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CNN Live At Daybreak

Fed Up With Honking

Aired August 05, 2003 - 05:53   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There are few things more annoying than endless honking of horns. And in New York, one man has had enough.
Jeanne Moos has more on the creative outlet of a man pushed to the edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Honk if you're fed up with honking. Constant honking in his Brooklyn neighborhood drove Aaron Naparstek to blow his stack.

AARON NAPARSTEK, AUTHOR, "HONKU": I would sometimes walk up to their window and just sort of, "honk!"

MOOS: And then one day Aaron retaliated from what was then his third floor apartment, using eggs to silence a blaring blue sedan.

NAPARSTEK: I lean out and he's still blasting away. So boom, boom, boom.

MOOS: The driver screamed up at him.

NAPARSTEK: "You mother_____. I'm coming back tonight. I know where you live. I see you up there. I'm going to kill you."

MOOS: That's when Aaron opted for a more serene way of venting his anger, the honku, inspired by the Japanese haiku. "I hear in New York shortest distance in time is from green light to honk."

Aaron went around the neighborhood posting his honkus and soon other residents were honking back.

NAPARSTEK: Oh, Jesus Chrysler, what's all the damn honking Ford? Please shut the truck up.

MOOS: Now Aaron has published a book of the best honkus, calling it "The Zen Antidote to Road Rage."

(on camera): A haiku consists of three lines, 17 syllables and a five, seven, five, format.

(voice-over): Like the haiku, the honku is supposed to foster serenity through discipline and simplicity. We approached a Lincoln and recited one of Aaron's favorites.

(on camera): "Terrorism is a Lincoln Continental leaning on the horn."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, this is a Town Car.

MOOS (on camera): Oh, a Town Car. OK.

(voice-over): Honking may have inspired the original honkus, but the ones in the book involve anything automotive, from bad manners to Sunday drivers.

NAPARSTEK: Senior citizen, 45, in the left lane, needs a Viagra.

MOOS: Even cup holders runneth over with honkus.

NAPARSTEK: Our new minivan, so many cup holders it needs a dishwasher.

MOOS: But when it comes to honking as protracted as a stretch limo, maybe the pen isn't mightier than the horn.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Honku.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 5, 2003 - 05:53   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL COSTELLO, CNN ANCHOR: There are few things more annoying than endless honking of horns. And in New York, one man has had enough.
Jeanne Moos has more on the creative outlet of a man pushed to the edge.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEANNE MOOS, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Honk if you're fed up with honking. Constant honking in his Brooklyn neighborhood drove Aaron Naparstek to blow his stack.

AARON NAPARSTEK, AUTHOR, "HONKU": I would sometimes walk up to their window and just sort of, "honk!"

MOOS: And then one day Aaron retaliated from what was then his third floor apartment, using eggs to silence a blaring blue sedan.

NAPARSTEK: I lean out and he's still blasting away. So boom, boom, boom.

MOOS: The driver screamed up at him.

NAPARSTEK: "You mother_____. I'm coming back tonight. I know where you live. I see you up there. I'm going to kill you."

MOOS: That's when Aaron opted for a more serene way of venting his anger, the honku, inspired by the Japanese haiku. "I hear in New York shortest distance in time is from green light to honk."

Aaron went around the neighborhood posting his honkus and soon other residents were honking back.

NAPARSTEK: Oh, Jesus Chrysler, what's all the damn honking Ford? Please shut the truck up.

MOOS: Now Aaron has published a book of the best honkus, calling it "The Zen Antidote to Road Rage."

(on camera): A haiku consists of three lines, 17 syllables and a five, seven, five, format.

(voice-over): Like the haiku, the honku is supposed to foster serenity through discipline and simplicity. We approached a Lincoln and recited one of Aaron's favorites.

(on camera): "Terrorism is a Lincoln Continental leaning on the horn."

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: No, this is a Town Car.

MOOS (on camera): Oh, a Town Car. OK.

(voice-over): Honking may have inspired the original honkus, but the ones in the book involve anything automotive, from bad manners to Sunday drivers.

NAPARSTEK: Senior citizen, 45, in the left lane, needs a Viagra.

MOOS: Even cup holders runneth over with honkus.

NAPARSTEK: Our new minivan, so many cup holders it needs a dishwasher.

MOOS: But when it comes to honking as protracted as a stretch limo, maybe the pen isn't mightier than the horn.

Jeanne Moos, CNN, New York.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

COSTELLO: Honku.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com