flashing your lights at other porsches
 

"discussion on flashing headlights could be it's own discussion thread: Do you try it? Do you get a response? What areas seem to repond more (Country-City, West Coast -East Coast, USA-Europe)?"

this idea was originally from bmcuscgr94

so what do you think?


For me I do all the time... never gotten a response. I live just south of san fran.

"For me I do all the time... never gotten a response."

Probably because they think you're strange :D

Seriously, though, I can understand it if it was some ultra-rare collectors piece limited edition run, but it's a mass-produced automobile that are bought not just by enthusiasts, but by people who simply want the badge!

yes but i guess i should also throw in there it is kind of a tradition among the PCA faithful.

Personally, if I see the other driver ahead of time, and its not a highway situation, I typically will wave to the other Porsche driver. Waving gets a better response, and doesn't confuse the other guy why you are flashing at him.

In some areas, flashing your headlights at another car can mean anything from "Your high beams are on" to "There's a cop just ahead, slow down". A wave is just about always going to be taken as "Hi! I have a car like yours, too! Isn't it awesome?!"

That, and the fact that I'm used to waving since I'm a motorcyclist, and I would have to say that about 85% of motorcyclists here in the US will wave back if waved to, just makes it second nature for me to wave at other Porsche drivers.

Oddly enough, I get about an 85% response rate to other Porsche drivers here in Colorado when I wave to them on just about any mountain road.

BC.

I've given and received waves back about half the time. When I had a Corvette (don't bash them until you try them) 95% plus waved back, same with motorcycles. To be blunt, many of the Porsche guys are far from the ones I'd prefer to have a beer with, a little too full of themselves. That'll rile things lol. :cheers:

i do, there are a couple cars on my commute that don't. I think they are women who are driving whast was bought for them.

Back before the boxsters/cayennes you'd always get a flash or a wave, or sometimes a guess at what year. Dealers need to discuss proper porsche etiquette before they let people drive off the lot in a shiny new toy!

At first I did a double flash every time I saw another Porsche, but I rarely got responses. Now I only bother on the weekends, on windy roads, or if their top is down. :cheers:

"Save the Wave" :cheers:

i think ill go for the daily double and do a wave and a light flash... may be tricky. HOWEVER, who knows maybe they will start to flash back knowing its just a porsche HI and not a cop or a hey turn your lights on dude. :cheers:

S'cuse me......I'm a woman......and I bought my OWN Boxster. In fact, I just purchased it a week ago and I'm trying to learn all etiquette. So far, I've had one wave and one flash of lights. I'm so excited when I get a response from another Boxster driver, that I just end up waving wildly and grinning from ear to ear. I need to calm down my excited response and do a slight wave of the left hand. Be cool! I will practice.

As an FYI.....I bought an '05 Guards Red Boxster with Sand Beige interior. It has chromed Cayman S wheels which I didn't like at first, but they are growing on me. Car is CPO'd for next 2 years.

Barbara

well if im ever in the bay area (was yesterday) and i see a red box with a driver waving madly ill know who it is... and of course wave/flash (my double HI thing) back

:cool:

I've flashed the lights at a few Porsches, most enthusiastic response was from a guy in a 944!

Tried even flashing the lights at a few Cayenne’s, NEVER got a response.

The worst tailgater I've ever had was a Canadian Cayenne. Going through Ohio on I-90 and all I could see in my rearview mirror was that fat bumper. It went on for hours. From my experience, many Cayenne drivers were very rude.

I've passed a few Porsches and rarely do they wave or flash their lights. I don't bother anymore.

When I'm on my motorcycle I always wave to other bikers and it's always enthusiastic, whether they are Harleys, sport bikes, or even dirt bikes. Seems like bikers are friendlier than Porsche drivers.

I don't bother with Cayenne's, and rarely wave at 911 because they are mostly driven by people who bought a Porsche to be able to say they drive a Porsche and do not care about the driving experience.

However, I have had some good moments, like being waved at by a cute blonde, and exchanging a flash with a vintage 356 convertible.

Save the Flash!

Wont argue with this statment! :cheers:

waving always seems to work if the ohter driver can see you but even that sometimes results in a blank stare. flashing lights on two lane back roads works best for me.

yeah i flash!
 

there are very few porsche vehicles in our local except cayenne, i will falsh the Hi or wave to the cars, and have gotten the odd enthusiast's nod or wave back. .. your right it's much more common on the bike.

Waving
 

I am 65 and have had one kind or other rag top since i was 18. I wave at all rag tops from cheap and old to new and expensive. I get very few wave backs. I also owened bikes and got waves from most, except racers. Don't know why people aren't more friendly. HAVE A NICE DAY

I always wave or flash my lights when I see women driving topless. :D

Absolutely. Back in the early '80's in the SF Bay Area, I had a 944 and I'd almost always get a response. When I got my 914, I was disappointed that I couldn't flash my lights in the day at people. Years later, I added driving lights (in the fog position) and wired my system just so I could flash my lights, but the tradition had passed by that time, now that there were so many mass-market image-based Porsche owners. Flashing your lights at a Cayenne driver will usually get you the finger :)

If you want to get a response, flash your lights at most any pre-1980 911 owner, especially if you encounter one on a winding road, far from boring city traffic.

i had a miata years ago and it seemed Miata owners were always flashing headlights and waving at each other....

i'm sure that has "worn off" now that there are so many of htem and it's less of a unique car...

i sometimes wave at other boxster or Porsches...sometimes they acknowledge you, but often they don't.

can't hurt to be friendly! i say wave if you want to....

I used to just pull the light switch. Took alittle more effort but it worked with the "opening eyes" effect.

I actually saw this when I used to live on Maui. It was a tourist driving a convertible Mustang. Gave her a big friendly smile and wave! I guess she didn't want a tan line and I wasn't going to complain.

I have been waved at a couple of times and returned the wave while driving my Boxster. We do not have many Porsches where we live so I have not run into too many. Suprisingly we drove to Miami for Christmas and in alsmot 1000 miles never came across another Porsche. I saw many BMWs, MBs, amd Jaguars, one Bugatti, one Maserati and a Lamborghini/ I know this is not germane to the thread, I just thought it odd. I also ride a bike and always wave at other riders regardless of the type or brand on motorcycle they are on.

i usually always flash, and if the other P-car is far enough ahead, i usually get one back (even 911's)

..and if I'm in the 914... well... sometimes it's more of a wink lol

In my neck 'o the woods, I haven't had a Porsche not return the wave. Even the 911 drivers wave. Though I'm usually in my own world when driving the Boxster with the top down so usually it's the other Porsche that initiates the wave or horn beep.

Now when I was riding a bike, the Harley riders would never ever return the wave to me riding on a Honda.

On Monday mornings, I often pass a silver 987 Box in my silver 986. For monthes, no flashes or waves; I guess like me, he is grimly returning the weekend funcar to weekday storage. After I installed my Zeintop, Mr. 987 now flashes, thumbs up and grins! :D

I have had Porsches since my 64 356C, bought in 68. It used to be Porsche owners ALWAYS flashed lights back and forth. But those were the days when enthusiasts owned Porsches, not snobs.
I live in Brumos country so Porsche enthusiasts have a history predating even Peter Gregg and Hurley Haywood, going all the way back to Avery Brundage. Brumos Porsche has been a landmark for Jacksonville and sportscar racing for well over 30 years, so I still get quite a few returns of the lights. Some just look at you and the sales force has a running joke about new owners questioning all the other Porsches flashing lights at them. They are good spirited about it and explain it to the newbies, some of whom actually get it. When traveling away from Jax, loss of return flashes seems exponential to distance, other than nearing another racetrack on race weekends.
Light flashing was so important to Peter Gregg he had his first 928 modified by his service department to swivel the headlights into working position, flash and return to normal position! I have no idea what that cost him (beside about 10% of what it would have cost one of his customers!! ;) ) but it took his head mechanic and parts manager several days to work it out to Peter's perfection demand.

Wow. Thanks for the background. I recall my early experiences in the late 70's when I friend bought his first 911. Luckily he was clued in by the previous owner about the flash. Lots of fun. We used to count how many Porsches we'd meet and if they returned the flash or not. Now I live in a tourist area in CA and when I flash tourists in Porsches its seems to confuse them.

My experience as a tourist in California; I was confused with no lights flashing!!

Seriously, though, I had a blast in LA in early 95. Went to buy a plastic forming machine and happened to schedule it the same weekend as Long Beach GP. It was a hoot and I really enjoyed the entire area.
I warned the rental car company about a "suspicious" brake problem on the Neon I returned. It seems it had mysterious clouds of smoke coming from the front wheel wells on several canyon roads!

It used to be, decades ago, all sports cars waved to each other as well as motorcycles.
then in the 80's harleys only waved to Harleys and Vettes to Vettes

it seems now no one hardly waves

I "wave" at every car I see with an O-loser sticker!! :cool:

Besides the Boxster I have two Harleys which my wife and ride often with friends and alone. We always wave at anyone regardess of the brand or type of motorcycle they are on. We also have friends that have other brands of motorcycles and we ride together, so not all Harley owners are snobs. In fact my wife and I sometimes do not get waves back from people on Harleys and other brands. As noted previously, it could be becasue they are new and do not know about waving.