In any given major city in Peru, there is a continuous background noise 24 hours a day of honking. There also isn't a law on types of horns so people can install any kind of loud, musical, deafening, or any kind of horn they so please. This leaves us with train horns and jack-in-the-boxes cruising through town sharing their personal sound for all to hear. I used to wonder why cars seemed to be continually honking but I have now developed a scientifically proven (okay, it's really just me being amused by myself) explanation of the honking.
There are 4 meanings behind the incessant honking.
1. The "I'm Driving Honk". This honk is saying, "Weeeeee! Look at me, I'm driving! Yep, that's right! I'm behind the wheel and am driving. Whooo hoooo!" I think of this honk like Maxwell the pig from the Geiko commercials.
2. The Warning Honk. This honk is saying, "Watch out! I'm driving and am not concerned with how fast I drive, which lane I'm in - what, what's a lane!?!? I don't know but that light is red and I'm going to speed on through. Accelerating is fun. I'm not looking out for you if you're walking, driving, or riding by, I'm just plowing down the road so I suggest you maybe look for me. I'd rather not hit and hurt someone today but it's not really my fault - I'm telling you I'm coming!!!"
3. The Taxi Honk. This honk is saying, "Hi there - I'm a taxi! I want to give someone a ride. Do you want a ride?? Maybe you? Oh Dios mio you're white?!?!? You must need a taxi because you're white! Why aren't you getting in my taxi? Did you not know you're white? Because you really are! And I'm a taxi!"
4. The Red Light Honk. This honk happens at every stop light the second the light turns green. Unlike in the US, it is not a honk to remind someone the light has changed if they have not reacted in an appropriate amount of time. No, it's just a obligatory honk as soon as the light changes or even a second before. So intersections with stop lights are busy places.
Stop Signs and Speed Bumps
Stop signs are rarely seen in Peru. And even when there is a stop sign, it is treated more as a yield sign if observed at all. Instead, there are frequently large speed bumps before the intersection. This forces the vehicle to slow down before it crosses or turns into other traffic. The Panamerican highway, the major highway on the coast of the country that stretches from Chili in the south to Ecuador in the north, runs through the middle of many small, rural towns. The portions through those towns are dotted with speed bumps. When riding 12 hr buses, I was once annoyed by the constant staccato of the speed bumps but after living in one of those small towns dissected by the Panamerican, I became very thankful for them. They are the only things that control the speed of traffic in Peru and therefore prevent the highway, that frequently has children, elderly, and anyone in between crossing it, from being even more of a dangerous death trap than it already is.
You are so sweet the way you describe the horn honking. I am in Lima and I would like to strangle someone on daily basis. Even the van that picks up the neighbors kids has to honk honk as the pull up - then honk honk honk again to get the kids to come out - then honk honk honk if they are not fast enough. All of this and the street / parking area is about 10' from the door. Then when they drop the kids off in the afternoon its honk honk honk again i suppose to let the mom know they are home and of course a honk to say bye. This is just one vehicle
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