Cupcar

Always and unfortunately frequently in my neighborhood.

jago

i do this too.
i will always flash to help them avoid hazards.
live in a wooded area with curvy two lane roads
and a motivated village police force.
every local should know to drive reasonably here.
i flash quick cars usually but if the oncoming car
is overdoing it i wont.

C2Cab95

I do as well, and hope by warning others, that I'll somehow repay the favor to those that have given me a heads up.

RudyP

I flash if the situation warrants it (ie not with a huge divider). But will not flash for left lane bandits or cars that I don't like.

I once saved some guy in boxster from an expensive ticket. I had a valentine 1 in my car and it was going off for radar ahead so I slowed and hung out. In my mirror I see a boxster approaching at high speed in the left lane. So as he is coming up, I merge into the left lane blocking his path (but did so safely). I was not driving a Porsche and as he switches lanes and passes me on the right, I can tell he's super pissed. But as he passed me, I unclipped the V1 from the windshield and held it up to the window for him - with the arrow and indicators all lit up. I saw his face go from mad as hell to thankful in an instant. He gave me the thumbs up, slowed down and we both cruised by the police officer doing the speed limit. I wonder if he bought a radar detector after that.

1pcarnut

Nice move! Funny story.

carjmark

Yes, I do. +1 on warning about tickets for warning others, I was ticketed about 10 years ago by CT State Police for flashing a warning to oncoming traffic. Pays to be careful no cops in oncoming line.

jo-hans

+2 depending on conditions - most of the time!

Mark in Baltimore

It depends. I sometimes flash, sometimes not. If there's radar on the road leading to my house, I don't warn other speeding drivers. The road is a 30mph zone and people fly on it and will tailgate you if you're not doing 40+mph. Screw them; I want them to get caught, and I want them to know that doing 50 isn't cool. Way too many little kids on that street.

goofballdeluxe

This:

"I never flash... my thinking is that since the trap is meant to fulfill a quota, the earlier they get there the better. And if it's not me, that's perfect. But it has to be someone, and if I save someone elses butt then there's more chance that I'll get one.

Just reducing my risk" - Quote from Jeff96-993

goofballdeluxe

...and this is the flawed argument that government workers use to justify predatory behavior. They base their arguments on the least likely scenario that seldom, if ever, comes to pass. That same logic would keep people from ever leaving the house, lest a piano fall on them.

Possible, but very, very unlikely.

Mike in Chi

Good for you, Chao. We have something similar out here in the Rockies, but for critters. At night elk, mule deer, pronghorns, and the occasional moose will wander out on the roadway. Elk herds are the worst because there can be 20 or more of them. Can't flash brights cause the other guy thinks you want him to dim his lights. I turn on my emergency flashers as a warning.

993RUF

Always

1pcarnut

So it seems to be your contention that people speeding rarely if ever cause accidents that hurt people, that this is very, very unlikely?

goofballdeluxe

Not exactly.

What I'm saying is that police often use the BS thinking of "what if that speeder just killed your loved one" as an excuse to use predatory tactics to extort revenue from motorists to fund municipalities that spend money foolishly.

There's very little chance of someone, say, driving 85 on the freeway, as opposed to 65, of hurting your loved one, all other things being equal. Speed isn't really the issue. Revenue is.

To put it another way, more people are put in harms way by texting than by drunks, by a long shot. But DUI is enforced much more strongly, because there's more money in it for the city. Texting is far more dangerous, and far less likely to be enforced.

Like an experienced prostitute, cities care much less about safety, and way more about money.

Unless the speed is egregiously reckless, almost always, it's never about speed or safety when it comes to enforcement. It's almost always about money.

1pcarnut

You are painting those in law enforcement and driver safety with a very broad brush. And I will have to disagree with you. While I'm not blind to the fact that some cops or municipalities use strict enforcement to pad the coffers, I believe the majority of LEOs on the street take the safety of the public seriously and not just as a job to produce revenue.

As a hearing officer I had NO interest in producing revenue. I took public safety very seriously and like to think I got some real jerks off the road and maybe saved a few lives.

Think what you like, your are entitled to you opinion, I don't expect to sway you.

Cheers.