If you don't say "thank you" when let out in traffic, why is that?

[ChinBristles]

Following on from my last hot topic "if you don't return your trolley at the supermarket, why is that?", this is today's pondering.

I always raise my hand or bip/bop my indicators to say "thank you" but I'd say 50% of the time I let someone out, they don't acknowledge this in anyway.

What are the reasons?

• distracted by a child?


• never taught to do so?


• just an arrogant twat?


• something else?

Usually something else - cincentrsting on traffic conditions that mean I need both hands on the wheel or am doing a gear change indicating or just avoiding some other idiot doing something unpredicted. But in that case I'll nod my head and hope they see that too.

I always say thank you (I think!) but sometimes I'm so focused I forget to let people out until I'm driving past

Yes, I never thank knobbers who choose to complicate things, having failed to notice that there was no traffic behind them.

I do a Cumbrian palm raise from the wheel. Not easy to see, but I think I let people out more frequently than I'm let out, so I think that's perfectly fine. I don't give a toss if people thank me, I hardly did anything special.

I'll smile but won't do more. Gestures can be misinterpreted.

What if there's a pedestrian I've not spotted that sees the hand movement and thinks that's me telling them it's ok to go and walk out into the road...

I do when I can..but it isn’t always possible if you’re manoeuvring ..for example if I’m turning right into a busy road, and the car stops in the far lane (oncoming form left) to let me out before they turn into my road, and we’re both waiting for oncoming traffic from my right to stop to for me to get out, it’s actually pretty hard to safely wave in direction of your right then left and at same time pull out into the right hand lane safely. In fact it would be unsafe to do so. If I’m with someone I say to the, please thank them, but if I’m on my own I can’t

so lots of examples where even if I want to it just isn’t possible. People shouldn’t get huffy. Just pa5 yourself on back for you being nice to someone. They will know it even if they couldn’t thank you or were just being an arse.

I'm metaphorically raising my hand across the internet to thank you for your responses on my thread!

People who get huffy about not being thanked are a little bit like the 'random act of kindness' types... not just doing a good thing because it's a good thing.

I do little wave or Yorkshire finger

Rudeness. I usually shout thank you out the window at them.

99% of the time I say thank you. The other 1% it's a tight turning in faster traffic where I need my hands on the wheel and all my concentration to get out without hitting something or slowing the friendly driver down too much.

Because the Highway Code says it's an offence. It demands taking the hand of the steering wheel unnecessarily

I raise my hand to say thanks, and even so it to say you're welcome when the other driver says thanks 😂

I think it's similar to if you hold a door open for someone, or allow them to pass you first when walking and they ignore you instead of saying thanks. Some people are just rude.

Whenever I go to another country I always make sure to learn how to say please and thank you in that language, amongst a few other words (hello, goodbye, yes, no).

OP i love this thread and your trolleys one - wonder what next week’s topic will be!

I personally think people who don’t wave or flash their lights to say thank you are just rude, ignorant and arrogant tbh! I always wave or flash my lights to say thanks

@curiousitygotthebetterofme thanks! Yes, we could call it the Weeky Twat Check Thread!

You can do it without removing your hand from the steering wheel.

I think I over say thank you sometimes. Like thank you thank you thank you when one would be sufficient

I always say thank you. BUT I used to do it by tapping the brakes to flash the brake lights, because I somehow hadn't grasped that this meant 'Stop tailgating me you twat' rather than 'Thank you!'. I still sometimes wake up at 3am cringing about this.

I only have the use of hand, so I legally can't wave at people and have no hands on the steering wheel 😂

How do you do this @girlmom21

I usually do but if I don't it's because I'm distracted. I can't multitask so driving plus talking is challenging, let alone driving, talking, thinking about flashing thanks etc. I always manage to thank people when I'm getting out of my drive as I do this daily so the processing is less demanding.

What I hate is people who let you through and then tell you off that you didn't thank them!! And they think you're rude!

(I work in a preschool and I wouldn't dream of challenging a parent who didn't say thank you to me for caring for their child for 2 years (nearly every parent does either verbally, or with a card or even a gift- but not all of them).

I don't think you should expect but it's nice if it comes.

I drive a BMW so it was in my purchase agreement that I'm not allowed to thank any other plebs for making way for me.

Anyway they should be grateful for the opportunity to look at my rear end for a few minutes!

I always did this in the country where I grew up. Then I moved to the UK and had driving lessons, and 2 separate driving instructors told me I must never wave or indicate thanks to other drivers as it's apparently illegal and constitutes dangerous driving!

Therefore I don't do it if there is a police car anywhere in the vicinity!

My DH never thanks anyone for letting him out etc in traffic or say, stepping out of his way to let him pass in a supermarket. It's so embarrassing so i over compensate. He says it's because he didn't ask them to wait/move so no need to than them. So ignorant. He's not neurotypical though and some social norms just bypass him completely

It's the Forest Finger round here!
(of Dean)

I'm on holiday in a different region (not uk) and no one has acknowledged my letting them in since arriving - this is in the country so a wave is hardly accident material for those highway code zealots on MN - and I've just stopped doing it. I find it rude and annoying to not even nod the head or life a finger.

Ordinary politeness can resume when we're home.