The Rise and Fall of the World’s Most Annoying Car Horn
Also today: The leafy maker over of a Nazi bunker in Hamburg, and Chicago overcomes DNC skeptics with calm and parties.
The electric klaxon horn was a divisive fixture of the urban soundscape in the early automotive era.
Photographer: National Motor Museum/Heritage Images/Getty Images)
The klaxon horn was a fixture on cars of the early 20th century, screaming "aaaOOgah!!" through the streets of North American and European cities. It was marketed as a safety device that could, in the absence of traffic lights and street signs, pierce through the urban drone to warn pedestrians and other drivers of your intent to turn, back up — or plow through an intersection.
In the new book Danger Sound Klaxon!, author Matthew F. Jordan writes that while the klaxon was eventually retired, its history parallels modern-day tensions about urban noise and road safety. Contributor David Zipper spoke with Jordan about the pioneering automotive device and the ongoing conflicts between the preferences of car owners and the well-being of urban residents. Today on CityLab: A Loud Warning From the Past About Living With Cars