Jeremy Parker wrote:
>>Sorry if this has come up in this NG before, but a quick scan hasn't answered my question. I am
>>thinking of investing in an 'airzound' horn for my bike but I'm not sure whether the kind of
>>volume given out by this gadget is legal... Has anyone got any idea?
>>
>
> It's awesome - liable to cause little old ladies to drop dead with fright. Death by air zound
> probably breaks some law, if it happens.
>
> The air zound requires a Schreader valved pump.
>
> I'm glad I have an air zound, just for its sheer amusement value, but I don't have it mounted on
> my bike now, and I do have a bike bell.
>
> I think the air zound is too loud to get into using it as your automatic quick response to any
> situation - shout instead. Thus you can only use the air zound for situations you see developing a
> few seconds in advance. Essentially you are then luring the poor unsuspecting motorist into being
> the air zound's victim, which is unsporting.
>
> Regarding bells, they are only useful on off-road bike paths. On the busier off road paths an air
> zound is tempting, but inadvisable. I have a bell that Sustrans sent me free, for spending too
> much money with them. It goes "ping", instead of the traditional "trrrrrrr". Fairly frequently
> people under 40 fail to recogise that the sound is a bicycle bell, or anything relevant to them,
> and people over forty are too deaf to hear it. The deaf ones always then berate you for not using
> your bell.
>
> For shouting, my all purpose instinctive cry is "watch it". That alerts without being too
> confrontional, hostile replies, if any, being nothing but "you watch it." When shouting, even if
> terrified, keep you voice low pitched. Don't let your voice rise to an anguished squeak"
>
> Jeremy Parker
I find the one on our tandem to be most effective, especially if the road goes along pavements busy
with shoppers.
A few times we have had to use it, when the bell had no response, to see people jump back 6ft when
given a blast on the horn.
On hols in Holt, Norfolk once a child/teen 10-13yr old, suddenly started to cross the road,
ignoring his parents command to look; sounded horn to see him jump back to the wall, swear about
the fright he had got, only for his parents to give him a good clip around the ears for swearing
and for not looking.
