a day without horns

I don't know about you, but I never use my horn. In the course of an average year, driving most days, I use my horn two or three times. Actually, that's not absolutely true. Sometimes, when someone behind me in traffic is using their horn in a particularly egregious manner, I let them pass me and then follow them, matching them honk for honk until one of us has to turn off (have you ever wondered who the asshole behind you was, honking exactly in time with you? Well, now you know). But aside from this particular circumstance, I really don't see the need for honking. It doesn't get me there any faster, or safer. And when I see people honking at pedestrians or nguoi ban hang rong, the gesture seems less futile than downright disrespectful. About the only explanation I have for it is that it's a uniquely Vietnamese form of self-expression. But are these really the kinds of expressions we want to make?

Hence, my proposal that the Hanoi People's Committee declare one day a month a "day without horns." It's not without precedent. In the runup to the Beijing Olympics, the Chinese government had a variety of initiatives aimed at modifying everyday behavior. The eleventh of every month, for example, was "queuing day" (get it? the two "1"s look like two people standing in a line). So why not a "day without horns?" People might start to realize that honking or no honking, it really makes no difference in terms of speed or safety. But it does make a difference in terms of noise pollution and stress levels. And maybe we could find other ways to express ourselves. Like smiling and waving. Singing songs. Blowing kisses to fellow drivers. The possibilities are endless.