If you've ever driven through the Mt Vic Tunnel in Wellington and heard a wave of toots bouncing off the walls, you're not imagining things - it’s a full-blown local tradition.
But for many Kiwis, tourists and even some locals, there’s still some confusion over why people are doing it in the first place.
Justin from the popular Facebook page Wellington Alive shared the haunting history behind the tradition.
He explained the tunnel was opened in 1931 to better connect the central city with the outer suburbs. At just over 620 meters long, it was constructed using manual labour in the thick of the Great Depression.
So why do locals honk their horns every time they travel through it?!
There’s a common belief that dates back to a murder in 1931. A then 17-year-old Phyllis Symons’ body was found beneath 2,000 tons of soil on the construction site of the Mt Vic Tunnel.
It’s reported she was pregnant at the time, and her partner, 30-year-old George Coates, was convicted and later hanged for Symons’ death.
Coates' hanging took place at Mt Crawford Prison before he was buried at Karori Cemetery.
Our resident Wellingtonian Jacob Hawkins says that it wasn’t until later in life that he learned locals would too their horns to acknowledge Symons’, or (if you’re superstitious) ward off the ghost of her.
“As soon as I could drive, I was tooting in that tunnel,” Hawkins says.
“My parents always did it, and so did my friends. At first, I thought it was just a quirky thing Wellingtonians did for fun, because why not? But down the line, I did find out the real meaning behind the toots and how it was to keep away the spirits of Symons.”
“Now it's even more of an incentive to honk, because I don't want any ghosts clinging on to my car.”
Hawkins did say that there was an attempt by the city's Council to prevent the hoots and honks of vehicles passing through the tunnel.
Back in early 2019, Wellington City councillor Chris Calvi-Freeman asked the NZTA to place signs at either end of the tunnel to prevent people from sounding off with their cars horns.
In all fairness, he was thinking of the ears of the pedestrians who also use the tunnel, but the locals weren’t having it. At the time, many dedicated tooters said their piece on the infamous page Vic Deals Facebook page.
“Only someone who is uneducated and doesn't understand the significance would make a move like this,” said one commenter.
Another added: “This has been a tradition for Welly. If you don't like it, well thennnnnnnn don't walk through it lol. Regardless of the outcome, nobody will stop tooting 😂.”
“If that sign goes up, I am certain people who have never tooted before will honk,” a third wrote.
And til this very day, the honking is still a must for many.
So, next time you’re heading through the Mt Vic Tunnel, if you hear a toot, you know it’s not just for traffic, it’s a huge part of the tradition and history of Wellington - not to mention a tribute to the dearly departed.
