Honk Your Horn If You Support the Troops and If You Want to go to Jail

I received a ticket for improper use of my horn a couple weeks ago. So I have to blog about it now. I honked at someone who was behind me honking at me repeatedly, and then swerved around me and cut me off. I honked at him when he cut me off and then again after we got past the road block, and that was the end of our encounter, no harm done, except for the fact that the Tuscaloosa police happened to be nearby and got mad at me for honking at that car while they were nearby. They chased me down and gave me a ticket for improper use of my horn. I usually only honk at people about twice a year, when they do something like that guy did.

According to Alabama code §32-5-213, it is a misdemeanor - punishable by up to $500 in fines or 6 months in jail (see codes 13A-5-7 and 13A-5-12) - to honk your horn, unless it is a "reasonable warning." So next time you see people holding signs that say, "Honk if you support the troops," you better not honk or you could be sitting behind bars. Next time you see one of your friends and you want to get their attention to say "hi," don't honk, or you could go to jail. Next time you are stuck behind a red light that turns green and the person in front of you is talking on the cell phone and not paying attention, don't make a friendly honk to let them know the light has changed, or you could get six months in the slammer. Next time you see a person driving aggressively, recklessly, or rudely on the road, don't honk to show your disapproval, unless he or she is about to hit you, or you could be the one that serves time. Even if someone else honks at you first, don't you dare honk back or you could be the one with a criminal record.

Not only could you spend time in jail or pay an exorbitant fee, but regardless of otherwise outstanding citizenship, a misdemeanor will go on your permanent criminal record. This could increase your insurance rates, costing you hundreds or thousands in the long run. It could also cause you to have your license suspended for a period of time. Every time a potential employer does a background check they will see you have a misdemeanor.

This ridiculous, draconian law in Alabama needs to change. Most of the the scenarios above should not even be considered criminal activity and at the most honking one's horn should be punishable by a very small fee. Any cop who has the audacity to give someone a ticket for honking should be reprimanded.