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

Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by dvirsky on Monday November 29, 2021 @12:37PM (#29382640)

In Israel, flashing the warning lights or hazard lights or whatever they're called when driving, means "hey car behind me, you're on high beams and blinding me, please stop". Since moving to the US I haven't found an effective way to signal people about this, they certainly don't understand this signal.

Flashing high beams quickly is either a warning about police ahead, or "turn on your damn lights" (there is also a hand gesture for this, spreading and closing your fingers towards them to illustrate a light beam). If someone is blinding you coming in front of you, you just turn on high beams and blind them back.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by TylerE on Monday November 29, 2021 @01:51PM (#29383604)

> Since moving to the US I haven't found an effective way to signal people about this, they certainly don't understand this signal.

Between lifted pickup trucks and shoddy, poorly-aligned aftermarket HID lights, it's probably that a high percentage of them AREN'T using brights, even if it feels like it.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by kube-system on Monday November 29, 2021 @02:33PM (#29384139)

Or even poorly aligned OEM lights. Most US states don't have vehicle inspections, and the ones that do usually aren't checking headlight alignment.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by dvirsky on Monday November 29, 2021 @03:39PM (#29384960)

You have to have your headlights alignment tested every year in Israel. And being caught with badly aligned lights can lead to a ticket if a police car is on the receiving end.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by kube-system on Monday November 29, 2021 @03:55PM (#29385172)

A number of US states have inspections that cover proper operation of lights, but often in practice it isn't anything more than checking to make sure they aren't burnt out. Having improperly aimed headlights is also ticketable in the US but it isn't often enforced.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by t0mas88 on Monday November 29, 2021 @02:58PM (#29384449)

You can flash the rear fog lights for that. It's annoying enough for those behind you to at some point start looking at their own dashboard.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by vasco on Monday November 29, 2021 @05:33PM (#29386156)

> If someone is blinding you coming in front of you, you just turn on high beams and blind them back.

I do this too and would die a peaceful death if we crashed into each other with the feeling of fairness restored to the world.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by kelseyfrog on Monday November 29, 2021 @02:28PM (#29384078)

Repositioning your review mirror to reflect their headlights directly back into the driver's eyes is not a solution (tested empirically).

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by boomboomsubban on Monday November 29, 2021 @04:59PM (#29385806)

>there is also a hand gesture for this, spreading and closing your fingers towards them to illustrate a light beam

I try to use this in the US, though my success rate is rather low. And I wonder if the distraction just makes things less safe every time I do it.

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Re:The origins of ‘horn ok please,’ India’s most ubiquitous ... by dzhiurgis on Monday November 29, 2021 @02:46PM (#29384301)

How about when someone leaves their rear fog light on and you are behind them…

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