I try to be a careful and considerate driver, Lord knows. I often let people in front of me, merging or turning, but less and less often do I get a little “Thank you” wave or any kind of acknowledgement that I just did them a favor. It’s as if it’s their %$#@* divine right to do whatever I just let them do, or even that I’m a sucker for letting them.
I know virtue should be its own reward, but dammit, it pisses me off.
Damn straight. Next time this happens, I suggest you open fire.
Perhaps they are fully aware of their jerkiness and wish to immediately forget about the whole episode by pretending you aren’t there.
Wow! I just had a friend go off on that the other day! If you weren’t in Cleveland, I’d swear you were J.
But yeah, I hate that, too.
My wife gets upset with me for not waving.
I don’t get it. I mean… thanks?.. I guess?
Why do you care whether I wave my hand at you or not?
Myself, by policy, I allow people to get into my lane when I can see them signalling and it would not be dangerous for me to slow down to let them in. If there are several people signalling, my policy is to let one of them, and only one of them, in.
Sometimes they wave, sometimes they don’t. I don’t give a damn, and don’t see why I would or should. I didn’t do it out of a feeling of community or something. I did it because it’s about as important that they get where they’re going as it is that I get where I’m going, and that the people behind me get where they’re going. It’s not important that they understand that I’m “doing them a favor.” We’re never going to interact again. It’s over and done.
Another relevant note: Sometimes people may not know you’re letting them in. They may think they just had to force their way in to your lane, despite your best efforts to prevent them from doing so. It’s not so easy to see who’s accelerating and decelerating (and why) in such situations.
Virtue should be its own rew… oh.
Not to excuse the ingrates, but I occasionally encounter a situation where someone attempts to do me such a “favor,” which actually ends up being more inconveniencing (due to the time required to pause, figure out what the hell they’re up to, and decide whether or not to proceed) than if they had just continued on by as they were supposed to.
For example, at some two-way stop intersections, would-be Good Samaritans with the right-of-way (and no stop sign from their direction) slow to a stop and wave me on anyway. Are they really stopping? Will they spontaneously realize they have the right-of-way and stomp the accelerator? Or most insidiously, do look like the sort of entrepreneur who might sacrifice his or her shitty beater of a car in a potentially profitable fender-bender, for which I would undoubtedly be faulted?
In those circumstances I am as liable to produce a sigh and slight, sad shake of the head as I am a friendly wave. If our paths have crossed and you got the sigh rather than the wave, I sincerely apologize.
You must achieve oneness with the Inner Driver, lest you fall into the way of the Asshole. The Asshole is aggressive, and crude, and desperate to save five minutes that he has no idea what to do with, he is as unto the dog that chases the car he cannot eat, cannot bury, and cannot fuck.
Let the Asshole flow past you, let him pass, his fate is sealed, he will return as an assistant maggot. For sooner or later, two Assholes find each other, neither yields, and the gene pool is clarified, and the Great Wheel is in balance, once again.
You aren’t a fucking hero for letting someone change lanes or turn, by the way. Who the fuck do you think you are, that you should be personally recognized and praised for being a safe driver?
Double true. Word.
I don’t think that he is the person you’re thinking about, nor is he the other person in the town. That would be accompanied by some sort of “radical” sound effect. You know the kind.
I keed, I keed. I have much love for everyone living in the more remote parts of Cali. Those are usually the most interesting places.
I mean, really, there’s Vegas, Atlantic City, and Barstow.
Modjeska Canyon is pretty damn sweet though, why is my vision blurring…?
Mommy?..
I think that if you letting them pass included eye contact and “go ahead” wave, a “thank you” wave is in order. If you are just slowing down a bit, he is just entering and that’s the end of that. The medal ceremony will come in Heaven, if you believe in that.
word. some people are just assholes.
It’s kinda like at night when a trucker goes by and you give it the headlight flick to let them know they are past you and it’s safe to change lanes back in front of you. the cool dudes will give you the semi-rig light blink of thanks.
It’s just being nice and some dickheads can’t be bothered.
On my route home from the office, some brilliant bureaucrat decided it would be a good idea to make the entrance to a freeway and the exit onto an adjoining freeway the same lane. Needless to say each and every day there is a cluster fuck (this is the pit right?) of people trying to get in and out of that same lane backing up traffic for miles. If there was a little more courtesy, all that could be avoided but people get too stubborn to allow someone in who didn’t get at the end of the line but drove to the front to get off. You can see the tight asses keeping their bumper as close behind the car in front of them as possible as if to say, *fuck you, I waited and now you will. * . I am a sucker and let them in when I see their predicament. However, the lack of waving or acknowledgement makes me very tempted to become one of the tight asses myself.
Clearly you were up WAY past your bedtime when you posted this :rolleyes:
Perhaps you might try some decaffinated?
Are you kidding me? It has nothing to do with being a safe driver or being a hero. You’re doing someone a small kindness, and waving in thanks won’t kill you.
As someone who spends most of the day on the road, I see all sorts of Vehicular Jackassery. Getting a wave in return for something like letting someone cut in makes all the difference.
We’re living in a society, you know.
I respond by yelling “YOU’RE WELCOME!!!” but just in the privacy on my own car, not out the window or anything. Personal sarcasm is acceptable; road rage is not.
Summer day, we’re stuck in traffic and everyone’s windows are down. The college boys in the lane next to us had let someone cut in but not been acknowledged. All of them started yelling “Friendly wave! Where’s my friendly wave, dude!” 
If someone does me a traffic favor I’ll try to wave but honestly, sometimes I’m trying too hard to understand my next move to spare one brain cell on a wave. Often when people need such a favor they’re in a panic state and need to just concentrate on the traffic.
I feel good when i flash by brights so big-rigs can merge in front of me and they flash their brakes at me. Just doing my part to keep Amer’ca Trukkin’!