To think it’s rude not to wave your guests goodbye?

I've only read the OP but it brought back the fond memories I have of waving to my grandparents when we drove off after visiting them. They would stand on the doorstep, waving, and my sibling and I would wave frantically from the back seat, looking out the back window, until the car turned the corner and we couldn't see them any more.

Ah, hadn't thought about that in a good few years.

Old fashioned and polite yes, but feels a bit like standing on ceremony these days.

You are not wrong though that people are becoming ruder and considerably lacking in etiquette in general however.

Ah gawd my godmother does this and I hate it. I want to check my phone maybe send a message or two, perhaps have a drink or snack before I drive off none of which I can do with her watching! So I have to quickly drive off and park round the corner. What benefit is there to anyone of doing this? Say bye inside at door and let them go!

I'm in my late 20s and wait till the person has driven off. The way I see it is, they've come out their way to visit me and theres no harm in me politely seeing them out.

In cold weather - yes, yabu. Since it costs about £3000 to heat your house every winter nowadays, I don't think it's unreasonable of people to want to shut the door to prevent every atom of painstakingly-conserved warmth spilling out while they stand there waving for five minutes. I think this might be one of the reasons the custom's dying out. I even close the door on the dog now, never mind guests.

Oh, I would always go to the door.

I've seen what happens when you don't #Taskmaster #GregDavies #RhodGilbert 😁

My mum is the only one who I know who does this and she is in her 60s. It's not for me.
I sometimes don't even walk guests to my front door and see them off 🤦🏻‍♀️ saying bye is enough.

Not as rude as 'flicking Vs' at them as they leave.

🤣Best response ever.

This is the same for me and my family

I'm firmly in the wave 'em off camp. I'm not so fussy, but if the host doesn't even come to the door to say goodbye I find that really weird.

It's old fashioned. I think it dates back to the time when people had no phones - not even landlines. So saying goodbye could be the last communication with a loved one for weeks or months.

Lots of people hate being waved off. It makes them feel they have to hurry when they actually want to adjust their car seat, programme the GPS etc. Just wave goodbye, close the door and let them settle into their journey.

To add - I think it's okay to do this for old people who've always done it, but it is old-fashioned and fine to say goodbye at the door and trust them to cope on their way to the car, as they do on every other journey in their life as adults.

No, it's not rude to not stand there in the cold/pissing rain/whatever like a grinning idiot waiting for someone to walk to their car and faff about with maps/ music etc before they drive off.

Such a weird thing to do.

Are you joking?? How farcical is that! Making a pretend start and then parking up again all to suit some outdated social ritual?? Cars aren't from the 70s now. They tend to start and if they didn't, the guest could come back to the house if they wished, the owners don't need to be standing on the doorstep for that.

Me too. I would only not do it if I was right in the middle of something but then I would make sure someone else did so.

I think it’s a lovely thing to do and it reminds me of my grandparents and my dad (who died last year) it makes me quite emotional to think about it. We used to all stand on the front step waving when he left and he would wave out of the car window until he turned the corner. My dad was a difficult man and his visits were awkward for everyone, culminating with relief when he left. But it’s still a ritual that makes sense especially in the era he grew up in.

Before telephones you might only see or speak to some people a few times a year and the war for example separated people for long periods with the worry you might never see each other again. Even now, we don’t know when we will next physically be together with the significant people on our lives. Our time together might feel insignificant, dull or even stressful or annoying but life is made up of a series of events like that. It’s like birthdays, they are just a number on a calendar but we do need to sometimes create drama around things that represent something bigger.

I do understand the feeling of being stressed if you are a visitor because of wanting time to organise yourself before driving away. My grandparents and dad used to factor that in by making a couple of trips to the car before the official setting off time just to make sure they were ready. I’ve noticed an elderly relative of a neighbour doing the same. He seems to ritually go backwards and forwards to they car several times to check everything is in place before his theatrical departure.

I close the door and wave from the window, especially in the winter to avoid letting the heat out.

Disagree 100%

What I've noted is people wave off those they genuinely love, like and or respect.

At weddings, parties I've also noted men sat at the table and friend comes along to say hello. The man at the table will stand up and shake hands if they really like them and stay sat down if they don't

I find it annoying particularly if it is late at night, you need to loudly say your goodbyes on the doorstep instead of in the house and then as they drive off they feel the need to sound the horn to "salute" you.

I vividly remember neighbours doing this when I had a baby who was a poor sleeper. It made me hate them which was fun when years later and divorced I met their nephew and married him.

I also very much appreciate how British this post is. I love how we have awkward traditions that some people love and others find excruciating.

I don't do it because I fucking hate being waved off. I want to sit in my car, sort out my sat nav, sort out DC's drinks, get the CDs on. I want to do this without my hosts lingering around like poltergeists outside of my car window waiting to wave after I've already said goodbye. Instead I have to jump in and rush off. Say goodbye at the door, close the damn door and let me leave in peace goddamnit.

DH & I smile and wave and simultaneously mutter ' thank god we live on a bend'

With my mum it's a weird, narcissistic, public thing. She'll have been an absolute bitch in the house but once she's standing on the doorstep, the voice booms out for all the neighbours to hear, big smile. She's just the loveliest grandma in the whole wide world.

The whole housing estate at Christmas is full of cars getting round corners, sorting kids out, checking congestion on the two roads out whilst neighbours shout across the road about how busy/worthy/important family is.

I would always pick a house on a bend.

Awwh we still do this, my family does and so do my in-laws. I think it’s kind and lovely. My kids are older but do sometimes run out to the drive and wave their GPs off.

I do this! 😂 I don't necessarily wait until they drive off but I make my kids come and wave goodbye and we'll not shut the door until the person is in the car or has gone round the corner. Yesterday I ran down the road beside my friend's car as she drove off just to make her laugh and because I don't see her often! My in laws do it when we visit and the kids are used to being asked to "wave at grandma and grandpa"