Amid this gridlock is a whole lot of self-expression via car horns and the occasional, ah, verbal admonition. Times critics are writing about everyday seasonal experiences. The latest on the arts, coverage of live events, critical reviews,

Even the most powerful car can see its image suffer if it has a wimpy car horn. Conversely, in cities awash in noise and bustle, loud honking only contributes to the din. The dilemma is well-known to Pat Seashore, an engineering supervisor at Ford

SOUNDING one's car horn in Israel is, as in most countries, actually not permitted except in an emergency – to which one can only respond that Israeli drivers see everything as an emergency, including picking up their girlfriends for a late-night date.

A resident in Ealing has posted notes to her neighbours calling for residents to stand together and honk their car horns if any trouble starts. 19.12 A Miss Selfridge shop is on fire in Manchester, according to Sky News. 18.54 UPDATED Our correspondent

Ford is among the automakers taking careful note of the notes that honk from a car's horn, citing cultural concerns over what is acceptable to a given nation's populace. And Denmark's ECTunes is developing systems for electric vehicles and hybrids that