Legality of scaring bystanders?

Main Horn Stories
1

Just to be clear, I am not embellishing or lying about any of these events, I’m stating facts so that hopefully ya’ll can give me some insight. I live in Texas and have a shocker 540 setup with a 5 gallon tank and my mentality is: with great honking power comes great responsibility :slight_smile: so I don’t honk at every little thing that happens on the road. Anywho:

Three days ago I was driving down the road (7 lanes) and my friend was turning left in the turn lane. I honked at him and he waved as I waved my hand out the window to him. As I turned down my street an Escalade came roaring up next me and this middle aged blonde lady rolled down the passenger window flipping me off and calling me names. I looked at her and then realised she probably thought I was honking at her. (She was about 40 feet behind me in the middle lane when I honked). I yelled back “I wasn’t honking at you!” to which she said “I’m calling the cops” as she pulled out her phone. I then turned down another residential street and flipped on my police scanner to see if she was bluffing. I pulled into my garage safely and without being seen, and when nothing came over the scanner, I went into my house.

Fast forward to today when I got home from work dressed in a tie and slacks (not that it matters all that much) when the doorbell rang. I answered the door to see a man standing there with an Escalade parked behind him. He said “do you have a very loud horn on that?” and pointed to my pickup. I said “yes sir I do”. He said I had scared the “hell” out of his wife a few days ago and I asked “was she the one who yelled at me and flipped me off?” He started getting evidently more agitated and almost yelled “There’s a limit to how many decibels you can go”. I smiled and said “do you know what that number is?” he said yes and I asked what it was, to which he quickly changed the subject. He made a few threats about calling the police and personally knowing the Capitan, but all in all I apologized for scaring her and told him that was not my intention at all. He was pretty malevolent and shrugged off my apologies, but here are my questions:

1)Shockers are rated at 152db, so does anyone know if that is accurate and if that is legal in Texas, or does that vary by county, city, etc.?

2)Can I get charged with scaring her unintentionally 3 days ago?

3)And has anyone else had problems with people actually coming to their HOUSE to talk to them? (It worries me because I have no idea how they found out where I live).

Any thoughts at all would be great guys. Have a good one!

2

Blond sounds like a complete B**ch. Her bf sounds like an oven. I’d have to say how they found your house is most likely by writing down your license plates and looking them up on the DMV site to find the Registered Owner’s address. Or she could have seen you pull into your drive way either way I would have BS the hell out of the BF and the blonde and told them to get off my property. When I sound my shockers off I act like I don’t know where it came from, (All about acting) Try looking up noise ordinances in your county. Can find some useful things. The only people I don’t lie to is cops. Hence the fact they can search your vehicle and find the horns.

3

“Friends with the Captain” Give me a break! First thing I would’ve asked is whether he meant Captain Stuping or Captain Kirk.

Decibel limit my ****! Complete rubbish. Tell him to take his hearing aid out next time, take a Xanax and have a good lie down before popping a blood vessel. No you can’t get charged for scaring someone by blowing your horn. If they’re totally stupid they could try and sue you for causing some kind of nervous breakdown, but that’s a civil matter, not a criminal one and you’d need to have pissed off a serious grumpy hard-oven to get that deep into poop.

Sure the cops can follow up on a noise or public nuisance complaint, but they would not charge you for having the horns. Nothing illegal about having extra horns on your car, unless you’ve totally replaced your stock vehicle horn with the shockers. If they catch you in the act they might give you a ticket if you’re unlucky.

As to the over hyped husband, I would’ve asked for his name and details then offered to call the cops right then and there to discuss filing of a harassment charge against him. Man oh man, some people got mush for brains thinking they can go around to someone’s house and start threatening them.

4

I can bet someone is just a bit jealous. Everytime I ride my bicycle people always tell me its illegal to have a horn on a bicycle " PLEASE SEE IMAGE" :smiley:

5

As stated in the Arizona Revised Status, i know your in texas but alot of other states say the same thing,

Any horn or other warning device shall not emit an unreasonably loud or harsh sound or a whistle.

So it is not illegal to have one on a car, but to blow it is debatable. Some people will think shockers or Nathan’s are unreasonably loud. Decible limits, or noise ordnance, is only during certain hours…sometimes

This is from city of phoenix noise ordnance.

The following acts, among others, are declared to be loud, disturbing and unnecessary noises and noises in violation of this Article, but this enumeration shall not be deemed to be exclusive, namely:

(A) Blowing horns or signaling devices. The sounding or blowing of any horn or signal device on any automobile, truck, bus, motorcycle or other vehicle while not in motion, except as a danger signal if another vehicle is approaching, apparently out of control, or if in motion only as a danger signal after or as brakes are being applied and deceleration of the vehicle is intended; the creation by means of any such signal device of any unreasonably loud or harsh sound; and the sounding of such device for any unnecessary and unreasonable period of time.

© Yelling, shouting, etc. on streets. Yelling, shouting, hooting, whistling or singing on the public streets, particularly between the hours of 11:00 P.M. 7:00 A.M., or at any time or place so as to annoy or disturb the quiet, comfort or repose of persons in any hospital, dwelling, hotel or other type of residence, or of persons in the vicinity.

INDENT Noises near schools, hospitals, churches, etc. The creation of any excessive noise on any street adjacent to any school, institution of learning, church or court while the same is in session, or adjacent to any hospital, which unreasonably interferes with the workings or session thereof; Provided, that signs must be displayed in such streets indicating that the same is a school, institution of learning, church court or hospital.[/INDENT]

None of the terms or prohibitions of Sections 23-12 through 23-17 shall apply to or be enforced against:
[INDENT]1)Shall play only pleasing melodies; :smiley: ;)[/INDENT]
[INDENT]3) Shall not be played between the hours of 1:00 P.M. and 3:00 P.M., and between the hours of 9:00 P.M. and 10:00 A.M.[/INDENT]

So blowing a horn next to a school while it is in session may fall under this category, but really it depends on who you ask on whether or not it was disturbing. And if the officer knows all this. Also, funny thing is Scottsdale does has a noise ordinance but only upplies to businesses that serves alcohol

6

first off some points i use when argueing to mates about my k5la being legal or not.

  1. doesnt mater what db ist meant to mae out prove it. Tell them its adjustable 2-200psi can they prove what PSI you run as u have a swich in cab to controll compressors.

  2. Yes it can go overlly loud, but then again your car can go 100mh and run over children would you liek to book me for taht as well. just cause your vechicle can be 152db doesnt mean it is unless tehy can prove it.

  3. the 152db was prolly witha db meter shoved up teh horn.

  4. you drive on country roadsand its the only thing that will make kangaroos move its saved you from hitting them more than once (not sure if you have roadkill problem but still)

  5. in QLD australia noise limits are for exaust only, its 88db for cars. people tell me you cant be louder than 88db. i go for one im not a car im a light commerical (T100 ute aka hilux). that exaust limits so you reckon i cant be louder than a car well tehn isnt it pointless having ahorn, it needs to be louder to penitrate there cab and be heard over music ect. what about if i need to beep at a truck then it need to be louder again.

  6. If this arguement still goes on i just tell them what DB can my horn be then and how is it tested eg 2m from car from behond front ect. tell me and ill lower the psi till then its staying teh way it is.

no one has yet to prove to me its illegal, qld transport said it cant be louder then needed. i told them i drive up to 1000miles a week for work and often am caught beind road trains 150feet long . now can you please tell me whats needed cause i know of no db limits at all for horns

7

Glad i live in the U.K where we just need a minimum sound limit and not two tone. We can be nicked for unessacary sounding of horns, but that’s a case of ‘so what? prove it’ was sounding off to dog in the road :wink:

So what if she was scared? The police come knocking at the door and you just say that someone cut you off whilst being on the phone so you blasted them to warn of your presense. If someone else got offended that’s their issue.

Echoing DBO, calling the police right there and then to come round as someone is threatening you would have sent the moron running.

Or get the ol’ shotgun out…or whatever it is i’ve seen on T.V that you guys in Texas do lol! :o :smiley:

8

It is a noise disturbance ordinance but I would definitely check in your county.

9

I read a whole lot of things online about Decibel limits in my county, but when I talked to an officer who I work with, he said there is NO decibel on horns here in little old Lubbock County :slight_smile: he said the guy was out of line and the only way the law could get involved is if I honked unnecessarily in front of an officer who thought it would be a noise violation. And also if the guy comes around again to call the cops and they’ll be on my side to get that crazy honk off my porch haha. Thanks for the input guys.

10

GranTorino moment

GET OFF MY LAWN !!!

11

Know your laws, most important part of having a setup on your vehicle. Sounds like you are more aware than most, but I’d surely know anything you could possibly be pinned with. Might even do you some good to speak to some LEO, get their opinions on things. With my job, I work with LEO directly. I have several LEO buddies from multiple agencies, and I have gotten an from about 8 different local agencies to me… on what/if anything I could be charged with.

In your case, considering this lady followed you and harassed you (cursing, etc)…I’d get a tag if possible in the future. Especially if she showed up at my home. I would immediately call 911.

Laws are different everywhere, but its her word against yours that you actually used the horn…but with police showing up and seeing her husband at your house, you could technically press harassment charges on both of them. Highly unlikely they will want to press charges against you for the horns…but even less likely they’d pursue if you countered with a harassment charge. I would not hesistate one bit to call 911 and report the harassment if it happened to me (I do 911 for a living).

Me personally? I’d find out where they lived…and have a buddy with horns do drive-by hornings. :slight_smile:

12

“drive by hornings”

…you realize, that’s how I got married…

Damned “hornings”! :stuck_out_tongue:

13

ha! NICE! I wonder If I will find my future wife that way! :smiley:

14

hence the saying “horn if you’re honky”

15

Again, over here in the UK, I have found nothing that says we cant have a loud Horn on our vehicle. I have yet to have a run in with an officer of the law.

Big rig trucks over here have louder than normal Horns.

You must not use your Horn between the hours of 11pm-7am

You must not use your Horn whilst stationary

You are warning others of your presence!:wink:

There are UK decibel laws here for exhaust & engine noise, but not for Horns.

Possibly if your driving round the neighborhood being a complete ar*e honking at every tom, d i c k or harry, you could possible have a disturbing the peace or public nuisance order thrown at you?

16

I’m not sure what the law is in Texas but out here in California I’ve been pulled over 3 times in the last 2 months. One of those times I was hoping to get the best train horn scare video ever…by getting an officer that had someone pulled over ( I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!!!) However, my friend failed to remember to start the camera :rolleyes: No tickets for me yet though. The officer that pulled me over tonight had me show him the button and when the second unit arrived he reached in and hit it, scared the S&@% out of them.

17

Welcome to the forum from SoCal.

We can’t have fun here anymore without violating one law or another.:mad:

18

Every time I’ve been stopped they have all been cool. I will admit when I horned the officer on the traffic stop I probably deserved to be pulled over :smiley:

19

Horning an officer of the law must have been better than sex? …(hmmmmmm maybe not!) lol

If & when I get pulled over by the old bill here in the UK, I will without hesitation video it! There is a massive compensation culture now over here, it’s unreal.

20

Not sure about better than sex but it was awesome. :smiley: Such a shame I have to do it again so I can have a video of it HAHA.