AMERICA ONLY: Is it okay to flash Hi-beams to signal a pass?

[CAMAROBOY69]

I would be careful with this because it could easily irritate people that dont know what your doing. Most people dont even realise they need to flash a semi truck driver if he is trying to get over.

 

[YSSMAN]

I'm finding that I'm doing it more often now that I have the Celica, but that being said, I still don't do it that much. The high beams are pretty bright to begin with, so, its not always the best thing to do. But yes, I definitely do it when I'm coming up behind someone quickly.

 

[tehFAO]

People don't have to let you merge into traffic, you don't have the right a way.

No ones refuting the traffic laws, it would just be nice to get a little more courtesy.

 

[Joey D]

No ones refuting the traffic laws, it would just be nice to get a little more courtesy.

I shouldn't have to let you in on the freeway, you either choose to abide by the laws or you can just not drive. Honestly merging is really easy, even in heavy traffic.

 

[McLaren]

Yeah it does, but this one had an aftermarket exhaust and I had the music on, so that was that. Plus the steering wheel completely blocked my line of sight to the indicator on the dash.

Was it also quite? I noticed in a few luxury cars like my 5, the turn signal is actually pretty quiet and can easily be drowned out.

 

[Slicks]

I'll use my high beams...
-When I'm on a multi-lane road and there's someone blocking the passing lane. I typically will only do this when it's dark outside, as most around here are too oblivious too notice flashing lights behind them. I am typically quite patient, but if I've been following for more than a minute or so, I'll start flashing the highs.

-When there's oncoming traffic at night with their high beams on.

-When there's police radar ahead of the oncoming traffic, I'll flash the high beams on and off until well clear of the area. People have saved me a couple times with that, I'd like to think that I've saved others.


Joey, I don't care if it's not required by law to let a vehicle merge. It's much harder to merge a 60+ foot rig into traffic than it is to shoehorn in a Mini. Lay off.

 

[tehFAO]

I shouldn't have to let you in on the freeway, you either choose to abide by the laws or you can just not drive. Honestly merging is really easy, even in heavy traffic.

Well alright... good for you.


You know... I was just going to leave the above apart as is, because honestly I think you're straight off the bat a dick, but name calling aside I'd like to know how you got off with all this keyboard hostility. You sound like a drill sergent with your little whippy comments "Get off the road if you can't merge!" Arrrghggh!

Please dude... don't ever question my driving skills, and I quite honestly don't understand where other people cutting me off and just plain not letting me onto the highway translates to me being a bad driver. You obviously haven't driven commercial vehicles before, have you?

Just kinda weird how you go on these little righteous rants when you really haven't shown a clue about the troubles I'm talk'in about. I don't possibly know how to simplify my 1st post enough for you to understand it and feel what I'm say'in so I'll just leave it here...

But you can keep babbling on about your rights. It's kinda stupid, but I'm into nonsensical humor when I'm bored.

 

[1X83Z]

Was it also quite? I noticed in a few luxury cars like my 5, the turn signal is actually pretty quiet and can easily be drowned out.

Very quiet as it often is in luxury cars as you mentioned. The combo of the exhaust/music, invisbility of the dash signal, and the quietness of the signal itself was deadly. I must've looked like a total idiot... in a $300,000 car!!

 

[Joey D]

Joey, I don't care if it's not required by law to let a vehicle merge. It's much harder to merge a 60+ foot rig into traffic than it is to shoehorn in a Mini. Lay off.

Really? It's harder to merge a semi? My dad drives truck over the road and I've never once heard him complaining about how hard it is to get on the freeway. He drives thousands of miles a month too. I've even been with him in the truck several times and he has no issue with it.

If a semi driver is being polite I will let them in or get over a lane, but if they are trying to bull their way through I don't. It's not my right to cause a traffic jam in order to let some guy in who has no concept of traffic laws.

Well alright... good for you.

You know... I was just going to leave the above apart as is, because honestly I think you're straight off the bat a dick, but name calling aside I'd like to know how you got off with all this keyboard hostility. You sound like a drill sergent with your little whippy comments "Get off the road if you can't merge!" Arrrghggh!

Please dude... don't ever question my driving skills, and I quite honestly don't understand where other people cutting me off and just plain not letting me onto the highway translates to me being a bad driver. You obviously haven't driven commercial vehicles before, have you?

Just kinda weird how you go on these little righteous rants when you really haven't shown a clue about the troubles I'm talk'in about. I don't possibly know how to simplify my 1st post enough for you to understand it and feel what I'm say'in so I'll just leave it here...

But you can keep babbling on about your rights. It's kinda stupid, but I'm into nonsensical humor when I'm bored.

Ah name calling now there is a way to win over respect on these boards and not to mention when you signed up you agreed not to do this. Please just follow the forum rules, it makes this place better. I have not called you any names or even attacked you in anyway.

Your first post here was some swear filled rant about merging. Many people had the same except response I did. You sound like some sort of victim on the road when in fact you are not because you are not following the traffic laws, you very well could make someone else a victim and not in a good way. Certain people have the right of way for a reason, either follow the laws or or expect to get a hefty ticket when you run into someone.

As I've said my dad drives commercially, over the road too, and rarely has any trouble. In the 30 years he's driven he's been in one accident because a drunk driver drove under his trailer and he's probably logged millions of miles driving all over this country and Europe. I have to imagine most semi drivers are in the same boat as him.

 

[tehFAO]

Ah name calling now there is a way to win over respect on these boards

Whose respect am I supposed to "win?" Yours? LOL That was a good laugh. I like to post in online forums and don't get me wrong GTP is probably one of the nicer communities I've seen... but don't think for a second that your respect is essential to me. I don't need you. At the end of the day, this is an online community I waste time on, not exactly something that will determine life or death. If that's how you honestly take GTP, than you've got issues I can't even begin to start on... GTP is a great place to chat about cars, and that's why I'm here but don't even start to think for a second it's a personal relationship.

and not to mention when you signed up you agreed not to do this.

Oh how contradicting. Agreed to not do what? Not Flame someone? It's like the pot calling the tea kettle black here. I don't know where you got off thinking I don't know how to freaking merge, but all sensible logic aside you continued to "show the noob" up and flame me. lol

I have not called you any names or even attacked you in anyway.

Uh, yeah you did. "Get off the highway because you can't merge" is a pretty blantant attack, considering what I posted had no way, shape, or form related to anything about my own personal driving ability. You took it upon yourself to light the fire because somehow the impatience of other people means I'm a sucky driver.

Your first post here was some swear filled rant about merging.

My first post took place in a thread in a completely different section of the forum, actually. In fact, I believe my very first post was in the GT2 section. My very first thread ever was in the GT2 section as well. But you seem to know better than I do, so who am I to question you? How would I know...

Oh BTW, my "swear filled rant" had an astonishing 2 naughty words. Oh my, I'm such a rated-R poster. Maybe you shoudn't read my posts anymore.

Many people had the same except response I did. You sound like some sort of victim on the road when in fact you are not because you are not following the traffic laws, you very well could make someone else a victim and not in a good way. Certain people have the right of way for a reason, either follow the laws or or expect to get a hefty ticket when you run into someone.

No where in that thread I posted did I state any issues I've ever had merging. I'd agree, in my own personal vehicle mergining is easy as pie. Rather, it was more so a rant about how pointlessly people die more than it was about merging. If you had a broad enough mind to see the bigger point of that thread, I wouldn't have to explain that to you and we wouldn't be here now...

I honestly don't get how anyone thought that that thread had anyhting to do with my own driving skills. It had nothing to do with that, it was a synical and sarcastic rant on how pointlessly people are dying simply because of impatience. Nothing more!

As I've said my dad drives commercially, over the road too, and rarely has any trouble. In the 30 years he's driven he's been in one accident because a drunk driver drove under his trailer and he's probably logged millions of miles driving all over this country and Europe. I have to imagine most semi drivers are in the same boat as him.

Well good for your dad. Maybe he just doesn't complain or get things off his chest as much as I'd like to do. Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it because it really isn't that big of a deal, but it's big enough to point out in threads like this. Are you begining to see how ridiculous you're being? I mean really...

But I guess long story short... Sorry I wanted to point how high beams help me merge into rush hour traffic better. I thought that was what the thread was about, but hey... I'm a n00b, right?

Sorry to have continued something so stupid, but Joey D you really set yourself up when you try to flame me. But I'll be the bigger member and firstly extend a solution to our issues here... I'm about done and ready to squash this. I wouldn't like to have any friction with anyone, so lets just agree to disagree (even though you're commenting on my personal life) and just leave it. Say what you got to say and lets never talk of it again.

 

[Omnis]

Calmeth down and turn thine other cheek.

 

[Submerged]

Although I do have to agree that the argument has been rather well managed between Joey and theFAO.

Therefore in my opinion they are right to voice their own opinion and allow one another to showcase their own opinions as well to see why they both disagree in this one case.

Although I do have to say I didn't particularly like Joey's rather insulting manner of demeaning theFAO apparent experience of driving a semi (commerical transportation) full time. Of course, this is the internet so either people could be lying about their experiences (this in no way means i don't believe or anything, just being realistic) however one must remember that on the internet, what one person says may have another meaning. I believe that Joey just did not quite grasp what theFAO actually meant and went on an assumption that proved to be incorrect for theFAO actual experiences.

I do have to say that in England it is considered extremely polite to actually slow flash a artic (commerical truck) to overtake another artic so they may carry on on their way, rather than you just impeding their progress and wasting fuel. I mean, if I'm just behind the truck and the truck is INSANELY close to the other truck ahead, i will actually slow flash to give indication that there are no other cars in front of me and the truck and that the truck has space to move out and overtake. This also gives me an additional benefit. I save fuel by being in the slipstream of the artic....even though it's not actually legal. Apparently.

Hope all that made sense....

 

[McLaren]

If a semi driver is being polite I will let them in or get over a lane, but if they are trying to bull their way through I don't. It's not my right to cause a traffic jam in order to let some guy in who has no concept of traffic laws.

That is the stupidest thing you can do. If there's a semi merging and you know he's going to bully his way in, the last thing I'd do is try to fight him for it.

There's absolutely no sense in trying to force a semi to give you the right of way if he doesn't want to, esp. if he's in a 60 ton truck and you're in a Mini. The chances of you winning that battle are low when he's got the ability to have a truck that's still running at the end of the day.

Any time I see a semi forcing his way, I let him in. Those guys are the last people I want to piss off on the highway.

 

[Joey D]

That is the stupidest thing you can do. If there's a semi merging and you know he's going to bully his way in, the last thing I'd do is try to fight him for it.

There's absolutely no sense in trying to force a semi to give you the right of way if he doesn't want to, esp. if he's in a 60 ton truck and you're in a Mini. The chances of you winning that battle are low when he's got the ability to have a truck that's still running at the end of the day.

Any time I see a semi forcing his way, I let him in. Those guys are the last people I want to piss off on the highway.

Trust me a semi driver will not cause an accident if they can help it. If they do they no longer have a way to make a living since the company they work for will more than likely terminate them and they will have their license revoked, thus ending their career. There is a lot at stake when driving a truck. In the one accident my dad had he was put on probation by the state for one year even though it wasn't his fault and he was suspended from work (with pay mind you) for one week while the case was reviewed. Most state's do not screw around with that. If a semi hits me it's game over for him, and there is a really good chance I will survive the ordeal as well. Cars are safe now days, and believe me if one hits me it's going to be one heck of a law suit.

I have been known to call in on semi's that are driving recklessly though because honestly if you have that big of a truck you should know what you are doing with it.

 

[xXSilencerXx]

I flash people on the interstate who are just getting in the way. I give them a good amount of time to move first, but usually they don't. Problem is most of them won't move no matter how many times you flash them. It take gettin right up on the bumper or just going around a cuttin them of before they get the message.