The Davis Square Community

Well, it's an odd situation because it's three apartments, all with different people every semester, and it may actually be their guests who are calling cabs before they are ready to leave, but leaving a note is definitely more focused than complaining about every car that honks its horn.

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perspicuity.livejournal.com

go outside and yell "HEY! CUT THAT SHIT OUT!" :)

also: get the cab name/number/plate and call the cops. noise ordinances/etc. fines/tickets will get their attention i bet ;)

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When time is money, even when you know something that saves time is "not acceptable" to some people, there isn't a lot you can do.

And unless it's before 7am or after 11pm (I think) there is no law against this.

So you can waste your time complaining, but it's not going to do any good.

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I'm pretty sure there's regulations about when it's OK to use your horn, i.e. to alert another driver of a hazard in the road.

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Not that I know of. At least not in state law. At most it would fall under normal noise laws. Even in Cambridge which does seem to have an ordinance against honking a horn except in emergencies has to dismiss cases if it's a freedom of speech issue. This could be argued as being a form of speech.

Alternatively, they could stop honking their car horn and just use a non-car horn (how about trumpet!), which is equally effective, and just as loud. :-)

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The motor vehicle codes. You can't just joyride around with your horn on because you feel like it. This is essentially the same situation.

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Nope. The Mass State Laws don't say anything about non-emergency use of car horns. They only describe the type of horns that can't be used, not the timing of, or reason for, use. (MGL Chapter 90 Section 16)

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pywaket.livejournal.com

You're correct:

The MGL Chapter 90 Section 16:

...No person operating a motor vehicle shall sound a bell, horn or other device, nor in any manner operate such motor vehicle so as to make a harsh, objectionable or unreasonable noise...

http://www.malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXI/Chapter90/Section16

Also:
Horn, improper use of: 730 CMR 7.08(21)

http://www.mass.gov/?pageID=eopsterminal&L=5&L0=Home&L1=Consumer+Protection+%26+Business+Licensing&L2=Motor+Vehicle+Insurance+Merit+Rating+Board&L3=Surchargeable+Incidents&L4=Traffic+Law+Violations&sid=Eeops&b=terminalcontent&f=mrb_06_minor_traffic_list&csid=Eeops

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From what I've read, that MGL statement applies to the type of horn. As in, it's got to be a standard horn, not something exceptionally harsh. If that applied to a normal horn honking, then you'd never be allowed to honk, because there are no exceptions listed. (The law in other states that does prohibit certain honking is very explicit about it - see Washington state's laws - while ALSO including this particular bit about more offensive horns/noisemakers.)

And, if you read it, the CMR you listed only requires that you DO honk at certain times. It says nothing about honking at other times.

Of course, I'm sure the police would be happy to harass you or I if we honked in front of them, or something, just because, well, you know... :-) But as far as I can tell, it wouldn't hold up in court. They'd be far more successful with a disturbing the peace catchall approach. Though I doubt it would stick in court if it's just a cabbie honking during the day. (If it was late at night, you might be able to get a judge to tell the cabbie to find some other way to do it.)

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Oh, I did see that there was another listing in the CMR, which was different than the one I saw. But it says the same thing that the MGL one says. It's possible that some people interpret "objectionable" in the same way that the pornography laws are interpreted, which is that it's judged based on "community standards". So in some communities it's cool to honk (it's a standard in many Latino communities to honk to say hello and such), while in others it's not.

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oneagain.livejournal.com

Ugh, I had to deal with this when the school van would pick up or drop-off the child who lived next door to me a few years back, and then again when there was a child living in another apartment in the house I currently live in. The family moved and the noise went away, but I know how annoying/disruptive it can be, especially when they just lay on the horns and won't let up. I never really understood why they can't just use a cell phone; that way, no one would have to be disturbed outside of the folks that matter. There may be flaws to this plan, but if there are, I am not sure what they are.

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withinmywill.livejournal.com

I've had cabs come to pick me up at very early hours (like 4:00 AMish) to make an early flight, and they still honk their horn. I actually preferred this to ringing the doorbell, since it didn't wake up my housemates.

Yeah, I guess this comment isn't very constructive, but horn-honking seems to be the system that cab drivers have worked out, and it is effective.

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ron_newman

Could you have them phone you instead? (do cab drivers have cellphones?)

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withinmywill.livejournal.com

They always have my number, but they never call. I've never tried requesting it. Honestly, I don't request cabs all too much.

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They pretty much universally carry personal cellphones, probably with a big minutes plan. But I don't think they're dispatched with the customer's phone number, just the address. Would save a lot of hassle if they did have the number.

If the fare still doesn't come out, they can call the dispatcher on the radio and have him call back the customer, but the dispatchers you can imagine hate that.

@withinmywill, I'm not talking about just one toot on the horn, I'm talking about a little more than that.

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thebostonreader.livejournal.com

Huh. Whenever I call Green Cab to pick me up before an early flight, they always remind me that they can't honk their horns so I better be ready.

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withinmywill.livejournal.com

Yeah, they've never done that for me. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I live on Boston Ave., so it's loud all night anyway.

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springhill02143.livejournal.com

I have requested "no horn" and reiterate it with Green Cab every time I get a cab (about 6 times a year). They comply about half the time.

Similarly, I ask them not to turn around in the neighbors' driveways and have about the same success rate.

I've had numerous conversations with Green Cab's dispatcher and the Somerville Police about honking, and from what I remember, they claim that it isn't regulated by the laws mentioned here, and not by the noise ordinance either, because it doesn't meet the duration threshold.

Beyond annoying in an urban environment, where there's enough noise and it affects so many people. I'd love it if others would weigh in with Green Cab on this, and even better, if we had other, better cab options in Somerville.

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duffless2323.livejournal.com

There are pros and cons of living in the city. One of the cons is noise, remember how bad it used to be when car alarms would go off all the time, I'm glad that is pretty much over. Cabs have horns and will honk them, people (regardless if they are college students) will call cabs and then not be waiting outside like they should- especially as the weather gets colder. This is just a fact of life, you can go out next time it happens and talk to your neighbors, but other than that there is not much you can do. My suggestion is when it happens, think of the things you DO like about living in the city.

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i have to agree with this.

the thing is, with cab companies you can ask they not honk, and please call (as i always do) but it's really up to them and half the time (hell, probably way more) they just don't feel like it. plus, my experience has been they are always ON their phones already! i am always waiting at a window for a cab, or downstairs if there's a place to wait inside, but they'll still honk. now, leaving a cabbie honking over and over (or your buddy, etc) is just fucking rude, so if this is more often the case, then i might perhaps leave a note.

this happens to us with delivery guys too sometimes, which irritates me to NO END as i always order to foodler which prints out written instructions on how to enter my building (uh, open a door and walk up the stairs) but some still want me to come down to them and beep and call and the whole nine yards. i want YOU to DELIVER the food to ME or i would have gotten takeout :p

long rant short: that's life.

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Oh.. I'm definitely not talking about a little toot that means your ride is here. Maybe I used too much understatement for DSLJ, so...

What I mean is... it's the middle of the night, a cab or someone's buddy pulls up, nobody's out, so they honk, and there's no place for them to pull over and they're going to be blocking traffic, so they honk again, and again, and again, while the damn kid's upstairs taking a dump or something, and they honk until the kid comes out the front door.

Meanwhile, neighbors three or four houses down, on both sides of the street are getting aggravated, that's dozens of people who are having to put up with this, so yeah, there's a reason why I'd ask about this.

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oh definitely - that's why i said if this is what you mean i'd certainly start at least by leaving a note.

but frankly, you can never tell with DSLJ, where most people i feel like might start complaining about it being fall and their neighbor doesn't rake as much as they'd like and the crunching leaves is really ruining their silent lifestyle, man.

heh. so yeah, i sympathize with you, i think honking is going to happen, but it can certainly be minimized by people just paying attention when they're expecting a ride. i don't think that's much to ask.

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Yeah, I got the feeling half the commenters were thinking along those lines.

I got treated to a truly impressive display of douchebaggery midnight last night. I heard a cab give a little toot, then a minute or so later he honked, still nobody came out, so he took off. Immediately after, a car full of kids playing bad techno music pulls up, honks loudly, the driver rolls down the window and tosses out a plastic cup on the street(WTF!), -then- after blowing off the cab, the kid comes down and gets in the car so they can head out to the all-important Tuesday night after hours clubbing scene.

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wow!

now, i'll be the first to admit i go out during the week, and on some occasions to all hours too. but even still there is not crazy noise making going in & out and we still always stand around and wait (often outside if it's late) if someone has called a cab. i mean jeez, at least have the decency (balls?) to go downstairs and tell the cab you actually don't need his services.

i'd assume the plastic cup obviously had booze in it so the driver didn't want that in the car, sigh.

seems like you got stuck with some real n00bs who don't understand that not every neighborhood "in boston" is a college one. they probably would have been better off in allston.

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boblothrope.livejournal.com

I'd also appreciate it if people would set their cars not to honk or beep when they lock and unlock the doors.

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i don't think that's a "setting" sadly. (my car does this, and i know i cannot change it.)

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boblothrope.livejournal.com

Have you checked the manual, or online forums for your car? Most cars I've dealt with have a silent lock/unlock option. Sometimes you set it by holding down both buttons on the remote for a few seconds.

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Yup, usually it's if you hit the "unlock" button just before the "lock" button, and the lights blink but the horn doesn't sound. You have to test it out for yourself.

What I actually would like, is if more people would use their parking lights and not their beams when they're sitting waiting for somebody, it's harsh on the other drivers.

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you mean like just turning off their headlights? i actually do this because i've lived on bottom floors of some apartments and had to deal with someone's freaking headlights glaring into my bedroom for however long as they sit and chat in the car or whatever.

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Yes. I actually wish it was legal to drive around like that too; our streets are bright enough you don't actually need the headlights, you just need to be seen. I think in some European cities they actually do/did allow that.

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i agree - my car has daytime running lights as it is and i'm usually feeling like i'm the last car to turn my headlights on. even then, it's only because i'm having trouble seeing the stuff on my dashboard, not the road or other cars, peds, etc.

it seems like headlights getting ever brighter is some kind of 'feature' these days too - i suppose if you live out in the boonies that's one thing but in the city it's so unnecessary. a lot of times i get headaches driving at night for all the squinting i do because the regular lights are more like high beams now.

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