What happened to the Luv???

[wimpy]

So I'm sure this has been posted before but let me re-iterate on it. First of all not at all bagging on you east coast drivers but.... it seems that the more east you go the less courteous truck drivers seem to be. What I'm re-iterating on is when you pass another truck and you wanna get back in the slow lane, I personally appreciate it when the truck I pass flashes or turns his/her lights on/off to let me back in. It just seems that truckers aren't as enthusiastic about being friendly to each other, especially out on the roads.

Now I understand that fuel prices are up and Flying J sells syphnoning hoses, economy is going to sh*t, our present and future president suck, it's hot and humid, stupid drivers are born everyday, you may not be getting good miles but honestly thats no reason to be in a bad mood all the time. When your out on the road be a part of the brother/sisterhood of trucking and give that truck that passes you a wave and flash him/her back in when they pass you, it's only courteous and believe me if your NOT trying to lose weight you surely wont lose a lot of weight by unsticking your sweaty forearm from that arm rest and flick your lights switch. Trust me I'm not always in the greatest of moods but when I'm driving I try to put all my problems aside and enjoy the ride and the scenary, when your down in the dumps or you think your job sucks just think of all the thousands of people that would love to be in your shoes and they cant whether it be because of a disability, age, etc, etc. so you really dont have it that bad, it can always get worse. Sorry for such a long message but when I first got my CDL and started with.......yes Swift, I was like a 5yr old at Disneyland, I waved at every truck that passed me which was pretty much everyone except Swift and I flashed my lights to let them back in and was as courteous as I could be to all drivers truckers or not. Thanks.

[GMAN]

Unfortunately, there are all too many drivers who don't wait to be flashed. I just drove back to the house from Florida and lost count as to the number of drivers who cut back in front of me before I had time to flash them. Some cut it so close I thought I would lose my hood. :?

[vavega]

Unfortunately, there are all too many drivers who don't wait to be flashed.

there are also many of us who don't want to be flashed no pun intended

you may not be getting good miles but honestly that's no reason to be in a bad mood all the time. When your out on the road be a part of the brother/sisterhood of trucking and give that truck that passes you a wave and flash him/her back in when they pass you

while you think flashing is courtesy wimpy, i think it's an unsafe practice and i won't do it. it has nothing to do with being an east coast driver, or how courteous or friendly you are, it has all to do with giving up part of your job as a driver to someone else.

just as you have made assumptions about why someone won't flash you back in, you make assumptions when flashing. how about a scenario like this.......... a little sports car you've held up in the left lane, who's so close to your bumper you can't see it, whips out to pass you on the right, just after i flashed you clear. you move over on him, and i now have no way to tell you that it's not clear.

i flash you, you hit him, and you get to look really stupid saying to the cop. well she flashed me in! :?

[Double L]

I flash the lights and wave just out of habit. But Vavega makes a valid point as well. I can't argue with what you all said so far.

[Roadhog]

There is also a breed of driver out there who I believe deliberately hit you right at the time you are looking into your right mirror with the dim to BRIGHT lights. They don't flicker the light either. They do a burn your retina to raisins long flash...to make sure they blind the crap out of you.
Personally...I don't need another driver helping me drive. I have come to the point I just as soon they drive their own truck, and let me drive mine. I'm plenty friendly and courteous enough in many ways. I also use common sense. There are times, and you can tell when...a little help is nice. But bottom line...if you can't pass with out someones help...don't pass.

If you feel you MUST help me...its turn the lights OFF briefly/and back on.
NOT dim/... B-R-I-G-H-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-T....dim.

There are times I wonder if I'll get my front bumper back as well ...if I'm able to raise that steering wheel holder on the CB...and if I can have a conversation in English.

There are plenty of ways to be courteous. I even slow down a tad bit, when I see someone is struggling to get around me. It's no big deal for me to get back up to my cruising speed, once someone has cleared me comfortably. I won't fight over the road for anything. Especially 1 mph or a need to be in front. It's a long road.

I won't disagree that the common courtesy has been slipping away, along with common sense...and road rage has become an everyday occurrence.

[Mr. Ford95]

With so much traffic on the road here on the East Coast your better off not paying attention to a driver flashing you back in. As vavega stated, too many cars see that tiny hole and go for it at the same time your coming over after being flashed. They think the flash is for them not for the truck in front of them. Best off clearing yourself over here if you want to avoid merging into a car.

[cdreid]

What you said wimpy. I dont think its just east coaast though. Trucking isnt easy and we all seem to need peopjle to take it out on

[GMAN]

I see just as many discourteous drivers out West as I do in the East. I am not sure that it has anything to do with where you live or run. There are those who are not courteous no matter where you go.

[Syncrosonix]

what is love? baby, don't hurt me, don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more.... :rock:

[Drew10]

I to tend to not flash...as GMAN said, "all too many driver who dont wait to be flashed". Most of the time the passing driver is on his way back before I would have a chance to reach for the switch.

I agree with Roadhog....my courteousy, extends to slowing a little if the passing driver is struggling to complete the pass on me.

Now here is the $100 question. Does the "flash" indicate that you have cleared my bumper, or, there is adequete safety gap between us and its now ok to come back? If a safety gap is established then you will have a parade of 4wheels (and probably some BBRs) cutting in and leaving the passing truck in the left lane.

[geeshock]

I agree, I think several things have taken place to drop courtosy

1. parents bring children up diferently, every generation, not just the newest one
2. cell phones. That trucker on the side of the road can usually call road service, or qualcom there dispatcher instead of thumbing a ride to the closest ts to get someone to tow them to the ts, etc.
3. the whole help others metality is out the window, you don't know who you can trust these days.

I still flash over and "thank" hose that flash me over, but that don't relieve me of my duty to make a judgment call and look for that rouge 4 wheeler or decide if that trucker might decde they need a new hood when comming over or backing into a spot at the t/s

[matcat]

As an east coaster, and especially the north east, very few people are friendly, and you add that to the traffic conditions, and you have a brew of unfriendliness. Not personally how I am, but just the way it is.

As far as 'flashing' people over, I always just flashed my marker lights, it's visible, but not blinding, although not every truck has that capability, it is what I always did. Yeah I believe you should be able to know if you are far up enough to safely come back over, but it is always nice to get the courtesy, and don't just 'blindly' go over either, always look first. I was going down 95 once, and a JB lease op was passing me, the back end of his trailer was up to my hood, and a little car came up on me and switched over to the passing lane, and flashed me to let me know he was passing, and the JB driver must of thought I was flashing him and decided to try to come over into me, luckily there was a nice bit of shoulder for me to go over on and give him an ear full of air horn.

[wimpy]

Well as usual, certain people have to take posts to the extreme. All I was saying is that the courtesy of trucking has gone downhill. Now if your that incompetent and dont realize theres someone behind you ESPECIALLY at nite and you run into them trying to switch lanes even though you were flashed well thats your fault. Me personally, even during the day I know when there is/isnt someone behind me. When someone flashes you to come back in the slow lane, theres no law saying you have to go back into the slow lane. It's almost like a christmas present, "it's the thought that counts" and basically thats where the courtesy comes in. So thats all I'm sayin is that it would be nice to have more courteous drivers out there to make it a pleasant drive, but I know not everyone out there enjoys their job or life and thats the way it is.

Now the other thing I was talking about "flashing" another truck to come back into the slow lane, well I meant to turn your headlights off (for a split second) and then turn them back on so then no ones feelings are hurt, the guy you flash doesnt get blinded and you dont lose track of where your going because you turn your lights off for too long. I personally NEVER flash my high beams to another truck passing because I know it's bright and I dont like it myself so I dont do it to others. So in closing I just wanna say, if its your trucking lifestyle to flash other drivers that pass you back into the slow lane well then keep on doin it, if its not then hey dont do it, whatever makes you happy then keep doin it, but honestly theres no reason to make up some scenario just to make it sound like your tryin to cause a crash or something when honestly your just being courteous!!

[Mr. Ford95]

Wimpy, we're not making up scenario's, these incidents do happen in reality and they happen very often.

[Fredog]

Well as usual, certain people have to take posts to the extreme.

All I was saying is that the courtesy of trucking has gone downhill.

Now if your that incompetent and dont realize theres someone behind you ESPECIALLY at nite and you run into them trying to switch lanes even though you were flashed well thats your fault. Me personally, even during the day I know when there is/isnt someone behind me. When someone flashes you to come back in the slow lane, theres no law saying you have to go back into the slow lane. It's almost like a christmas present, "it's the thought that counts" and basically thats where the courtesy comes in. So thats all I'm sayin is that it would be nice to have more courteous drivers out there to make it a pleasant drive, but I know not everyone out there enjoys their job or life and thats the way it is.

Now the other thing I was talking about "flashing" another truck to come back into the slow lane, well I meant to turn your headlights off (for a split second) and then turn them back on so then no ones feelings are hurt, the guy you flash doesnt get blinded and you dont lose track of where your going because you turn your lights off for too long. I personally NEVER flash my high beams to another truck passing because I know it's bright and I dont like it myself so I dont do it to others. So in closing I just wanna say, if its your trucking lifestyle to flash other drivers that pass you back into the slow lane well then keep on doin it, if its not then hey dont do it, whatever makes you happy then keep doin it, but honestly theres no reason to make up some scenario just to make it sound like your tryin to cause a crash or something when honestly your just being courteous!!

All I was saying is that the courtesy of trucking has gone downhill.

Truer words were never spoken!!

[Phantom433a]

I hate everyone and make sure no one is able to pass

Actually, like I've seen others say, I'll back it off if another truck is trying to pass, but can only go 1-2 mph faster. When passing or being passed, I'll wave and I shut my lights off when flashing. Its just a courtesy thing, not trying to tell someone that I think they need help driving their truck.

[Fredog]

I hate everyone and make sure no one is able to pass

Actually, like I've seen others say, I'll back it off if another truck is trying to pass, but can only go 1-2 mph faster. When passing or being passed, I'll wave and I shut my lights off when flashing. Its just a courtesy thing, not trying to tell someone that I think they need help driving their truck.

you are a true professional sir... keep it up, there aint many left

[Roadhog]

Well as usual, certain people have to take posts to the extreme.

With respect, I don't understand this statement, wimpy.
What I see is everyone is in agreement with you...and added more dimension to your thread.

I pointed out there are those who have turned this courtesy into something far from courteous.
Gman pointed out, there are those who don't wait for the courtesy, or maybe missed it for whatever reason.
Vavega pointed out, this courtesy can be dangerous at certain times.
I thought there was good input by everyone.

It is also a matter of common sense. It is a huge courtesy when offered because of low visibility. It is not necessarily a lack of courtesy, the rest of the time.
There may be many reasons why it is not always offered....even if one of the reasons is, someone is just not in the mood to extend any courtesy.

Although I do agree with your sentiment, I don't agree with your level of priority.
I believe there are far more important acts of courtesy, although, the loss of simple courtesy is felt
...just not always necessarily a measure of lack of proper courtesy or regional dysfunction.

[fruitloop]

That is obe thing that urks me for another driver not waiting for me to flas him :P

[cdreid]

Good point about that sportscar passing on the right but the thing is that fool passing on the right can do it at any moment another driver flicking his lights off and on has nothing to do with it. I've had TRUCKS disappear in my mirrors at night. Flicking your lights is just to let the other driver know you're far enough ahead to move over.. i think it's a pretty basic assumption that you're still going to check your mirrors if you're competant. If not then you dont need to be in that truck.

Having said that have those of you complaining about "this generation!" being so bad considered that you're the problem? If i see someone on the side of the road in my car i pull over. If in my truck i help if i can but most of the time theres nothing you can or should do.. a repair truck is already on the way. I've sat in traffic when i got home at 7am for 2 hours behind an elderly lady broken down at a stop light while the tow truck came. If i see someone stranded and walking for gas i pick them up. If i see someone in bad shape walking i try to offre them a ride.. with obvious exceptions for people who look far from trustworthy. Thats courtesy and MOST of you dont practice it. You ogle when you pass someone thats about it. Or you talk smack about them. You dont help. How many of you have given some guy on the side of the road a buck on the chance that honest to god he's a person just like you come on hard times? Thats what Truckers USED to be like. Too many of you are so fixated on greed and fear to help. If you want it to change it starts with You as i eventually realised.