Why do pedestrians

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

Is it because motorists so rarely give way to pedestrians at zebra crossings, let alone side roads?
Or are we so deep into the car culture that pedestrians are grateful not to be mown down by cars every time the go out?

How many drivers thank other drivers for stopping at a give way line?

I can see no difference between a zebra crossing and a give way junction from a vehicle users point of view.

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

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.

On Mon, 04 Jul 2016 18:08:53 +0100, Simon Jester wrote:

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.

Do you know what politeness means? Waving means "thanks", nothing more, it implies nothing of what you're saying. I say thanks to the shopkeeper when he gives me change, but he has to give me the change. Should I not thank him because it's his job and he must do it?

--
The Red Cross just knocked on my door and asked if we could contribute towards the floods in Lebanon.
I said we'd love to, but our garden hose only reaches the driveway.

On 04-Jul-16 6:08 PM, Simon Jester wrote:
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.

No he isn't.

You are saying that you can only use the roads because motorists allow you to do so.


He never said any such thing.

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

Do your shoulders droop from carrying that big chip?



---
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https://www.avast.com/antivirus

On 04/07/2016 20:35, Tony Dragon wrote:
On 04-Jul-16 6:08 PM, Simon Jester wrote:
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.

No he isn't.


Why do you thank people then? To my mind it does give the impression
that someone has done more than the minimum required by law.

On 05/07/2016 08:52, Nick wrote:
On 04/07/2016 20:35, Tony Dragon wrote:
On 04-Jul-16 6:08 PM, Simon Jester wrote:
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.

No he isn't.


Why do you thank people then? To my mind it does give the impression
that someone has done more than the minimum required by law.




By thanking/acknowledging the acts of others, you improve everyone's
day, and increase the chances of similar things happening on other
occasions, the cost is nil, which improves things even more.

On 04/07/2016 18:08, Simon Jester wrote:


By doing so you are implying the driver has done you a favour,

So that "cheers chief" as I get of the bus means the bus driver has
done me a favour ?

It may be a fault but I don't go through life only thanking people
who have really gone out of there way to help me.

My wave, or calling "cheers" or " ta for that" to dog walkers
who restrain their dogs is more an acknowledgement than thanks
but it does help mark me out as a human with family etc not just a
bicycle with some two legged thing on it.

On 05/07/2016 10:51, soup wrote:
On 04/07/2016 18:08, Simon Jester wrote:


By doing so you are implying the driver has done you a favour,

So that "cheers chief" as I get of the bus means the bus driver has
done me a favour ?

It may be a fault but I don't go through life only thanking people
who have really gone out of there way to help me.

My wave, or calling "cheers" or " ta for that" to dog walkers
who restrain their dogs is more an acknowledgement than thanks
but it does help mark me out as a human with family etc not just a
bicycle with some two legged thing on it.


Good to hear it, I find it hard to believe some of the comments from
others on here, it is a sad reflection upon them.

On 05/07/2016 10:51, soup wrote:

On 04/07/2016 18:08, Simon Jester wrote:


By doing so you are implying the driver has done you a favour,

So that "cheers chief" as I get of the bus means the bus driver has
done me a favour ?

It may be a fault but I don't go through life only thanking people
who have really gone out of there way to help me.

My wave, or calling "cheers" or " ta for that" to dog walkers
who restrain their dogs is more an acknowledgement than thanks
but it does help mark me out as a human with family etc not just a
bicycle with some two legged thing on it.

Clearly, there are some posters here who firmly believe that everyday
contractual and transactional relationships must never be made more
pleasant and more agreeable by the use of common politeness.

"A pint of bitter, please" must be right out as far as Nick, Jester and
TMS320 are concerned, because it implies that the barman is being asked
to do something altruistic and extra-contractual.

"Thank you" or any of its variants must also be strenuously avoided
because of the claimed implication that the recipient of the said pint
had no right to it, even after having paid for it.

What a world they (imagine they) move in.