Car drivers deliberately honk at me when I wear earphones...

[Lemon Zing]

I'm on the pavement when they're doing this.

I'm not even crossing the road. I'm walking.

This happens all of the time, and it's kind of rude.

 

[Forest Cat]

How do you know they are honking at you and not something else?

 

[kenaij]

Besides what Forest Cat said. I do not think you should take it personally. There is a huge problem these days with people wearing headphones/ ear pieces with very loud music.
Even though I do not think they should Honk if you just walk on the pavement but I don`t think they do it to scare you personally.
I`m in traffic every day. And most of the accidents that happen to nondrivers are because of people having really loud music on and them not hearing their surroundings.
From the outside it is very hard to tell whether they are noise cancelling earphones or headphones to listen to music.

 

[Misery]

Well, are you on the pavement, the same surface the cars are driving on, while they're doing this? Or are you on the sidewalk (which is sometimes also referred to with the same word, for no reason)? On the road itself, or next to the road?

 

[vergil96]

People tend to not think that noise is disturbing, I have no clue why.

 

[Misery]

People tend to not think that noise is disturbing, I have no clue why.

Well, it can depend on the area. In a big city or urban area, it's not likely to be quite as noticed, because those are just sort of inherently noisy.

In a very rural area like where I'm at... where there's hardly even anything here at all... nobody is around to notice. Those few that are, probably don't hear abrupt big sounds often enough to get particularly irritated at it.

Suburbs though, that's where it can be more irritating. There's way more people to hear it, but not so much as to be a constantly noisy area, yet there'll be enough instances of random noise to get annoying.

That's my thoughts on it, anyway.

 

[Rodafina]

@Orange Creme
What do you guess that these people are trying to communicate to you by honking? Do you have any evidence to support the idea that they could possibly not be honking at you?

 

[Judge]

It might be rude, but then for virtually all operators of motor vehicles it's their liability at risk rather than any pedestrians, whether they are wearing headphones and not paying any attention to oncoming traffic or not. Small wonder some of them honk at you. It won't diminish their liability at all, but I can understand their frustration.

Many (but not all) legal jurisdictions inherently give pedestrians the right of way, whether they are aware of their traffic surroundings or not. Compounded further by those jurisdictions which may allow operators of motor vehicles to also wear headphones, inherently impeding their awareness to the prevailing traffic conditions as well.

Legally speaking, the ire of drivers is quite understandable under such circumstances. Not to mention the ire of those entities insuring them under law. For them, they see people wearing headphones against oncoming traffic as just another accident waiting to happen. Where they as a driver and you as a pedestrian may have a really bad day.

Where their insurance premiums likely go up dramatically while you get wheeled off to the morgue.

 

[Lemon Zing]

Well, it was down a side street where there's just a pavement and a road. So I think it was to interrupt me listening to something, or startle me on purpose. It happens a lot.

I may just stop wearing earphones unless I'm sitting in a park.

 

[tree]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sidewalk
Looks like "pavement" = sidewalk.

If I said "pavement", I'd be referring to a road that's
paved, like with asphalt.

=======
When I go for a walk by the side of the road,
sometimes people honk as the drive past. I think
most of them are saying 'hello'.....also some of them
may think they are alerting me, so that I don't dart
out in front of them like a crazed animal.

Which I am not likely to do, but what do they know?

PS: I am not using ear buds or headphones at any time
when I walk.

 

[Progster]

I can see that a driver may have reason to honk at a person wearing headphones if they think they are not paying attention to the traffic and are about to cross the road in front of them. But if the person is walking down the road on the pavement (sidewalk), then I don't see why they would honk other than to deliberately irritate the person. Unless they are honking for a reason that has nothing to do with the headphone wearer.

I was once knocked down while wearing headphones by a van that reversed into me. I was on a pedestrian area and the van didn't think to check his rear or else I was in his blind spot. I wasn't badly hurt, but had to go to emergency to be checked out and have stiches in a gash on my head.

 

[Judge]

Inattentive pedestrians can involve headphones, earbuds, ear protectors or mobile devices. Where not only their hearing becomes impaired, but so can their sense of sight as well. Whether they are walking on the street, the sidewalk or even in a crosswalk.

Pedestrians totally immersed into their music and smartphone screens, oblivious to everything else happening around them in real-time. Then there's that person honking at them. Is it rude? Yes. However it may also be society's way of suggesting to a complete stranger, "Thou art mortal".

Not to mention while a pedestrian may feel at times somewhat "protected" being on a sidewalk, their inattention failed miserably to detect a mugger they didn't see or hear who came up from behind them to assault and steal from them. And last but not least, hopefully one's attention to tripping and falling over uneven pavement won't go entirely unnoticed.

Do as you please, but understand what hazards potentially exist given even the most mundane exposures.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

Some people are just bad drivers I live on a court, dead end road to turn in from a minor road two lanes people park on side blocking one lane. Coming home involves turning of course blocking second lane as they cannot pass parked cars start honking. Time To stop the car walk back tell them I live here, go stick it Cops now make a point of ticketing parked cars. I am not easily intimidated. City has plans to make one lane bicycle lane only do not honk on me on the road or you will get twice as bad back.

 

[Forest Cat]

Inattentive pedestrians can involve headphones, earbuds, ear protectors or mobile devices. Where not only their hearing becomes impaired, but so can their sense of sight as well. Whether they are walking on the street, the sidewalk or even in a crosswalk.

Yeah but if they are walking on the sidewalk, it's not a problem for drivers. So what he is saying sounds odd, if he's just walking on the sidewalk there's no reason to honk at him. If he was walking into the road I could understand it. Nowadays it's difficult to find someone walking on the sidewalks who is not using headphones and staring at a phone. But I never honk at them.

 

[Aspychata]

Are you very noticeable? My friend said l caused a accident when l wore a skirt with a high slit. Of course being ND, l was totally obvious. I worked a law office, l was within protocol, its just that l look different. Lol People always stare at me. It doesn't matter what l wear. I give up trying to pass as normal. @Luca, it's like Luca, it doesn't matter what she wears, somebody is always going to notice her.

 

[Judge]

Yeah but if they are walking on the sidewalk, it's not a problem for drivers.

That's rather short-term thinking given the point where a pedestrian's feet suddenly leave the sidewalk for the street. Whether at a crosswalk or intersection, regardless of whether the lights signal for them to safely traverse the street.

You don't ever want to let your guard down over what a pedestrian may or may not do. You have no control over them, apart from any sense of arrogance on their part that pedestrians may inherently have the right of way.

Making inattentive pedestrians always a problem for drivers.

 

[Forest Cat]

That's rather short-term thinking given the point where a pedestrian's feet suddenly leave the sidewalk for the street. Whether at a crosswalk or intersection, regardless of whether the lights signal for them to safely traverse the street.

Making inattentive pedestrians always a problem for drivers.

But I can't asssume that all pedestrians on the sidewalks could suddenly walk into the road. And therefor honk at them to prevent that. When I'm driving in a city I would then be honking non stop. Just one loud constant honk. And I'm driving, I have to pay attention to that and the road and traffic. But if I see one veer towards the road I'll do something of course.

 

[Ronald Zeeman]

I thought a lot of us were not fashion conscious even females. Wife always jokes with me You know on hot days it is not illegal, for me to join you topless. So far she has not challenged the law, through do know a few woman have with no consequence.

 

[Judge]

But I can't assume that all pedestrians on the sidewalks could suddenly walk into the road.

Just don't have to explain that to the police officer who arrives on the scene of an accident. Or an ambulance-chasing lawyer. In my country you have to try, whether you think it's beyond your ability or not. Or plead the Fifth Amendment.

We call it "defensive driving".

I bet you'd adjust pretty fast if you were in downtown Los Angeles on a Friday afternoon.

 

[Aspychata]

Tough subject for me.