One of the things I liked least about Bermuda was the people on the roads aside from myself.  And one of the things I liked least about that was the HONKING.   This is a small island...it should be a given that you will from time to time (daily) run into someone you know.  It is NOT NECESSARY to blare your horn every time you see someone you've once met so they'll notice you and you can wave at eachother.  Its freaking annoying as hell.  It defeats the purpose of having a horn. Its just plain old ridiculous and STOP DOING IT!

The day I purchased my bike, I was driving off the World Cycles lot or whatever on my proud new Yamaha Axis and low and behold the mechanics/bike preparers had in a typical Bermuda service way neglected to screw on my licence plate properly.  As a consequence it fell off a short distance down "de rud".  A wonderful person in a car behind me attempted to signal to me what happened, by of course, honking his horn.  Any place I have ever lived, this would have been succesful. But in Bermuda, I'm trained to ignore horn honking as it means someone's aunty/cousie/mumsy/girlfriend'sbestfriend'scousins'sister'saunty'sdog just drove by.

Finally he stopped me by pulling alongside and waving to me.  He questioned why I hadn't stopped when he honked his horn at me.  I looked at him saying "You're kidding me, right?"

Plea from an ex-pat/former ex-pat who visits a lot for work: 
I know it takes the will of a trained monkey, but please stop honking at everyone you see that you've ever met. WE get it. You have friends. Thanks.

(Also, its in the driving manual that the horn should only be honked when necessary ie., someone is backing up but doesn't see you and is about to hit you)

I get your point about the repeated taps of the horn versus leaning on the horn...but honestly so many people tap and then blare when their friends don't notice them that it all just turns into a cacophony of sorts!  Why in Bermuda?  No where else I've lived do people think its necessary to puncture people's eardrums to say hello to every person they've ever known using their car horn (though I've heard in the Carribean its pretty common!)

I also don't see why it's "here to stay".  Lots of crappy social norms have been phased out! I'm sure people thought smoking in offices was here to stay too.

Whatever happened to waving?

Normal mentality: "(*Wave*) Oh..guess she didn't see me.  Oh well! I'll call her tomorrow so we can catch up."

Bermuda mentality: *HONK HONK HONK* (everyone looks at car honking) *HONK HONK* (car stops moving) (person intended for honk finally notices) *BEEP BEEP* (in return) (waves exchanged) (cars finally start moving again, much to the happiness of traffic on both sides behind them)

And you can't tell me the scenario above doesn't happen becuase I've witnessed it about 100 times! 

and i thought i was the ONLY one to play that game...i was truly surprised when i was talking to my coworker in the car and i happened to point at something and the car passing in the opposite direction thought it was an acknowledgement...i got a toot.  It was like the proverbial light bulb going on...since then i always try to see how many toots in a row i can get...I'm sorry M. Expat, i've probably been adding to your stress...i'll try to cut it down for your sake.  It IS a pointless game...lol

CC

Fedup, that is evil and yet somehow irresistible. What's your high score?

Speaking as one of the offenders, I can assure you it is ingrained, and although you are not used to it and I'm sorry that it upsets you, I'm not likely going to stop. I look on it as a unique thing to Bermuda and really don't think that we should stop it because it annoys a few 'newcomers'. We have been doing it for as long as we have had vehicles I'm sure. Playing the wave game and making fun will not help to endear yourselves to us locals either. This will be one local habit you'll have to tolerate, or just let it eat at you the way it seems to.

Anytime I can help.....

If you really want to go to a place that is worse go to china and all the pedal bicycle bells
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reality,

I got 5 down Eastbroadway, it actually starts this chain reaction .  I actually got the idea one day while driving with a Bermudian friend and she would honk at all kinds of people and honk back and after a while I asked her, do you know all those people, some she did some she didn't, she would honk because someone looked familiar! If  you are here long enough everybody looks familiar.