General Urban Waterloo Updates and Rumours

[danbrotherston]

which by the way is legal

No, see s. 170 (12).

unlike making a nuisance by honking

‘Making a nuisance’ would be illegal, but just honking isn't. (s. 75 (1))

I'm not sure which statute you intended to reference, but when I look up s 170 (12) here:  

https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/90h08#BK265

It states that:

"Vehicles interfering with traffic

(12) Despite the other provisions of this section, no person shall park or stand a vehicle on a highway in such a manner as to interfere with the movement of traffic or the clearing of snow from the highway.  R.S.O. 1990, c. H.8, s. 170 (12)."

Edit:  Sorry, I missunderstood which section you were objecting too.

In any case, I still do not believe that is at all the law. By that logic, there is "no stopping" implicit everywhere.  Even if that were true, that section does not state that one must proceed, i.e., if I believe there isn't time to turn before traffic arrives, or a ped arrives, then that's my judgement. Suggesting that one must turn immediately on red otherwise one is "interfering" with traffic is not the intent of the law I think.

For the second, if you read down four statues to s 75 (4), it reads:

"Unnecessary noise

(4) A person having the control or charge of a motor vehicle shall not sound any bell, horn or other signalling device so as to make an unreasonable noise,"

Now, this one is clearly arguable, but I would argue that honking your horn, especially laying it on excessively because the driver in front of you is operating legally but too slowly for your liking is an unreasonable noise. It also happens to violate the noise bylaw at least in Kitchener.

Of course, I'd be shocked if this had ever been enforced in the history of the HTA, but as someone who lives downtown, I'm very much annoyed by obnoxious honking.