Good evening one and all.
This is a bit of a confusing one, and I'm not sure if I'll explain it properly but I'll give it a whirl.
I'm a bus driver and I've noticed a lot of car drivers recently letting me back into the traffic by indicating right. Now don't get me wrong, I really appreciate courtesy from other drivers when I'm at work (and, for that matter when I'm not!) but I find this method of letting me out very confusing. To me, it just seems that the driver behind is simply letting me know that he is about to pass me so I stay where I am. The driver then takes the hump as I've not taken advantage of their courtesy!
I think this came about because if us bus drivers are letting a vehicle into the line of traffic then we tend to stick on our offside indicators but this is merely to let the person behind, who probably can't see round the bus, that we're not parked up and will probably be moving again very shortly.
So, please, if you are going to let a bus out of a stop (and please continue to do so - we love it!) then rely on the traditional headlamp flash, or even gesture (politely!).
There - hope I haven't confused too many people. Thanks for reading my waffle, and here's to continued harmony on the roads. Yeh, right... !!!
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I am afraid that I can't imagine why anybody would think that signalling a right turn could or would mean anything to somebody ahead of them. Surely turn indicators are used to signal turns and not much else? I must admit that when I am driving on a dual carriageway or M way and I am in a position to overtake, but there is someone belting up the outside lane behind me, I give a couple of flashes of my left indicator to show that I do not intend to pull out, with or without signalling.
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I am afraid that I can't imagine why anybody would think that signalling a right turn could or would mean anything to somebody ahead of them. Surely turn indicators are used to signal turns and not much else?
Well, that's what I thought until drivers round here started copying us bus drivers. Funny old world, innit?
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I am afraid that I can't imagine why anybody would think that signalling a right turn could or would mean anything to somebody ahead of them. Surely turn indicators are used to signal turns and not much else?
I was amazed to learn that a right signal in India is generally taken as an invitation for the vehicle behind to overtake you. The mind boggles...
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A few 'blinks' of the nearside indicator is sometimes a signal to a car behind to overtake but not an official one I hastened to add. This method of indication is both confusing and potentially dangerous. What part of the country is this being used?
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Ooh 'eck, I might be about to expose myself (steady ladies!) as a hypocrite here. A few years ago I was driving along the A9 just south of Inverness behind a coach. The coach driver saw me behind him and was well aware that I couldn't see around him so he did just what carmen said and indicated left for a few flashes to tell me that the way ahead was clear for me to overtake. Now I do the same. But only when I'm driving a bus. If you can't see around a car to tell if it's safe to overtake, then you need your bumps feeling.
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A few 'blinks' of the nearside indicator is sometimes a signal to a car behind to overtake but not an official one I hastened to add. This method of indication is both confusing and potentially dangerous. What part of the country is this being used?
Everywhere! It's not the nearside indicator either, but the offside. Same in Pakistan too. Indicate left at a junction (to turn left) and don't be surprised to find someone undertake you on the left. Indicators really don't mean the same thing over there as they do here, i.e. indicating a turn.
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I sometimes use the nearside indicator to show that I'm staying put and also when I'd like someone who clearly wants to get past in a hurry do so, perhaps combined with slowing down and moving over to the left as far as possible. It reduces doubt for both drivers and generally gets a thank you.
I also sometimes use offside indicators in the outside lane as a more polite way to say "move over". If that doesn't work then they get flashed.
I think letting soneone out with offside indicators is bizarre and I've never seen it.
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Bizare and dangerous IMHO.
As for buses signaling right when they are pulled in, and not ready to pull out - well. It explains why I've noticeable stopped, given two little flashs of the headlight, yet the bus has not pulled out. Thankfully not that common a practice round here.
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Bizare and dangerous IMHO.
I agree. Lets just leave the indicators for the original purpose eh, like signaling a turn!
BTW, I've never seen that up here, either by buses or cars.
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