On Monday, July 4, 2016 at 5:46:49 PM UTC+1, soup wrote:
On 04/07/2016 17:37, Simon Jester wrote:

Why do pedestrians thank drivers with a wave for stopping at zebra crossings?

Probably for the same reasons as drivers thank each other with waves
when one stops as the other has right of way.

I frequently wave at cars that give me plenty room overtaking me,
cars that wait at side roads etc etc.
You may say they are just not 'breaking the law' but to me
politeness costs nothing and any situation where drivers do that extra
little bit of actually acknowledging you exist and treat you as other
traffic deserves my thanks/acknowledgment

By doing so you are implying the driver has done you a favour, that is my point.
You are saying that you can only use the roads because motorists allow you to do so.

We need to get away from this 'the roads are for cars' mentality.