Fletch Safety Tip #7

Some of you may remember the days when it was "cool" to add air horns, even horns that played "How dry I am," on the family car. Today, most horns sound alike, and yet they can convey many different messages. The long blast yells "get out of my way" or "you are a stupid driver". The short blast says "buddy, watch what you are doing". The repeated short blast may mean "I'm coming through", while the tap is a friendly "hello" or "just to let you know I am here". The best drivers only use the tap, except in rare emergencies.

Several weeks ago, I should have used the tap! Yes, I was stopped and a car backed into me. I know that is an old excuse, but let me explain. We had taken a friend out to lunch, driving on gravel roads in a rural area. Driving on a cottage lane, we offered to stop for the mail. A dozen boxes in a row were on a side road. As I turned the corner, I saw a car stopped at the mail boxes. The driver was reading the mail. Not wanting to be impolite to a neighbor of our friend, we stopped about ten feet behind the car and waited. After a minute of so, the backup lights went on and simultaneously,the car was in reverse. I saw the driver's surprised look in his/her mirror but the impact happened before either of us could react. Fortunately, the dents were minor, and our air bags did not deploy. The neighbor conveyed his/her apology, and we waved goodbye