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It always seems to happen when I am tired after a long journey. In my home village we are pretty civil and pull over to give way to oncoming vehicles. In daylight this is acknowledged by a casual wave of the hand. No problem. BUT, at night some characters acknowledge with a full beam flash of the headlights. This can be almost painful, especially on a wet night. Pass the word around, please.
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A quick flash, yes but a prolonged 'beam' is somewhat painful, I agree.
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Agree - but do prefer the occasional pain compared to all those who don't bother acknowledging at all. It's a real problem daarn 'ere in the south east, and just makes you wonder why you bother sometimes.
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Yes....that is something that really chaps my pink fluffy dice - fellow drivers who blatently fail to acknowledge my courteous \'give ways\' - I just have to bite my tongue.
Horse riders are as bad, if not worse - as I slow and pass with a wide berth, they just amble on looking down on me as if I am a bit of pond-scum. Most are OK and give a wave - but some are downright \'rude\'
/rant over
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Horse riders are as bad, if not worse - as I slow and pass with a wide berth, they just amble on looking down on me as if I am a bit of pond-scum. Most are OK and give a wave - but some are downright \'rude\'
DL,
Reminds me when I was a passenger and we gave a wide berth to these to yooungish girls. They didn't say thank you so the (pompous) driver who was a horse rider jumped out and told them that it gave riders as a whole a bad image. The girls weren't to impressed and told us where to put our pink dice could be put.
Later in town they turned up, went to their father and complained. Father came across and thanked us for telling them off.
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HF,
you should move Oop North. My journey to work is a big strain on my waving hand and headlamps... The only downside is the cobbled streets and avoiding whippets (not joking!)
Actually, I've been in a HiCube transit for the past week and it's amazing how other vans and HGVs give way to you but cars don't anymore.
--
Lee
MINI adventure in progress
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>>HF,
>>you should move Oop North.
Hi Lee,
You're absolutely right. I took a trip oop north recently and was amazed by the general level of courtesy there, not just on the roads but everywhere else as well. And it really doesn't take a lot out of a person just to be polite and friendly, does it?
At the risk of offending my southern brothers and sisters with this sweeping generalisation, it really *is* a friendlier way of life up there.
HF
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At night it's often very hard to tell whether someone is or isn't waving their thanks at you from inside the car. Personally I always look the the left after I've pulled in for someone thus when their (anticipated) thanks comes it doesn't leave me wondering whether or not I should've said "cheese" beforehand. Much rather that than the inconsiderate people who don't bother.
I'm like an elephant though, I never forget when people don't bother to say thanks, *especially* when they have a recognisable car... :)
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random suggestion.
I tend to drop to sidelights for a second then switch back to headlights. It says thanks without the retina melting impact of twin 55w Halogens.
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random suggestion. I tend to drop to sidelights for a second then switch back to headlights. It says thanks without the retina melting impact of twin 55w Halogens.
Totally agree with that No Dosh, my tactic too.
As for Lee getting tired with waving oop north.
Lee you really should spend some time in t'Dales. You'll soon figure out the appropriate acknowledgment.
Hold wheel at ten to two.
Extend and raise right index finger a fraction off the wheel, like a 1/4" max.
Sorted, then you'll really be like one of the locals.
We've got that off to a fine art haven't we DVD?
;-)
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FIF.
1/8th of an inch in north devon.. tight or what!
Regards.
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Sad to admit I am one of those nasty rude people that rarely acknowledges anyone on the road for any reason. Indeed I never make eye contact with oncoming drivers if I can avoid it. I just hate forced politeness and excessive courtesy. These people could be criminals for God\'s sake. I don\'t know them and I don\'t want to be polite to them. This does not mean, however, that I am an unthoughtful driver. I give way more often than not and am always happy to let people out of junctions. By the way, in all my years of driving (much of it during the dark) I have never been blinded by headlights to the extent that my eyes become sore. Perhaps you have unusually sensitive eyes. Perhaps you may like to consider some of the night driving glasses that are on the market?
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I think you should get your eyes checked Hillman, or go easy on the carrots. I have never had any problems with folks flashing a thankyou in any weather. Maybe it is a demographic problem of prolonged flashes?
If people don't thank me, I curse them.
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In darkness I would always tend to acknowledge courtesy with a short switch-on of hazard flashers, but as these would be virtually invisible to an oncoming vehicle I go with the same as NoDosh and flick the headlights off for a moment.
I also switch off headlights when waiting at temporary traffic lights at night - last thing the oncoming vehicles need when they're negotating cones on the wrong side of the road is my headlights shining in their face.... Same applies to the original situation mentioned, i.e. stopping to give way on a narrow road.
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Tiniest little toot on the horn is best. Some will make a little sort of squeak rather than a full blown blast if you just brush the switch rather than lean on it.
Works well when thanking lorries etc who have let you pass - they often can't see a wave, and a flash is obviously useless once you are past.
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In the Philippines a flash of the headlights means I'm coming through get out of my way (bank armored cars, Expeditions full of the Mayor's bodyguards, spotty-faced son of Congressman in BMW who can get you locked up just for looking at him, my car's older than yours so play chicken if you dare, I've got a gun in the glovebox, I've got PMS and it's your fault, I'm an ***hole and I've got a Ph.D in it,).......
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15% of all cars on the road are supposed to have HID by 2006, switching these on and off would not do them any good. (hot restrikes)
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Now it REALLY is time that Growler was given his own column in the Telegraph. Come on HJ put in a good word.
Stu.
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In the Philippines a flash of the headlights means I'm coming
through get out of my way ......
Means exactly the same in Sri Lanka - Get the hell out of the way! / Approach at your peril! Must be a South East Asian thing....
Chad.
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Ruins your night vision.
I too give a flick to sidelights as an acknowledgement, as am sure is preferable to face full of full beam.
Just makes sense to me.
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PDC, having beams flash in your eyes will affect night vision.
The answer is to drive with one eye closed....
seriously though, if someone is approaching full beam down a dark lane, slowing and closing one eye will restore night vision v. quickly. Probably best when on foot but can be used when driving...
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>>These people could be criminals for God\'s sake.<<
Please tell me you\'re joking.
Please?
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>>These people could be criminals for God\'s sake.<<
It\'s just courtesty, they\'ve done you a favour, no matter what they may (or very probably may not) do in their lives in general.
As some other people here have mentioned, i regularly curse to myself when people don\'t show any recognition of your actions - a nod, wave, flash of lights - anything will do.
I find that the easiest way to thank someone who is behind you eg. someone who has let you out of a slip road to join a motorway, and especially to HGV\'s who can\'t see a wave, is to end your maneuovre with alternate flashes of your indicators - that is, if changing lanes to the right anyway, you do that then flick to left indicate for one flash, then right again.
Many lorries use this system to thank each other and it would be nice to see car drivers pick up on this too.
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The ones that irritate me are the ones who barge past a line of parked cars on their side of the road, forcing me to stop even though I should have priority. They then give a little wave to thank me!!
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you live in a posh area, the ones by me wave a middle finger, whatever that means?
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I'm going to be the odd one out, here.
I'll gladly give a wave as a 'thank you', even nod of the head & mouth 'thanks'.But flashing headlights, sorry, no.Like sounding your horn, can easily be mistaken by someone to mean any number of things.
Aren't the signals meant to alert another road user, to your presence, anyway?
The only exception is if I'm passed by an HGV, I do, however, flash them as a signal that they may pull in.
VB
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Like soundingyour horn, can easily be mistaken by someone to mean any number of things.
I agree Vansboy. I didn't mean 'sounding the horn'. I meant giving it the meerest touch so that it gives a kind of muted squeak. Not all cars will do that - in some you get the full air-horn blast or nothing.
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You need the sort of horns fitted to decent cars in the 50's and 60's. They had town and country settings for the horns, a gentle poop in town, a full-blown paaarp in the country. It was quaint, back then.
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I tend to give a flash of the hazard lights, many buses round here use that system. Obviously for other cars I just wave, but lorries, buses etc. all get a flash on the hazards if they\'ve been nice.
Blue
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