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Why do people honk in tunnels? The answer might surprise you
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In East Tennessee, we learn how to honk in tunnels just as we learn how to walk on two feet
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We learn it at a young age and we don't question it too much. It's just what we do
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It's so Pavlovian to us some of us don't even realize we're doing it
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We've had a few out of town friends ask us why people are honking in the tunnel along
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the spur. We've even seen a few posts from online thinking that they had a flat tire or missing a headlight
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because someone was honking at them. If you stumbled upon this video because you're also scratching your head about what you think
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could be going wrong with your car, don't call a mechanic just yet
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Honking is a friendly tradition. According to various sources, links in the description below, honking in tunnels may not
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be very specific to Tennesseans. An article in The Guardian reported that in Wellington, New Zealand, officials have attempted
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unsuccessfully to ban honking in the Mount Victoria Tunnel. They suspect the reason most people honk in this tunnel is superstition An article in the Citizen Times states that tunnel honking began as a safety precaution This article specifically talks about Bowcatcher Tunnel in Asheville North Carolina which is a little closer to home
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According to an official with the Traffic Training Center, most tunnels, bridges, and mountain cuts back in the day were only a single lane wide
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So during those times, honking your horn was encouraged by law to avoid occurrence of two vehicles suddenly facing off inside a dark tunnel around a mountain curve
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Today it is, shall we say, less encouraged by law. Is honking your horn in a tunnel against the law
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Technically, Tennessee law does state that it is, quote, unlawful for any person at any time to use a horn otherwise than as a reasonable warning
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or to make any unnecessary or unreasonable loud or harsh sound by means of a horn or other warning device, end quote
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North Carolina has more or less the same law. But, just as in the case in New Zealand, attempts to put an end to tunnel honking could be futile
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This is moonshine country, after all. Do you honk in tunnels? What do you think is the real reason people do it
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Let us know in the comments. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and ring the bell so you don't miss our next video from thesmokies.com
