I'm starting to wonder how many people properly understand this hand signal.
pic source
Yer Pal,
R A N T W I C K
PS - Hours after posting this, I took a look at my blog and saw this:
It fried my brain for just half a second and for some unknown reason I wanted to share it with you too. That guy in the ad is doing the "mess with your head" bicycle signal, I guess.
It is, of course, the hand signal for a right turn used by motorists (and some cyclists). It is made with the left arm because drivers are typically sticking their arm out the window to make the signal. Cyclists, however, have the option of sticking out their right arm instead, like this:
I have witnessed two different cyclists signal with the first method only to turn left over the last couple of years. When I use it (correctly) many motorists just stare at me, stopped, and wait to see what I'm going to do. Either they don't trust that I know what it means (which is a little insulting, but not totally unreasonable) or they don't know what it means themselves.
As a result, I have begun using the second signal more often. I am experiencing less "lack of faith" from motorists, since there is little room for misinterpretation of the signal. The bummer is that I have my front brake lever on the right side on two of my bikes, partly because it allows me to apply my stronger brake while signalling the first way. Ah well. I will sacrifice that convenience for better communication, I guess, and if I need more brake, I'll just do it the old way again.
I know this is fascinating stuff. I hope your excitement level hasn't gone through the roof and freaked you out or anything. Out of curiosity, though, how do you normally signal a right?
R A N T W I C K PS - Hours after posting this, I took a look at my blog and saw this:
It fried my brain for just half a second and for some unknown reason I wanted to share it with you too. That guy in the ad is doing the "mess with your head" bicycle signal, I guess.
