My Road Guardian, the Horn

The Horn Is Now My Guardian for avoiding potential incident or accident.

Previously, I find it rude when never someone honks me while I am driving on the road. But today, I have a complete paradigm shift. I will horn as often as required while I am on the bus steering wheel.

In year 2009, I took my family to Northern India, to expose my sons about the vicissitudes of life there, and to realize how fortunate we are here in Singapore. This is my first time to “Incredible India”.

Soon to my surprise and amusement, the moment we cleared our immigration papers and hop into a private van to ferry us to the hotel; I soon realized that the traffic is actually honking and honing, and honking and honing, literally non-stop. What is so amassing and incredible to me is that everybody is still stay calm, happy and certainly there is no road rage resulted from honing your fellow road user!  I guess, in Singapore, try to horn it…. Too soon you will get a middle finger point at you.

In fact, for those, bigger overland truck will have words clearly painted all over the sides of the Truck; “please horn” and “Thank You.”

Now, I am truly converted to horning. Perhaps, I am one of the most frequent BC that would use the horn that much. When never, I perceive that the next moment, the impending situation can be dangerous and there is potential injuries or loss of life, I will use the bus horn to alert or to preemptive to the road users that, I am just inches away from you only!.

 When a pedestrian is still crossing even though the “green-man” light is already flicking and I also in the same driveway, I will use the horn to alert the pedestrian.

When a non-observant traffic rule cyclist would anyhow cross the traffic junction; red-light, is also a “Go” for them or while cycling in the left lane, I will use the horn to alert him that, I am at their back and please keep straight to your path and do not sway as I about to overtake you !

My new driving philosophy now is that, if the potential loss of life and injuries resulted from an accident can be prevented by horning; then why not use it.

(Faisal, a die-hard JDT fan, is a very skilled technician that I will usually approach for help to repair my Guardian!)

Lastly, but not the least, I wish to take this opportunity to say a word of thanks and grateful to the technician that helps me to repair the bus faulty horn. 

In Singapore, I guess, alerting someone by the sound of the horn can be taken as rude and un-educated; then I am sorry for the rudeness been induced to your ear drum. Rather than for me to live the remaining of my life in this Earth, in self-pity and regret for hurting some road user or in worst case, killed someone with the 12M long x 2.4M wide body bus.

‘Horn it; It may be rude, but if this can avoid an unfortunate accident or safe a life, why not then.’