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I was driving on Midlothian Turnpike and stopped for a traffic light. The driver in front of me was studying something off in the distance and didn’t notice that the red light had turned to green. Traffic started moving and I couldn’t move over to the next lane to drive pass the stationary car. I was in the process of considering if I needed to blow my horn, when the passenger in the car in front of me nudged the driver. The driver looked up, saw the green light and then did something I haven’t seen in more than two years. She did a sheepish wave over her shoulder before she pulled away from the intersection. Drivers just don’t use courtesy hand signals anymore.
I miss acts of acknowledgment from my fellow drivers that once were fairly common. Cell phones can be blamed for the erosion of driving etiquette. The attention of drivers has been removed from their immediate surroundings to whomever is on the other end of the phone. Cell phones also make it impossible to perform courtesy hand gestures. With one hand grabbing a steering wheel and the other clutching a phone, it is impossible to use driver sign language.
If you have gotten out of the habit of using these gestures, or perhaps if you learned to drive post-cell phone mania, consider trying these two moves when the need arises:
The Thank You: Sometimes, as drivers, we need to rely on the kindness of strangers. If you find yourself stuck behind an unfortunate accident on the interstate, for example, and a fellow driver allows you to merge in front of them, use the “thank you” wave. You don’t even need to look back. Just put up your right hand. Moving it side to side is optional. You can also use this move as a pedestrian, when a car stops to let you walk in front of it.
The I’m Sorry: This is the one time that pantomime is helpful. Perhaps you almost back over a shopper while pulling out of a parking spot. Raise your shoulders and eyebrows. Slowly mouth out the word “Sorry.” Finish with putting one hand over your mouth, which is understood to mean “Whoops! I should be more careful.”
Sometimes we should talk to strangers. Using courtesy hand gestures allows us to tap into our inner kindness and speak to the person in the other car.
Becky Reil is a lover of art, architecture and good food. Traveling with her husband and friends is her favorite way to enjoy all of her interests. She ate her way through thirteen countries and has several trips planned for the near future. Local food is her passion, and she will reluctantly share her "secret" sources for sausage, beef, grits and produce. Becky is constantly working to enlarge her fabric stash and enjoys quilting and collecting textiles. A graduate of Radford University, she has worked as an Art Teacher and as a Job Coach for disabled persons.
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