To those who don't know how to say "thank you"

It all depends on circumstances whether I will flash my lights either to say it's clear or to say Thanks. If I am on the open road, the guy who just went past me is obviously having depth perception problems or something is going on ahead and he needs over quickly, I will open it up for him and flash. If he does not need my help, he won't get it. Most of the time, unneeded "help" is an irritant anyway.

Regarding Thanks: often, the driver I am passing tries to flash me over way too soon...like when there's only about fifteen feet between us. I ignore them and decide for myself. Sometimes, they will flash repeatedly as if to say, "It's safe....it's safe....hey, I'm telling you it's safe...I SAID IT'S SAFE!!" They will usually not be acknowledged. The other driver I at the least ignore is the driver who makes a judgment call about the speed of my truck by looking at the wagon behind it. Some drivers see SWIFT on the trailer and think, "Aw, no way...I don't want to go 62mph behind that!" And speed up to the top of their 65mph governor. Now I have to speed up to the top of my 68mph in order to get around them. They were perfectly happy doing 61 until they saw my wagon rolling past and they suddenly have something to prove. Once they realize I am going by whether they like it or not, they will still not back out of it. In this case, I complete my passing maneuver maybe a little shorter than I otherwise would and then give them a single left blink. Unfortunately, most drivers today do not know that single left blink means Go pound sand. Which is exactly what I mean by doing it.

 

I don't know who told you this, but it has meant 'Thanks' for the last 25 years, don't know when people decided it was a 'go screw' signal.

 

Not sayin I know the right answer or whos right and whos wrong but my impression from several people on here is that the left blink back in the good'ole days meant the equivalent of the middle finger.

Whether thats what it means or used to mean in the long long ago or now means, how do you know that is the subliminal message being conveyed when you see the notorious "left-blink" after being passed? The driver who did it may think its the same thing as the four-way flash or the marker interrupt. After I learned its supposed true meaning, I practiced it a few times after I got no flash of the headlights when I passed someone but got to thinkin, how will I ever know if the driver i just "flipped the bird" to with my left blinker understand what was going on? After that, I quit doing it because unless you and the other driver are on the same page, then its pointless. Hell, Ive even gotten the left blink when Ive properly signaled a passing truck to come back over. Was he/she giving me the finger? Sure, I can assume that, but unless I was able to ask the driver why they flashed the left blinker, we'll never now.

 

Well I learned something on this thread. I used to always give just the left blink during the day. I thought it was a thank you too. So for now on I guess I should use my four ways?
Man to think of the hundreds of drivers I said middle finger to, and the ones that gave it to me, makes me LOL.

 

Way back when...when I drove for Swift, a lot of drivers would thank us over the radio, finishing up with "Mr Swift". I never realized how much respect Swift drivers commanded when we were on the road!!!

 

Well, I would say these folks were saying thanks. I have used the left signal for thanks since the 80's, and nobody ever told me it was otherwise. I think the best way to handle it is to assume everyone is saying thanks, let's try to think positive and be friendly. If I want to flip someone off, I'll stick my finger out the window or tell them on the CB. Generally, I don't argue with anyone, because there a lot of vengeful people out there and I don't need to ask for trouble. You never know when some psycho is going to follow you into the truck-stop and wait until your asleep and then vandalize your truck, or worse!
I think we all CAN get along, if we try.
Peace and may the Force be with you!

 

Like I said, maybe they were, maybe they wernt..... I dont worry about it nomore....

I dont really bat an eye anymore if i flash someone over that didnt give "thanks" but whats really startin to iritate me is the "haulin-assers" that blow by me and flash their lights at me even when I didnt flash them over cause I thought it was un-necessary. Its kinda like they thought I was required to give them the flash..... Funny how some people think something that really originated as a courtesy is now a requirement in their mind....

If you've ever seen the movie Joy Ride, it might be an incentive to keep yer mouth shut and your "friendly" gerstures to yerself around certain people.......

 

I will clarify this once again for those who do not understand it:

The reason for the flash of the lights is simply to let you know that you have cleared my front end.
It is NOT, Me telling you to move back into the lane in front of me.
It is a simple courtesy to let a driver know that they CAN move over if they really need to for some reason.

It's not just done to Swift drivers...I get that all the time from weak minded morons that just can't stand to be passed!
I'll be runnin' along on cruise control at whatever speed I've chosen to run and I'll come up on some guy that's been running along at whatever speed he's been running along at and as I pass him I'll see him look in the mirror and then start to accelerate.

I'll usually let them get back ahead of me and invariably they'll slow down again and I'll have to get over and pass them again and then they'll try the same thing again and I just ease down on the pedal and move right on past them.

This is pretty funny when you come up on some guy that can run 75 or 80 and thinks he has a fast truck...'Cause they get the maddest when you just ease on by them!

Sometimes if they get really upset they'll get on the radio and start bi+chin' about it which tends to remove any doubt that they are stupid.

Me too!

WOW!

That's so very petty and small minded of you.
If you do childish crap like that, YOU are a large part of the problem!

To quote your own words: "Kharma is a ##### afterall."

I'm busy gettin' my job done and don't really have time to play "Highway Hall Monitor" like an immature 7 year old that just needs to mess with people in a vain effort to prove that he's a man.

 

OK, here's a question, my truck has daytime running lights, (headlights on all the time) the only way the headlights shut off if I set the brakes. If you don't like me using my high beams, what other means do I use to flash you over? Or shouldn't I flash at all?

 

Don't flash at all. High beams suck!!!