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bajaboolie
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Location: Aptos, CA/Mulege
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Courteous driving
We just got back on Saturday from an awesome trip to Coyote Bay/Mulege.
I have two questions about driving in Baja. One...I was wondering what people do to thank a truck driver when they give you the left turn signal to
pass them? Is there a universal signal down there? A wave doesn't always work because the back window is sometimes blocked by stuff.
And second, what does it mean when you come upon a driver going the other way and they flash their lights at you? It seems that the times this
happened, there was no police or hazard they were trying to warn us about.
Thanks for the info!
Bajaboolie
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Sallysouth
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As explained to by my son-in-law who has lived in Baja Sur for several years, if a vehicle flashes their lights at you it is a warning of either an
accident, obstacle or animals either beside or on the road. Your other question is a good one and I have wondered the same.
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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BajaGringo
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
As explained to by my son-in-law who has lived in Baja Sur for several years, if a vehicle flashes their lights at you it is a warning of either an
accident, obstacle or animals either beside or on the road. Your other question is a good one and I have wondered the same. |
If a truck ahead of you puts on their left signal on an open stretch of road they are telling you that it is okay to pass. At least that has been my
experience in over 30 years of driving down here. Of course you want to make sure their isn't a left turn coming up for him and in that case forget
what I just said.
I always cycle my flashers back at them once in front to thank them...
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CaboRon
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When thanking a driver for a courtesy the custom is the same as in the states....
Blink your lights twice .....
CaboRon
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bajaboolie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
When thanking a driver for a courtesy the custom is the same as in the states....
Blink your lights twice .....
CaboRon |
What about after you've made the pass safely, which is when we usually want to thank them. Before, we're concentrating on passing. Flash the
hazards?
Bajaboolie
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bajaboolie
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sallysouth
As explained to by my son-in-law who has lived in Baja Sur for several years, if a vehicle flashes their lights at you it is a warning of either an
accident, obstacle or animals either beside or on the road. Your other question is a good one and I have wondered the same. |
Thanks, Sallysouth. I figured it was a warning, but nothing ever seemed out of place. Maybe they were animals that just wandered on....
Bajaboolie
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oldlady
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A wave and a smile from the passenger works too!
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thebajarunner
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Usually a four footed hazard
First, always, and I mean always slow up if you get the oncoming flash! It nearly always means hazard ahead.
Often we look and look, then note the rump of a scrawny steer moving past a boojum or ocotillo.
When the warning driver came by that critter was probably straddling the yellow line, but there is not a lot of feed in the center of the carreterra,
but the warning is still legit!!
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Bob and Susan
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i turn on and off the lights so
the brake lights turn on and off
seems to work because later when that same truck driver passes on the downgrade he does the same
[Edited on 10-14-2008 by Bob and Susan]
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CaboRon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaboolie
| Quote: | Originally posted by CaboRon
When thanking a driver for a courtesy the custom is the same as in the states....
Blink your lights twice .....
CaboRon |
What about after you've made the pass safely, which is when we usually want to thank them. Before, we're concentrating on passing. Flash the
hazards? |
Before passing I turn on my left turn indicator ....
I flash after the pass and I am back in the lane ...
CaboRon
[Edited on 10-14-2008 by CaboRon]
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Hook
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I have noticed that some Mexicans try to alert you that you are driving with your headlights on during the day. I dont think they realize that:
1-many do it for safety
2-many newer cars have running lights that cant be turned off.
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Sallysouth
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Oh yeah!! Thats what we did/do!! The trucker can see your headlights flashing after you pass.Thats a "Gracias amigo" sign!! Thanks CaboRon. Darn the
CRS!!And yes, much of the time it is animals wandering in or around the road.Not a good thing if you round a corner and WHAM!!Altho I only blink my
headlights twice here in the states to make the light change.SSHHH! B runner has it nailed, BTW. And you are welcome bajaboolie!!
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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vacaenbaja
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Please be VERY careful when passing a truck that is giving the left turn signal especially on a long lonely streatch of highway. He just might be
telling you that he intends to make a left soon to his way off the highway rancho. I have seen it lots of times. The truck makes a left to some
barely discernable trail and the car following almosts t bones the truck when the car moves to pass on the left.
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Sallysouth
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Very good point!Do you think if you flash you headlights twice while he has his left turn blinker on, that he would maybe do the same so as to let you
know it is safe to pass? There MUST be some "hiway" etiquite in Baja that others on this board can share!Chime in Nomads!
Happiness is just a Baja memory away...
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thebajarunner
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Never have had that experience
| Quote: | Originally posted by vacaenbaja
Please be VERY careful when passing a truck that is giving the left turn signal especially on a long lonely streatch of highway. He just might be
telling you that he intends to make a left soon to his way off the highway rancho. I have seen it lots of times. The truck makes a left to some
barely discernable trail and the car following almosts t bones the truck when the car moves to pass on the left. |
37 years of driving Baja (and counting)
have never had the trucker actually make a left after giving the signal,
never seen it even close.
guess I am "charmed" or something
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bajamikey
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when a on coming car has it's 4 way's on it's because there's a accident animal or road work up ahead.when i pass a truck or car i trun on my left
blinker to say thanks
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cabobaja
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I always honk the horn as I pass the cab to say thank you. I always get a honk back.
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vacaenbaja
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By truck I did not mean tractor trailer. More like pick up or ranch flat bed. It would be rather hard for a truck to make a hard left. But I have seen
them cross over to the "wrong side of the road" or opposing shoulder in order to park.
These guys know the road very well and will do this when there is no shoulder on their side of the road to pull off on or if there is a problem on the
traffic side of the truck that can more safely be taken care of with that side facing away from the road.
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Katiejay99
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What I have noticed is that if someone is going to turn left, they will usually turn on their signal and then put their hand out the window pointing
to the left so you know that it is not an "ok to pass". So watch for the hand thing.
Also a very little known law in Mexico is that when making a left hand turn, you are supposed to pull over to the far right hand side of the road,
wait for cars to pass you and then turn left across the lanes. Of course that is not always possible but you will see many Mexicans do that where the
highway dept. has put in the "left turn lane" - on the right!
My ex-husband used to get pretty riled up at me whenever I did not do this where I was supposed to. I argued that the highway dept. put that other
lane in there so the people could pass the person on the right as they waited to turn left. NOPE, not so. I still can't make myself pull over to the
right to make a left. Makes no sense to me.
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TonyC
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Also, if you get a left turn signal from truck, or a car that is coming from the other direction, I was told by a truck driver that it means you are
crowding the middle of the road, and need to center in your lane. I got it a couple of times last year when I pulled my boat down. I've used it on
trucks coming at me since.
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