# Flashing headlights in fast lane



## Rich_Jenkins (Jul 12, 2003)

Just wanted to step in and say "thanks" to you all for posting your Autobahn stories...

I was a kid growing up in Germany in the 60s. Many times I rode with my mom in and around Saarbrukken, Kaiserslautern, Mannheim and Heidelberg going to school, shopping etc. etc.

I remember we used to call it the "Mercedes Lane". If she wasn't quick enough to get in and out to get around that heavy goods vehicle, she knew she could count on getting "flashed" and then some big heavy Silver Star would whoosh by...

I always wanted to have a go at the Autobahn; two or so years ago I was on travel to Paderborn for work from Hanover airport. I managed to sweet talk the Hertz lady (auf Deutsch, even. ) into giving me a C-class for the trip. Anywho, after getting used to the speed after a few days, on a clear and open stretch outside Sennelager I managed to ease it up to 100, then up a bit more to 105, or so for a stretch of several miles. I am ok to admit I was a little unhappy at this speed to the extent that when I saw some approaching traffic from behind I throttled back to 80 or so and pulled well in.

The car that swept past me?

A VW Station Wagon driven by a young mother. 

Times have changed.

Perhaps in the not too distant future I'll need to replace my '03 330i, maybe with an ED 328i 6MT SP and leatherette...Adrian? Adrian? :rofl:


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## chaz58 (Sep 11, 2007)

Hammerwerfer said:


> Also banned are any sort of provocative gestures that you might make to another driver to show your displeasure.
> 
> Tapping the temple, hand waving in front of the eyes etc. are definitely verboten.


Shoot, my wife does those to me all of the time. She did warn me not to do it to other drivers on the autobahn though...


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## dspeed (Aug 9, 2007)

Great stories, guys.

We put 1300 miles on our ED this year experiencing zero problems from poor driving skills. It was a real pleasure!


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## MG67 (Aug 19, 2003)

dspeed said:


> Great stories, guys.
> 
> We put 1300 miles on our ED this year experiencing zero problems from poor driving skills. It was a real pleasure!


I put about 1800 miles on my cabrio and only one idiot in a Honda CRX decided to swerve infront of me just past Koln, while I was doing about 225 km/h, I just braked very hard and shifted down gradually...:thumbup: Then he looked in his mirror and went back to the right lane...:tsk:


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## rkg (Feb 28, 2006)

If you now doing something stupid on the autobahn, you will notice that most German drivers will pass and just shake their head. I think it is much more effective than Italian had jestures ... and little risk of getting fined ... got to love the Germans.

For example, hanging out in the left lane going very slow to pass ... of course, this never happened to me.


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## jwac (Dec 2, 2006)

I flashed my lights only once on my ED. :angel: I was cruising at 150 mph (see: avatar :bigpimp and was approaching a pokey Renault Megane that was taking its time passing a lorry doing maybe 70-80. I flashed him from pretty far back, but still caught up to him very quickly by the time he finally moved over. He probably saw the zoll plates as I wooshed past and thought "a$$hole..."

Other than that one situation (and two kids wanting to race me in an E46 323Cic), I was extremely impressed with the discipline of drivers on the autobahns. No left lane hogs! Everyone just scuttles out of the way. I actually didn't like how when someone passes you they move back over in front of you so quickly.


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## mullman (Jan 5, 2006)

In the M6 we just used the left flasher in the left lane and slower drivers kindly moved out of the way.
My cousin (MINI intl marketing) said flashing was too aggressive.

After that, my car did not feel fast enough to plow the left lane.


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## skywalkerbeth (Jul 19, 2007)

Keine Lichthupe? say it isn't so!

I use that here in the US on occasion.


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## Hammerwerfer (Aug 8, 2003)

skywalkerbeth said:


> Keine Lichthupe? say it isn't so!
> 
> I use that here in the US on occasion.


When I would flash the headlamps in the USA, it would often provoke the driver in front to slam on the brakes. Rather annoying.


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## djlfp (Dec 5, 2004)

Hammerwerfer said:


> When I would flash the headlamps in the USA, it would often provoke the driver in front to slam on the brakes. Rather annoying.


More than a little annoying! After years of experience I have learned to flash once from middle distance away. If they do not move over, I just pass on the right. This seems to minimize aggressive aggravation on the part of the left lane hogs.


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