Do golf carts have horns?
 

In the past couple of days I have ridden my bicycle over 70 miles on the multi-modal trails. Only one cart driver had the common courtesy to beep their horn so I would know to keep right and let them pass. All the others (and I mean at least 100 carts or more) just whizzed by without a sound. With a helmet on and the wind noise I cannot hear even a gas cart until it is almost on top of me. I always ring my bike bell when approaching walkers or slower bikes & beep my horn if in my cart. Many golfers seem to think the multi-modal paths were built just for them...wrong. Let's share the road and be courteous & safe - use your horn before passing.

As an aside, I watched a cart almost roll over today on the path between Bradford & Chitty Chatty. The male driver took a curve too fast & I watched as his right rear wheel lifted several inches off the path. I cannot believe the speeds at which cart drivers take curves. In particular, the aluminum chassis electric carts running lithium ion batteries (like mine) are extremely lightweight compared to their gas counterparts and much easier to roll. Use a little common sense and live to a ripe old age!

What a novel thought, common curtesy.

I've seen many posts from bicyclist complaining that a horn blast startles them.

if every cart passing every bike tooted its horn, the noise would be constant, and irritating. What you need to do is buy, then use, a sideview mirror. I don't ride anymore, but I once did, and I interpreted car horns not as a polite "here I am, don't let me startle you" but rather as a "MOVE OVER!!! GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!"... so, no, I'm not beeping for you. I'll give you your space and pass when it's safe, but it's up to you to know who is behind you.

well you've chosen the negative...
 

for horn usage and there is a way to tell the difference...of course with many seniors they no longer possess the ability to use common sense.

///

I don't want to hear a steady din of horn honking. Ever been to Manhattan?
it's noisy enough in TV.
The OP said that with his helmet and wind noise, he can't hear a gas cart. How loud and long does a cart horn have to blow to be heard over that?

Nope, that's why bicyclists wear, or mount on the bars, sideview mirrors.

As an enthusiastic bicyclist who rides over 4000 miles a year I would not want golf carters honking the horn every time they go to pass me. I have a rear mirror on my bike and it is my responsibility to not only look at the road ahead but to also continually scan my rear mirror to see if any golf carts or cars are overtaking me. I have a rear flashing light as well as a flashing headlight, but to me a rear mirror is also absolutely necessary. No honking please! It is the bicyclist’s responsibility to know when he is being passed.

Most people forget these are golf carts. They think they bought a GO CART with a toggle switch for a gas pedal.

I would think a horn blast would startle a biker, or pedestrian into jumping into harms way, not to mention complaints from the people that live along the cart paths.

Bingo!!!

That's a classic lose / lose. Are you still beating your wife ?

I used to give a couple of quick beeps when I was coming up on a bicyclist. Received many middle fingers and few waves. No more!

Thank You! I couldn't have said it better myself!:clap2:

When I beep my horn I usually get the one finger salute.. I wood think one shouldn’t be riding on center line? I know I wouldn’t.

I have never heard of honking the horn as good or bad when passing. I just look over the area to see if it is safe to pass. I check for other carts, curves or islands before pulling over and passing. Most bikers see you coming. On that note though, I am sure some are not too careful or might be going too fast to make it safe.

Anyone understand this ? (I sure don’t)

Try riding on Morse for awhile and when you go back to the multi modal paths those golf carts that whiz past you will seem really friendly

I always slow down, move way over and wait til I have enough room to pass. I don’t beep because I’m new to the area and where I’m from that usually gets a finger and worse.

I ride a bicycle and I would Not want a horn blasting me as a cart was over taking me….. I would like them to please slow down and move over when passing me walking or riding. When riding I used to move to the side to let the golf carts pass me. Now I let the carts catch me, slow down then I will move over.. just use common sense when passing a cyclist or walker…..Slow Down. We all use the paths we all need to respect other users,

The no-win scenario, Question: Are you still beating your wife?

Answer yes, you are a wife beater...

Answer no, well you used to be a wife beater, when did you stop beating her?


As for the original post, the consensus seems to be to not blow your horn. My experience is that 99% of cyclists know we are coming and pull over to be passed. The other 1%, I can flip the complaint, seem to think the paths are only for bikes and refuse to pull over to let anybody safely pass.

I agree that there many golfers here in TV, but face it, being able to go almost any place in your cart is one of the biggest draws to the TV life style.:MOJE_whot:

Good advice but being an old bike rider I was always looking in my mirrors to see behind me ,being aware of what was all around me. All bike riders and cart drivers would do well to take that advice , so many times cart drivers are only focused on what’s ahead of them.

Well with all due respect the last time a gave bike rider a short horn while passing him he flipped me the bird and said I see you

As to the question of horns - what did they say when you called the Villages Golf Cart sales?

Golf cart horn is very loud and startling. Had a person in a golf cart behind me in a tunnel lay on the horn I think to demonstrate the echo to her grandkid.

Not me
 

So if you were on a road with cars and trucks, would you expect them to blow their horn every time they passed you? Some of those vehicles are very quiet these days.

As was stated, you have a responsibility to ride safely and be aware of your surroundings. Others have the same responsibility, but that doesn't mean having to blow their horn just in case all the time someone is riding a bike.

After a while, the constant horn blowing would lose meaning and fade into background noise anyway.

I have a different perspective
 

I wouldn’t beep at a cyclist when I am coming from behind because I don’t want them to think I am being rude or impatient. I just slow down until there is appropriate room to pass.

So far as I can see, ther is no legal requirement, nor official guidance about horn honking when passing a bicyclist. Florida law specifies a three foot lateral distance. < https://www.flhsmv.gov/safety-center/child-safety/bicycle-pedestrian-safety/#:~:text=Drivers%20MUST%20give%20bicyclists%20a,yo u%20see%20a%20bicyclist%20approaching.>

I don’t use the horn because I do not want to startle or upset the bicyclist. That could be dangerous.

I hadn't beeped as I came up to a cyclist before thinking it might startle them. Knowing what have said here, I'll start doing that.

WHAT??? Have you read ALL of the posts?

Or did I miss the sarcasm sign again?

We watched a guy speed through the path coming up to El Santiago and El Diablo starter shack obviously late for his tee time. Gave us a dirty look as he almost struck another golf cart. Daily occurrence.:ohdear:

Not everyone driving a golf cart is a golfer.

Make an investment some great technology. Buy a Garmin 1030 and pair it to a Garmin Varia Radar detector. This will give you tail lights and the ability to read on your handle bar mounted Garmin 1030 computer any cart or car that's coming up behind you. It's like having eyes on the back of your head. Go to you tube and watch how the system works.

My horn is a Harley type horn and very loud. I would never honk when approaching a bicycle or pedestrian(walking on wrong side of path) because it would definitely startle them. I could just imagine all the noise we would hear if cars and trucks honked on the streets when approaching bicycles.
:bigbow::bigbow:

You bring up a couple of very good points. Many corners on multimodal paths are semi or totally blind depending on how the bushes are trimmed. I too really enjoy riding a bike yet enjoy running even more. That’s probably because my running days are numbered. I run toward the bikers and golf carts stay as far left as possible and find almost everyone that passes me to be pretty cautious. When I get close to the blind corners I stop look and cross over to run with the traffic until I clear those corners. Most drivers are exceptional but some come around those corners with their hair on fire. Now to be fair that’s also true of some young electric bikers that actually put their foot out when screaming around blind corners so they don’t fall. The bell is a great idea but most don’t use it. We used to say biker or runner on your left/right as a courtesy. In fairness many that bike haven’t done so in years so their skills have diminished. It’s great to see most bikers wearing a helmet taking safety seriously. I appreciate being able to share these facilities with all my great fellow Villagers. It’s been a real blessing.

I bike on the multimodal trails every single day of the week. I DON'T want golf carts beeping at me.

Put a mirror on your bike. No one should ride without one.

A reply from the original poster!
 

I will attempt to rebut some of the dubious replies.

Horns startle cyclists: yes they do, if you wait until you are right behind them and then lay on a long blast. I am talking about a quick beep when you are 100' or so behind.

The Villages will sound like the taxi horn bedlam of NYC: C'mon really? If there was bumper to bumper carts and bikes, then yes it would.

Cyclists don't like car horns: Correct! We do not need to have cars beeping at us because we are on a highway and expect cars to be roaring by as we hug the berm.

Cyclists need to stay to the right and not hog the middle of the path: I do not ride in the middle but always stay in the right lane however, I am not going to hug the edge. It is a MULTI-MODAL path and cyclists, runners, and walkers have every right to use all of their lane just as the carts do (BUT to move over to let faster carts, bikes, runners, etc. to pass).


Cyclists giving you the finger: There are rude cyclists just as there are rude individuals everywhere. At the risk of receiving hate mail I will bet that every cyclist that flipped you off was riding a road bike as in a bicycle with drop bars and was wearing Lycra shorts and a garish looking cycling jersey plastered with logos. The rest of us older non-competitive recreational POLITE cyclists appreciate a simple beep from a reasonable distance and don't wave our middle fingers about.

Cyclists should have mirrors: Should walkers have mirrors? Joggers? I do have a mirror but as fast as these cart drivers come up on you, its easy to miss seeing them until the last second. I am sure anyone driving a car has had a car suddenly appear on their tail seemingly out of nowhere.

Cyclists should be able to hear even with wind noise: Have you ever ridden a bike, especially on a windy day? You can only hear if you turn your head sideways. Add to that we are not youngsters anymore and many of us have mild hearing issues. Plus electric carts are silent.

The Villages is supposed to be Florida's Friendliest Hometown. Judging from some of the intolerant and thoughtless replies, I am not so sure!

I once saw a bumper sticker that stated a good philosophy to live by. It read: Life is short. Don't be a dick!

No Honk at Cyclist
 

No, no, no - never honk at a cyclist. This is a well-established courtesy and safety measure. I recommend a mirror for your bicycle. Do not encourage honking.

No Honk at Cyclist
 

Please, no honking.