Am i becoming soft?

[Accy cyclist]

I went out for a ride last night. I counted three occasions where cars(one a Land Rover i'm amazed)were waiting to turn but waited till slowcoach me passed before doing so. I know that i had right of way but how many times have we had right of way only for the motorist to ignore that and saunter across our path, sometimes when we're travelling at speed. So instead of ignoring their patience, and knowledge of the Highway Code i gestured my appreciation to them.
Was i right to "grovel", or should i save my hand gestures for the ones who aren't so patient?
By the way i always either wave or flash my lights(when i'm driving) when a motorist waits behind a parked car on a narrow road, instead of overtaking to force me to give way. Once again i have right of way but i always think that they could've been right so and so's and jumped the gun, so maybe thanking them for not doing so is encouraging better road manners?

 

[Cush]

No you are not becoming soft you are doing the right thing and while I dont want to sound like the school sneak, I always try to be mannerly to other road users, so when a ped moves over on a shared path I thank them as I pass, (the look of surprise on theeir faces is often worth the effort) when a car waits for me I wave to them. On the other hand as happened last week when a group of chav cyclists cut me up I used a different gesture and when a motorst gets too close I have been known to use less than gentlemanly language.

 

[defy-one]

Not soft at all. I thank all motorists for giving me space or time. The more cyclists do this,the better our image becomes. Many motorists are quite suprised that i'm saying thankyou because they waited to overtake me on a narrow road etc

 

[sidevalve]

Why should it be "going soft" ? Just because you have right of way doesn't mean you can't be polite. After all, if someone serves you in a shop [which is their job] and is courteous and polite with a "good morning" etc would you just grunt and barge out ?
Sadly defy-one is right, many motorists [and peds] ARE surprised that a cyclist says a simple thankyou, mainly because there are a growing number about with the " I've got right of way,stuff you" approach.

 

[numbnuts]

Anyone that does me a good turn on the road I always thank them

 

[Sandra6]

Why should it be "going soft" ? Just because you have right of way doesn't mean you can't be polite. After all, if someone serves you in a shop [which is their job] and is courteous and polite with a "good morning" etc would you just grunt and barge out ?

Well, a lot of people do just that. So rude!

I always thank people - drivers and peds - who are courteous to me on the road.

 

[Maylian]

I always thank motorists when they wait to pull out or wait behind a car for me to pass parked vehicles. I try and give thanks to drivers that give me a lot of space on overtakes or wait until after a corner to pass but I am slightly nervous they may mistake my wave of thanks as an act of agression / annoyance.

 

[Sandra6]

I waved to thank a driver behind for letting us out once, and my husband said from where he was (behind me) it looked like I was giving them the finger.

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

I always say thank you as well, normally I nod and mouthe "thank you", its hard to mistake that for anything else!

 

[defy-one]

I always say thank you as well, normally I nod and mouthe "thank you", its hard to mistake that for anything else!

try saying thankyou and colourful in the mirror

 

[TonyEnjoyD]

Anyone that does me a good turn on the road I always thank them

+1

 

[byegad]

I think it's good policy to acknowledge any consideration even when strictly it's your right of way. All good PR in my opinion.

 

[Stevie135]

Manners maketh man.... In my opinion it's always the right thing to do to show appreciation like this and from my experience most people do. It just unfortunate that the minority can spoil it for others.

Just recently whilst driving, I was heading in to road works amongst heavy traffic and awaiting my turn to change lanes when a guy in a car next to me leaned out of his window and quite cheerfully told me that he wouldn't let me in and would quite happily run me in to the barriers if he could! I wouldn't have minded so much if I was trying to cut in at the last minute etc but that really wasn't the case. Fortunately when I'm on my bike I haven't experienced anything quite so ridiculous as this....

 

[xpc316e]

Keep up the good manners: cycling needs polite riders to make up for all the idiots who jump red lights and those who think it fun to be confrontational at Critical Mass events.

 

[Raging Squirrel]

to be honest, I always get really pissed off when someone doesn't thank me, and this includes cyclists even though I'm one myself now. I've been in cars and vans with hundreds of other people and their biggest gripes with cyclists were that they didn't say thanks.

If I have the manners to let you pass first, or hold the door open, or let you grab the last bottle of milk in the shop, I'd like a thank you or you're gonna get a **** you

so no, you aren't going soft