She flashed me so I flashed her back.

Same here; I'm perfectly capable of changing lanes without a babysitter.

 

For me, flashing the passing truck isn’t just about telling him he is clear, but simply my way of saying, “Hey buddy I’ve got your back.” I know most of us know darn well when we are clear and we don’t really need the flash, but it’s still a courtesy that is appreciated.

That said, I am also not a fan of the high beam blast, but I try not to get bent out of shape over it when it happens. I know the guy means well.

 

Let's not mention the fact that in all the states I have driven in there is a statute that makes flashing your lights a traffic offense. Once again does anyone remember drivers ed?

 

I can't help it. I have turrets and my hand just slips <forward> it's a medical condition that only surfaces around ax holes.

 

My trucks have a button to momentarily cancel or cut the clearance lights. When passing and the driver flashes their super bright high beams to let me know it is OK to come back over in front of them, I can use that button to cancel the trailer clearance lights a couple three times as a "thank you for blinding me".

Generally I won't flash anyone over ever with highbeams. If I see they have a long hood and appear to be an O/O I will cut my headlights off momentarily when they are clear. In my KW I will just momentarily turn on the fog lights and turn them off once or twice.

Overall, People STOP using your highbeams on the highway when other traffic is around. I can't believe no one ever told you that!

 

The high beam thing is an illusion. It looks like high beams, but a lot of the time, it's really just LED headlamps. I have them on my 4-wheeler, because the regular incandescent bulbs burn out too frequently, and replacing them is an undertaking on my car, for no apparent reason.

They don't make LED headlamps in normal brightness, so they invariably look like high beams. People flash me when driving the opposite way on two-line roads, all the time. I flash them back, to illustrate that I don't really have my high beams on, but it does get old, after a while. People who make those things, seem to think that the purpose of headlamps, is to enable drivers to see the road. In fact, headlamps are supposed to make you visible to other drivers. High beams are for illuminating the roadway, and not for blinding oncoming traffic.

And as far as I know, they no longer do Drivers Ed in most high schools. It's supposedly both a budgetary thing and a liability thing. I'd lament it, but it's likely that cars won't even have steering wheels and accelerators, soon, so I suppose that it doesn't really matter much, any more... :-/

 

And this is the attitude of the drivers who feel that it's my pleasure that they run my front door. As many times I and other well seasoned drivers say the respect is a thing of the past. And dude if I do blink my lights for you it'll only be done once, if you decide to take advantage of it then it's your choice if you aren't alert enough to realize I did it your skills are lacking or just plum arrogant.

 

I was hoping for pictures -

 

It called leaving the guy you are passing some room. If I should have an emergency I want them to have enough room not to hit me.

I know just about as much going on behind me as I do out front. If you call me and asks how many cars are within 200 yards I can tell you. When a line of cars comes up behind me and starts passing I count them. If that number does not match or one behind me is missing I look to be sure I did not miss theem in the count. Yeah I miss some exiting but I have better than a general idea how many cars are I'm my immediate vicinity.

Call it arrogant if you want but when I pass you with a wide load and you don't know I am there till my hood reaches your door, you are an idiot driver. How can I tell he did not know that I was there? The whole truck yanks to the right. I have only been coming for miles with flashing lights and all.

So no, I am not coming over because you flash your lights.

 

Hahaha!