To think that flicking your headlights to full beam, to say thank you

[SaggyoldCHRISTMASHUMBUGcatpuss]

to someone, at night, is polite, but not particularly intelligent? Especially if you have 3 million watt halogen lights. This happened to me 3 times tonight, its a wonder that I didnt end up wrapped around a tree!

Pan
"if you have bright head lights close behind you, just rearrange the mirror so that it shines right back at them"

Oh, you do that too!

Thanks for that tip Pan - does it take practice? is it obvious when you have got it right?

I hate driving in the dark because I am so often dazzled by people with those ridiculous headlights, but wasn't sure if they were just set too high, or they had their beam on, or bloody 4x4s just have them at the wrong height for not dazzling people in other cars.

I always do this and I get pissed off when no one does it for me.

What annoys me is that in the theory test, you should only flash your lights to make people aware that you're coming through or are "there". It's the total opposite on the road, where everyone uses the flashing lights to give way or say thank you.

On another topic though - I counted FIVE cyclists today who had no lights on their bloody bikes, and one of them looked at me like I was a killer when I had to swerve him because I couldn't see properly in the drizzle... Death wish.

YANBU does my bloody head in as well

I do this, DH goes mental when other drivers do it to him. It is one of the many things we argue about in the car. To be fair I don't have halogens - they are the work of the devil.

I like it, makes me feel appreciated

I once let a police car through and they thanked me by dipping their lights OFF momentarily so I suggest this is the right thing to do because the police did it.

I think the headlights on newer cars ie the audi that was mentioned, are Xenon headlights and if so are auto adjusting,the driver has no control over them apart from full or dipped beam,so its a case of blaming the manufactures and not the drivers.

Fwiw saggy I would be confused if someone did something with their indicators!

I hate those blue-tinted (halogen?) lights. They are hellish indeed.
And I wasn't flashed this morning at dawn because I had forgotten to put my headlights on

I'm a flasher...and have an almost orgasmic rush when flashed at

(and a broken laptop so last post until new one purchased) CAN read posts and this one touched me enough to struggle for 10 minutes to write this)

Rural area so flashing almost requisite to show gratitude; mirror fiddling does cause most halogen light followers to back off. Hazards (and brake lights) only to show look out there's a deer at the roadside (that's about to plough itself into mine/your windscreen)

I hate those halogen lights (didn't know they were halogen until now!) I can't agjust my mirror quick enough to blind them so just use the flippy thing so it darkens the mirror.

I remember when I passed my test I flashed someone at night and couldn't get my full beam off in my new car. Had to stop in a side street and it took me ages to figure it out.

..and how do you know when you've adjusted it enough to blind them?

...left/right indicators used to 'waggle' at local friends when passing on road

To whoever asked, your rear view mirror should have a switch on it to flick it up/down to dim the lights behind you. I can't drive at night without it. Am always amazed (in a non-smug way ) that not everyone knows this!

yanbu, it makes my eyes go all funny.

to thank people in the dark i put my hazard lights on for a second or 2

My aunty told me she always waved her thanks at other drivers as she never knew how to flash her lights.
I wave at them but they can't see me in the dark.

What makes me really bad is when they have their fog lights on all the time. A couple of years ago we had really bad foggy weather and a few weekd after loads still had theor fogs on. The local radio did an appeal to remind people to switch them off

I sometimes do it and appreciate it when others do it to warn me of the speed trap up ahead.
Not that I ever speed, mind.

I switch my lights to side lights momentarily to thank people in the dark. It's one click of the light switch. Actually, in my current car, it's 2 clicks if I have lights on auto, but it's not much more fiddly than flashing.

I do think it's silly but I don't know how else to say thank you, so I try to do it as quickly as possible. I have experimented with beeping the horn in a friendly manner but I never quite get it right and always seem to manage a very ungrateful sounding bellow.

re-adjusting the mirror thing? Just set it straight ( rather than at the angle for your use), and just imagine the tilt you need to reflect back at your rear window. takes a couple of seconds at most and usually solves the problem. (i've never known a mirror with a flick that does it automatically, tho').hth

ooh, side lights Zonked - that could do it. Thank you!

I've noticed this too and it is momentarily blinding - only from higher up vehicles though such as landrovers or 4x4.

I know I woulodn't see them in the dark if they just waved so I reckon an implied thanks should be assumed at all times after dark.

I am always flashing people out of our junction as they can't see if anything's coming, and I can. I sometimes almost get it wrong though.

"(i've never known a mirror with a flick that does it automatically, tho'"

seriously, they all have the switch - I've driven many cars of many ages and never driven one without it. It's a little nubbin on the bottom of the mirror, it might not even look like a switch but it moves back and forwards.