When a car approaches in traffic, it may not be in solidarity as you #Occupy Bike Lane.
What can seem an intimate gesture, as a couple of tonne of moulded metal, bucket seats and wing mirrors tries to snuggle up, can be quite the opposite.
You've been right hooked.
An appropriate gesture in response is to fold your finger tips into the palm of your hand, wrap your thumb around them, tense your hand muscles, and move your arm rapidly towards the approaching car's panel.
That's what cyclists call a left hook.
BONUS TIP: You don't really need hand bones to ride a bike, so feel free to throw that hook nice and hard.
A flat handed smack is louder, and makes it almost impossible to hurt your hand.
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'll give a light trunk smack if the driver is blocking the crosswalk and looks at me and doesn't move. I don't care if it's malice or just stupidity, even a light smack makes a lot of noise inside the car and communicates my message.
Almost all drivers make at least a token "move up" gesture and they get a nice wave instead of a trunk smack.