Do you acknowledge friendly car drivers?
Discussion
Wandering past, I saw the "nodding" thread and wondered about acknowledging cars.
So how many of you bother to acknowledge a car who gets out of your way (either in a slow queue or on an open road)? I'm not a biker (I could never ride one after losing a close family member), but I always try to move over (even on open roads) to make it easier for an approaching bike to pass. Yet I'd say only about a quarter of the bikers ever wave or nod thanks.
Maybe they think I'm just driving erratically (after all, quite a lot of car drivers do!), or maybe the bikers arround Leighton / MK are just ungrateful
Sheepy
So how many of you bother to acknowledge a car who gets out of your way (either in a slow queue or on an open road)? I'm not a biker (I could never ride one after losing a close family member), but I always try to move over (even on open roads) to make it easier for an approaching bike to pass. Yet I'd say only about a quarter of the bikers ever wave or nod thanks.
Maybe they think I'm just driving erratically (after all, quite a lot of car drivers do!), or maybe the bikers arround Leighton / MK are just ungrateful
Sheepy
sheepy said:
Wandering past, I saw the "nodding" thread and wondered about acknowledging cars.
So how many of you bother to acknowledge a car who gets out of your way (either in a slow queue or on an open road)? I'm not a biker (I could never ride one after losing a close family member), but I always try to move over (even on open roads) to make it easier for an approaching bike to pass. Yet I'd say only about a quarter of the bikers ever wave or nod thanks.
Maybe they think I'm just driving erratically (after all, quite a lot of car drivers do!), or maybe the bikers arround Leighton / MK are just ungrateful
Sheepy
Whenever possible - although I do sometimes find myself with my hands full!
yeah me too. however in defence, its a bit tricky sometimes, both hands are needed to steer, unlike a car, and with the clutch there too...and acceleration with one hand isnt clever..
and during the unsuing overtake offered by the car, heavy steering and gear changes, and hard acceleration are all combined, so my apologies from the bike fraternity if we dont always say thanks.
and during the unsuing overtake offered by the car, heavy steering and gear changes, and hard acceleration are all combined, so my apologies from the bike fraternity if we dont always say thanks.
Always if i can.
Although i've had on the odd ocasion drivers who pull over in bad positions and look a bit eratic / umpredictable swerving etc and then get p155ed off when i dont pass on their demand! One guy started hand signals (unpleasent type!) flashing and beeping. I thought i'd done something wrong!
Although i've had on the odd ocasion drivers who pull over in bad positions and look a bit eratic / umpredictable swerving etc and then get p155ed off when i dont pass on their demand! One guy started hand signals (unpleasent type!) flashing and beeping. I thought i'd done something wrong!
954 girlie said:
Always!!
It's really important!
Edited to add.... in France they acknowledge each other & courteous car drivers by sticking out their leg!! - it's a bit weird but works cos you don't have to take your hands off the bars, if I can't do that then I nod - but always make the effort to do something - it's in our interest to get drivers on our side & we are the minority with bad press at every given opportunity.
>> Edited by 954 girlie on Tuesday 9th September 12:30
My wife thought it was either an insult or they had leg ache ! Thanks for clearing it up for me
s2ooz said:
yeah me too. however in defence, its a bit tricky sometimes, both hands are needed to steer, unlike a car, and with the clutch there too...and acceleration with one hand isnt clever..
and during the unsuing overtake offered by the car, heavy steering and gear changes, and hard acceleration are all combined, so my apologies from the bike fraternity if we dont always say thanks.
Ah, never considered the "hands full" point. I'll now assume the bikers are grateful but busy rather than ungrateful and grumpy
Sheepy
When I was on a bike I always tried to.
Now in a car (or this week a blue van parked on the M25) I am very gratified every time a biker waves if I can make some room - and I try to as much as possible.
I don't have much patience for the type that ride down the opposite side of the road past a line of traffic (whether stationary or moving) on broken or solid lines (especially when passing islands on the wrong side
) without giving way to the opposing traffic mind. Or squeeze through obviously closing gaps - do they really want to be the meat in the sandwich? Apart from that, I will always try and help you guys maintain your progress if it's safe for me to do so...
Now in a car (or this week a blue van parked on the M25
) I am very gratified every time a biker waves if I can make some room - and I try to as much as possible. I don't have much patience for the type that ride down the opposite side of the road past a line of traffic (whether stationary or moving) on broken or solid lines (especially when passing islands on the wrong side
) without giving way to the opposing traffic mind. Or squeeze through obviously closing gaps - do they really want to be the meat in the sandwich? Apart from that, I will always try and help you guys maintain your progress if it's safe for me to do so...954 girlie said:
It is sad that I have experienced the reverse of this 'blocking' some car drivers are so infuriated from being stuck in a queue that they actually move to stop you filtering - of course you get by in the end - so what is the point? never understood this & thankfully I've only experienced it a couple of times.
I've see people do that, and I've often felt like getting out of my car, kocking on their window and say "You're a f
g tw@ aren't you?". As you say: what's the point? I'd rather the bike went past when I'd chosen to make more than enough room, than have it squeeze past anyway especially given the ease of bending either the car, the bike or the biker (or all three). That's something I'd rather not have on my conscience! Sheepy
I always make an effort to look out for, and move over for bikes. In fact I moved over for a bike on a Dual Carriageway earlier today, was about to overtake a car doing 70, myself not doing much more than 75 (slightly uphill, me in a 1.1 festa!!), when I saw a bike coming up behind probably abot 20mph faster than ma - so I aborted the overtake, indicated and moved over to the left promptly.
Mr Biker man then went past without having to change his speed, acknowledged me with a quick wave of his left hand before carrying on his merry way.
Mr Biker man then went past without having to change his speed, acknowledged me with a quick wave of his left hand before carrying on his merry way.
Like the rest I always try to say thanks. Very important that bikers are not preceived are ignorant, rude or arrogant. I have to filter between two lines of traffic on a broken white line on my way into the smoke. Anna will probably know where this is if she rides in far enough.
It's not ideal, but if the stationary traffic inside me would move away from the crown of the road into the large gap to their inside, the problem would be considerably less. That said this is how things are so you have to live with it. To those that do move over we are grateful!
Steve.
It's not ideal, but if the stationary traffic inside me would move away from the crown of the road into the large gap to their inside, the problem would be considerably less. That said this is how things are so you have to live with it. To those that do move over we are grateful!
Steve.
M3EVO said:
This is a rather amicable conversation between both vehicular genres. Good to see the world is becoming a better place!
Yes James, I will be handing out invites to my garden parties as I go by from now on
I'm sure we all have a good repetoire of non-verbal communication messages for those who are not so courteous on the road tho
A
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