Road etiquette: Honking is the birthright of every Pindiite

Commuters share their views on the menace.

RAWALPINDI:

The menace of honking has become a matter of routine in Rawalpindi, with drivers keeping their hands fixed on shrieking horns in traffic, even in front of red signals.

“I get annoyed when the person behind me honks in a traffic jam on Tipu Road without realising that it is school time and there are school vans in front of me. Does he want me to fly over other vehicles?” questioned Karim Khan, a teacher at a school on Saidpur Road.

Khan complained about honkings near educational institutes and hospitals, which he said has become a norm in the city. “It is as if motorists are in a contest to make it to the top slot and win a medal,” he said.

The offending horns come in different varieties, ranging from the high-pitched to those that play the latest movie song or sound like a dog barking.

“In a culture where music blasts, clamour and clatter are cherished accompaniments for all activities — from wedding functions to political gatherings — asking drivers not to honk will be considered an infringement of their rights,” said Asad Khan, an educationist.

Kaleemullah, a trader in Waris Khan, narrated an interesting tale. “I once came across a driver honking ceaselessly on Benazir Bhutto Road, where it is impossible to drive fast. When I asked him what the wisdom behind honking was, he said, ‘it’s a horn, it must be honked’,” said the trader.

Hakim Akhtar, a motorist in Teli Muhallah, said, “Try stopping your car for a second to let a pedestrian cross the road and the guy behind you will either bump into you or start abusing you. This is Rawalpindi, people don’t cross roads on zebra crossings only, they pop up from all directions.”

However, Mussarat Hussain, a businessman, believes honking is necessary to some extent. “We come across pushcarts in the middle of City Saddar Road, people jaywalking on Liaquat Road and vehicles with non-funcational indicators. What can we do about it?” he questioned.

According to a university student Majid Khan, the major cause behind the nuisance is the absence of training given to drivers when they get a driving licence.

Col Ijaz, a retired army officer, said, “I haven’t felt the need to honk at anytime and I believe it is against driving manners. When everyone is honking it defeats the whole purpose of horns.”

He opined that a honk is meant to warn people of an hazard, adding that no one would care if everyone is honking without any purpose. “I don’t know why people honk and what is wrong with them. Perhaps the key reason is that they are accustomed to it.”

Mubashir Hasan, a bureaucrat, said, “I have come across bikers and cars suddenly changing direction, as if there is no other vehicle on the road. I have seen pedestrians suddenly jumping on the road. I don’t know the reason for such behaviour and what option drivers have to evade collisions other than honking.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 7^th, 2012.