The agressive moron..

[Raza]

I was taught long ago to flash my lights at at 18 wheelers after they pass me to let them know when it's safe for them to pull back over.  About 70% of the time I'm given a blink of their running lights as acknowledgement.  

I've never heard of that one before.  Then again, it's rare that I'm passed by an 18 wheeler, so it doesn't come into play much. 

[Byteme]

I've never heard of that one before.  Then again, it's rare that I'm passed by an 18 wheeler, so it doesn't come into play much. 

Really?  A previous brother in law was a truck driver and he showed me a lot of things like that.  Watch truckers as the pass each other on the interstate and you will frequently see them signaling each other like that.   Like flashing their lights at oncoming traffic to warn of speed traps it's probably not done as often today since CB radios offer better communication opportunities.

Normally on a trip I'll be doing about 5 over the limit and passing probably 75% of the 18 wheelers.  The other 25% are in more of a hurry.  75 in a 70 zone keeps me virtually invisible to the cops and generally gets me there fast enough.  The difference batween 75 and 80 MPH on a 200 mile trip is 10 minutes, an insignificant amount of time, especially considering the cost and hassle of a ticket and the added fuel cost.

[Raza]

Really?  A previous brother in law was a truck driver and he showed me a lot of things like that.  Watch truckers as the pass each other on the interstate and you will frequently see them signaling each other like that.   Like flashing their lights at oncoming traffic to warn of speed traps it's probably not done as often today since CB radios offer better communication opportunities.

Normally on a trip I'll be doing about 5 over the limit and passing probably 75% of the 18 wheelers.  The other 25% are in more of a hurry.  75 in a 70 zone keeps me virtually invisible to the cops and generally gets me there fast enough.  The difference batween 75 and 80 MPH on a 200 mile trip is 10 minutes, an insignificant amount of time, especially considering the cost and hassle of a ticket and the added fuel cost.

Nope.  I've heard a lot about truck to truck communication and have seen trucks flash each other in the manner you mentioned, but I've never heard of it from a car to a truck. 

[Byteme]

Nope.  I've heard a lot about truck to truck communication and have seen trucks flash each other in the manner you mentioned, but I've never heard of it from a car to a truck. 

Which is why it doesn't happen often.  Most car drivers don't know about it or do it.

[Submariner]

-sigh-

I was driving with my aunt today to help her bring in her iMac for service, and evidently, we were going too slow for him (35 on a 35).  He kept flashing his lights and beeping his horn, but the road was far too narrow for us to pull aside and let him drive by.  The median was double solid lines, but if he really wanted to pass, he could have, as there were no cars in sight in the oncoming lane.

He continued the horn/light banter for a minute or so, until he decided to drive past us.  On the passing manuver, he held his horn firm, and was visibly infuriated as he passed by.  The two of us laughed, and continued on our way. 

[GoCougs]

I think a trucker would have to absolute nuts to rely on some random driver, let a lone someone in a Corolla, for when to change lanes.

[Byteme]

I think a trucker would have to absolute nuts to rely on some random driver, let a lone someone in a Corolla, for when to change lanes.

No trucker would and they don't. It's simply a courtesy offered by the driver being passed to tell the trucker "you are clear of me".

Where did the Corolla reference come from?

[Minpin]

"Flash to Pass" is definitely no longer acceptable. I flash all the time at left lane campers, a simple two flicks, and they immediately go slower and slower and slower...... Our society is so fucked nowadays.

[Raza]

"Flash to Pass" is definitely no longer acceptable. I flash all the time at left lane campers, a simple two flicks, and they immediately go slower and slower and slower...... Our society is so fucked nowadays.

It works for me 70% of the time...higher than that the further I get from Philly.

[GoCougs]

No trucker would and they don't. It's simply a courtesy offered by the driver being passed to tell the trucker "you are clear of me".

Where did the Corolla reference come from?

"Courtesy" = reliance.

People who own Corollas don't know how to drive big rigs (and thus don't know when it is safe for a big rig to change lanes).

[Byteme]

"Courtesy" = reliance.

Not according to any dictionary or definition I'm aware of. 

[Northlands]

"Flash to Pass" is definitely no longer acceptable. I flash all the time at left lane campers, a simple two flicks, and they immediately go slower and slower and slower...... Our society is so fucked nowadays.

It's unbelievable how people take what is supposed to be good communication so negatively these days.

I've had my share of aggressive people on me, but its no surprise as my city is epic in its population of horrid drivers. Some of the notable ones have been while waiting on traffic in front of me, such as transport trucks or buses. A tool behind me will start honking away and yelling at me like I had some choice in the matter of an 80000 lb full load truck pulling in front of me. Heaven forbid I let a bus turn in front of me when he's in the parked car lane. People seem to hate that.. only to have the bus turn back to the right lane 8 seconds later when its clear. 

I've had the odd verbal dispute with the odd retard, but nothing has ever come of them. I suspect they figure small car driver must equal small person, not some weathered looking 6 ft 1 dude. 

Memorable moments of having a person tailgating me ( while I'm doing at least 10-15 km/h over the posted limit ) on a couple of occasions. I know the roads well around here and have people on two incidents nailed by traffic cameras for speeding once they get around me. I guess I'd be a bit frustrated if I were going slow, but I wasn't. My own small measure of passive revenge on people not aware of their surroundings and too busy raging over God knows what...

[Raza]

I've been yelled at before, but I never really engage, so it never goes further than that.

[Rupert]

There was an extra large number of idiots out this morning. People turning from the no turn lane into the crosswalk, people parking in the drive lane, people puttering 10 below the limit in an area of downtown where the lights are all timed... I was pretty pissed off by the time I walked into work.

[AutobahnSHO]

At night the correct procedure with trucks is momentarily turn headlights OFF then back on.

I've done so a few times when it would have gummed up traffic to not let the truck in.

[Raza]

At night the correct procedure with trucks is momentarily turn headlights OFF then back on.

I've done so a few times when it would have gummed up traffic to not let the truck in.

My car's headlights don't turn off...

[TurboDan]

Well, I would imagine that if you could prove you shot first in self defense and were not the aggressor in the conflict, that would be a lot different than an aggressor shooting first.

Zach was really lucky in his case.  And his statements about the media confirm the worst that I already know -- how they manipulate and withhold news that they should be reporting in order to advance a certain political agenda.

Sounds like a small-town New England newspaper. We'd have run that story and a reporter probably would've gotten a copy of the police report and called Zach for details. 

[TurboDan]

Brandishing is a crime in many/most jurisdictions and most civil defense instructors will similarly tell you it is an extremely bad idea from a tactical POV.

It can be classified as assault in New Jersey. Of course, only criminals are allowed to carry concealed in this state, so the very fact that you have a gun will get you locked up to begin with.

[The Pirate]

My car's headlights don't turn off...

Does it bother you that your car thinks it is smarter than you?

[Raza]

Does it bother you that your car thinks it is smarter than you?

Sometimes, yes.  I don't mind DRLs, but I do mind the "DRL" light on the dashboard to remind me that they aren't fully on, just 80% and just at the front.  Of course, if you're too dumb to know whether or not you should put your lights on, you probably don't know what that little light means. 

[giant_mtb]

Nasty.  I hate DRLs that don't have an override.  Took me a while to figure out that pushing a random button in the Bravada four times turns off the DRLs and gives me control over the lights.

[TurboDan]

The DRLs don't bother me. The fact that the light bulbs last only half as long does.

[Eye of the Tiger]

The DRLs don't bother me. The fact that the light bulbs last only half as long does.

If you're lucky, the DRL's run low current through the high-beams, which aren't used much... but you drive a VW, so who knows WTF they did to the wiring in that thing. 

[SVT_Power]

If you're lucky, the DRL's run low current through the high-beams, which aren't used much... but you drive a VW, so who knows WTF they did to the wiring in that thing. 

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones! 

[93JC]

The DRLs don't bother me. The fact that the light bulbs last only half as long does.

Every car I've ever had has had DRLs, and not ONCE have I had the high-beam filament (the one the DRLs run off of) fail. It's always been my low-beams that burn out.

[The Phantom]

Sometimes, yes.  I don't mind DRLs, but I do mind the "DRL" light on the dashboard to remind me that they aren't fully on, just 80% and just at the front.  Of course, if you're too dumb to know whether or not you should put your lights on, you probably don't know what that little light means. 

Like today, for instance, when it rained, a lot of morons decided it was enough to just have their DRLs on, thus leaving their taillights off.

You and I have had this conversation before, and I believe we agree that DRLs are not equal to total headlights/taillights when it's raining.

Sure, there were the folks who didn't have their lights on at all, but the ones who really annoy me are the aforementioned group.

[The Phantom]

Every car I've ever had has had DRLs, and not ONCE have I had the high-beam filament (the one the DRLs run off of) fail. It's always been my low-beams that burn out.

A friend once told me of a theory.  When the lights are on, the filament is more flexible, thus preventing it from breaking; rather, it just, well, flexes.  Almost makes sense to me, especially given your experience with DRLs.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Nasty.  I hate DRLs that don't have an override.  Took me a while to figure out that pushing a random button in the Bravada four times turns off the DRLs and gives me control over the lights.

How to override DRL's:

Engage the parking brake one click. In most vehicles, this will not cause the brakes to drag.

[The Phantom]

How to override DRL's:

Engage the parking brake one click. In most vehicles, this will not cause the brakes to drag.

My car likes to sing to me when I do that, but yes, it works.

I used to do that in the '96 Grand Am when driving through the main gate at Cherry Point.

[The Phantom]

Actually, the Goat doesn't need that.  The switch actually works to turn them off and on, and to different positions (parking lights, full-on, DRL).