Saying thanks

Seth Brundle

Does anyone here think that most motorists are ungrateful. I find if I let someone pull out in front of me or if I move to let them pass (this applies esp. to motorcyclists) they rarely acknowledge my action.
A simple raising of the hand (or maybe foot in the case of bikers) isn't that hard to do! I always say thanks and expect it back but find that about 70% of the time people don't bother.
Sorry for ranting!
ps I guess this doesn't really apply to moped riders as they just seem to be inconsiderate w****rs who don't give a fupp about your paintwork

_sheep

I dont expect to be thanked by average drivers, its always commercial / professional drivers that will thank you, or in the odd case that a commercial driver is in a normal car youll get thanked

Noticed this couple of years ago when i was doing delivers with bread-van drivers / and various other drivers. Youll neaver get thanked by your average joe motorist because they feel that they drive faster and better than you so you should get our of their way

Sleipnir

fooking taxi-driving scumbags. I hate them with a passion.

echomadman

I find if I let someone pull out in front of me or if I move to let them pass (this applies esp. to motorcyclists) they rarely acknowledge my action

If you've been let off by a car when you're on a bike it usually means you're turning into traffic or turning across oncoming traffic, i usually give a nod or a lift of my fingers, but i'm not going to take my hand off the handle bars or wave my foot around during a turn.

Seth Brundle

the reference to bikers was really when [obviously] i move over to let them pass me rather than them pulling out. Depending on the passing side, some will raise their hand whilst others raise their foot.
However, most just keep on going and don't do anything leaving me wondering why I bothered.
I consider myself a relatively courteous driver and watch out for bikers (a rare action in this country).

rymus

the supposed 70% of bikers that never thank other road users pales in comparison to the almost 100% of women drivers who never bother to acknowledge when something has been done for them. Or drivers of expensive cars like mercs, etc..

Yeehaw, it sure is fun to generalise!

As someone said in another thread, there are dickheads everywhere, no matter what they drive. there are dickheads in trucks, cars, taxis, bikes, whatever.

I'm just glad that as a biker, I'm not included in that 70% as I always thank other drivers unless it's unsafe for me to do so. Being in that 70% is something that would haunt me for the rest of my days...

ChipZilla

Yeah, I find most drivers are ungrateful bastards too. Not to generalise , but two groups stick out - fuxxing taxi drivers and and 'soccer moms' in 4x4s. Van drivers and truckers will thank you usually for letting them out or giving them space...

koneko

Argh, taxi drivers. I drive through the Blanch centre area a fair bit, and they're always trying to get out of the taxi rank onto the road. If I see one of them waiting there I'll always let them in, but 90% of the time never so much as a wave.

edit, removed. don't want to get into the "women are **** drivers" arguement

BUMP!

Actually - I'd find the opposite. I do most of my driving in Limerick and in general i find that if you let someone out or lei them pass they'd normally give a wave or a flash - and generally I'd always try my best to do the same. In saying that though people are getting increasingly frustated while driving as the volume of extremely slow moving traffic who would rather die than pull in has increased (or appears to me to have at least) drastically in the past few years. Especially since the penalty points you find thta those who would normally have tipped 60 would now teeter along at the 45-50 mark and would have no appreciation for the motorist who cannot help but fall asleep at these speeds...

Oh and as for motorbikes - while some would give a wave - I wouldn't take it personally if they dont cos I'd prefer they kept both hands on the bike.... The roads aren't good enough to be taking your hands off I'd imagine. (non-bike rider so probably completely wrong!!!)

seamus

Originally posted by rymus
I'm just glad that as a biker, I'm not included in that 70% as I always thank other drivers unless it's unsafe for me to do so. Being in that 70% is something that would haunt me for the rest of my days...

Indeed. It's very difficult to say thanks to drivers on your right (right hand is holding onto the accelerator) but I make an effort to give a wave whenever it's safe.

What gets me is people overtaking parked traffic. There's loads of it on my estate, and people don't seem to realise that the person who's on the side of the road with the parked car is obliged to give way. Even worse if you're a biker, they just go and you have to squeeze between them and the kerb. If you do let them go, you never get a wave (it's all big cars, foreigners and women on my estate, so no courtesy whatsoever).

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by BUMP!
Oh and as for motorbikes - while some would give a wave - I wouldn't take it personally if they dont cos I'd prefer they kept both hands on the bike.... The roads aren't good enough to be taking your hands off I'd imagine. (non-bike rider so probably completely wrong!!!)

hence the foot being lifted!

tinofapples

Women are deffo the worst .

They very rarely have the manners to allow drivers out in front of them . This of course , is just my own experience .

seamus

Originally posted by kbannon
hence the foot being lifted!

And sacrifice the ability to change gear or brake? I doubt many drivers would recognise the wave of a foot as a thank you. Some would probably interpret it as an insult!

Unlike car drivers, we use all of our appendages to drive the bike, and haven't got the option of driving with one hand or accelerating/braking with one foot (in the case of automatic drivers.

impr0v

Originally posted by Sleipnir
fooking taxi-driving scumbags. I hate them with a passion.

if a taxi driver is edging his way out into traffic i will go out of my way to obstruct his passage, never mind stop and let him out. this comes from years of being expected, or even forced to give way to the ignorant prix (and also watching them drive past while soaked on new years eve).

jayok

On the subject of Taxi drivers....and generalising

Has anyone ever noticed that a taxi car with a passenger onboard (paying a fare) will be quite happy to trundle along at 30mph in a 50mph zone, where as an empty one will be cutting up the lane, and darting traffic. Ahhhhh, must be to pay off all those expensive plate fees!

Just an observation.

Kermitt

i think there's good and bad in everything, i usually flash my hazard lights as a thank you, but i find BMW drivers as the single worst offenders.... i recall twice being thanked by beemer drivers.... in over 100,000 miles of driving!!! It costs nothing, but then again ignorance can be picked up very cheap these days too.
r

dcGT

Originally posted by Sleipnir
fooking taxi-driving scumbags. I hate them with a passion.

Couldn't have put it better myself!

DC.

unkel

I find the majority of male drivers do thanks you and a small minority of women

Main agression on the road boy racers and again women

Can anyone explain this?

ChipZilla

Originally posted by Kermitt
It costs nothing, but then again ignorance can be picked up very cheap these days too.
r

I like it.

dcGT

Originally posted by unkel
I find the majority of male drivers do thanks you and a small minority of women

Yep. I find most women drivers

a) don't let you out

and

b) don't thank you if you let them out.

It's as if they're in their own little world in when in a car. As long as they're getting where they want to go, sod everyone else!

Of course there are exceptions.... once, a female taxi driver let me out!! :eek:

DC.

rymus

Originally posted by seamus
Indeed. It's very difficult to say thanks to drivers on your right (right hand is holding onto the accelerator) but I make an effort to give a wave whenever it's safe.

My friend.. .you simply must get cruise control.. from personal experience I can tell you it's quite divine

ando

I try to always flash the vans indicators when I’m let past some truck of slower driver, women are defiantly the worst, followed closely by big car drivers, like as if to say ‘I have a powerful car, I didn’t need to be let by you, I could of just floored it’

I don’t bother letting women past me anymore

Stephen

I find artic and bus drivers tend to be the most courteous on the road. Since i drive a pretty slow bike (:)) I often find myself going slower on the main roads than huge-****-off trucks so I pull in to the shoulder (if available) and let them by. They always flash their hazards or sound their horns.
The average punto-bodykit-wanker prefers to cut me up. The amount of times some little **** has sped past me in his piece of **** giving only a couple of inches clearance... ARGH

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by ando
women are defiantly the worst, followed closely by big car drivers, like as if to say ‘I have a powerful car, I didn’t need to be let by you, I could of just floored it’

I must be an exception to the rule in my 5 series then if I let people out

mike65

As a commercial driver I can back up just how courteous we are! Women are particuarly bad for some reason, most will bearly acknowledge your existence.

Mike.

rymus

Originally posted by kbannon
I must be an exception to the rule in my 5 series then if I let people out

Well, there are always exceptions.

Women are particuarly bad for some reason, most will bearly acknowledge your existence.

Ahh but shur aint it like that when were not in our cars or on our bikes anyway?

echomadman

on the rare occasion that someone moves in to let me pass on a straight i'll give a quick wave alright. in the car i flash the hazards in situations like that.

when i'm in a car i do find that women drivers rarely let you off, or acknowledge you letting them off either, there are exceptions naturally, but few and far between.

Victor

So how many of you will do the same for a cyclist?

Personally the only thank you I want from another road user is to be not hit by them.

dahamsta

Cork doesn't seem too bad in comparison. I'd say people salute about 60-80% of the time, depending on the weather, traffic, etc. Women drop down on average to 40-60%, which is bad, but not that bad. "Power Women" in jeeps and barges are pure ignorant.

I find Merc drivers slightly ruder than BMW drivers, and that's an observation from before I drove a Beamer meself. And I always salute, flash, etc. Thing I was most surprised about the Beamer is how courteous other people are to me.

I have to say though, when someone doesn't salute me, it drives me spare. I feel like doing damage like, it's pure ignorant.

adam

PBC_1966

THe rural part of Norfolk where I live seems to be pretty courteous compared to many places. It's normal for someone in a long, slow-moving line of traffic to let a car out from a side road, and most drivers acknowledge if you let them go first. The horse-riders in this area just about always acknowledge my slowing right down and giving them a wide berth.

The thing which sticks in my mind about Ireland is not so much lack of acknowledgment but the number of drivers who seem to tailgate.

mike65

Originally posted by dahamsta


I find Merc drivers slightly ruder than BMW drivers

*cough!*

and that's an observation from before I drove a Beamer meself.

adam

Yeah yeah yeah....!

Mike.

BrianD3

There's a lot of stereotyping in this thread and I feel the need to join in

There are two main categories of women drivers who never let you out and don't thank you if you let them out

1) Jittery, up-tight women who grip the steering wheel with all their strength and sit so far forward in the car that their faces are virtually squashed up against the windscreen. These women are fixated on what's happening in the few square metres of road directly in front of their noses and are oblivious to anything happening anywhere else. They are concentrating so hard on the basics of driving that they don't even notice people trying to pull out or merge into traffic. They also don't notice when someone lets them out so they couldn't thank them even if they wanted to.

2) Power women (good description dahamsta) These types seem to think they're on some radical feminist crusade to prove how great they are and how they don't have to thank any man who lets them out because it's their "right" and they "deserve it" As for letting anyone out themselves - not a chance! Every time they are uncourteous or inconsiderate to another (male) driver, they think they're striking a blow for feminism.

Of course, all of this is just IMO

BrianD3

Farls

I find most of the time drivers to be alright, apart from the few lorry drivers and of course women...:rolleyes:

If someone wants to pass me i let them where possible and if someone lets me pass or is courteous i normally give them the wings and get a flash of the lights in return.

Farlz

rymus

Originally posted by BrianD3
2) Power women (good description dahamsta) These types seem to think they're on some radical feminist crusade to prove how great they are and how they don't have to thank any man who lets them out because it's their "right" and they "deserve it" As for letting anyone out themselves - not a chance! Every time they are uncourteous or inconsiderate to another (male) driver, they think they're striking a blow for feminism.

That's just given me an idea for a new t-shirt design, thanks

TommyK

I've found most people in Wexford (where I'm from) are considerate and will thank you if you let them out or whatever.

They also let me out a lot too (which, of course, I thank them for in the appropriate fashion).

The only exception is all you schtoopid Dubs that think you own the place - you f*cking wa**ers!! :mad:

Tommy.

unkel

Originally posted by Farls
If someone wants to pass me i let them where possible and if someone lets me pass or is courteous i normally give them the wings and get a flash of the lights in return.

Farlz

Yes! - Can someone please copy and paste this into the rules of the road? Why does common decency not apply in this country?

That was rhetorical. Most drivers in this country are ignorant, not because they are ignorant by nature, but because they just cannot confidently and competently drive a car. It is not their fault with a system that will allow you to drive a car after sending in the results of an eye test and a €15 payment :rolleyes:

This murderous (literally) system with extremely high death and injury rates needs to be replaced immediately with a system where only fully qualified and thus competent drivers are allowed on the roads

The system in place in Germany seems a good example. It might take 60-80 hours training to get your license and to get to drive and it will be costly, but many lifes would be saved

Think of it - you can only get a second provisional license if you can PROVE you FAILED

Compare that to meeting your bank manager.

You: ok I took out a loan last year

BM: you failed all repayments

You: yes and because I failed all repayments, I think you should give me another loan :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

Originally posted by kbannon
I must be an exception to the rule in my 5 series then if I let people out

And me in the 7 series. Nothing to do with the car

impr0v

Originally posted by unkel
And me in the 7 series. Nothing to do with the car

surely you mean 'bus'?

unkel

Originally posted by impr0v
surely you mean 'bus'?

I'd be lost parking without the PDC alright

Seth Brundle

Originally posted by unkel
I'd be lost parking without the PDC alright

you would be alright if you just learned how to use your car mate!

Eye

might as well get in on the act here and throw my 2 cents in

Myself i drive a bike and my gf/s got a car.

when driving on the bike i'll always salute when safe to do so anyone who pulls in for me to let me off, most common instances of that are with trucks/vans. was quiet surprised really when i started driving some 5-6 years ago how many trucks/van were curtious enough to pull in whenever they could and who would acknowledge my salute to them with a flash of the lights

worst drivers in ireland, in my opinion anyway have got to be taxi drivers, cant stand the feckers, not pulling in when they are crawling at 40-45mph on main roads, doing 50mph then when they going through towns, not curtious on the road and the most annoying is tailgating. i don't mind too much when they try to tail gate me on the bike coz i'll either randomly hit the breaks till the back off or just give it plenty of juice and leave the b*****ds behind.

Vast majority of bikers i find are very curtious wether i'm on the bike myself or if i'm in the car with my gf, coz i drive a bike she's always watching out for bikes and pulls in whenever she can to let them off and they nearly always salute whenever its safe.

anyways think i've ranted enough for now lol, taxi drivers stay the hell out of my way

ando

for all the bad coverage taxi drivers are getting here, I think their ok for 'saying thanks', in Dublin anyway. They always wave at me if i let them into my lane