Because I always set my cruise control for 53mph I get overtaken by many many lorries and I’ve noticed that the ones overtaking me generally fall into one of three groups; firstly you have that increasingly rare group who will acknowledge you flashing them in, secondly you have the large group who consider that merely indicating left to be acknowledgement enough, and finally another large group who are seemingly incapable of driving in a straight line whilst simultaneously looking into their nearside mirror so consequently don’t see your flash.
What I’ve started to do now is when one overtakes me and doesn’t acknowledge then I simply don’t flash the next one. The thing that strikes me as funny is that I get more (sarcastic) dancing indicators from those I don’t flash than ones I do! The funny part being that if I had flashed them they’d invariably consider indicating left to be an adequate response.
Just to add this neither annoys nor winds me up. On the contrary I quite like the ones that don’t acknowledge as it means that when I encounter them at some future point I don’t need to show them any courtesy whatsoever such as moving across to let them out of a junction, easing off if they are overtaking me on a hill and struggling or even guiding them whilst they reverse into a tight spot.
I disagree with your third paragraph as that shows you are bringing yourself down to their level rather than remaining at your own superior height. Just an observation.
You do still have to look where you’re going when overtaking so it is possible just to miss a flash!
I find that the majority (including myself) do still acknowledge being flashed in. A far bigger problem is people moving back in before you’ve had a chance to flash tbh. Rigid drivers in particular - always moaning that artic drivers don’t flash them in - if you left it more than 2 feet before you pulled back in then you might get a few
One might also argue that if you are making a mental hit list of who not to help in the future and pettily not flashing the next truck in then it is irking you somewhat
Hmm, so you punish the next vehicle, who may have been one of the courteous ones. They then think it’s all going to hell in a handcart and good manners are a thing of the past. If they do the same, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy.
I flash everyone in, mutter under my breath if I don’t get thanked, but will still do it for the next bod. I’m not assisting our decline into ignorant driving. I like to think enough of us are still holding a high level of courteousness.
waddy640:
I disagree with your third paragraph as that shows you are bringing yourself down to their level rather than remaining at your own superior height. Just an observation.
You are of course correct, and in fact the only thing that annoys me is not their actions, but rather my actions or inactions, it’s not in my nature but by God it gets exhausting.
grumpybum:
Hmm, so you punish the next vehicle, who may have been one of the courteous ones.
It’s not punishing the next vehicle though is it? Not getting flashed in is hardly a punishment. None of us require flashing in in reality and we all know that it’s a courtesy thing, a bit like thanking someone for holding the door open for them.
As I answered above it’s myself I’m more annoyed about for reacting in this manner.
You missed the other category, the ones that wait until the back of their trailer is level with your windscreen and cut in…these ■■■■ kers should be tortured and exterminated I actually hate them with a vengeance. …as you know.
I flash all trucks in…including rigids …just so they don’t feel inadequate.
Tbh it doesn’t really bother me if they don’t acknowledge,.I’m sat safe in the knowledge that I’m more courteous and less pig ignorant than they are.
On the other hand if I give way to somebody when I don’t really have to,.I do get annoyed if they don’t acknowledge it, it’s just bad manners which I hate.
I’ve noticed another group emerging,…those that get less than half way past you and start indicating…wtf is that all about exactly?
You never know if they are actually waiting for a flash, or are going to cut in on you before they clear you.
As you say mate a strange breed.
robroy:
You missed the other category, the ones that wait until the back of their trailer is level with your windscreen and cut in…these [zb] kers should be tortured and exterminated I actually hate them with a vengeance. …as you know.
I flash all trucks in…including rigids …just so they don’t feel inadequate.
Tbh it doesn’t really bother me if they don’t acknowledge,.I’m sat safe in the knowledge that I’m more courteous and less pig ignorant than they are.
I’ve noticed another group emerging,…those that get less than half way past you and start indicating…wtf is that all about exactly?
You never know if they are actually waiting for a flash, or are going to cut in on you before they clear you.
As you say mate a strange breed.
After i passed my car test i did a pass plus course and was taught to start to indicate back in as my bonnet was level with the front of the lorry cab. Theory being is it lets the lorry driver know your coming back in (like they aint aware thats what you should be doing) and other traffic so they dont pull out into the next lane only to pull back in. It never happend when i was with the instructor but oncei was out on my own i seemed to get a lot of annoyed/perlonged flashes of headlights so i quit doing it.
If someone moves over to let me onto the motorway i always give them a thankyou wave of the hand as anyother signal in my oppinion would be inappropriate and confusing as i am already indicating to join the motorway. Trouble is 90% arnt looking as far as i can see and therefore dont see my thankyou and dont thank me or cut in close when i flash them back in.
the other group for want of a better phrase is those that i have slowed down to let them past flash them in and they just give a couple of blinks of the right indicator to indicate they are going to stay there to over take the next lorry 500 yards away that has been keeping the same distance to me for the last 10 miles so therefore they will never overtake. You can then bet your last dollar that the obligatory muppets then start undertaking makeing the situation even worse.
grumpybum:
Hmm, so you punish the next vehicle, who may have been one of the courteous ones.
It’s not punishing the next vehicle though is it? Not getting flashed in is hardly a punishment. None of us require flashing in in reality and we all know that it’s a courtesy thing, a bit like thanking someone for holding the door open for them.
Okay - change punishment to “tarring them all with the same brush”. I know it’s getting more and more difficult, but I still hope that there’s more good ones than bad. Ever the optimist…
grumpybum:
Okay - change punishment to “tarring them all with the same brush”. I know it’s getting more and more difficult, but I still hope that there’s more good ones than bad. Ever the optimist…
You are of course correct, but I was merely venting after leaving Nuneaton this morning and travelling to Peterborough mainly on the A14 and the only acknowledgement I received was from a caravanner despite ignoring my own rules and flashing every single lorry in including the one overtaking my empty vehicle on the 7.5 tonne limit bit after I’d ended up slowing to under 40mph instead of hanging him out to dry which with hindsight is what I should have done.
the maoster:
after leaving Nuneaton this morning and travelling to Peterborough mainly on the A14 and the only acknowledgement I received was from a caravanner despite ignoring my own rules and flashing every single lorry in including the one overtaking my empty vehicle on the 7.5 tonne limit bit after I’d ended up slowing to under 40mph instead of hanging him out to dry which with hindsight is what I should have done.
If it winds you up that much, might it not be better to stop flashing lorries in? There’s no room for disappointment then. It’s not necessary anyway, as I’m sure they can judge the distance for themselves.
grumpybum:
Okay - change punishment to “tarring them all with the same brush”. I know it’s getting more and more difficult, but I still hope that there’s more good ones than bad. Ever the optimist…
You are of course correct, but I was merely venting after leaving Nuneaton this morning and travelling to Peterborough mainly on the A14 and the only acknowledgement I received was from a caravanner despite ignoring my own rules and flashing every single lorry in including the one overtaking my empty vehicle on the 7.5 tonne limit bit after I’d ended up slowing to under 40mph instead of hanging him out to dry which with hindsight is what I should have done.
Ah well - you were provoked! Acceptable mitigating circumstances. It makes perfect sense now
I don’t flash anyone in , it’s too easy to miss , I hold it on full beam until they either indicate to me by way of indicator coming on / moving that they’ve seen I’m telling them it’s ok to come in
My truck has PCC so when it know there a hill it eases off and the monkeys behind not leaving a 2second gap get all angry with me as if I’m doing it on purpose.
Likewise when a chimpanzee cuts infront of you with cruise control them my truck slows down hard again
With the mercs with cameras instead of mirrors it is sometimes difficult to notice if its a flash or the camera strobing, so accept this as a thanks for the flash in advance
If you give me a flash, you big hunk you , you’ll receive not only two or three left indicator flashes, but also…wait for it…two flashes of the side lights, the first one a short flash and the second longer.
Now think back when was the last time you saw the proper answering reply to being flashed in?
Juddian:
If you give me a flash, you big hunk you , you’ll receive not only two or three left indicator flashes, but also…wait for it…two flashes of the side lights, the first one a short flash and the second longer.
Now think back when was the last time you saw the proper answering reply to being flashed in?
yep use to do that in the day, can’t see the point in it nowadays unless a wide or a elephant racer but only once i can see the o/s corner of their trl on the i/s of my cab cornerpost…
p.s. also back in the day a flash was a great help what with fog/smog and crappy mirrors…
Juddian:
If you give me a flash, you big hunk you , you’ll receive not only two or three left indicator flashes, but also…wait for it…two flashes of the side lights, the first one a short flash and the second longer.
Now think back when was the last time you saw the proper answering reply to being flashed in?
yep use to do that in the day, can’t see the point in it nowadays unless a wide or a elephant racer but only once i can see the o/s corner of their trl on the i/s of my cab cornerpost…
p.s. also back in the day a flash was a great help what with fog/smog and crappy mirrors…
Can’t do that in a lot of todays vehicles with permanent side/trailer lights on all the time that only switch off with the ignition
…as you know. 
