Funny Things that 'Foreigners' Do -

[antoha]

in the older days when there were not as many cars on the roads in russia, if you flashed (twice) at an oncoming car that meant that you just saw a cop with a radar and you're warning your fellow driver of that. now of course when driving 25 miles takes 3 hrs on the same road trying to leave the city on a friday, it's a bit harder to speed...

[Lake-Effect]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Yes, the thumb and forefinger one means a*****e in German, if translated. Funny how such voluble people create all their varied hand signals of anger, disagreement, dispute, and judgment!

There has been a move (a joke that caught on) to co-opt the 'ok' hand symbol as standing for "white power" . So yeah, "thumbs-up" seems to be the safest option now. Til someone else co-opts it. Maybe it's the code sign for a secret society of proctologists...

How did we get to this point?

[Dsanduril]

Originally Posted by Lake-Effect

So yeah, "thumbs-up" seems to be the safest option now.

In certain parts of the world "thumbs up" means "sit on this"....

[gamayun]

I once had to return a rental car that required navigation through the roundabout at the Arc de Triomphe. All I could do was gun it, look for the correct street to exit (pre GPS) and then start breathing again. Somehow the other cars knew what to do (or better, how to avoid me hitting them). I later saw the Mission: Impossible film with Ethan Hunt getting chased around that spot. It was deja vu all over again!

[gamayun]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

In certain parts of the world "thumbs up" means "sit on this"....

Thanks for that. I can never undo reading this.

[Franziska]

That's still a thing we do in Germany occasionally. Nice move, but be careful not to be cought doing it.

Originally Posted by antoha

in the older days when there were not as many cars on the roads in russia, if you flashed (twice) at an oncoming car that meant that you just saw a cop with a radar and you're warning your fellow driver of that. now of course when driving 25 miles takes 3 hrs on the same road trying to leave the city on a friday, it's a bit harder to speed...

[dannc]

Originally Posted by antoha

in the older days when there were not as many cars on the roads in russia, if you flashed (twice) at an oncoming car that meant that you just saw a cop with a radar and you're warning your fellow driver of that. now of course when driving 25 miles takes 3 hrs on the same road trying to leave the city on a friday, it's a bit harder to speed...

That is interesting since flashing you headlights to warn of a speed trap is common practice in the US.

Later,
Dan

[Dsanduril]

I'm a USian, and to me flashing the lights (or toggling the high beams at night) tells the semi truck/trailer combo in front of me that it is clear to change lanes, I see him coming.

[JPA Cate]

Even another State can be "foreign". In California, pedestrians have right of way over traffic. In Illinois, traffic has the right of way. Californians would be divided into the "quick" and the dead.

Ann

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by Franziska

That's still a thing we do in Germany occasionally. Nice move, but be careful not to be cought doing it.

I am interested to know the rationale behind the 'but be careful not to be cought doing it'.

Why would this be problem?

[double u]

funny things...:
we are living in forest cities here...

[ChrisJHC]

Originally Posted by Wotname

I am interested to know the rationale behind the 'but be careful not to be cought doing it'.

Why would this be problem?

Illegal use of headlights in Australia.

[double u]

same here

[Wotname]

Originally Posted by ChrisJHC

Illegal use of headlights in Australia.

It is not illegal to turn your headlights (low beam) on or off during the daylight hours in Australia - or at least it wasn't a few years back; maybe something has changed recently or in some state. In fact it was encouraged for awhile.

Do you have any details?

[double u]

flashing=signalling
on or off is ok