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Originally Posted by hazelnut
Used to be that you could flash the lights quick and people would move over. No big deal just a courtesy thing. Nowadays it seems everyone is so angry when they drive that they take everything personally.
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A flash of the headlights could be interpreted as "Please move over, when you can do so safely, so that I can pass" or "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!! My reaction to these two messages would probably be "Oh, excuse me, I'll move right over" and "Nuts to you!". How do I know which message is being delivered? Probably by the approach of the car. Does it approach gradually and keep a safe distance back OR come flying up and then sit on my tail. My experience lately is that most people who flash their lights at me are sending the second message, "HERE I COME! GET OUT OF MY WAY!". I have had people come up behind me with multiple cars stacked up in both lanes and ride my bumper and flash their lights. Where did they expect me to go? UP?
I don't camp in the passing lane but I don't believe it wise to be switching lanes excessively either. If I pass one car and anticipate that I'll be overtaking another car shortly I will stay in the passing lane. I am always, traffic allowing, doing at least the speed limit and probably about 5 MPH over. I don't feel an urgent need to get out of someone's way because they need to go 10 MPH over the limit. If there is no congestion, I move over, if its crowded you'll just have to wait.
I give chipj29 the benefit of the doubt here because all forum members are considerate people
. He ran into (not literally) a jerk who refused to move over. However, I've been too often in the other guy's position and the guy behind me was a bonehead.