The Horn, Southeast Asia's Not So Hidden Language

In the US, I am used to the car horn being used in response to another driver's actions... and most people take offense to being honked at: "You honking at me? Well I'm going to honk at you...:" In South East Asia it appears to have a much different usage. The scooter is the primary way of getting around, and there are thousands of scooters on the roads. Not to mention tuk-tuks (a scooter with a carraige attached to the back to carry passengers), bicycle rickshaw drivers (same principle, but just one passenger), cars, tour buses, and mini-vans. The stop-sign and the traffic signal are mere suggestions. Despite all this choas, I have not seen one traffic accident (although I have had to close my eyes several times...). I contribute this largely to the liberal use of the horn. The horn is simply used to alert other drivers that "I am going to pass you." or "Hey, I'm here, don't hit me." or "I am bigger than you and traveling really fast, and if you want to live get out of the way!" Drivers of all types are not offeneded if you use the horn, it simply alerts them to your presence. Now there are some drivers that really want people to know that they are coming through. In a private taxi on the back dirt roads of Cambodia, we would be the only car on the road, and as we would pass, pedestrians, bicycles, scooters, chickens, cows, etc, the horn would be used, sometimes it is really needed (not much room), sometimes, maybe not (plenty of room). One of our drivers seemed to honk routinely every 5 seconds... One of the down sides of the horn, is that on a long trip it can lead to headaches...