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I think bright lights are fine but if you are routinely getting people signaling to you that they are too bright it would be a better idea to adjust them down rather than get off on brighting them back. (they think they are just signaling and you think you are in a Bright light war.  Sounds awefully juvenile to me.)"
Maybe I should have clarified myself better.
My bulbs are DOT and aimed on the rack (Yankee Shannon is a service manger, so the preventative maintentance on my GV is impecable).  They do not exceed DOT wattage, just use xenon gas which is more efficent and brighter than halogen gas.  Many new cars have the same gas mixtures.  Others have HID, which are far brighter.
I think it might be the difference in color, or that they look brighter, but I get flashed, not one, but twice or more.  I will flash them my Highs to show them my lows are on.  About one in 5 respondes like a moron and throws their highs on like it's a pissing match.
Sometimes, I get flashed and they must take it as me not responding (how can I when my lows are on?)  They react by flicking on THEIR high-beams steady.  Now I'm being blinded.  Then there are jerks with their brights on (you can see all 4 bulbs on) who don't resonded to 3 courtesy flashes.   These are usually clueless or truely non-caring.
Overwhelming them with light is my usual response.  Works for me.
Some folks still running old-school lights just don't like new, brighter, whiter bulb systems.  Stick in the muds if you ask me.  The same was said when Halogens replaced standard incandescent bulbs in cars.  They thought they were too bright, complained, and even mistook low beams for brights.  They was true too when cars went from 6V to 12V.  Brighter, whiter and safer bulbs are hear to stay, best get used to it.
I read a newspaper article saying a recent study found that true HID lights appearing on luxury cars and SUVs were the most distracting type of auto lighting on the market.  Common reasons were the spectum of color they can have, the more intense light, and more natural white light they projected.  Drivers in the study said they found it harder to look away from those types ofheadlights than traditional "yellow-ish" type halogen and standard sealed beams.  This attraction to looking into the light beam caused drivers to claim that they headlights were too bright, even though they produced similar lumens to normal headlights
People who have the attitude that whatever I do is fine even if it is a hazardous to others are a danger to society.  I would hope those who frequent this board are a little more courteous to other drivers who have kids and loved ones as passengers.
I have kids and loved ones in my trucks.  That is why all my cars have the best possible lights that I can afford in them.  Some folks seem not to like them.  If I represented myself as an idiot joyfully blinding folks, I stand corrected.  But I will do nothing to change the bulbs in my trucks nor respond differently when someone wants to blind me in "their" light war.
