How do you drive courteous ( ideas welcome ! )

[Cd]

I recently made a trip to see my parents and along the way got to thinking of some polite things my parents used to do for other drivers.
They grew up in South Texas and it is pretty much an unwritten rule that when someone is on your butt, you scoot over to the shoulder and let them pass.

The roads are wide and well paved in Texas, so I can understand if there are other regions where this could not be done.

Something else I learned from them is to 'flash' a semi truck when he clears your front bumper. You tap your headlights on and off really quick, and this acts as a signal to the trucker that he is clear to move over to your lane.
Try it sometime and watch the tail lights of the truck as he sees you. They signal back a 'thank you' by turning their lights on as well.
Not every trucker does this, but there are quite a few that do.


So feel free to add any courtesy ideas here everyone !

BTW I had something like this kinda back fire on me though. There was no shoulder on the highway i was on, and this guy was right on me for what seemed like 20 miles.
I moved over to the left lane and applied my brakes ( gently ), thinking he would go past me.
Instead, he became puzzled and slowed down as well.

[gone-ot]

Assume that EVERY driver on the roads is out to KILL you through (a) distraction, (b) impairment, or (c) intent (road rage).

That will cover about 99.9% of all drivers...the rest are saints, awaiting sainthood.

[freebeard]

I read somewhere that in Japan when a driver drops back to let you merge, they turn on the 4-way flasher for two flashes for thank. you.

[Xist]

When I was a kid, I remember my dad turning off his high beams when semis passed us, and they quickly turned on their emergency flashers, to say thanks.

[Rishar]

Originally Posted by Xist

When I was a kid, I remember my dad turning off his high beams when semis passed us, and they quickly turned on their emergency flashers, to say thanks.

You don't see it as much today but it does happen. I'll flash my brights after they've cleared the front of my car to let them know they've got room to move over. About half the time I get the blinking lights as a way of saying thanks.

[dirtydave]

I love when cars do that when I am driving a big truck, It is so helpful! At night turn the headlights on and off don't flash the high beams. Once I mistook a bump in the road and a light flicker for a high beam flash. It was so close. I had to call it a night after that one.

[ksa8907]

I just mind my own business, set the cruise at 55/60 and drive. I try not to get too close to other drivers.

If I am near my turn and I am coasting I will tap my brakes when I start to coast and put my turn signal on when im about 1/4 mile away.

[Xist]

I try to get in the exit lane as soon as possible, so that everyone can pass me, but they tend to stay behind me for too long before passing. Then they race to a red light. I am usually coasting at forty miles an hour when I need to start braking. I wish that I could start coasting earlier, but I am not driving 40 MPH on the freeway!

[redpoint5]

I maintain a consistent speed on the highway when an on-ramp merges, as required by law. My wife then punches me when I allow the people whose responsibility it is to get in the large gap I've left ahead or behind, to get too close beside me. She will punch me even when I'm boxed in and can't move a lane over.

I try to explain that me slowing or speeding up only confuses the situation, but she is convinced I am just trying to be a jerk.

[Xist]

"You are just doing that to annoy me!"
"You're so vain, you probably think this song is about you."

I was once driving when someone was trying to merge. My passenger asked if I was going to slow down to let the other car in and I pointed out that I was driving 55 in a 65, with everyone else driving 75.

Another time, I had a guy call over at a light "Yo, you gonna let me in?" Right then, the light turned green and I took off. In my Prelude, if I was turning left, I would appraise the vehicles waiting in the opposite direction. Vans and semis? I can turn before they even start moving. That was a terrible idea and I stopped doing it last week, but when the light turns green, I can usually start my engine and accelerate before the other vehicles start moving.

Have I ever mentioned that I want to mount a rear-facing EMP in my rear bumper?