What’s your ‘thankyou’ signal in traffic?

[Skittlesandbeer]

Realised this morning that I’ve developed a signature hand gesture for when other cars or road workers let me pass in traffic. Kind of a flat hand static wave, that turns into a thumbs up. The young lass holding the Stop/Slow sign in the rain seemed greatly cheered by it today, I’m guessing everyone else ignored her?!

That’s in the city. In the country (I have a farm), I do a more restrained lifted finger off the steering wheel with a curt nod. But I do it to almost every passing car. I’ve learnt that it’s safer to nod to strangers, than accidentally miss nodding to a neighbour (or their mum, your dh’s barber, the guy you bought those chickens off in 1993, etc).

What’s your go-to gesture (or repertoire of gestures), and your policy on using it?

Does everyone else also shout “Thank you” whilst doing whichever thank you gesture that they use?

I always do, despite knowing there is absolutely no way they can hear me as we are both inside moving cars with windows closed etc. However, I cannot stop myself as it just seems so rude not to actually say “Thank you!” as well... DC and DH think I am daft. ..

Big wave, occasional thumbs up. Flash of hazard lights if someone lets me out in front.
I never flash headlights ever.

I detest this business of flashing headlights. if I have helped you out why do you want to blind me in return??

Never, ever flash headlights to say 'thank you!'

She's obvs not driving yet but DD 4 gives drivers a thumbs up if they let us cross. She then waves them on afterwards.
DH has perfected the busman's wave for passing buses, despite not being a bus driver...
I wave/hazards/blow kisses/give the bird, as appropriate

Finger lift but whole hand if someone has gone above and beyond!

Kind of a flat hand static wave, that turns into a thumbs up.

I love when bus drivers do this when they're pulling out and I let them go. I would be a fan of you OP.

I do the raise all fingers whilst holding onto the steering wheel thing. Or sometimes a blink of the hazard lights when really grateful haha.

Flat hand and a smile if they can see it.

I hate flashing headlights. It's not fucking polite to blind people!

I hate flashing headlights. It's not fucking polite to blind people!

^this!

Right hand up, nod of the head with a smile.

When I’m driving the convertible with the top down, I just stick my hand out of the roof.

I have a range too:
Static hand raise
Finger with nod
Flash of headlights
Flash of hazzards
Alternating indicators
Depends on scenario

Flat hand lifted quite high (higher if they are behind) no thumb but I like the idea lol

Using flashing headlights to say thank you isn’t wrong because of the blinding... it’s because it’s against the Highway Code!

It's both, surely?

No, it's because it's against the Highway Code.

I think I do the hand up into thumbs up too 😂 I never flash my headlights in the dark as blinding someone does not say thank you! I do still do the wave though on the off chance they can see me 🤷‍♀️. @Hecateh it might not be you getting older, it might just be that headlights are getting brighter and there are fewer streetlights so the difference is more pronounced itswim.

I find that a very weird attitude.

It's wrong for both reasons. If the Highway Code didn't say anything about the use of your lights, it'd still be wrong to blind people when you intended to thank them. In the same way, long before the Highway Code said anything about texting on your phone, it was still pretty obvious to everyone that texting while driving was wrong (and stupid). The fact that this was later codified doesn't cancel out the fact it was already wrong.

Flat static hand, slow lowering of the head. Maybe a smile.

A little peace V from the steering wheel ✌🏼

I realise I mouth "Thank you" whilst signing it (BSL/Makaton).
People must wonder what on earth I am doing.

The fact it’s against the Highway Code makes any other ‘reason’ irrelevant. The thing is that lights are not to be used to convey messages such as ‘thank you’ or ‘speed camera ahead.’ End of. Whether lights are blinding or not doesn’t really come into it!

Ha, I have my town and my country gestures too! We live on a farm and out in the country it is a single finger raised off the steering wheel, right hand. In towns or villages more of a flat hand wave.

Re: lifting of the finger

'Bill Bryson lived and worked in Kirkby Malham for several years and mentions the “Malhamdale Wave” in Notes from a Small Island , the Malhamdale Wave is the gesture of raising the finger from the steering wheel in recognition when meeting other road users, Bill felt accepted when greeted in this way in the Dale'

Yet ... clearly it does come into it, or we wouldn't be discussing it!

If the Highway Code said it was ok, you'd still be blinded by it.

I love the town/country distinction. I've noticed round here (country) some people have a very specific gesture for 'no, I just went by a passing place'. A sort of shrug-while-gesturing-backwards thing, to indicate you're ready to reverse on a single track road.