Another Texas thang fading away (Dallas, Tyler: transplants, car, friendly)

[lonestar2007]

Remember when you went by a cop or highway patrolman who was sitting with his radar gun out. You would go on down the road or highway just a short piece, then start flashing your headlights at everyone who was coming towards you to warn them. Everyone knew what it meant when they saw those lights flashing and as they approached you, they always would give a big wave of thank you. You kept this up for several miles until you felt that someone behind you had taken it up and was warning the next batch of people. I still continue this practice, although I haven't seen it in return for quite some time. I see some people slow and they do wave when they get almost abreast of me, so I know they know what it means. Some people just whiz on by and I know they don't have a clue as to what the flashing headlights are all about. Maybe it is still in practice in smaller areas, Maybe it is just getting too big around here anymore. I don't know, Maybe, maybe, maybe what? I know it seems to be a dying practice and I wonder why? I hate to see it fade out, Lord knows it's saved my a** a few times.

[kacvb1974]

It's definitely an easy way to cheat the system! I'm not much of a speeder, but on road trips I still practice the flashing lights method and have received the same in return, though far less frequently these days. My dad swore by this. You just weren't a good driver unless you stayed in the right lane except to pass and flashed your lights after spotting a trooper. Ahh, the good old days when the laws (and unofficial laws) of the highways were actually followed!

Unfortunately, around Dallas, when I'm flashing my lights at someone it's because the dope is driving around at night without their headlights on. Some people won't even do that because of rumors of gang initiation. Flash a car without lights, get chased down and 'jacked. Paranoia city. <sigh>

[breeze823]

I'm originally from San Diego and we don't do that there but when we moved to Missouri we caught onto the practice and here in Ga it's somewhat done too. I do have to say that it takes me a minute or two to catch on when someone flashes me,lol. We also return the favor.
I would say it's probably dying out due to transplants that don't understand the custom.

[wehotex]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

Remember when you went by a cop or highway patrolman who was sitting with his radar gun out. You would go on down the road or highway just a short piece, then start flashing your headlights at everyone who was coming towards you to warn them. Everyone knew what it meant when they saw those lights flashing and as they approached you, they always would give a big wave of thank you. You kept this up for several miles until you felt that someone behind you had taken it up and was warning the next batch of people. I still continue this practice, although I haven't seen it in return for quite some time. I see some people slow and they do wave when they get almost abreast of me, so I know they know what it means. Some people just whiz on by and I know they don't have a clue as to what the flashing headlights are all about. Maybe it is still in practice in smaller areas, Maybe it is just getting too big around here anymore. I don't know, Maybe, maybe, maybe what? I know it seems to be a dying practice and I wonder why? I hate to see it fade out, Lord knows it's saved my a** a few times.

i know what you mean. i am 44 years old, born and raised in so texas and have always flashed lights since i started driving. i also do the "drive friendly" thing when someone lets me pass them on the highway by waving "thanks" to them. i do remember a few years back where i heard a rumor that if the highway patrol caught you doing that, then they would ticket you. i don't really know if that's true or not. i'll keep doing it for sure.

[TexasHorseLady]

They might - but, then, the point is to get people to drive slower, and this does, right?

[NOTAM]

i do it, but selectively. i will do it for just about anyone driving a pickup truck, but will not do it for a japanese rice burner-ya know, those small sedans all "pimped" out, cuz i know they are young soldiers who need to learn a lesson, hotroddin'..........

[Topaz]

This scary urban legend turned out to be false but definitely caused me to think twice a few times before flashing my lights to warn someone.

[destin04]

The other thing on the roads these days...that you don't see anymore....use to "back in the day".....when an ambulance or firetruck came up behind you or even coming from the opposite direction...you always did your darndest to get pulled over as fast as you could. Yesterday I was in Tyler and an ambulance had to sit at the intersection for 30 seconds...with it lights and sirens on...because people wouldn't give up there chance to cross the intersection!!! It makes me sick to think that there could be somebodies love one in the ambulance...on the brink of death...and it's more important for those people to make it through that intersection than it is to stop for the ambulance. What is wrong with people?

[Rose Red]

Originally Posted by lonestar2007

Remember when you went by a cop or highway patrolman who was sitting with his radar gun out. You would go on down the road or highway just a short piece, then start flashing your headlights at everyone who was coming towards you to warn them. Everyone knew what it meant when they saw those lights flashing and as they approached you, they always would give a big wave of thank you. You kept this up for several miles until you felt that someone behind you had taken it up and was warning the next batch of people. I still continue this practice, although I haven't seen it in return for quite some time. I see some people slow and they do wave when they get almost abreast of me, so I know they know what it means. Some people just whiz on by and I know they don't have a clue as to what the flashing headlights are all about. Maybe it is still in practice in smaller areas, Maybe it is just getting too big around here anymore. I don't know, Maybe, maybe, maybe what? I know it seems to be a dying practice and I wonder why? I hate to see it fade out, Lord knows it's saved my a** a few times.

I grew up back east and we did that all the time. My husband grew up in CA and never heard of it and thought and still thinks I'm a little off for doing it.

[Muhnay]

You do know thats a crime, right?

Improper use of equipment (citation) is one of the many citations you can be given for such an act. Most cops don't mind, after all most of the time were not out to catch anyone, but rather to get you to slow down and drive safe.

Two things to consider when talking about people flashing their lights:

1) It's creates what's caused the "halo" effect. If the goal is to run radar, and lower the average speed of vehicles in the area, the person who's flashing their lights is helping the cause.

2) Conversely, perhaps the officer was on the lookout for a suspected drunk driver, or a kidnapper (amber alert). The person who flashes their lights, and thinks they are doing a service, actually just alerted the criminal to the presence of the cop... as a result the kidnapper turns down the next road and is never apprehended in time.

Food for thought.