Sophie Nathan, a Kiwi radio host has left the internet divided after taking her debate re: Aus vs. NZ road etiquette to TikTok earlier this month.
She took to TikTok to reveal the thing that Aussie drivers don’t do that’s left her totally “baffled” after arriving in Sydney about a month ago.
Speaking from her own driving experiences in Aus, Sophie said she’s noticed that Sydney drivers don’t flash their lights or wave as a “thank you” when she lets them into her lane.
“Little question for Australians, how come when you’re out driving no one does the ‘thank you’ with the hazard lights?” she asked in a TikTok.
“In New Zealand, if you let someone in, it is courtesy that they do a little flick of their hazard lights, or you do the hand out the window wave. No one does it in Australia.”
She claimed that she has often let Sydney drivers merge into her lane and she hasn’t once received a thank you wave or light flash.
“I let people in because you know, it works in roundabouts, I hope someway someone will let me in. [But] yet to happen in Australia,” she said.
“And I don’t do it because I’m a good person I do it purely for the thank yous (sic),” she said asking, “Is it not a thing here?”
Aussies were quick to weigh in on the debate, telling Sophie that flashing lights was usually reserved for warning people about nearby police or speed cameras or as a way to signal someone can merge in front of them.
“Hazard lights are to let people know cops with speed cameras,” one user commented.
“We do that here for cops ahead,” wrote another.
Many commenters were in agreeance though that a thank you wave in Sydney was “rare.”
“That’s Sydney for ya,” one Aussie wrote.
“In Sydney you get nothing. It use to be a wave/hand raise, but people here too aggro so think you’re flipping the bird … so nothing,” a second person chimed in.
But not all Sydneysiders agreed that they weren’t partial to a wave of thanks on the road.
“Most people wave in Sydney but definitely not everyone. Guess you’ve been unlucky,” one person wrote.
“I’m a waving Sydneysider,” another hit back and that feels exactly like something someone who doesn’t wave would say.
As a Melbourne girl, I am a proud ‘thanks’ waver, and it seemed that many of the TikTok comments agreed that this was an isolated Sydney issue that doesn’t happen in Melb.
“Yes we absolutely do! well here in Melbourne we do … not so much the hazard lights but definitely a wave at the very minimum,” wrote a Melburnian.
Some commenters also said when they engage in the wave act, they do the ‘ol wave in the rear view mirror.
“We wave at our rear view mirror so look to the middle of the car in front and you should see it,” one Aussie told Sophie.
“We definitely wave but in the rear view mirror. We never blip the hazard lights,” another added and TBH I agree the hazard lights definitely seem a bit rogue.
Meanwhile, one person said if they don’t get a thank you wave, they wave back aggressively “until they acknowledge me” and I might adopt that energy in my own day-to-day driving.
For all the Sydney non-wavers out there, I implore you to become one — maybe you’ll make some Kiwi’s day.
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