If you live in a large Jewish community like Lakewood, you already know that the roads can be incredibly frustrating. With so many people heading to the same places at the same times—minyan, carpool, shopping—the traffic is going to test your patience. But here’s a gentle wake-up call: if you’re one of those people speeding through traffic or honking aggressively, you may be doing more harm than you realize—potentially even causing a terrible accident, chas v’sholom.
Let’s paint a common picture: you’re driving straight and someone is trying to make a turn from a side street. Your instinct is to honk—because that’ll make them wait, right? But think it through. That honk might actually pressure them into making a quick, unsafe move, putting both of you—and others—at risk. That split-second reaction you trigger could lead to a serious crash.
Let’s be real. We’re all stressed, and we’re all stuck in the same gridlock. That car turning out of the side road has to make the turn at some point—your honking isn’t helping. And if you think your aggressive driving is “safe,” consider this: you might be causing ona’as devarim just by how you act on the road. A single honk can ruin someone’s day—or worse.
And here’s the irony: we spend our days doing mitzvos and acts of chesed. We help our spouses, our kids, our neighbors. Why not extend that same chesed to a fellow driver? Why not let someone make that turn safely—even if it costs you an extra 10 seconds?
In short: control your impulse. Save lives. Do a chesed that no one may ever thank you for—but that Hashem surely sees. And please—don’t speed. Don’t honk unnecessarily.
Sincerely,
Your Neighbor
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I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve seen the annoyance of people sitting by a light or stop sign because they’re busy texting … I’ve seen it countless times… so you’re implying everyone should just sit and wait?
You took the words out of my mouth! I agree! People sit there and wait for the stop sign to turn green!
How I wish I could speed in Lakewood…
I don’t think that’s what the person’s writing about.
I think that what they are addressing is the tendency that some people have to hold the horn and speed through an intersection where another driver is about to enter.
And I agree that this would seem somewhat reckless to me.
The comment about Onaas Dvarim seems to me to have been an aside, to punctuate the rest of the letter
I respectfully disagree. You’re painting a picture where the honker is at fault, when quite possibly the person looking to turn into the flow of traffic could be “spacing out” and quite possibly be distracted for a number of different reasons and that honk will hopefully wake him up from his reverie. Most times the person looking to dart into the flow, is at fault, not the one going with the flow. There is definitely aggressive driving going in these congested areas. Reserve your Mussar for the people darting in, not those going with the flow.
It is incredibly frustrating Lakewood is bh very full roads most of the time, ofcourse peeking at diff times more than others. Such a chutzpah ppl sitting on their phones while a whole lineup of cars behind them, the whole light is 5-7 seconds. If you finish sending your text or your distracted with your phone your the one at fault have it on your acharayis that you held up an entire line of cars and YES we will honk to wake them up. I’m not going to sit and wait until they finish their conversation excuse me
Noone means to be rude or impatient but if your sitting behind someone that’s driving very inconsiderately sometimes they need a little freindly hello. You’re not the only one on the road
How about stopping the insane pushing into a busy street to make a left turn like it’s the last piece of kugel at kiddush for a start? Honk like crazy until these lunatics get it into their head that it is DANGEROUS and ILLEGAL to force traffic in two directions to yield for their minivan.
It is true that it only takes a few seconds to stop and let a car make a left turn at the intersection, or allow a car wanting to make a right turn into the flow of traffic. However, often times, it is not just one car that makes the turn. Many times, two or three cars dart into traffic. This results in a longer delay than just a few seconds. Additionally, because of your “kindness”, the cars behind you also have to wait. They don’t get a choice. It may even cause one of the delayed cars to miss a light, thus causing an even greater delay for them. Keep in mind, those cars had the right-of-way and may also be in a rush. They are entitled to have a smooth flow without someone else being nice on their cheshbon.
Highly disagree. Why are you taking the point of view of the person going straight, saying he should be more considerate?
Maybe the person turning into traffic should be more considerate and obey traffic laws and only turn when he is supposed to, giving the right of way to those without the stop sign? He could also be causing an accident?
there you go stealing my name again.
I’ve been using this name for years
I have for years on the Scoop and never saw your comments once before this past week.
Stira! First you say “there you go stealing my name again” and now you claim it is the first time you have ever seen mine comments!
You clearly missed what I said “before this past week”. First time was on the article about the Hatzalah record response. and now “again” on this article.
I think that honking should only be used to warn someone that he is about to do something dangerous, like go through a stop sign without stopping or cutting someone off etc. If someone is only a few seconds sitting at a light that turned green, maybe give a gentle tap on the horn, but it is better to have patience, and if you are behind a row of cars that isn’t moving, don’t honk at all. I’m sure there is a reason why they’re not moving and just because you’re in the back and can’t see it, doesn’t mean you have to honk. I rarely honk, but, if you cut me off or make an illegal turn in front of me, I will honk.
A honk doesn’t always mean ‘I’m cutting ahead of you’. It could also mean ‘you are doing something risky, I see you, please be aware of me.’
For example, I’ll honk when someone is drifting over the line into my lane. I’m not mad, and I’m not cutting you off, just please be aware of your surroundings.
Representatives of the ‘Honker & Honkee’ Communities Sign Temporary ‘Ceasehonk’ Agreement
Representatives of the ‘Honker’ and ‘Honkee’ (honk-recipient) communities of Lakewood Township signed a temporary “Ceasehonk” agreement on Tuesday after several months of intense, honk-defying deliberations.
According to the terms of the deal, “The ‘Honker’ community will refrain from all means of unnecessary honking for the next two weeks, and the ‘Honkee’ (honk-recipient) community will refrain from sitting idly, and endlessly, at vital intersections waiting for the traffic lights to turn purple, or to some unknown color that no mortal has ever seen before,” said lead ‘Honk’ negotiator, Arthur Beeperstein. “That’s the agreement in a nutshell.”
“I am hopeful that this temporary ‘Ceasehonk’ agreement will last the full two weeks,” he said, “but ultimately it is incumbent upon our sensitive ear drums to be the judge of that.”
US Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, informed reporters on Monday that, “Hundreds of road-raging, blood-thirsty motorists have been holding the Lakewood community’s driving experience hostage indefinitely, and we will not rest until the Lakewood driving-experience-hostage has been released and every road-raging miscreant has been detained.”
speeding in Lakewood? cool story bro.
Please honk at every one who tries to cut you off. Like the one making a left turn when the light turns green and you are going straight. Or the drivers that obviously drove through a privately owned parking lot to cut off everyone waiting on line. I don’t mean to be a a stereotyper, but can’t help noticing that a majority of the wild drivers and those who are stopped in the middle of a busy road are usually on a flip phone and won’t necessary read the scoop.
what about the people that honk me when I cant make a left turn because there is too much traffic?? do you think that if you honk me i will be able to turn? this happens to me almost daily when im waiting to turn left and the car behind me starts honking like an animal! also there are speed li9mits on the roads so why are you honking me for not going over the speed limit??
ditto
Are you pulling into the middle of the intersection to wait to make your left. If not, that may be why they’re honking. People who wait all the way back to make their left turn are keeping cars from getting through the light.
I honk to make the other driver be aware of my presence to avoid an accident , to many inattentive drivers on the road so you have to honk in those situations !
The worst is when they see you coming and they still make the turn to cut in front of you and then they don’t pick up speed right away so you have to slow down suddenly so you won’t chas v’shalom get into an accident
its illegal to stop the flow of traffic to let someone in
Everyone missed the point! Everyone commented about how they feel and their rights. A little patients and sensitivity to other drivers is all that’s needed. Relax and Don’t honk like a meshugena! The other driver has a right to exist
i think the police shld give more tickets. people are very selfish and
inconsiderate
i think the police shld give more tickets. people are very selfish and
inconsiderate
Regarding honking, as comments above said, there are times when honking is necessary. Usually, though, a short, quick honk is enough to get someone moving. The long, loud honks are usually just for expressing frustration and are unnecessary. Additionally, I would like to point out that many quiet residential areas have become busy thoroughfares. Please be aware that honking loud and long in residential areas, especially early in the morning and late at night, are very disturbing to the residents and wake people up too. As mentioned above, use your horn only when necessary and please be considerate of others.