Thanking drivers

On the topic of 'doing the half wave and awkward jog' (guilty as charged) I thank drivers who stop at pedestrian crossings - even though it's what they are required to do according to the Highway Code.
I thank people who work on cash tills at shops - even though it's what they are paid to do.
I thank people who marshal at Parkrun and races - even though they have chosen to spend their weekend morning standing on the corner of a path in a hi-viz vest.

Isn't this just manners / common decency / being a nice person / not being a belter?
 
Woah said:
Yes Case 895 it is the Highway Code, but if another driver gives way to you when you are driving in any shape or form you surely flash your lights or put your hand up to acknowledge their politeness?..
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No never! Thanking another driver by squeezing through a narrow zig-zag gap they have left by doing it one handed and not looking where you are going is frankly crazy. "I'm going to express my gratitude by increasing the chances of us hitting." Gee thanks...When I let other drivers though, I purposely avoid looking at them. PS I did an advanced driving course and the instructor agreed with me.
 
broughsuperior said:
On the topic of 'doing the half wave and awkward jog' (guilty as charged) I thank drivers who stop at pedestrian crossings - even though it's what they are required to do according to the Highway Code.
I thank people who work on cash tills at shops - even though it's what they are paid to do.
I thank people who marshal at Parkrun and races - even though they have chosen to spend their weekend morning standing on the corner of a path in a hi-viz vest.

Isn't this just manners / common decency / being a nice person / not being a belter?
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This with bells on. It's not just a thank you, it's an indictator of a shared humanity. And THAT'S why they are more likely to be nice to the next person.

Riders / runners / walkers / cyclists / drivers who don't say thank you are basically making life less pleasant for their peers who have to face that peeved driver round the next bend. It costs nothing to say thank you, and there are VERY few situations in which saying thank you makes the situation more dangerous.
 
Woah said:
Gosh you must be on narrow lanes not even able to pass a jogger. Fact is they should be running on opposite Side towards traffic without earphones !!
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There are plenty of narrow lanes everywhere.
I had an idiot of a young girl with huge bleddy things completely covering her ears jogging up a lane in complete oblivion to my, far from quiet esp in 1st gear, car. I kept a decent distance thinking "there is a junction, hopefully we will part our ways there..." and the silly cow suddenly stepped to the middle of the lane and stopped. I didn't have to slam the brakes or anything but her move made me effing jump!
 
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broughsuperior said:
On the topic of 'doing the half wave and awkward jog' (guilty as charged) I thank drivers who stop at pedestrian crossings - even though it's what they are required to do according to the Highway Code.
I thank people who work on cash tills at shops - even though it's what they are paid to do.
I thank people who marshal at Parkrun and races - even though they have chosen to spend their weekend morning standing on the corner of a path in a hi-viz vest.

Isn't this just manners / common decency / being a nice person / not being a belter?
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Agree it just makes the world a nicer place to be.
 
case895 said:
No never! Thanking another driver by squeezing through a narrow zig-zag gap they have left by doing it one handed and not looking where you are going is frankly crazy. "I'm going to express my gratitude by increasing the chances of us hitting." Gee thanks...When I let other drivers though, I purposely avoid looking at them. PS I did an advanced driving course and the instructor agreed with me.
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What - you can’t manage power steering with one hand?!
FGS what do you do when you are drinking a bottle of lager? Having a cigarette or chatting on your phone?

Seriously though that is the kind of attitude that does irritate me enormously, it costs absolutely nothing to be polite!!
 
fburton said:
Wasn't that just an attempt to avoid further aggro?
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More than likely!

Honestly Case you'd hate living in our village. Narrow street, cars parked both sides, delivery lorries at the shops, bus routes and loads of agricultural vehicles. If we weren't all patient, polite and cheerful, not to mention capable of steering through small awkward gaps, we wouldn't survive! :D
 
Sandstone1 said:
I do thank any that slow down, however I do wonder why riders are expected to thank everyone for simply driving sensibly and following the highway code. Every other road user is not expected to constantly be thanking everyone that slows down.

cyclists and walkers dont.
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OH thanks car and lorry drivers who stop to graciously allow her to cross at a zebra crossing; she thinks I'm ungrateful and arrogant when I don't do the same.

I point out to her that I don't thank them for restraining their urge to mount the kerb and crush me against the wall.

I don't think it's at all useful or civic to thank a driver for grudgingly doing what the law requires.

On the other hand, I often ride tail in a column, or walk behind the tail horse when we take beginners on a short walk on the roads around the yard, and I thank drivers who hang back until there's a safe passing place where I wave them through.
 
case895 said:
No never! Thanking another driver by squeezing through a narrow zig-zag gap they have left by doing it one handed and not looking where you are going is frankly crazy. "I'm going to express my gratitude by increasing the chances of us hitting." Gee thanks...When I let other drivers though, I purposely avoid looking at them. PS I did an advanced driving course and the instructor agreed with me.
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It REALLY pisses me off when I let drivers through, and they stare stonily ahead, not having the common courtesy to say thank you. My father is an Advanced Motorist trainer/former driving instructor, and he always drummed it into me/my sister/his pupils that manners cost nothing.
 
I have a scale of acknowledgement of driver behaviour:

- Excellent = wave, head nod and shouted thank you, if commercial, email or call to the employer to compliment the driver

- Good = wave, head nod and smile

- Just about acceptable = head nod

- Unacceptable = arm out with thumb down

- Dangerous = arm out with thumb down and report to police and employer if commercial

I do not get into a verbal slanging match because that upsets my horse and makes the situation worse.

I recently emailed a fleet manager to say how well one of his drivers had behaved and why the behaviour was so good, my comments where recorded on the drivers employment records and used to train other drivers. He was pleased and grateful to have my input. I find complimenting good behaviour is very powerful tool.
 
I wave or smile to everyone if they haven't tried to kill me, I also do the silly jog smiling/mouthing thank you thing when someone stops at a pelican crossing

I loose the connection between my brain and tongue if they do try to kill me and I don't care what size the driver is, I am calm with an error a hand up by both parties (Sorry and accepted) and its all done but anything remotely stupid/dangerous and I go off like a stick of dynamite
 
pansymouse said:
I have a scale of acknowledgement of driver behaviour:

- Excellent = wave, head nod and shouted thank you, if commercial, email or call to the employer to compliment the driver

- Good = wave, head nod and smile

- Just about acceptable = head nod

- Unacceptable = arm out with thumb down

- Dangerous = arm out with thumb down and report to police and employer if commercial

I do not get into a verbal slanging match because that upsets my horse and makes the situation worse.

I recently emailed a fleet manager to say how well one of his drivers had behaved and why the behaviour was so good, my comments where recorded on the drivers employment records and used to train other drivers. He was pleased and grateful to have my input. I find complimenting good behaviour is very powerful tool.
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I have a similar system, although I don't do the thumbs down, I just do the slow down arm movement manically and give a dirty look if eye contact is possible. I've never needed to write to a company to complain but I have to say thank you. I've also tweeted large companies to say thank you (the rationale being they have loads of followers so lots of people will see it and might learn something) and I've posted on a local community Facebook page to thank drivers collectively when we've had a good driver day. I find the response I get doing this is far more effective than the ones where people complain (I've never complained on social media myself). Complaining posts get the whole "horses shouldn't be on the roads" response whereas if you thank drivers you often get a "I was one of those drivers, thanks for pulling in" kind of response. People can't be argumentative when you're being nice, it just makes them look like a d**k.

I did write a letter to my local paper in the days before social media suggesting to one driver that if he was going to hurl abuse at me for politely asking him to slow down when he was doing 50 in a 30 zone on a narrow blind bend (he was lucky it was a horse he met, anything wider he'd have had a head on collision) it was best not to do do it in a van emblazoned in his company's name. Also, if he was in such a hurry, why stop and spend 30 seconds screaming obscenities at me? Unfortunately, the paper edited the company's name out :D.
 
pansymouse said:
I recently emailed a fleet manager to say how well one of his drivers had behaved and why the behaviour was so good, my comments where recorded on the drivers employment records and used to train other drivers. He was pleased and grateful to have my input. I find complimenting good behaviour is very powerful tool.
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A few years ago we were in the middle of a riding and road safety exam, on a nice straight bit of road outside the riding centre. We had one pony going out on the road route, another was coming back. Along came a big red coach, the driver slowed and waited ......... until the moment that the two ponies were opposite each other, when he revved up and drove his coach between the two ponies :O

Those seconds where I could only see the pony on my side and not the pony on the other side will stay with me forever! Fortunately they were SO good and just tootled along, but there were a lot of white faced adults afterwards.

I emailed the company, along the lines of "we are only concerned with helping road users to understand the best way to drive if there are horses on the road" and the driver (middle aged bloke who had been driving for 30 years) actually rang me to say he did not know what he should have done, and he was grateful for the advice. Honestly, you would really think it was common sense not to do what he did ....
 
I once rode into Tescos (on a 12.2hh pony), demanding a complaint form because their van had just run us off the road.

I received one very quickly :D
 
I thank people at crossings too....


The only time I don't thank while riding is when on a main road with a constant stream of traffic in both directions, to thank everyone feels like some sort of nodding dog syndrome and while I'm happy riding one handed if I left my hand up there they would think I meant someone else, I try to compromise and thank every few cars and hope they all see it :) straight road.
 
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