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AIBU?

To think that other drivers who don't acknowledge you when you let them pass or out of junctions are just rude, ignorant twats?

128 replies

NeonMuffin · 17/02/2014 10:58

I was always taught by my driving instructor that when out driving if someone lets you pass or let's you out of a junction when they don't have to then its common courtesy to wave, smile, nod your head or if dark flash your lights to thank them.

I've always done this and to be fair most drivers do acknowledge you when you let them pass. So it really pisses me off when they don't. Just now I was driving into my street, it's a tight corner with cars parked either side and as I turned in another car was driving towards me driven by an older looking lady. Obviously due to cars being parked there was no where for her to pull into and it was quite obvious that she had no intention of reversing to allow me to drive onto the street despite it being my right of way. So to avoid a stalemate I reversed back onto the main road, something which is obviously quite dangerous and possibly illegal. She then drove on and completely blanked me, no smile, so wave no nod, nothing.

I didn't have to reverse to allow her to come through, it was my right of way after all. I could have been really awkward and refused to budge making her reverse back down the street but I didn't. An acknowledgment would have been nice, to me it's the driving equivalent of not saying please or thank you in a shop or when someone holds a door open for you.

Why are some people such rude, ignorant cunts? It really, really pisses me off for some reason?

OP posts:

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OberonTheHopeful · 17/02/2014 11:00

YANBU, I think it's very impolite.

AlpacaLypse · 17/02/2014 11:00

yanbu.

I do sometimes use a certain hand signal on people who've failed to acknowledge my courtesy...

SooticaTheWitchesCat · 17/02/2014 11:02

YANBU, it is just ignorant to to acknowledge you. Some people are just plain rude.

NeonMuffin · 17/02/2014 11:11

I think because she was older I assumed she'd be more polite for some reason. Obviously I was wrong.

OP posts:

isthisactuallyfair · 17/02/2014 11:12

This pisses me off too! Yesterday as I was mid reverse out of my driveway I stopped to let a car pass, no acknowledgement from other driver, nothing. I could have continued reversing which would have meant they would have had to reverse up the road to let me pass (cars on either side of road)

What really really winds me up though is when other drivers see you coming but refuse to pull over into a free space and keep driving towards you when they can see you have nowhere else to go. Happened to me today. I had a van behind me, nowhere to pull over and yet a car kept coming towards me when it could have pulled over to let me pass. As it didn't we were both stuck. No way in hell was I reversing back up the road. Was quite satisfying to see other car reverse back to the free spot it has insisted on not using previously!

lljkk · 17/02/2014 11:13

yabvu. That really is a petty resentment. Do you enjoy it?

honeybuffe · 17/02/2014 11:13

I always roll down my window and shout "your welcome" very loudly.

HadABadDay2014 · 17/02/2014 11:14

I hate it when people flash there lights in the dark, my eyes go funny after.

I never let any one out of a junction now after the flash for cash con.

NaffOrf · 17/02/2014 11:14

I'm a bit ambivalent about this. Yes, it would be nice if we all waved and smiled and gave a big thumbs up, but it doesn't annoy me if people just concentrate on their driving instead. And I disagree with flashing your lights to thank someone, by day or night - you could dazzle or confuse other drivers by flashing your lights unnecessarily.

DarrenFox · 17/02/2014 11:15

I don't thank people by flashing my lights when it's dark. I do thank them with a smile and a wave when it's daylight.

It really fucks me off, when I've let someone through, to be temporarily blinded for my trouble. So I don't do it to anyone else.

However I don't lose sleep over it.

isthisactuallyfair · 17/02/2014 11:15

lljk no I don't think the OP did enjoy having to go out of her way to reverse back down a street and then onto a main road and then have an inconsiderate driver not even bother to thank her.

lizzzyyliveson · 17/02/2014 11:15

I would prefer that drivers kept their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road, especially if it's a tight corner.

MelanieCheeks · 17/02/2014 11:17

I think you are BU, actually.

And I'm surprised at your diriving instructor. There is no requirement to give an acknowledgement at all, and indeed flashing lights can be dangerous - what does it mean? Is the driver trying to warn me about something? Is that an angry flash? Too many possibles.

Plus - when I'm manoevering down a very narrow road past parked cars, I'm going to keep both hands on the steering wheel and my eyes on the road thank you, rather than have to fuss around with lights/ emergency indicators/ nodding/ waving etc.

By all means show courtesy to other road users - but demanding a "thank you" is unnecessary.

HadABadDay2014 · 17/02/2014 11:19

My driving instructor told me not to flash other people out of junctions or give way if it's your right of way, because it confuses the other driver.

ThePinkOcelot · 17/02/2014 11:21

YANBU. Manners cost nothing. It always makes me wonder if these ignorant people would just barge through a door someone was holding for them! Probably, entitled fuckers!

MrsOakenshield · 17/02/2014 11:21

I always do it, except when there was no need for the other driver to stop and let me through - I'm not thanking someone for the fact that they clearly can't judge the width of their own car and are causing other cars to back up behind them unnecessarily.

NeonMuffin · 17/02/2014 11:26

My instructor told me that it's common courtesy, not that you had to do it. Would you not thank someone who held a door open for you? Because that's is the same thing. It's perfectly possibly to "concentrate" on driving and wave or smile at the person who's let you pass, that's a lame excuse quite frankly.

OP posts:

NaffOrf · 17/02/2014 11:28

Manners don't cost anything, true. But driving isn't like other situations. Everyone at the wheel of a car should be concentrating on their driving, nothing else, and should not be judged too harshly if they choose to do just that. Hands on wheel, eyes on road. Anything else is potentially distracting and dangerous. Too many people treat driving as something easy and frivolous. Hence the number of RTAs.

NaffOrf · 17/02/2014 11:30

It's perfectly possibly to "concentrate" on driving and wave or smile at
the person who's let you pass,

Frankly, if it winds you up so much, I'd suggest you are a bit too highly strung to be on the road.

There are plenty of 'rude, ignorant twats' on the road - they're the ones who are tailgating, speeding, texting, not indicating, harassing cyclists etc. Why don't you save your ire for them?

KatoPotato · 17/02/2014 11:34

I wouldn't thank someone for stopping reversing out of their drive... am I rude?

KatoPotato · 17/02/2014 11:36

And with meeting oncoming traffic. you're taught to give way if the obstruction is on your side of the road. I don't need a hat and balloon to thanks me for driving legally.

alemci · 17/02/2014 11:37

yes I get frustrated.

I always thank people if they let me out or give way and I do try to let people out to return the favour but then do get really irritated if they do not acknowledge this. It is plain rude.

Also hate people who pull out at a busy junction when they haven't been invited to ITMS and it is just plain dangerous.

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LRDtheFeministDragon · 17/02/2014 11:37

Waving is nice, but please don't flash your lights.

Someone reversing out of their drive should stop for you, so they're not giving way.

I do like it that round here most people wait and wave, though, it's nice.

pianodoodle · 17/02/2014 11:38

YANBU

I don't get very cross but I do think "where's my bloody thank you wave you ingrate?!"

I don't flash headlights though...

RandomMess · 17/02/2014 11:39

TBH although it's good manner to be thanked I live in a very heavily congested area and it relies on people always letting others in and out, etc. etc. I don't let others out for a thank you as such I do it because if we didn't it would be gridlock!!

I would far rather people concentrated on driving carefully and safely than go around giving thanks all the time. One friend was in a pretty bad rear end smash because the driver behind was too busy giving thanks to the person who let them pull into queueing traffic...

TBH a lot of the time I'm too focussed on the driving to notic whether they said thank you or not...

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