just learnt to drive and I love all the kindness to one another

[AutumnalFeelings]

Admittedly some people are dickheads. But I can't think of any other activity where people do little 'favours' for each other all the time. I love getting a little light flash or a hand wave and a smile. And when you're waiting in a queue for ages and somebody lets you out with a big smile and a wave. It's nice isn't it

Sorry AIBU to feel this way and will I soon hate driving and all drivers/ cyclists/ pedestrians?

I thought this was going to be a rant and came on prepared to tell you get used to it, but actually I guess as you're right. It's hard to think of anywhere else there are so many small concessions and courtesies given without a second thought. I wish you a happy and safe driving career!

I feel this way -- though mostly I'm not driving at rush hour! I try and reciprocate because I can see in myself that one person cutting me off at 11 a.m. makes me a lot less likely to let the next person in at 11:10

Ahh I love things like this but yes YABU soon you will hate most people on the road 😂

I was thinking about it the other day.

I'm a considerate driver but do get road rage at blatant dickhead drivers. But I would much rather be like the lovely people who give me way, and when I thank with them a wave, they wave back in acknowledgment, rather than like the blatant dickhead drivers.

I'm guessing you're not driving in central London in the rush hour.

I live in a small town now and people are generally really nice to one another in the way you describe.

I think it very much depends where you do your driving. I've moved areas quite a bit and it does seem to me that different areas have different driving cultures.

The way that everyone moves out of the way for blue lights often makes me quite emotional!

Yes, I often feel like that about the blue light thing, Assassin. I've been in a blue light situation in an ambulance and for some time after I use to get really emotional every time I heard a siren and saw people pulling over.

It feels good to see people helping one another.

Riding in the big black car following the hearse at my DM's funeral I was moved by the young man who removed his cap as we passed

What a lovely thread. Things like this make me smile, too - especially pulling over for blue lights as others have mentioned. I love that no-one is taught to do that, no-one HAS to... but everyone does, because they get it. So moving.

The lights flashing thing is lovely, some nice fellow let me out on my driving test! In the continent though, it apparently means, 'get the fuck out of my way'. So you sometimes get tossers zooming up behind you doing 10mph over the limit flashing their lights.

On the continent, not in.

I love it when someone expects you to do something unpleasant and you slow down or do something helpful and catch their eye and grin at them and there is a lovely look of relief and pleasure when they realise you are nice and you mean them no harm. Doing that gives me a lift every time I do it.

I had the most terrifying experience when I had a motorbike and got stuck in false neutral in busy traffic. Luckily a car driver realised what had happened, pulled in behind me, stuck on his hazards and acted as a shield so I could get out of the right hand lane into a lay by.
I don't know who he was, but he might actually have saved my life.

I find i am much more of a dickhead driver once i cross the m25 into london. Outside of london i smile and let people through.

You're right - I tend to remember the dickhead drivers but in fairness they are massively outnumbered by the considerate motorists who give way to you etc

Go to Islay on holiday. Everyone waves at each other as they pass by on the road. It's lovely.

Agree. My sister broke down on the motorway and couldn't get her car off into the hard shoulder. A stranger pulled over and moved her car. Makes me well up!

I kind of feel like this too OP. I was late to driving and love how drivers let each other into the flow and how considerate we can all be, winking at each other with our lights and giving way. And I'm in London! North not Central though.

Upstart what happens when you're in false neutral? I Googled and can see why it happens but are you stopped or moving slowly with no control to stop/ go faster? I wouldn't recognise this when driving as I've never motorbiked, might come in useful one day to know?

Yeah I agree, I love the friendliness. Until you let someone out & they don’t say thank you & I want to turn back time & not let them out or ram my car up their arse

Always makes me smile too! It's like "teamwork makes the dream work" 😄

Here in small market town in Ruralshire most drivers are courteous... which makes it very glaringly obvious when someone isn't!

The most likely offenders are Range Rover Evoques. They are also the most likely to be oblivious because they're on their phones.

Contrary to popular belief I find most white vans are pretty decent. Apart from the spotty youth who drives the chemist's delivery van. He's a total shit.

Something my DM taught me as a teenager - if another driver treats you nicely it puts you in a good mood and then you're nice to other drivers. When they're a dick it puts you in a bad mood and you're less likely to be kind.

I try and redress the balance where I can, but I can't stand the pushy people at rush hour in the town I work in - no eye contact, cutting up, speeding, road rage, not letting you through when it's your right of way, taking advantage when you let one person out and three behind them force their way out too etc. Sometimes I just have to get my head down and let them all be dicks and go back to being nice when I'm in my home town.

But I also love the way we move for blue lights.