Taxis honk too much.

Noise pollution, from horns, is an annoyance of living in cities.

I've only spent one night in New York City, but the taxi horns were the worst part. I was on the 52nd floor, but you could hear the maniacs working the horn more than the gas or brake peddles.

We can reduce the amount of honking without increasing risk. There is so much honking in New York, that drivers start to ignore it. If horns were only used when really needed, they would be more productive, and it would be more pleasant to live in large cities. We can't remove horns because sometimes they are required to avoid collisions. However, they should be used for protection and not to vent a continuous unmitigated hatred for everyone else on the road.

Taxi drivers respond to incentives and will honk less if they have to pay per honk.

How would we run an experiment?

We could try charge per honk, or just charging per horn use above 5 a day (because who doesn't HAVE to honk at 5 people a day?)

It is the government's job to give incentives & punishments for behavior that help or hurts society. This often takes the form of preventing individuals and groups from causing public harm for selfish reasons. But taxi drivers aren't just selfish. The amount of horn use seems to indicate major untreated mental disorders. The amount of honking was CRAZY!

The device should: 1) be inexpensive. 2) Count the number of times that an individual honks per year his car in his automobile per year. 3) Be able to inexpensively communicate the result to the government.

It might work well for tax caps, where there is already inspection of vehicles. Otherwise, the overhead for administering the system would probably not produce enough of a return for your effort.

In closing, I believe there are at least enough valid reasons to try a small experiment to see the effects on noise and safety of charging taxi drivers per honk.

What are the likely valid interest of those who disagree? Perhaps concern that two horns would confuse drivers in an emergency situation.

The concern is valid, and the logic is probably true, but we have to weigh the costs/benefits and some accidents might be caused by increased confusion, but people also die from stress and lack of sleep and from ignoring over- used horns in traffic situations.
-- myclob, Mar 12 2005

I'll give you a croissant for the goal, because I live in Washington, DC, and am bloody tired of all the honking. I'm not happy with your method, but can't think of anything better.
I read about a city where horns are totally forbidden. The drivers all roll down their windows and bang on the side of the car.
I've been noticing something in American movies. The drivers that are being run off the road, instead of using both hands to control the car, are busy honking. I mean, the bad guys are past and gone, and don't care if they've offended someone. So why honk? Crazy buggers.
Your goal is a good one. Increase the fines.
-- baconbrain, Mar 12 2005


Somebody drove straight into me while I was overtaking them. I'm not sure they'd even have stopped if I'd not practically sat on the horn. I don't want to have to pay for the horn, just so I can get the other party to stop and exchange details.
-- david_scothern, Mar 12 2005


Hey, a new revenge idea: if this was actually to be used, you could make some device probably as low-tech as a plank fixed inbetween the chair and the horn, and then you remove the keys, so that it honks, and apart from it giving out an annoying noise, it will clock up the car owner some amounts of money, and they won't be able to get in!

[+]
-- froglet, Mar 12 2005


Youi think the city's bad for honking. Try two thousand geese in a field outside your house when you disturb them with your presence.
-- mensmaximus, Mar 12 2005


These loud geese really took over the cars when food was being handed out. I`m not sure what they are?
-- skinflaps, Mar 12 2005


Croissant for an idea to help me stop those hysterical drivers where I live. However, I don't want to shut up. I'd pay the fee to keep honking.
-- Pericles, Mar 12 2005


//Or a dollar per hunk //

Heh, they're going that cheap now, are they? Dammit. I have a lot of competition coming.
-- Cats Whiskers, Mar 12 2005


Honk that sax, daddy-o!
All this honking is making me sick!
-- gnomethang, Mar 12 2005


Have to vote against this one.I worked for the #1 driving school in Canada, ( Young Drivers of Canada ), for over two years ,( until my head exploded and I was thinking about taking hostages), and they still teach students to USE THE HORN .The idea is use the horn to waken up other drivers.If you are passing someone and he starts lanechanging , hit the horn to let him know you are there.Or if someone is backing out and has'nt seen you, hit the horn.It does'nt mean screw you.Well, it can if you want.
-- python, Mar 13 2005


Right, horns are good -- they're communication. Maybe we should have horns on all the time, just at different volume levels, so everyone is always aware of everyone around them. The horn sounds wouldn't have to be as annoying as they are, they could be like cell phone rings, personalized... or they could be biofeedback -- sound and color....Horns just need to be more sensitive than they are now.
-- JesusHChrist, Mar 13 2005


Idea Rank 33%? What is that?
-- bungston, Mar 13 2005


[baconbrain], that's one of the problems with the art form. For it to work, there has to be motion or sound.

It's often used as an LCD form of entertainment [Lowest Common Denominator]

DC? You're braver than I am....Isn't that one of those places you're not allowed to defend yourself?

As a guy who uses his horn once a month, I'm probably ok. How about horn energy cells, regulated by the engine smog people?

"Sorry, I would have honked, but I need a recharge"
-- normzone, Mar 13 2005


Dixie horn. $50/honk.
-- wagster, Mar 14 2005


[python] I tried but she hit my door panel before I hit the horn.
-- david_scothern, Mar 14 2005


//This includes ideas to . . . tax all people who do X//

[norm] yes, it is. No guns, no tasers, no stun-guns, no mace. All illegal. Oh - - and no eating on the metro. You'll get knocked to the ground and cuffed even if you're pregnant.
-- contracts, Mar 14 2005


Honking's a cultural thing I think - in Australia people don't, in general, honk. If you are honking it's in the vein of "keep your eyes open stupid" or "I'm here". Long and persistent honking usually sees the honk-ee get out of their car and approach the honk-er for a frank exchange of views.
-- Nontaigne, Mar 15 2005


[+] Good one. We regulate the air pollution from cars, so why not noise pollution too? Starting w/ cabs is great, as they are already regulated and a big cause of the noise.
-- sophocles, Mar 16 2005



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