The Opportunity
Motorcyclists have a secret hand signal they use when they encounter each other on the road. (It’s not really “secret” but they don’t exactly advertise it either.) It’s meant as a subtle sign of respect that says I see you and you see me and how fucking cool are motorcycles, be safe out there friend. It communicates all of that.
Jeep owners have this too, a hand signal called “The Jeep Wave”, used to acknowledge another Jeep owner on the road. (From my research it seems as though in typical Jeep cult fashion they went way overboard with this one and have like 15 different versions of the wave. (I find this 50% ridiculous 50% aspirational.)
People who ride scooters should have this too. There’s a lot of us out on the road these days, more and more all the time. Cruising along at 10-18 mph, angling for space in the increasingly crowded bike lanes.
The thing about scooters is they’re so fun, so when you see someone else on one there’s a sort of shared: We’re having fun, right? like when your dog looks up at you out on a walk.
The Problem
is that scooters extremely require you to have both hands on the handles at all times. Like to take one hand off to make some random hand signal would be psychotic, almost guaranteed instant death. So we’re sort of limited.
I have done a lot of searching online and no one else is talking about this or offering suggestions. Some might say this is due to lack of interest, but I assure you it’s just that everyone is paralyzed with fear/indecision about how to solve this problem.
The Solution
I’ve been experimenting with various options (head nod? coy foot twirl? idk) but here’s what I think is our best option:
Keep both hands on the handlebars. Right hand stays gripping the handlebar firmly. On the left hand, extend 4 fingers up and out, while keeping the left thumb securely on the bar.
Why it Works
- You still keep both hands on the wheel, averting certain disaster.
- It’s very subtle, so only other scooterists will likely see/appreciate it.
- In its simplicity it holds incredible meaning: Hi, I see you, mutual respect, stay safe out there, how about these assholes on the mopeds, etc.
Next Steps
Not exactly sure how to spread the word about this. Hopefully other people with scooters googling “secret hand signal for scooters” land here and it just takes off from there. Spread the word.