How do you feel about greeting passersby on the road?

[BeaverTG]

I've been on TMP for over 5 years now, and one thing that I loved  while on the road was the fact that majority of the trucks who passed you by would greet you in some way- most commonly, through either flashing their lights, honking their horns, or both.

This practice is still very much alive, but I feel like it's degraded over the years. This is just in my experience though, so I wanted to ask my fellow community members a few questions regarding this matter.

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?
2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

For me:
1. I usually honk and flash my lights. These days, with the horn bug, I flash my lights more than I honk. During holiday times, like Christmas/New Year's, I usually drop a "Merry Christmas" or "Happy New Year" in the chat as well.

2. In my experience, passersby usually flash their lights. These days, there are alot who don't react at all.

3. I honestly think that this is a very tiny but significant gesture. At this point, I'd claim that it's a part of TMP culture because of my experience as a community member. Personally, having other truckers acknowledge your existence as you pass them by, and then returning the favor cheers me up . It's a very quick gesture that anyone can do.

How about you?

[Unnamed User]

Before 1.37 support I was usually honking and sometimes flashing lights, but since 1.37 was supported and sound complications appeared, I'm mostly flashing the lights and it will probably stay like this.

I don't do it on C-D road as there are a lot of players (Sometimes I do if other player does it first).

[Justice Man]

I love flash my lights because i don't love noise  

Kind regards

[Waypalm]

I'll usually flash my lights at someone if it's a quiet area, about 1 in 5 will respond by flashing their lights back or honking. Seems small but definitely adds to the immersion and feeling of community.

[Guest]

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?
I would honk back mostly, if it lets me, I dont usually flash lights
2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?
Kind gesture mostly
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?
I think it's a kind gesture and it's pretty nice to hear a lot

[Interstate Nomad]

21 hours ago, BeaverTG said:

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?

If I feel like greeting, I do so by flashing my lights shortly two times.
However, I only greet other players that drive in trucks.

 

 

21 hours ago, BeaverTG said:

2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?

Some of the flash back, and some honk back. And some do not react at all.

 

 

21 hours ago, BeaverTG said:

3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

I think it is a nice gesture, especially when you meet another player in the middle of nowhere.

 

 

[Guest]

Hello @BeaverTG; 

 

Great post! 

 

Reactions are really diverse and as you wrote it is always good to meet new players on the road and see how they react with light signals or something else.
Well, I usually use "o/"  or  "<3"

When answered it is really a unique sensation that only truckers know.

 

Be happy 2021

[FernandoCR [ESP]]

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?

 - I hit the "light-horn" twice and shortly, but only in answer to others who flashed their lights. Too many times I did it and got nothing in return so... Never used the horn and I don't text while I'm driving.
2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?

 - Like I said, they don't react, it's me who reacts so...
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

 - I like it when someone use their lights as a greeting. I hate those people who honk like angry baboons and I dislike the ones who send texts. I won't answer for the same reason they shouldn't do that in the first place: "Don't text and drive". There's also the ones who will greet over the CB radio and that would be completely fine, but I drive with the CB radio OFF, I don't have a working mic so I'd be unable to reply and all I used to hear before, most of the time, were screaming kids, horrible music, swearing, insults, lots of languages that I couldn't understand, etc... So I decided that no more.

[Myau91]

1. How do you react to passersby? | Only flash, but when i'm too tired or angry, i don't react at all
2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all? | All people are different
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it? | It helps people to feel interaction with other players. 

[Tayyyyyyyyyy]

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?  //  Either honk or flash lights (but mostly honk during day time in game)
2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?  //  Most of them would honk back at me 
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?  //  It's a fun experience especially after driving for a long trip alone in the rural area with less players, it feels like a warmth greeting from other players as well sometimes lol

[Christian6AT]

1.  I would horn twice and flash my lights
2. they would normally honk back
3. i really liked it and I cannot be the only one who would sacrifice being deafened by horns just so we can horn when we want, or make no horn zones like Duisburg or Calais just because it was one of my favourite things to do when I saw someone.

[Encrypted_]

Hey, 

I've been playing TruckersMP for a few years now and I must say - from my experience, the amount of rule breakers has definitely increased over the last year or so. Driving etiquette has also fallen; people used to be much more friendly and nicer to others in-game. Nowadays, you will be very lucky if you have been travelling for 10 minutes on an empty road in the middle of nowhere, to suddenly stumble across someone then they don't acknowledge your presence. Might just be that they've been driving for so long they don't notice you, or it could be the community is loosing methods of greetings/common etiquette. 

 

1. Provided that some sounds have been broken in the last few updates, I tend to flash my lights at oncoming users, or if they user a different form of communication (beeping their horn or using CB), I'd use that too. 

2. As explained before - the majority of passersby, don't communicate in any form. 

3. I'd personally say flashing your lights is the best practice; beeping your horn being the worst. Flashing your lights is pretty chill & depending on the popularity of the area, beeping your horn could cause other users to mimic your actions and cause more chaos. 

 

Do you agree with me? I'd love to hear your opinions on my opinion too! 

 

Happy Trucking, 
Encrypted 

[Debianov]

Hello!

Usually, I myself do not give any signals when I meet. This only happens when they honk me first. And you're right, it really degraded, since there was a period when I always blinked the headlights first, but only a few gave a signal in response... This was the reason for the behavior that I described above. However, I like this "tradition"

[BeaverTG]

I have been reading through all of your posts and I'm glad to see that I share a general opinion with everyone that has replied so far! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions. It's been interesting to know about what other people think and do regarding this matter.

Also, @Encrypted_, I agree with pretty much most of your thoughts- especially about the driving etiquette! It's honestly kind of sad, but as our community grows larger and larger, I think this is something to be expected just because of the sheer amount of new players and what they bring to the table. Hopefully in the near future, we as community members can organize some sort of initiative to encourage friendly driving etiquette in the game.
Personally, I find honking my horns to be a fun way to greet/be greeted by people just because sound is more engaging, but I think you are right that it is more on the chaotic side.

[CookieTho]

I honk or flash my lights at trucks passing by 99% of the time. I think its such a nice thing.
I dont always get a reaction back, but the ones I do get a reaction back from when I honk or flash my lights, they seem as excited as I am.
Its like when you smile at strangers you see outside, you feel good when they smile back.
When I'm just driving around alone listening to music and I find someone who blinks or honk back, I often sit there and just think ''who is on the other side of that screen?'' and I wonder if they too feel like they got smiled at.
Such a weird, but beautiful thing how much meeting someone for a split second can mean to a person, even when its online and you dont even see a face.
Says a lot about the game too in my opinion, and how invested we get both in the game itself, but also the community around it. FeelsWowMan
 

[BeaverTG]

11 hours ago, CookieTho_ said:

I honk or flash my lights at trucks passing by 99% of the time. I think its such a nice thing.
I dont always get a reaction back, but the ones I do get a reaction back from when I honk or flash my lights, they seem as excited as I am.
Its like when you smile at strangers you see outside, you feel good when they smile back.
When I'm just driving around alone listening to music and I find someone who blinks or honk back, I often sit there and just think ''who is on the other side of that screen?'' and I wonder if they too feel like they got smiled at.
Such a weird, but beautiful thing how much meeting someone for a split second can mean to a person, even when its online and you dont even see a face.
Says a lot about the game too in my opinion, and how invested we get both in the game itself, but also the community around it. FeelsWowMan
 

Wonderfully said. I feel the same way.

[obit8]

I always Flash, and if I'm in an area with not much traffic, I also wish a "nice trip" on CIBI.

 

I'm costantly looking on a "real way" to drive the truck...but for this I'm increasing the hours playing in Single Player, I think that 80% of people, on Truckers MP just are not looking for a real simulation...and after a bit is frustrating

[povgamer]

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?

I usually honk each time I see one, but in large servers due to the amount of players, I don't do it.

 

2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?

I feel like I get more from the newer players, as they are just discovering the beauty of TMP.

3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

I don't love it or hate it. I think it's a kind gesture to return to someone if they do it to me.

[KimbaPlays]

Well, I must say when I am in the middle of a lonely road, at night, just listening to the radio and driving, of course when I see another Truck, I instantly create a Party and start flashing my lights of excitement and greeting a passersby!

Some answer in the same euphoria, others just ignore, or were just busy with something else *texting and driving*. Either way, I get happy that there is some traffic over these DLCs areas, where I ride the most. You just see people in C-D nowadays, Italy for example is completely empty.

Nonetheless, Ill keep doing it until something bans it! I love it, and its just being nice with people

[[BRASIL] Falcon]

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?                                                                                                                                                                                                    > Before the horn bug, I honked and flashed the lights, but now I just blink the lights. (When possible I honk, where there are few players).                                                                                        

2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?                                                                                                                                                                                              > When possible, they usually honk too, but since I don't have upgrades on my truck, flashing the lights becomes more difficult to see, so only a few flash the light back. I think that some who have a weaker computer, do not see the lights very well, because they are with reduced settings.                                                                                                                                       
3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?                                                                                                                                                                                                > In my opinion, this is a very cool practice, I am even happy when I see people responding to the honking or to the light signals. There may be people who don't like this practice, and I respect it, but it makes the game much more friendly in my view.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    * It would be really cool to see the horn bug fixed soon, both to greet players and to warn when an accident might be imminent, I missed this too, a truck ended up closing me on the track and I could only flash the lights.

[Guest]

I usually use the flash to greet him, but I usually use the horn because I feel that the flash is not polite,

 

best regards

Player: Zonda R

[Codeize]

I joined TMP recently, and I always try to honk and flash my lights in a friendly gesture. Although I definetely agree that the majority (~75%) don't honk or flash lights back.

It'd be nice if people did though!

[Inklink]

Hey! 

Whilst I've "only" been on TMP for around two years now, I also think that people greeting each other has degraded quite a bit by now. But let's get to your questions, shall we?

 

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?

Usually, if someone greets me, I'll flash my light-horn, or use the normal horn (if it works). I don't really use the chat though, only if it's friends that greet me

 

2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?

I don't really greet "to" anyone anymore, unless for friends, as I rarely get any reaction or whatsoever. When I still did it though, I got a reaction from like every 4th or 5th person, the other ones ignored me or didn't see it. 

 

3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

I generally like it, as that makes driving more "human" and more fun. I don't see any problem with it, as it's just a nice gesture in my opinion :)! 

[BeaverTG]

6 hours ago, Codeize said:

I joined TMP recently, and I always try to honk and flash my lights in a friendly gesture. Although I definetely agree that the majority (~75%) don't honk or flash lights back.

It'd be nice if people did though!

Welcome to TMP! I agree with you, and thanks for contributing to the effort to keep the gesture alive!

[Idn360]

Hey BeaverTG, I also really wanna to tell whats my doing while greetings a passerby on the road.

 

1. How do you react to passersby? Do you honk, flash lights, chat, etc?

 

For me, I not often to reacting over them, but sometimes if I meet them and they honking or flashing light over me, I will reply with honk or flashing light tho.

And also sometimes if I driving on the small roads, I usually start to greetings them with honk or flashing light tho with expect they will reply my greetings.

 

2. In your experience, how do passersby react to you? Any reaction at all?

 

Usually they honking over me but because of FMOD bug, sometimes their honk inaudible but the honk icon appears.

So if the honk audible, I will react with honk too, but if not, enough with flashing light.

 

3. What is your opinion on this practice? Do you enjoy it? Do you hate it?

 

I really enjoy it to get the greetings by the passerby. At least is a symbolize that we are trucking with peace, not have a bad things each others

 

Oh one again, I really not reply a chat while trucking, but if I on the condition that not need to more focus (less traffic, truck speed still slow or even stopped, etc.), I sometimes reply their "Hey" on the chat.