Thanking drivers....

silvershadow81

silvershadow81

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I ALWAYS thank drivers who slow down to pass me, even those who dont as i think that next time they may slow down...

Driving yesterday, we passed four different groups of riders, slowed right down, passed when we could see it was clear... ..

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NOT ONE of them said thankyou, smiled... anything!!
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I understand if the horse is dancing about and it is unsafe to say thanks, but these were just plodding down the road... NO EXCUSE!!
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Sorry for the rant... i just think it is very arrogant that some people cant be bothered and then it gives the rest of us a bad name
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Am I alone in thinking this?!
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xx
 
I agree totally. I actually see very few riders thanking cars etc. And I just think it's so rude.

You don't have to do it when the car passes - you can do it beforehand or afterwards, so there is very rarely an excuse not to thank.
 
I always either thank them with my hand, or nod my head n smile (depending on what horse is brewing up!). Brought up with hunters and its just courtesy. (as is saying good morning to people you meet)
 
I always find it a bit bizarre that we need to be so grateful for something that required by law.....to be honest in some way we need to turn this idea that slowing down is a curteosy into an expectation to ensure riders are safe.

I dont disagree with thanking drivers but surely we shouldnt be so grateful for something that is common sense and part of law. Drivers are supposed to drive past horses slowly and with enough space!

No way am I suggesting that riders shouldnt thank drivers but we really need a different approach.
 
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I always either thank them with my hand, or nod my head n smile (depending on what horse is brewing up!). and its just courtesy. (as is saying good morning to people you meet)

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Ditto this completely! I have a real issue with the arogant people that just ignore you. It takes nothing just to nod or smile a thanks
 
I always thank drivers on the smaller roads or if they have stayed behind me for a while or let me go etc. on the bigger roads but it would be impossible to thank them on main road you would never have your hand on the reins!
 
I am the same, I will always thank drivers as I hate not being thanked myself. If I am on something that is flighty then I will either try and move my hand up or nod.
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I have this problem as a driver every morning in both my village where I live and the village where I work.

Where I live there is a STUPID girl that hacks a horse out for it's owners - not only does she never wear reflectives - 6.30am dark and foggy - oh but she is on a grey horse!!! She mooches around in the middle of the road - no contact and never smiles or thanks the drivers.

In the village where I work there is a woman as above again no reflectives, no thank you and no contact. Problem is that we have a very large hunting family here so horses are being ridden up and down the road most of the day - they do thank drivers but they again don't have reflectives.

Most of the village don't bother slowing down now as they are so fed up with them which is a shame that a few idiots spoil it for the rest of us. Hunt days are a nightmare as none of the hunt riders thank the drivers and they also cut most of the drivers up!!
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Due to the weather we had to do a road ride yesterday. We ended up doing 5 miles on 'B' roads which were fairly busy. Two of us rode single file in hi viz.

I have to say I was gob smacked at the way some people drive. I am very courteous and did the usual (waving people past if I could see the road was clear, thanking them etc) but there were a few drivers that really need to drive more carefully. One or two barely pulled out. I did ask them to slow down and gave the odd scowl. A couple waved sorry so hopefully they will think next time they see a horse on the road.

On a positive note, I was really pleased at the way my two behaved. Its the first time I have been out on the roads since I had a bad accident last March and badly broke my leg. I was nervous I have to admit.

An RAF helicopter flew over us just above tree level, someone was cutting a tree down with a chain saw and finally a car towing a trailer with a boat on covered with a huge green plastic cover passed us. My two 6 year olds never batted an eyelid. We all just enjoyed the walk.
 
you SHOULD NOT thank with your hands - we had that drilled into us when we trained for our BHS Riding and Road safety Test. Instead you should nod, mouth/say the word and smile.

I always thank drivers, just a nod and a smile
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then they smile back and feel pleased with themselves. BUT many riders do not thank and are ignorant, and i keep seeing more and more riding on the phone!!!!!!!!!!!! NO!!!!!
 
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you SHOULD NOT thank with your hands - we had that drilled into us when we trained for our BHS Riding and Road safety Test.

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Arrhhh.. the same people who drum it in that you need to mount from the near side... that flaming sword!!!!
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My horse is safe enough for me to thank with my hand... i also wave past cars when clear and safe.... how can that be done if your not allowed to take your hands off the reins?? xx
 
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I always find it a bit bizarre that we need to be so grateful for something that required by law.....to be honest in some way we need to turn this idea that slowing down is a curteosy into an expectation to ensure riders are safe.

I dont disagree with thanking drivers but surely we shouldnt be so grateful for something that is common sense and part of law. Drivers are supposed to drive past horses slowly and with enough space!

No way am I suggesting that riders shouldnt thank drivers but we really need a different approach.

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I don't thank drivers because I'm grateful (although I am!), I thank them because I believe it is good manners. They have been considerate towards me, so I should say thank you - in the same way I would if someone held open a door. If someone doesn't slow down or give me space I don't thank them though. I refuse to thank anyone whose only consideration has been not to run me over.

A few weeks ago when I was hacking I met some other riders going the same way. We rode together through the village and I was surprised that none of them bothered to thank any of the drivers that slowed down or gave way to us. I should probably have said something, but wasn't brave enough, but waved twice as hard to make up for them!
 
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on the bigger roads but it would be impossible to thank them on main road you would never have your hand on the reins!

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I do agree here.. the main roads i used to ride on used to result in streams of traffic coming past... i used to smile and nod at them... and trot along so not to hold them up
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xx
 
They also drilled into us that you SHOULD NOT wave cars past, even if you can see it is clear, because in the event of an accident you would be liable!!!!!

They told us only time to take hands off rein was to order a car to stop!

Oh and all that about looking behind every 4 strides, and yes the mounting from both sides.
 
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you SHOULD NOT thank with your hands - we had that drilled into us when we trained for our BHS Riding and Road safety Test.

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Arrhhh.. the same people who drum it in that you need to mount from the near side... that flaming sword!!!!
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My horse is safe enough for me to thank with my hand... i also wave past cars when clear and safe.... how can that be done if your not allowed to take your hands off the reins?? xx

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and what happens if you get an itchy bum - are you not allowed to scratch it
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Sometimes common sense needs to prevail.
 
Can I ask why riders are expected to nod and wave to acknowledge drivers who slow down, and cyclists aren't?

I was taught to slow down and pass cyclists wide in case they have a wobble or swerve, and I always do, and I don't expect (or receive) any acknowledgement.

I am not being difficult, I have genuinely always wondered this...
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hahahaaaaa i totally agree.

we all said when we did our test how none of us realy ride like that, however it did make me alot more aware on the road, and i have found riding bold, looking assertive and in charge with full viz wear on, makes drivers think and slow down
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Yeah I get all that........if when driving I have the right of way (parked cars their side) I still thank the driver for stopping....its good manners.....but I also expect that the driver will give way and am a little cross if they make a dash for it.

I am merely saying with horses that the 'expectation' part has been eroded.....surely we have a 'right' to expect that drivers will slow down (it is law).....I still advocate thanking them because it is good manners but we should expect them to....and more importantly they should expect to.

Do you see what I mean?
 
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Can I ask why riders are expected to nod and wave to acknowledge drivers who slow down, and cyclists aren't?

I was taught to slow down and pass cyclists wide in case they have a wobble or swerve, and I always do, and I don't expect (or receive) any acknowledgement.

I am not being difficult, I have genuinely always wondered this...
A

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I was thinking this last night when a particularly bad mannered cyclist hogged the middle of the road for ages when I was coming back from the yard yesterday. Then didn't even bother to thank me when eventually he turned off. Equally bad manners to a rider not acknowledging me in my view.
 
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I was thinking this last night when a particularly bad mannered cyclist hogged the middle of the road for ages when I was coming back from the yard yesterday.

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and bikes travel at that awkward speed, of not easily passable, but hugely annoying to be sat behind.... instead i have to really put my foot down to pass them!!
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I understand if the horse is dancing about and it is unsafe to say thanks, but these were just plodding down the road... NO EXCUSE!!
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As an owner of one of these dancing horse I can safely say you need to thank people even more if you ride one of these than if you're plodding along.

Plodding means driver can slow down and give you a safe amount of space but still stay in 2nd or 3rd gear.

Passing a damn horse that's intermittantly swinging it's rear end onto the road, stopping starting moving sideways then spooking means that pretty much every driver that values their bonnet has to slow to an almost stop and crawl past. I always say big thank you (yes they can probably hear you)and nod my head.

You find most people drive the same roads, if you thank them they continue to slow down, piss them off and they don't.

It may well be the law that they need to give way to horses but when it all goes terribly wrong it's very difficult to prove the driver was at fault. More to the point you have already lost your precious horse because saying thank you to people that were only abiding by the law is too much of an effort.

Sorry but say thank you or stay off the roads I ride along, I do not want any of our locals starting to speed past in frustration.
 


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You find most people drive the same roads, if you thank them they continue to slow down, piss them off and they don't.


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I do agree with this.

We had a driver, early 20's brand new Golf come speeding past us on the lane on Saturday.... he saw us.. it was a straight road.. made NO attempt to slow down (he must have been doing nearly 50mph on this lane)

I waved for him to slow down... he beeped his horn at me as he passed!!
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Im now on the look out for him again so i can be quicker in noting down his registration plate... @rse!!
 
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You find most people drive the same roads, if you thank them they continue to slow down, piss them off and they don't.


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I do agree with this.

We had a driver, early 20's brand new Golf come speeding past us on the lane on Saturday.... he saw us.. it was a straight road.. made NO attempt to slow down (he must have been doing nearly 50mph on this lane)

I waved for him to slow down... he beeped his horn at me as he passed!!
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Im now on the look out for him again so i can be quicker in noting down his registration plate... @rse!!

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not acceptable!!!!!
I've found when i've asked drivers to slow down, the young boy racer types often speed up! Idiotic!
 
I think it's so important to say thank-you. Unfortunately many (definitely not all) drivers either aren't clued up on slowing down (I know it's legal but still...), many people don't have a clue about horses and although it seems so obvious to us that they are live animals etc and can always be unpredictable but some people have no idea about horses and maybe assume if they are on the road they are road safe? Also I'm sure there are many drivers out there who curse horse riders just for being on the road. I'm not saying any of these people are right etc but I think it means that anyone who is riding on the road has to show exemplary manners and give a positive impression to drivers - if saying thank you to a driver means he will slow down next time he passes a horse then great.

And talking about whether to smile, wave etc. I used to ride out with a fleecy balaclava thing that fitted over my skull cap, so only my eyes and nose were visible in winter. Totally didn't realise at first that when I was nodding and smiling at drivers actually I was probably just staring at them with wide bulgy eyes as they couldn't see me smiling or mouthing thank you!
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Im now on the look out for him again so i can be quicker in noting down his registration plate... @rse!!

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That is shocking behaviour, definitely try and get his number plate next time the police do take it very seriously. My friend text me a number plate once, that was all it said.

She called me about 45 minutes later and said she had just ben undertaken(!) while trying to negotiate a deep puddle at the side of the road on her 4 year old.

The driver (saxo driver no less) had ploughed through the puddle on the wrong side of her (after her signalling him to slow down) and soaked her. He then came back the same road 10 minutes later and she dismounted at the sight of him and took his munber plate.

The police contacted her the next day, they had went to his door and sat him down saying it was a caution this time but next time they would prosecute for dangerous driving.
 
I came across (while driving) a dozy woman at 5.35pm last Friday night, riding a dirty palomino (think: invisible in fading light!) - rider wearing dark clothes, no hi vis no light no NOTHING! (well - OK, clothes, not actually nude
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!)
Good job I know the road and was slowing down for the particularly nasty humpback bridge she was riding over.....on a rat-run road. God knows what is in these people's heads!
 
I always thank them by nodding/smiling or waving if possible.....most usually smile back...

If its an arse driver then they get the bird.....possibly an expletive......but what shits em up the most is if you get your mobile out and pretend to take a photo......
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QR -

I think it's important to say thank you to drivers and when I can I always do. It's just being curtious and hopefully will mean they will continue to do so in the future.
As for the Riding and Road Safety thing, I did it as I had to but I personally don't think it is of any use whatsoever.

Around my way generally it is the older drivers that I have a problem with, not the younger ones!

And as for bikes.... don't even get me started. I escorted a young horse out quite a few years ago, we had all the correct tabards on etc and were using the verge for the youngster where ever possible. The amount of abuse we received, going so far as people actually throwing things out of the windows (on quiet country lanes) was ridiculous. And yet, bikes ride two and sometimes even three abreast for NO REASON at all. If I'm stuck behind them for any length of time and they make no attempt of moving over I drive as close as I physically can without causing harm and cut across.
I know that's naughty but they infuriate me.
 
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