Saying thank you when driving

[hunkermunker]

Do you? Somebody stops to let you through, you drive through said gap and what do you do? Drift on, barely recognising that somebody else has stopped for you? Or do you smile and lift your hand off the steering wheel?

If you don't say thank you - why ever not? What's stopping you?

I also say "thank you" (also in mad falsetto voice, www!) to drivers who stop for me at zebra crossings.

And "don't mention it" or "no, after you" (not falsetto) when other drivers don't acknowledge my gracious kindness. And a variety of FFSs, smacking forehead with hand, waving fists, withering looks and disbelieving headshakes when people don't do what they should (earlier I was behind an L at a roundabout, we didn't move until more than 20 cars (literally) from all directions had gone first and there was nothing in sight for miles...I had my head in my hands in despair by then, thought we would be there all evening.)

I always wave. But it is a very rare occurrance in Spain.

I beeped someone for not letting me in when I was going the other way and the lights were red anyway. dd,2, said "sht sht...daddy say". Must have a word with dh.

Jan are you me? I always say very pointedly "You're welcome" when someone doesn't acknowledge my politeness - in and out of the car! No point whatsoever in the car, because rude subject is halfway up the road, but I still find myself doing it automatically!

Up here in the highlands most of the roads round us are single track with passing places, so I always wave when passing, regardless of whether I pulled in or the other car has. Also pull in to let people overtake - tend to get indicators flashed (left, then right, then left again) as a thankyou as a raised hand might be missed. We are a polite lot up here. On the rare occasion that a passing car does not acknowledge, dh and I have been known to mutter "bl**dy tourists" under our breath

In Australia it was a big thumbs-up wave, made me laugh as it seemed geeky, but everyone seemed to do it (or perhaps it was a strange Northern Territory thing)
Have done it a few times here in UK, but mostly wave.
I can never understand the lorry drivers who:

1. indicate left to let you know it is safe to overtake them
2. indicate right and left then flash their headlights aas you pass to say thanks. Huh? wots that all about then?

Eve, I am a laydee BMW driver....

This is my major pet hate.

It happens ALL the time round here, lots of narrow country lanes.

I was also thinking of designing a light up sign to hang in the back windscreen which illuminates when the car behing gets too close and says something like "back off you ae" ...well, you get the idea.

Asked dh how difficult it would be to invent it with some sort of sensor or something, but he went a bit quiet on me...

Either I nod and smile, lift my hand or click my hazzards on for a second as a way of saying "ta!"
I live on a road which is impossible to get out of onto the main road in the morning. If nobody let me out, I'd never be able to leave our street!

beachyhead, I agree (re urgent need for a 'universal "sorry" sign). I have noticed that it is quite easy to apologise to a woman.. not sure how.. but it's just kind of a rueful expression followed by a smile.. (I need to say sorry a lot.. am a crap dirver). But men.. I mean I HATE to generalise but I have to say, there have been times when I have mouthed 'sorry' and made it clear I am aware of my mistake when all I have got is a lot of mouthed f-words or a rude hand gesture. Which then makes ME see red and respond with some rude, unladylike gesture of my own.. and a brilliant smile just to p*ss him off as he/I drive away.... which is not big or clever.. but it makes me so mad. Never have I had this expereince with another woman driver.

SJ x

Shame on you Eve - I'm a BMW driver and always say thank you. I am extremely curteous on the roads, and frequently give way to other drivers who need to pull out of busy junctions. What a ridiculous generalisation.

Bit like saying all Ford Mondeo drivers are tasteless wankers

To any Ford Mondeo drivers out that - I'm not saying that. Just parodying the BMW remark!

Btw my way of berating someone who doesn't say thank you to me when I have given way to them is to beep them.

typo - "out there" not "out that"

Yes, I always thank people who've stopped for me or let me through, and I acknowledge other people's thanks when I've done the same for them. But I never get cross when people don't thank me; they were probably too busy looking where they were going to acknowledge any small concession I may have made. I don't suppose for one moment that people deliberately seek to annoy me by not thanking me. So I don't get annoyed by it. After all, what purpose would it serve?

The purpose it serves it to get a frisson of passion (albeit angry passion) coursing through your veins to remind you you're alive. You should try it!

Have I killed this thread?

i say thank you all the time and am generally a polite and deferential driver - except when i am turning right onto a main road from a side road and get hooted from behind (like i am going to drive into oncoming traffic for you!) - then i'm rather ashamed to say i give people the finger rear view mirror style.

I always say thank you, and Eve ...... I drive a BMW. .

took my ds on driving lesson today [terrified emoticon] told him not to acknowledge thanks too other drivers till he had passed his test. am sure there is something in highway code if u unnecessarily take hand/s off steering wheel u r not fully in control of car and if he did he could fail?

strugstu,

I think you're possibly right. Fair in the circumstances...

I always acknowledge other drivers -the "finger" wave is a good description if they can see you - or I'll hold my hand up for a while so that the driver behind me can see that I've "said" thank you.

If I do something nice and don't get acknowledged I always say "thank you" out loud on their behalf, in an exaggerated way ("thaaaank you"). This is copied from my own mum. Ds asked me last week why I say it, so I tild him it was becasue the other driver hadn't been polite, so I was doing it for him !

My personal pet hate is drivers who zoom over the zebra crossing as I'm trying to cross with sundry children in tow, and then give a cheery wave as I grab the kids and drag them out of the way.

PMSL at CAT!!!!