Do you say thank you to all drivers whilst out hacking?

Cazzah

Cazzah

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Bit of a musing really as it dawned on me during a mammoth hack this morning that I pretty much acknowledge all drivers - it is almost a natural reaction. Now, I live in a rural area and tend to stick to quieter roads and bridleways and most drivers are lovely and pass considerately. This morning was no exception - well, actually with one exception which made me question my 'natural reaction' to acknowledge.

We were walking calmly down a road in a 30mph zone, next thing I know this old boy is speeding towards me doing well above the speed limit and he has his hand up to acknowledge me??? I put my hand up instinctively to acknowledge him and then wondered what the hell I was doing?! He really hadn't considered us or changed his way of driving and yet I found myself thanking him? I can only conclude that I am a robot with no power of logical thought at times.

So, to get to the point....which is the right approach.....?
1. Thank only those who obviously slow down
2. As above but also those who are driving sensibly and have perhaps dropped their speed slightly
3. Offer some other gesture to those not adapting ;)
4. Work on autopilot like durr-brain cazzah and thank every man and his dog for simply sharing the same stretch of tarmac irrespective of their behaviour

P.S. Would also like to gush slightly about the fact my horse is an absolute star and didn't put a foot wrong despite having a belly full of good food and zero exercise for two weeks. Baz = legend :D
 
I do tend to thank people almost on auto-pilot and my husband will often say why did you thank them? But then, if I think THEY think they are going slowly enough, I like to encourage that, otherwise they might not bother at all next time.

If someone is really brill they get a beaming smile and I shout thank you. If someone is terrible I shake my head and give the big 'Italian shrug' - you'd be amazed how many think that's a thank you and wave in reply. What planet are some motorists on?
 
I say thank you to pretty much all drivers. For the ones who slow down, it encourages them to keep doing it. For the ones who don't slow down, I like to think it might shame them into slowing down for the next rider. I'll caveat this though by saying I have been known to give other gestures to drivers who are idiots! I also stop any rider who doesn't acknowledge me if I'm driving and slow down for them and call them out on why they havent thanked me. Am a right old Victor Meldrew in my old age!
 
No2, but if I see a car coming towards me and not slowing down I move my tank of a mare towards the white line in the middle of the road, they always slow down then!
 
I thank everyone, even if only a nod and a smile when I need both hands on the rein and this includes drivers who don't slow as I think it is best to make a good impression and human contact (next time they might think about slowing) :)
 
Always. I rarely ride on roads but when I do I always thank every driver who comes past me even if they are speeding. The speeding ones, it's clear to see them question why I've thanked them after they've gone past but you know, the next time I see them on the roads I can visibly notice that they figured out why I thanked them as they've all slowed down on passing. I live in a rural area and there are loads and loads of horses here but it's rare to see many on the roads as the riding is superb so unless you're specifically going on roads for a purpose, drivers are not used to seeing horses on the roads.
 
I thank everyone with my hand (unless my boy is being special and I need both hands on the reins - when I do an over exagerated nod) - my logic is perhaps the idiots who fly by oblivious to other road users might wonder why I'm thanking them and twig perhaps they should have done something!!!
 
Always thank those who make some attempt at slowing down, and to those nice lorry drivers who pull over always shout thank you.

I'm afraid if car driver acts as if I'm not there, I reciprocate in kind :D
 
I thank the vast majority of people, if it's appropriate I'll take a hand off the rein and wave, if not, I'll put my hand up (with my hi-viz stick visible) and give a very obvious nod of my bonce. If they've driven like a complete knob-end, I just shake my head :rolleyes:

What bloody annoys me as a driver though, is when you pass nicely, slow and wide and then get totally ignored. Happened today on the way home from work - 3 middle aged women (all over the road), none of them wearing any hi-viz (personally I think you should wear at least one hi-viz thing), and they just glared at me. If there hadn't of been another car behind me, I would have stopped and confronted them about their lack of manners. :mad: They probably would have been shocked that another horsey person pulled them up on it and quite right too, bloody ignorant bats!!!
 
Always, most people are good so get the usual hand up thank you and beaming smile, extra lovely people get gushing thank yous (I am v grateful for those who really try to pass carefully), those who really need to slow down more I request that they do, then they get the usual thank yous.

Feel like we are on a permanent PR routine round here, v few riders acknowledge us when we pass carefully when driving, unfortunately other's negative perception of riders because of these winds us up in the stick, so we are the local ,high viz, beaming simpletons lol!!!
 
I find if you thank them a long way off they tend to give you more clearance by the time they get to you!
The people who don't slow tend to be the people who want horses off the road so might as well try to keep them sweet even if thinking rude words :o
 
I thank every-one who hasn't actually taken my leg off. But I have an enormous, wider than she is tall, completely bombproof mare who likes to walk nearer to the whilte line than the gutter and has been known to get slower and slower when one driver was behind us on a single track lane revving her engine.
I have been known to yell loudly at anyone who has put us in danger.
 
I acknowledge all drivers as far away as I can as I think it encourages people to respect you once you've had eye contact. And then I thank people normally with a raised hand, nod of the head, beaming smile and a mouthed "thank you"!

Another here who picks other riders up if they ignore any drivers slowing for them - it's rude.
 
I say Thank You to everyone as best I can. Usually with a wave, or if that's not possible a smile, a nod and a mouthed Thank you. I thank all regardless, sometimes they totally ignore me, but usually once you've made eye contact they slow down anyway. The really rude ones get glared it and a shake of the head but they've got to do have done something really quite bad to get that, normally I thank them anyway with the hope of shaming them into slowing down in future. I would never make a rude gesture, it doesn't achieve anything and only reinforces that riders are rude and arrogant; not a stereotype I wish to endorse.

Nothing irritates me more than horse riders with not a stitch of hi-vis on that totally ignore you when you pass quietely and slowly. Some of them seem to be unable to turn their head to even make eye contact - very rude.
 
I always acknowledge drivers as they need to know we are a polite group of road users. Equally, I have visited and written to firms if I have had concerns re their drivers lack of consideration. Generally I do thank automatically.
 
Pleased to see I am not the only 'serial-acknowledger' :D

It does annoy me when other riders don't acknowledge considerate driving and those who still see fit to go out with no hi-vis. It's the least riders can do surely?
 
I have done the same sort of thing and been like 'hang on, unthank!' I do acknowledge pretty much everyone and have a sort of scale of thanking, if its a half hearted decent pass by as in wide but not particularly slow but not fast either then they get a nod, if they make an obvious effort they get a wave, if they're one of those people who practically comes to a halt and looks on admiringly they get lots of waves and smiles and thanks all at once. If they have had to stop or slow down because the horse is being a tit I go really over the top and thank everyone in sight profusely, looking embarrassed til they have gone! I don't really do anything if they are inconsiderate other than glare or an occasional 'italian shrug' like eeeeyyyy what was was that you fool?!
 
Always. Whether it be a nod, wave, smile, or verbal. Same to walkers and people calling a dog in.

I over thank people who don't slow down with a yelled thank you, big grin and hand wave. Most cotton on and slow a little more. I only swear occasionally :p

I will always pull over if there is a verge or layby and it's not a safe road for cars to overtake on as in the past have been very peed off being waved past an out of control trotting horse with a dog 10m ahead in a slow corner. So walk is the fastest when cars pulling past if necessary.
 
Mrs b. Shaking head is one I do while driving. It really annoys people and has desired effect in a car with locking doors but I'm wary of doing it while out on a horse!
 
mandwhy said:
I do acknowledge pretty much everyone and have a sort of scale of thanking, if its a half hearted decent pass by as in wide but not particularly slow but not fast either then they get a nod, if they make an obvious effort they get a wave, if they're one of those people who practically comes to a halt and looks on admiringly they get lots of waves and smiles and thanks all at once. I don't really do anything if they are inconsiderate other than glare or an occasional 'italian shrug' like eeeeyyyy what was was that you fool?!
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Loving the "scale of thanking" ;) I too go a bit OTT if people look on in a wistful way (as long as they're not licking the windows and looking a bit 'special'), big smiles and I love it when kids wave at you like loonies from the car, probably then nagging their parents for a horse or at least a ride on one :D
 
I always thank people, and try to get out of the way/pull over to let people pass if they've been behind me for a while. I was mortally embarrassed to be out hacking with someone this week who made no effort to thank anyone, and carried on oblivious to a line of traffic behind us, until I bellowed at her.

I'm not perfect though, sometimes I will give people who deserve it, a friendly wave with my middle finger, or the international "You've got a really tiny penis" gesture.
 
Me and my (very well behaved on the roads) horse have developed a tactic for speeders- if there's a car coming too fast I put my leg on and ride her so her backend is in the road slightly. This slows people right down, as I ride on pretty narrow lanes and people give me more respect when they think their pride and joy car may get kicked ;)
They then get thanks and beaming smiles- even though I forced them to slow down! :D ;)
 
I don't thank everyone, only those that deserve thanking!

I will ask them to slow down if o Feel they are going too fast.

I have a flighty tb so am very aware of sharey things around us, instead of other people who have more of a relaxed horse that doesn't notice as much!
 
I thank most drivers, except those who come flying past, they get an arm waving up and down and a slow down shouted out. And those coming close I stick my whip and leg out for them to avoid.
 
Yes, I always acknowledge courtesy from drivers. Today I raised my hand and smiled at a woman driver who'd had to give way to a car which was trying to overtake us on a narrow road and ended up blocking her. She rolled her eyes and glared at me.:rolleyes: eh?
I greeted a couple of walkers we passed with a good afternoon and they ignored me. I continued to answer myself loudly to emphasise their rudeness. Hope they heard me!
Thankfully the friendly ones outnumber the rude ones so I will continue being mrs Polite-friendly. :D:cool:
 
Always, if they're going slowly enough to notice. I ride with children, so it's particularly important. However if you're too close, and/or too fast, you'll get clobbered with a schooling whip as you go past me, I'm 'correcting' your car.
 
I tend to only thank the one's that slow down either with a wave if all is calm or if horse is a little more sprightly I will nod. I make a point of not thanking drivers who don't slow down. Today we had a tesco home delivery van come past us 3 times on a hack round a local village the first time he crawled past, 2nd he slowed down but went a bit quicker than the first, the 3rd time he didn't even really slow down had obviously decided our horses were sensible enough!
 
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