Flashing your lights to encourage someone to move over
Discussion
Have you ever / do you do this?
On a recent trip to Italy, crusing down the Autostrade in a Lancia Thesis and everybody is flashing to get lesser Puntos etc out of the way. It seems to work reasonably well and nobody ever kicks up a fuss which makes me wonder why it's so rage inducing for people over here.
FWIW, I do not do this in the UK.
On a recent trip to Italy, crusing down the Autostrade in a Lancia Thesis and everybody is flashing to get lesser Puntos etc out of the way. It seems to work reasonably well and nobody ever kicks up a fuss which makes me wonder why it's so rage inducing for people over here.
FWIW, I do not do this in the UK.
vtecyo said:
makes me wonder why it's so rage inducing for people over here.
Because people here are by and large, a
holes when behind the wheel. Normally I'll just pass on the left if I can, getting behind them and flashing usually ends up with said ahole stamping on the brakes, well it has done the last few times I've tried it.Different countries seem to have massively different attitudes to driving. I was in the middle east a while back and there's constant flashing, hooting and people cutting across and barging in on roundabouts and junctions, yet nobody gets worked up about it. In the UK half the people would have been rammed off the road and stabbed in the first mile! They generally all seemed a lot more considerate of other people, UK drivers seem to be a slot more selfish (or possibly oblivious).
I don't think a quite flick of the lights ONCE or TWICE is unreasonable. Much better than getting on the horn anyway!
I could understand if you were cruising behind someone and constantly flashing them. Often see people doing it when the person they're trying to get past has no where to go anyway, they need to back off and chillax a little!
I could understand if you were cruising behind someone and constantly flashing them. Often see people doing it when the person they're trying to get past has no where to go anyway, they need to back off and chillax a little!
Used to do it, when people were not moving over in blatent oppertunities to do so. Will give a very brief flash if I think someone is just day dreaming.
However nowadays I will often just pop around them. Bad driving, impatient and all that, but nothing else other than sitting for miles behind them is an option.
However nowadays I will often just pop around them. Bad driving, impatient and all that, but nothing else other than sitting for miles behind them is an option.
vtecyo said:
Have you ever / do you do this?
On a recent trip to Italy, crusing down the Autostrade in a Lancia Thesis and everybody is flashing to get lesser Puntos etc out of the way. It seems to work reasonably well and nobody ever kicks up a fuss which makes me wonder why it's so rage inducing for people over here.
FWIW, I do not do this in the UK.
I used to do it all the time. It was the equivalent of a polite "excuse me". Once the person in question had registered (albeit often after a very long time) they'd usually just move over.On a recent trip to Italy, crusing down the Autostrade in a Lancia Thesis and everybody is flashing to get lesser Puntos etc out of the way. It seems to work reasonably well and nobody ever kicks up a fuss which makes me wonder why it's so rage inducing for people over here.
FWIW, I do not do this in the UK.
Now they go mental, show the finger, stamp on the brakes etc etc.
I have absolutely no idea what's going on between their ears to make them so outraged at such a simple and reasonable request.
vtecyo said:
On a recent trip to Italy, crusing down the Autostrade in a Lancia Thesis and everybody is flashing to get lesser Puntos etc out of the way.
When we were in Rome a few years back, every single Thesis we saw was being driven by somebody in uniform... This might be why they get the hell out the way.New POD said:
ah Italy. Ah the autostrada. Where I've seen drivers overtaking police cars which have lights and sirens on.
Yes they are quite mad.
Agreed. I was following traffic on my bike at slightly above the speed limit in a the outside lane of a tunnel when some numpty in a 4x4 tried to squeeze between me and the tunnel all. No idea where he though he was going to go if he got past me as there was a van in front of me.Yes they are quite mad.
It's one of those cultural things, like queuing and holding doors open that just varies from place to place. Doesn't take long to get in the swing of things.
As a rule I find it most effective to flash when I'm approaching rather than when I'm 3 feet behind the car that's in the way - much less aggressive and by the time you're close behind them you've lost your momentum anyway.
As a rule I find it most effective to flash when I'm approaching rather than when I'm 3 feet behind the car that's in the way - much less aggressive and by the time you're close behind them you've lost your momentum anyway.
RizzoTheRat said:
I was in the middle east a while back and there's constant flashing, hooting and people cutting across and barging in on roundabouts and junctions.... They generally all seemed a lot more considerate of other people, UK drivers seem to be a slot more selfish (or possibly oblivious).
How do you work that out? Barging in at roundabouts and beeping your horn doesn't strike me as considerate. Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff