I ride my bike in New York City an average of 15 miles a day. I don’t think I’ve gone anywhere on my bike without being honked at. I hear your honking but what are you really trying to say to me? 'Cause all i hear is hostility and aggression, and you scare the crap out of me every time.

It could be a courtesy hello. Or it could be: hey baby you look good. Or it could be: get the #@*% off the road. It happens so fast and I’m focused on the road, so it’s not like I get the chance to look over to get a read on the honkers corresponding facial expression. It would make my ride more pleasant if I was never honked at again, but according to Deborah Tannen asking people to change their communication style may not be the key. She suggests that "knowing what conversational style is and how it works gives you a revolutionary new way of understanding what goes on when you talk to others- and that understanding gives you tools you can use when you're not happy with the way a conversation, or a relationships, is going.”

The honkers have a big piece of metal and a loud ass horn on their side, which is no match for my 10 pounds of 80s vintage road bike and wimpy bicycle bell, but I still think Deborah’s got some sound advice and so I strapped an audio recorder to my backpack, pushed my grudge against honkers aside and set off on my bike in an attempt to revolutionize biker/driver communication.

I ride my bike in New York City an average of 15 miles a day. I don’t think I’ve gone anywhere on my bike without being honked at. I hear your honking but what are you really trying to say to me? 'Cause all i hear is hostility and aggression, and you scare the crap out of me every time.

It could be a courtesy hello. Or it could be: hey baby you look good. Or it could be: get the #@*% off the road. It happens so fast and I’m focused on the road, so it’s not like I get the chance to look over to get a read on the honkers corresponding facial expression. It would make my ride more pleasant if I was never honked at again, but according to Deborah Tannen asking people to change their communication style may not be the key. She suggests that "knowing what conversational style is and how it works gives you a revolutionary new way of understanding what goes on when you talk to others- and that understanding gives you tools you can use when you're not happy with the way a conversation, or a relationships, is going.”

The honkers have a big piece of metal and a loud ass horn on their side, which is no match for my 10 pounds of 80s vintage road bike and wimpy bicycle bell, but I still think Deborah’s got some sound advice and so I strapped an audio recorder to my backpack, pushed my grudge against honkers aside and set off on my bike in an attempt to revolutionize biker/driver communication.