORN I hope this story shows you how real your ticket is, and how much authority the officer had to cite you with such a violation. I don’t have to tell you that provocative horn blowing is a set-up for aggressive driving and road rage. The officer rolled up on you to target just you, but the scene could have been worse with you battling another raged motorist. As automobiles become quieter and we move toward electrifying them that our streets will also eventually become quieter later in this century and in OUR lifetime, there will be continued little tolerance to noise pollution, including the objection you insisted on telling everyone about through your horn blowing. Be lucky that the officer did not cite you with the version that is a criminal court offense, or the environmental code that costs hundreds of dollars more. Sorry I can’t help this but I’M CITING YOU FOR HORN BLOWING. Next time I suggest you hit that ejector seat button instead of covering that horn button with your finger. Drive carefully.

Suggested Reading:

What is a highway “authorized tow?”

What is a CARMAGEDDON and when will it happen?

Am I allowed to walk on a highway?

Are you allowed to pass a school bus with flashing lights either on the highway or during the summer?

Can I block my driveway with my own car?

Ticketed and towed from a wrong location in New York City.

Is a license required for an electric bike?

What is traffic ticket insurance and will it help pay for traffic or parking tickets?

Can I get a parking ticket for being five minutes short on a muni-meter ticket?

Do radar detectors R E A L L Y work?

Who really has the right of way?