If you were the blonde woman in a 13 plate black Kia on the A34 this evening...

[Sidge]

I was flashing you because you had no lights on and it was nearly dark. And you were in a black car.

No need to give me the finger!!

(I know it’s a pointless thread but I feel better now thank you)

[Totickleamockingbird]

I wasn’t that woman but Thank you for doing this. Reminders like these can save lives.

[Smallsteps88]

(And no, I’m not her)

[actiongirl1978]

I do the same well done OP I'd be grateful if someone told me.

She may have kicked herself when she realised.

[Sidge]

I just felt so aggrieved! We’ve all done it, and if someone flashed me I’d be frantically looking at my dash thinking “why is someone flashing me?!” - not flipping them off!

Silly bint. Hope she got home without someone going into the back of her..

[peanacat]

I do the same thing as you, check my dash and it normally doesn’t take long to figure out what they meant. She’s clearly a terrible/selfish driver that gets flashed for being an idiot a lot and it’s her go-to response

[Newjez]

Oh, I did that to someone a couple of years ago. She wound her window down and gave us the finger. When we pulled up next to her at the lights, my car share learned out the window and politely informed her she was driving without lights at night. She did thank us and apologize to give her credit.

[mnahmnah]

I would say she was having a bad day and will feel stupid when she realises. You should feel good for doing the right thing, regardless of her reaction

[PivotPivott]

I always flash lights when someone doesn't have them on when it's getting dark/is dark. One older gentleman pulled over as he thought I was signalling him to pull over bless him. He was grateful. Lovely man.

[Ellapaella]

If someone flashes their lights at me I assume it's either because I don't have my lights on or they are letting me know there is a police speed van ahead.. I can't understand why people would stick their finger up. If someone's being a twat they beep their horn at you not flash the lights.

[cctvrec]

This reminds me of a story my ex friend told me. She wasn't the sharpest tool in the box tbh.

She was heading home one day when someone flashed their lights at her. She looked at her dash. Nothing. She upped her speed.
Another flashed her and did the lowering arm motion (aka "slow down" to the rest of us). She sped up.

Another flashed their lights.
She drove faster, now wanting to get home soon and figure out why everyone was flashing her.

Another flashed.

She put her foot down even more.

........And then she sped past the waiting police car doing the speed check everyone was warning her about.

She was lucky to keep her license.

[LindaEllen]

Maybe she'd had a bad day. I've done exactly the same, and I promise I'm not a rude person.

I wouldn't worry about it - well done for trying to make her aware of it.

[maddiemookins16mum]

Spotted Oxford/Reading or wherever on the A34 it is where I assume you meant to post this.

[AlexCabot]

I had a bloke behind me on the A15 (Lincoln to Grantham if anyone knows the road) who hadn't put his lights on.

Every car that flashed him bloody blinded me. I could see in my mirror that when he got flashed he'd just shake his head! I tried slowing down, brake checking but he was completely oblivious. He was tailgating me too, I can only assume he was trying to get the benefit of my lights!

[Sidge]

She had running lights at the front, so I can only assume she thought that was all she needed. From behind she was almost invisible. 🙄

[ginandbearit]

That's the problem with so many modern cars..running lights at front which are useless in fog (dipped headlights everyone not sidelights) and no rearlights ..I'm amazed at how many people drive in the gloom not even aware that their dashboard isn't lit .

[HopeClearwater]

Long road, the A34 🙄

[CircusAnimals]

There was a recent thread on here which set out to be a ‘woo’ story about a mysterious woman who appeared and then disappeared in a lay-by to tell the OP that she’d been motorway driving her rental car at night without lights — the OP seemed most aggrieved that more Mners were shocked by her driving a long distance with no lights than that her ‘guardian angel’ had manifested on the roadside to advise.

[AnotherDelphinium]

Yes, exactly @ginandbearit With modern cars the running lights turn on automatically, along with dashboard lights, so unless you check, you can think your lights are on since your dash is lit up like a Christmas tree!

[Sidge]

@HopeClearwater I’m venting. Happy to provide location specifics if you think it might be you or someone you know. 🙄

[70isaLimitNotaTarget]

For the past few years I've had silver or pale blue cars which basically throw on Invisibility Cloaks !

Rain, fog, drizzle nightmares .

[merryhouse]

Seriously, people, how many blonde women in a 13-plate black Kia who got flashed earlier are going to read that and think "well, I suppose it might be me, but which bit of the A34 did she mean?"

I only recently found out that flashing is supposed to be a warning of a speed check... the times I've driven along wondering what could possibly be wrong with my car I don't even drive over the limit.

[Mischance]

I was once stopped by the police on a roundabout - I was not moving at the time. As the policeman walked over to me I realised I did not have my lights on so flicked them on as he came alongside. I rolled down the window and said "Light has dawned!" - he looked at the front of the car and went away laughing!

To be fair to me - it was in a city and there were lots of lights, so I did not notice mine were not on. Honest guv.

[catherinep80]

Happened me the other day, but as soon as the other driver flashed me I copped on and realised my mistake! I have a black car too (wasn't me though - I was thankful somebody had alerted me)

[WeBuiltThisBuffetOnSausageRoll]

Flashing can mean any one of a hundred different things, but it's mostly done as a courtesy or friendly warning/acknowledgement of something or other. People wanting to be rude or aggressive tend to just favour the horn or revving the engine - or hand gestures as your woman in the Kia did.

[Wafflehouse]

I hate people flashing to warn me of the speed check vans. I was flashed by three cars along the same road on the way home yesterday and was worrying there was something visibly wrong with the car, then passed the van and realised that was what they were doing.

Don’t warn people, if they’re speeding they deserve to be caught.