Common courtesy on the road

bear1

Does it rightly piss anyone else off when you make room for someone who wants to join your lane, or you let someone out of a junction or in general show niceness to other drivers who in turn then don't bother their holes in saying thanks.
No flip of the hand, no on off of the emergency lights, no left right indicator movement.
Nothing.
Can't ****ing stand it.
Rant over.

Voodoomelon

Lots of generalisations are made on this forum, plenty are downright sexist, but in my personal opinion, women are absolutely, 100% the biggest offenders here. A huge amount don't give two hoots when someone does them a favour. I even witnessed my own mother sail out after someone let her out without even so much as a nod.

And to add insult to injury, i've witnessed sooo many times the complete exaggerated opposite, if they happen to grace you with permission to move out infront of them, they signal you to do so whilst waving their hands frantically in a "will you ever hurry up motion" with a scowl on their faces. Hateful.

Men obviously do the same (the not acknowledging thing), but the fairer sex are way, way worse in my experience. Maybe its a "you should be letting me out" attitude, like holding a door open or something I don't know, but it's pure rude.

evolving_doors

bear1 wrote: »

Does it rightly piss anyone else off when you make room for someone who wants to join your lane, or you let someone out of a junction or in general show niceness to other drivers who in turn then don't bother their holes in saying thanks.
No flip of the hand, no on off of the emergency lights, no left right indicator movement.
Nothing.
Can't ****ing stand it.
Rant over.

Jayysus life's to short to be expecting a marcel marceau show of gratitude.
I just let em out and get on with it. Same time id give a quick salute or 1 second hazzards.

Courtesy driving for the sake of it wrecks my head though. Look in yer rear view people, if there's a gap behind then let folk take their chances after you, some folk nearly slam on the breaks just to let someone out.

pudzey101

i like drivers that flash me for speedvans/checkpoints , them lads are sound . the rest can fcuk off .

bear1

evolving_doors wrote: »

Jayysus life's to short to be expecting a marcel marceau show of gratitude.
I just let em out and get on with it. Same time id give a quick salute or 1 second hazzards.

Courtesy driving for the sake of it wrecks my head though. Look in yer rear view people, if there's a gap behind then let folk take their chances after you, some folk nearly slam on the breaks just to let someone out.

It costs nothing to show a simple sign of gratitude.
It isn't for the sake of it tbh, if you're in say slow moving traffic and someone is waiting to join and you let them then any sort of gratitude is surely Ok?
Like holding the door open for someone and they sail on by without a hint of a thanks. Tis annoying.
Each to their own though.

DaveyDave

I'll flash the hazards even if I'm not sure they weren't letting me slip in, just to be polite. It's nice to get a flash of the high beams in response. It's a nice feeling when there's a shared courtesy. I do my best to let people in even if traffic isn't too heavy I'll leave space for merging traffic. There's times where I clearly let someone in and they didn't thank me, to which they always get "Ah f**k you anyway".

If there's parked cars on both sides with no clear gap I'll let people go. I also appreciate if I'm coming off a slip into traffic and someone lets me out even though they have a light sequence and I'll get out eventually.

In saying that though for all the people I let in there's an idiot somewhere else down the road on a different day trying to merge 20 below the speed limit who doesn't understand right of way and just moves over and cuts me off...

Dravokivich

I don't want them to flash or signal gratitude to me. I always try to leave room to make sure people can move about when they need to, or feel the need to throw themselves about. The less I'm in someone else's way the better. If you wanna call that courtesy knock yourself out :pac:

CiniO

bear1 wrote: »

Does it rightly piss anyone else off when you make room for someone who wants to join your lane, or you let someone out of a junction or in general show niceness to other drivers who in turn then don't bother their holes in saying thanks.
No flip of the hand, no on off of the emergency lights, no left right indicator movement.
Nothing.
Can't ****ing stand it.
Rant over.

Not at all.
I never really expect anyone saying thanks. Other drivers letting me in or allowing to change lane is enough thanks.
I often also don't thank myself as I'm too busy focusing on the road (I drive fast so have to really focus).

Remember also publicity a while ago, saying not to use your hazard lights to thank someone, as they might be misunderstood to emergency braking or other danger.

Isambard

the ones I won't thank are those that hold you up for ages and then move over as you start to pass them on the first clear straight.

Lets face it, many drivers are so incompetent they aren't capable of noticing you've done them a turn, they just grip that wheel with their nose almost on the screen and look straight ahead.Scary

OldMrBrennan83

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Caliden

DaveyDave wrote: »

I'll flash the hazards even if I'm not sure they weren't letting me slip in, just to be polite. It's nice to get a flash of the high beams in response. It's a nice feeling when there's a shared courtesy. I do my best to let people in even if traffic isn't too heavy I'll leave space for merging traffic. There's times where I clearly let someone in and they didn't thank me, to which they always get "Ah f**k you anyway".

I still flash the hazards when someone leaves a gap in a zipper merge.

Positive reinforcement so they keep doing it in the future.

bear1

Patww79 wrote: »

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Most of the times traffic is moving at a speed that I can't let people out, it's more when traffic is moving very slowly and there is someone wanting to move in that i stop and let them.
I wouldn't exactly go around looking for thanks...

fancy pigeon

I don't really expect much, except the unexpected.

Pre dash cam days I let this fellow out from a side road in traffic, he put the boot down too much and ended up on the wrong side of the road. Fortunate he didn't hit the car in front/there was no one coming

Alanstrainor

I remember my granny would be militant about giving a salute if someone let her out. Almost ridiculously so, and she'd go mad if she didn't get one in return if she let someone out!

I think it is a good thing to give a wave if someone lets you out of whatever, and I'll always try to. But at the same time you can't get too hung up on others responses, who knows what's going on in their lives, maybe they're just focusing on something else.

RacoonQueen

What annoys me is when you've let one person out and you're moving forward to continue on again after being courteous enough to let someone out and the sh*thead behind them bullets out behind them out leaving you then looking like the ass who forced this behaviour/blocking a junction.

btkm8unsl0w5r4

I agree people shoudl let people out in start stop traffic, but it drives me bonkers when people let me out for no reason. They just stop suddenly when they have right of way and command me to move. Stop driving for me and act in a predictable way please. Also people letting me across traffic and not considering their inside or outside lane might have traffic in it that is not letting me across, they flash and get all cross that I am not obeying them.

Gregor Samsa

I once had someone stop dead on a clear motorway to let me out, even though I was perfectly capable of merging in behind them. :eek: I roared at them to move, as there was traffic belting down towards them, but they sat there waving their hand, so I just had to go to get them out of danger.

I didn't thank them.

Isambard

Lorelai Ugly Visitor wrote: »

I agree people shoudl let people out in start stop traffic, but it drives me bonkers when people let me out for no reason. They just stop suddenly when they have right of way and command me to move. Stop driving for me and act in a predictable way please. Also people letting me across traffic and not considering their inside or outside lane might have traffic in it that is not letting me across, they flash and get all cross that I am not obeying them.

you have to watch for the ones who wave you out when it isn't safe!

Sam Quentin

Voodoomelon wrote: »

Lots of generalisations are made on this forum, plenty are downright sexist, but in my personal opinion, women are absolutely, 100% the biggest offenders here. A huge amount don't give two hoots when someone does them a favour. I even witnessed my own mother sail out after someone let her out without even so much as a nod.



And to add insult to injury, i've witnessed sooo many times the complete exaggerated opposite, if they happen to grace you with permission to move out infront of them, they signal you to do so whilst waving their hands frantically in a "will you ever hurry up motion" with a scowl on their faces. Hateful.

Men obviously do the same (the not acknowledging thing), but the fairer sex are way, way worse in my experience. Maybe its a "you should be letting me out" attitude, like holding a door open or something I don't know, but it's pure rude.

At least you knew she wanted you to go, some women half heartily will let you go but you'd need to be a mind reader!? Unless you get binoculars and zoom into the steering wheel and you'll see this little wee girls finger on top of the steering wheel flicking slowly in the direction she letting you go to lmao...
Flash your lights girls give us a nice directional wave, GO ON GO ON YOU CAN DO IT :P

Grateful Dread

When someone lets me out I actually stop, get out of the car and run over and kiss their driver's side window. It's much harder to do on the motorway so I usually just wave in that case.

Stallingrad

Courtesy is a rare thing. Few things make me happier than the drivers thumbs up out the window when you let a bus pull out of the bus stop.

kerten

My mindset on this topic is if you need something in return, don't do it. That said I am aware of the people expecting gestures when they let you in, etc so I flash emergency lights to thank to blend in. I can't bring myself to flashing headlights to thank to the driver thanking me though.

Comhrá

I find courtesy shown often creates a feel-good factor.

When a driver allows me out of a side road when the traffic is stop-start, I find I'm more inclined to do similar for another driver soon after. It's always nice to give others a break as long as it doesn't cause unnecessary delay or annoyance for other drivers behind. Helps spread the good vibe around.

Sam Quentin

Comhra wrote: »

I find courtesy shown often creates a feel-good factor.

When a driver allows me out of a side road when the traffic is stop-start, I find I'm more inclined to do similar for another driver soon after. It's always nice to give others a break as long as it doesn't cause unnecessary delay or annoyance for other drivers behind. Helps spread the good vibe around.

IN A NUTSHELL
Hence making our roads safer....

Rubberchikken

I always acknowledge if im left out etc.
Dont waste any time on someone who doesnt thank me. Not worth the effort.

On the other hand cant abide the idiots who flash a warning about speed vans/ Gardai. Im driving at tje legal limit usually just below it so speed vans dont concern me. But the knobs who break the speed limits should be left tto be caught.

07Lapierre

Lorelai Ugly Visitor wrote: »

I agree people shoudl let people out in start stop traffic, but it drives me bonkers when people let me out for no reason. They just stop suddenly when they have right of way and command me to move. Stop driving for me and act in a predictable way please. Also people letting me across traffic and not considering their inside or outside lane might have traffic in it that is not letting me across, they flash and get all cross that I am not obeying them.

I get that a lot when cycling. They think there’re helping but in reality they just make it harder for me to cross the junction.

Guy:Incognito

Letting someone out from a turn, yes, there should be a wave. Changing lanes on a motorway, no. People should be driving with enough of a gap that someone can change lanes (from their own safety pov if the car in front has to brake). Driving on the m50 you'd swear there were trains going up and down it the cars are all that close to each other.

People seem oblivious that if everyone drove with a proper gap on the main line as well as people trying to join the motorway doing the same there'd be no need for anyone to slow down to create gaps to let people on, it'd work just like a zip.



Oh, and ffs, if you're the last car in a line of cars passing someone waiting to pull out, don't stop to let them. It takes longer for them to realise what you're at and perform the maneuver than if you'd maintained your speed and let them pull out after you. If I'm waiting to pull out and there's a line of cars, by the time it's coming to the end of that line I'm looking beyond the last car to make sure the coast is clear after them, not looking at the last car to see what they might be at.

doolox

I once stopped to let a car out on a multi lane road and another car sped by on the other lane and nearly hit the car joining the road. Multi lane roads are too complex for letting people out etc. Just let everyone do their own driving and its safer.

tcawley29

doolox wrote: »

I once stopped to let a car out on a multi lane road and another car sped by on the other lane and nearly hit the car joining the road. Multi lane roads are too complex for letting people out etc. Just let everyone do their own driving and its safer.

Surely this is a joke

Lord Nikon

Rubberchikken wrote: »

I always acknowledge if im left out etc.
Dont waste any time on someone who doesnt thank me. Not worth the effort.

On the other hand cant abide the idiots who flash a warning about speed vans/ Gardai. Im driving at tje legal limit usually just below it so speed vans dont concern me. But the knobs who break the speed limits should be left tto be caught.

While it's all well and good to know most of the speed limits in your local area, or on your daily commute, for some they won't know the limit(or in Ireland where the limit sign is so far back you can't remember). People tend to slow down a bit if flashed anyway, and this is a good thing.

Honestly, I don't like the idea of catching people speeding, because it's a revenue generator, and safety isn't always the main reason for speed cameras. Checkpoints on the other hand are different, and if your insurance/tax/nct is out or you've been drinking, you have no excuse, and I hope you get caught.

OldMrBrennan83

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Lord Nikon

Patww79 wrote: »

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I've pulled out of bog roads with a 80km/h limit, onto a regional road with no speed limit sign, should I assume it's 80 or lower/higher. If the limit isn't signposted how can you be sure of the limit, and blame the motorist for not knowing?

Gaia Mother Earth

I hate when cars pull out of side roads, bulldozing their way onto the road as if they're on a mission and then drive as slow as hell. What was the rush to get onto the main road if you were just going to drive slower than me. Drives me mad!

Lord Nikon

When it comes to courtesy on the roads, anyone who is on a motorway doing half the limit, needs to be given the finger.

ytpe2r5bxkn0c1

Lord Nikon wrote: »

I've pulled out of bog roads with a 80km/h limit, onto a regional road with no speed limit sign, should I assume it's 80 or lower/higher. If the limit isn't signposted how can you be sure of the limit, and blame the motorist for not knowing?

If you pulled out of a road that's 80 and there is no speed sign then the limit is still 80. Pretty basic.

Lord Nikon

Christian Panicky Spacesuit wrote: »

If you pulled out of a road that's 80 and there is no speed sign then the limit is still 80. Pretty basic.

You would like to accept that, but that's not always the case.

CrankyHaus

Lord Nikon wrote: »

You would like to accept that, but that's not always the case.

Local and Regional roads are 80 km/h unless otherwise stated or in a built up area.

A built up area (buildings close together, footpaths, public lighting) is 50 km/h unless otherwise stated.

Special Limits like 60 km/h or 30 km/h are generally very well signposted.

National Roads are 100 km/h unless otherwise stated.
Motorways are 120 km/h unless otherwise stated.

The type of road you are on is denoted by the sign colour (blue for motorway etc) and road number prefix (N for national and so on).

It's a simple system that works well.
Generally it's not hard to tell the speed limit

dudara

Lorelai Ugly Visitor wrote: »

I agree people shoudl let people out in start stop traffic, but it drives me bonkers when people let me out for no reason. They just stop suddenly when they have right of way and command me to move. Stop driving for me and act in a predictable way please. Also people letting me across traffic and not considering their inside or outside lane might have traffic in it that is not letting me across, they flash and get all cross that I am not obeying them.

For me this is a better point than the OP. I couldn’t give two hoots if someone thanks me or not. I’d rather they drove on safely rather than wobbling the car around the road while trying to hit the hazards.

But drivers who make stupid decisions in their efforts to help you, who go out of their way to help you, that can be annoying. Often they’ve made a poor decision, they’ve dragged you into their mess, and are sitting there waiting for you, and probably expecting a big thank you too.

Lord Nikon

As I've already stated, correct sign postage for speed limits doesn’t always happen. While it’s nice to state it, that’s perfect world scenario, and we don’t live in a perfect world. While not being able to remember what the previous speed limit sign is, there are other variables to take into account while driving, and watching for speed signs is not number one.

The fact we are all in hear having a chat about it, we have maybe a general interest in motoring/motoring interests, but there are people who drive to get from A to B and nothing more. No interest in cars, other than it has a nice colour and the motor tax is cheap. The fact that some people are completely oblivious to other road users/conditions by not keeping with the flow of traffic, lack of lighting, etc would they be aware of speed limit signs moreso than users with more road awareness?Maybe, maybe not, but I doubt it.

Case in point, if an oncoming car starts flashing me I wonder two things, is there is speedvan or do I have my lights on… Don’t know how many drivers I’ve flashed at because they had no lights on(at night time), and after looking in my mirror they continue on down the road with no lights on. Would they be aware of a speed sign quicker than the next person with lights on and not been flashed by another driver?

begbysback

I have no problem giving a thanks, unless I see someone has unnecessarily held up traffic to let me out. And this happens to me frequently as I have to reverse out of my driveway on to a main road - a lot of times someone sees that I am out of my driveways and ready to join the road - they stop in the middle of a main road with zero traffic ahead and many cars behind, when I join the road they sometimes flash because I haven't given a thanks.

No one will ever get a Thanks off me for this as they should not have stopped dangerously in the first place - I will not encourage such bad driving - and they have most likely stopped not out of virtue, but out of fear of crashing.

evolving_doors

begbysback wrote: »

I have no problem giving a thanks, unless I see someone has unnecessarily held up traffic to let me out. And this happens to me frequently as I have to reverse out of my driveway on to a main road - a lot of times someone sees that I am out of my driveways and ready to join the road - they stop in the middle of a main road with zero traffic ahead and many cars behind, when I join the road they sometimes flash because I haven't given a thanks.

No one will ever get a Thanks off me for this as they should not have stopped dangerously in the first place - I will not encourage such bad driving - and they have most likely stopped not out of virtue, but out of fear of crashing.

Would you not reverse into the driveway when you come back?

Dravokivich

begbysback wrote: »

I have no problem giving a thanks, unless I see someone has unnecessarily held up traffic to let me out. And this happens to me frequently as I have to reverse out of my driveway on to a main road - a lot of times someone sees that I am out of my driveways and ready to join the road - they stop in the middle of a main road with zero traffic ahead and many cars behind, when I join the road they sometimes flash because I haven't given a thanks.

No one will ever get a Thanks off me for this as they should not have stopped dangerously in the first place - I will not encourage such bad driving - and they have most likely stopped not out of virtue, but out of fear of crashing.

You aren't supposed to reverse onto a main road... someone stopping and flashing after isn't likely to be because you didn't express thanks.

One of my hates on the road:

People at lights who stop 3-4 car lengths from the car before them

OldMrBrennan83

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m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Lord Nikon wrote: »

You would like to accept that, but that's not always the case.

Actually, it's pretty much always the case.

Patww79 wrote: »

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Traffic wise, 3-4 lengths is far worse than 3-4 inches.

begbysback

evolving_doors wrote: »

Would you not reverse into the driveway when you come back?

Nah, not necessary - have a perfect view

begbysback

Dravokivich wrote: »

You aren't supposed to reverse onto a main road... someone stopping and flashing after isn't likely to be because you didn't express thanks.

Oh it is, make no mistake - I don't even be on the road when they stop, and have even got to the point where I don't have it in reverse when waiting for a moment to enter the road.

OldMrBrennan83

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RacoonQueen

begbysback wrote: »

Nah, not necessary - have a perfect view

Doubt it. Reversing onto a main road is very lazy and selfish, not to mention dangerous. Can never understand why anyone reverses out of their driveway.
Apart from anything it's always far easier to reverse in and drive out (plenty of driveways even have space to drive in, turn around and drive back out)

m5ex9oqjawdg2i

Patww79 wrote: »

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Towbars man, tow-bars

OldMrBrennan83

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