Do you flash your lights to warn fellow motorists of a speed trap?
I learned of this tradition only about a year ago as a result of traveling the same rural road that happens to have a lot of speed traps.
The road is not residential (no kids around) is kept artificially low at 50 mph and no one travels at that speed so I think it's a good thing. I'd even call it heart warming, a form of mutual, altruistic civil disobedience.
BTW, what's the best signal to indicate you get the message from another motorist? I smile and wave.
The road is not residential (no kids around) is kept artificially low at 50 mph and no one travels at that speed so I think it's a good thing. I'd even call it heart warming, a form of mutual, altruistic civil disobedience.
BTW, what's the best signal to indicate you get the message from another motorist? I smile and wave.
Comments
And I certainly appreciate it when others do it, since I like driving fast.
<strong>With all the road rage going on I would be afraid to do so here in Oregon. Flashing hedlights has many meanings and I am not going to assume that the other drivers onthe road are going to take the best meaning first, it just is not the case anymore.
I hear ya brother. Usually here in Tree Hugger City, if you flash your lights, people think you want to pass their VW Bus and they intentially slow down, or flip you off or something. I'm not sure about that warning people thing. There was a huge speed trap a couple o' weeks ago (talking 10+ cops) on Hwy 26 which is the main highway going west of Portland (for those that don't know) and I was content to just go slow enough so I wouldn't get pulled over and everyone else would. I guess I'm not a nice person or something, but whatever.
An amusing thing is people's behavior in the presence of a moving patrol car. Last week, on I-57, a sheriff created a traffic jam I got stuck in just by driving in the left lane at the speed limit. All the higher speed traffic caught up to his spot, and no one would go past him. As soon as he pulled through a turn around, the leaders of the pack took off. It was quite amusing.
<strong>I've given that warning, but I don't make a point of doing it all the time. I don't believe the "urban legends" about some people trolling for trouble trying to make a "mark" of the first one to flash his/her headlights.
An amusing thing is people's behavior in the presence of a moving patrol car. Last week, on I-57, a sheriff created a traffic jam I got stuck in just by driving in the left lane at the speed limit. All the higher speed traffic caught up to his spot, and no one would go past him. As soon as he pulled through a turn around, the leaders of the pack took off. It was quite amusing.</strong><hr></blockquote>
It's funny when that happens. I can't help but laugh when I'm in that situation. It's a good tactic for the police to use though, it really enforces the law.
<strong>I do, yes.
And I certainly appreciate it when others do it, since I like driving fast.
And so do i, and thanks to the others drivers i never been caught in a speed trap (wish that my luck will continue for a while
The new enemy is 'aggressive driving.' The gov't lumps most things into this category and uses it as an excuse to set endless speed traps. But most people don't know what 'aggressive' means.
As I sit behind the countless turds in oversized SUVs and minivans who cant remove the cell from their ear long enough to make a lane change, I see the real enemy. These people rarely signal and will usually 'drive' in the left lane, blocking traffic w/a self-righteous zeal.
Give me some turns to cut up or a stretch of open roads and I will drive my car like it was meant to be driven. But, I am a safe driver in traffic who signals, doesn't tail gait, or cut-off other cars. I do accelerate into a lane change, pass, and speed when I can. The turds mistake assertiveness for aggressiveness and usually get bent out of shape as I drive past them. Just the other day, some guy felt it necessary to hang out his window and scream at me when I passed him in the left lane...I had never come w/in 20' of his car.
Oh well, long answer to a short question. So, yes I do flash because I hope another DRIVER will return the favor.
As for flashing headlights to indicate a speed trap...I hadn't heard of that until today.
And I always pass CHP cruisers here. They almost always go 5 MPH under the limit, and most people are just too chicken to challenge that pace.
I also drive the speed limit on one-lane roads and watch the road-ragers in their SUVs think they can tailgate me to make me go faster.
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
A)If the cop is standing outside the other vehicle, speaking to the driver, he's not going to know you're speeding when you pass by - much less jump into his car and pull you over.
B)If the patrol car is occupied but still sitting on the shoulder behind the last guy he pulled over, the cop is most likely not pointing his radar gun at anyone. More likely he's on his radio or finishing up with the ticket he just wrote.
C)If you pass a cop with your break lights are on and there's not someone immediately in front of you breaking, you're busted - whether they gunned you or not. Hence, breaking -- much more than speeding -- will get you a ticket when passing a stopped patrol car.
All that aside I usually give the oncoming traffic a flash if there's a cop hidden somewhere along the highway. Unless of course they're driving a Cadillac Escalade or a Toyota Sequoia or something equally retarded - then I let em get pulled over.
<img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
[ 07-10-2002: Message edited by: Moogs ]</p>
there are places (i can think of a few in canada) where if you flash your lights to warn oncoming motorists of a speed trap YOU will be ticketed.
dunno if there's some whacked quota logic behind it... maybe the police figure they're entitled to bust folks and you're depriving them of their fun
but i have personally seen people get done for warning fellow drivers. no donut for that cop.
similarly, the police occassionally go after the radio stations that tip off commuters where the speed traps are (under the guise of comprimising a police investigation, IIRC). 'free' cell phone tip lines (specifically paid for by the radio stations) for drivers to advise where the radar van resides show interest in the 'service'
this in a region where, in the last two months, street racing by the maturity-challenged (is there any other kind) killed 3 innocent pedestrians and wiped out 2 entire families unfortunate enough to be in their own lane as some nitro-modified (but not for racing, really) nineteen year old tries to defy physics by T-boning their SUV at 100+.
death by some other idiot's driving is tragic
death by your own idiotic driving is darwin
p.s.
the only other comparable signal i've seen used to tip off traffic is to whirl your hand above the window as if it were a rotating light... not as obvious an attention-getter, but makes folks slow down while they try and guess what you meant or if you're just whoop whooping a la arsenio hall
might depend on the local sign language and habits
<strong>I learned of this tradition only about a year ago as a result of traveling the same rural road that happens to have a lot of speed traps.
The road is not residential (no kids around) is kept artificially low at 50 mph and no one travels at that speed so I think it's a good thing. I'd even call it heart warming, a form of mutual, altruistic civil disobedience.
BTW, what's the best signal to indicate you get the message from another motorist? I smile and wave.</strong><hr></blockquote>
No, I don't. Screw those who don't know how and where to get away with speeding.
I'm not against the idea of police, but so many things cops do are completely against the law and are designed to screw over citizens so that the department can get revenue from fines. It's nice having friends in law school.
I do tend to flip my lights to warn of a speed trap. Since I have pop-ups, most people get a good idea that there's trouble ahead when I flip em.
As for the speed limit. Good grief. It should be advisory in this country, just like it is elsewhere. Hopefully the tracking computers designed for future cars will enable insurance companys to get speed information, thus eliminating the need for pointless speed limits.
<strong>God, I hate pigs.
I'm not against the idea of police, but so many things cops do are completely against the law and are designed to screw over citizens so that the department can get revenue from fines. It's nice having friends in law school.
I do tend to flip my lights to warn of a speed trap. Since I have pop-ups, most people get a good idea that there's trouble ahead when I flip em.
As for the speed limit. Good grief. It should be advisory in this country, just like it is elsewhere. Hopefully the tracking computers designed for future cars will enable insurance companys to get speed information, thus eliminating the need for pointless speed limits.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Actually speed limits in general are suggestions. They actually determine the speed limit of a street by finding an average speed at different times of the day. When the road is empty, of course people will go over it. That is expected and factored in. As long as you aren't going way of the limit and going the flow of traffic and not changing lanes to pass people, you won't get a ticket.
WTF!?
Ive been pulled for 10mph over...believe me, if common sense prevailed I would never received a ticket. But I was going over the posted speed. sp WHAM! Ive even been stopped(and searched) for going too slow (in a town house development!).
BRussell...I hope your joking. If not you are a serious dickhead. But, like I said, I dont tailgate. When Im stuck behind people like you, I just relax, wait for the right time, downshift, and watch you get smaller in my rear view.
Speed kills? Bullshit, bad drivers do.
<a href="http://www.speedtrap.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.speedtrap.com/</a>;
<strong>
WTF!?
Ive been pulled for 10mph over...believe me, if common sense prevailed I would never received a ticket. But I was going over the posted speed. sp WHAM! Ive even been stopped(and searched) for going too slow (in a town house development!).
BRussell...I hope your joking. If not you are a serious dickhead. But, like I said, I dont tailgate. When Im stuck behind people like you, I just relax, wait for the right time, downshift, and watch you get smaller in my rear view.
Speed kills? Bullshit, bad drivers do.
<a href="http://www.speedtrap.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.speedtrap.com/</a></strong><hr></blockquote>;
Btw I'm not BRussel. My BR stands for other things. I said in general. Either you were driving like an ass at 10 mph over or you got stuck with a jackass cop. However, 9 times out of 10 you will find that what I said does indeed apply.
<strong>
WTF!?
Ive been pulled for 10mph over...believe me, if common sense prevailed I would never received a ticket. But I was going over the posted speed. sp WHAM! Ive even been stopped(and searched) for going too slow (in a town house development!).
BRussell...I hope your joking. If not you are a serious dickhead. But, like I said, I dont tailgate. When Im stuck behind people like you, I just relax, wait for the right time, downshift, and watch you get smaller in my rear view.
Speed kills? Bullshit, bad drivers do.
<a href="http://www.speedtrap.com/"; target="_blank">http://www.speedtrap.com/</a></strong><hr></blockquote>;
I'm not old enough to drive, but it is common in the DC area to flash headlights.
Keda, I agree with you. It is bad drivers, those who can't keep their phone out of their ear for more than one minute, that cause accidents.
BUT...there is one other cause of accidents that hasn't been addressed yet: absurdly slow drivers. Especially the elderly. They drive really slowly and cautiously, but they are just asking for an accident. I think that Smooth Operator should be extended to cover slow drivers too.