I dont know if this is true or a joke (1 Viewer)

ColinEssex

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Now that the USA has reopened its borders to holidaymakers, many people from the UK are going there for a holiday. Anyway, I was reading a list of do's and don't when you visit.
Here's a couple,

1) if you are driving in the USA, don't flash headlights at another driver as it is a sign of aggression and can lead to trouble as many US motorists carry a gun for safety against road rage. In the UK, it is a sign of politeness and courtesy and is done all the time.

2) don't cross a road other than a designated crossing point as you can be arrested, fined or imprisoned. It is illegal and called jaywalking. In the UK, we cross roads anywhere.

3) in New York, don't walk alone in Central Park especially at night as this is a certainty for an attack, injury or worse.

The above must be a joke - yes?
Col
 

AccessBlaster

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Now that the USA has reopened its borders to holidaymakers, many people from the UK are going there for a holiday. Anyway, I was reading a list of do's and don't when you visit.
Here's a couple,

1) if you are driving in the USA, don't flash headlights at another driver as it is a sign of aggression and can lead to trouble as many US motorists carry a gun for safety against road rage. In the UK, it is a sign of politeness and courtesy and is done all the time.

2) don't cross a road other than a designated crossing point as you can be arrested, fined or imprisoned. It is illegal and called jaywalking. In the UK, we cross roads anywhere.

3) in New York, don't walk alone in Central Park especially at night as this is a certainty for an attack, injury or worse.

The above must be a joke - yes?
Col

In the USA we are extremely friendly to visitors and tourists unless they get off the plane dressed like Harry Potter or wearing a Union Jack T-shirt with Micky Mouse ears screaming 'ello govnah 900 times in a row. In those cases, they might be dining on knuckle meat sandwiches. ;)
 

June7

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I flash lights to notify motorist that it's dark out and they need to turn theirs on.

Jaywalking is often on the books in urban areas as misdemeanor that carries a fine but rarely enforced unless there is an accident or an area is targeted by officials to reduce practice (i.e. "revenue generation").

About Central Park - well, it's certainly happened. The odds may be higher than some other places but not a certainty.
 
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ColinEssex

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I flash lights to notify motorist that it's dark out and they need to turn theirs on.

Jaywalking is often on the books in urban areas as misdemeanor that carries a fine but rarely enforced unless there is an accident or an area is targeted by officials to reduce practice (i.e. "revenue generation").

About Central Park - well, it's certainly happened. The odds may be higher than some other places but not a certainty.
Thank you. But is headlight flashing a sign of aggression in the usa? For example, a car wishes to turn down a road in front of you, would you flash lights to indicate its OK for them to do so.

AB, so Americans are willing to beat a person to a pulp purely because they disapprove of their dress sense. Nice to know.

Col
 

June7

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Why in the world would anyone think that is aggressive? I do that as well. Or in daylight just wave them ahead. Or flash to someone moving in opposite direction and needs to turn across traffic onto side road. In either case, flashing is extra communication, just holding back and maintaining an opening in traffic line usually enough to get the point across.
 

ColinEssex

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Why in the world would anyone think that is aggressive? I do that as well. Or in daylight just wave them ahead. Or flash to someone moving in opposite direction and needs to turn across traffic onto side road. In either case, flashing is extra communication, just holding back and maintaining an opening in traffic line usually enough to get the point across.
I've got no idea. I'm trying to clarify the advice given to prospective British tourists planning a visit to the USA.
So far, I've learnt you get beaten up if you wear wrong clothes, and you may get beaten up in Central Park. Flashing lights seems to depend if its day or night.
I thought my questions were simple, I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition.

Col
 

The_Doc_Man

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Col:

In most cases, the response to flashing one's headlights is situational.
If you are preparing to turn and someone else is ALSO preparing to turn in the same direction, flashing your lights invites them to move first.
If you are driving on a dark road and someone else flashes lights at you, check your own headlights.

TECHNICALLY, jaywalking (crossing a road other than at a designated crossing) is a misdemeanor but is rarely applied unless you jaywalk in heavy traffic or, more specifically, if your jaywalking causes a hazard for folks trying to avoid you. In small-town USA, it is rare for police to enforce jaywalking. However, if you jaywalk AND litter at the same time, some officers will at least warn you. And if you are on the road in the state of Oregon, don't litter at all. They WILL stop you and fine you EVERY TIME.

Central Park in New York City is unfortunately a place where muggings occur. Stay with crowds and stay in lighted areas.
 

AccessBlaster

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@ColinEssex a knuckle meat sandwich is usually made from pork, I had a pork shoulder sandwich the other day it was pretty good. No violence involved.
 
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conception_native_0123

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2) don't cross a road other than a designated crossing point as you can be arrested, fined or imprisoned. It is illegal and called jaywalking.
police havve better things to do than to arrest or fine people for jaywalking. however, in very liberal cities the risk of this is higher than in conservative cities. I happen to live in a very liberal city and once a police officer stopped me on foot and bitched at me for jaywalking. first time in my life that had ever happened and I have jaywalked my entire life in a million different cities.

3) in New York, don't walk alone in Central Park especially at night as this is a certainty for an attack, injury or worse.
can't speak for new york but there are a hell of a lot of homeless people there so I wouldn't be surprised if this is true.
 

ByteMyzer

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Why in the world would anyone think that is aggressive? I do that as well. Or in daylight just wave them ahead. Or flash to someone moving in opposite direction and needs to turn across traffic onto side road. In either case, flashing is extra communication, just holding back and maintaining an opening in traffic line usually enough to get the point across.
Unfortunately, here in the USA, there are times when flashing one's car headlights IS used as an aggressive gesture. A prime example is a car on the freeway, moving like a jackrabbit, zipping between the other cars, and the driver of the car will tailgate a car directly in front of him/her and flash the headlights rapidly, several times in succession, as a way of saying, "Get out of my way!" I had that happen to me once, where the driver came right up on the tail of my car, started flashing his headlights, and (NO joke), the highway patrol happened to be right behind HIM, and pulled him right over!
 

The_Doc_Man

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When the jackasses do that to me, I flash my taillights at them in return and make it a point to slow down to EXACTLY the speed limit. Drives 'em nuts. But I make sure that I'm in the left lane when I do that so they can pass if traffic allows. If not, they'll have their coronary event and die of stress. No skin off my butt.

I should add that I am careful about watching such persons and I won't do that if the traffic level is high enough to be hazardous even without a jackass on my tail.
 
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ColinEssex

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My thanks to uou all for replying. There was lots of other things in this list that I thought were interesting, which I won't bore you with as I'll probably be accused of being anti American or racist or something.

AB, in the UK a knuckle sandwich is when someone smashes you in the face with their fists.
Col
 

TajikBoy

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Where I live, UAE - Flashing lights from behind means get out of the way or I'll drive over you .... COnsidering that speed limit is 140 kmh on most highways, locals pass with on average 200.....
 

The_Doc_Man

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get out of the way or I'll drive over you

That's why I drive an old land-barge that would clearly mess up the smaller sporty cars if they tried to drive over me. (I know you meant that figuratively.)
 

kevlray

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I drive a full size pickup truck. No too many vehicles want challenge that one.
 

TajikBoy

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That's why I drive an old land-barge that would clearly mess up the smaller sporty cars if they tried to drive over me. (I know you meant that figuratively.)
We are talking Nissan Patrols and F150 modified trucks here... They don't care
 

Dave E

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Thank you. But is headlight flashing a sign of aggression in the usa? For example, a car wishes to turn down a road in front of you, would you flash lights to indicate its OK for them to do so.

AB, so Americans are willing to beat a person to a pulp purely because they disapprove of their dress sense. Nice to know.

Col
On Error Read Something Else

It sounds like it's the same in the UK as it is in the US. It's nor whether you flash your headlights, but why.

It is written, in the book that no-one reads, namely the The Highway Code, that flashing your headlights is only acceptable to let someone know that you're there, as a substitute for using the car horn.

So, you could flash your headlights to let someone know you're there and to allow them to go ahead, at a junction. Or it could mean that you're letting another driver/rider know that you're there and not a happy bunny with something they've done or are doing.

The subtle differences may be similar to the differences in our languages.
 

AccessBlaster

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I flashed several trucks today they seemed to know it wasn't a sign of aggression, weird.
 

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