"Commander Kinsey" wrote in message
news
On Sun, 13 Jun 2021 03:58:11 +0100, Rod Speed
wrote:

Dean Hoffman wrote
Commander Kinsey wrote

Why do people say left hand down instead of left?
We all know which way to turn the wheel to make
the car go left, and it's the same in reverse. And if
I'm reversing looking over my shoulder, one hand
isn't on the wheel so the phrase makes no sens

The only thing I can think of is from the old days.

Dunno, hard to see that unless you mean say the military during WW2 etc.

There was a time when drivers used hand signals
to signal left, right, or stop with their left hands.

Nope, with their right hands, Britain is right hand
drive and that phrase doesnt appear to be that
common outside right hand drive countrys.

And there was no down involved. There was a way to
indicate a left turn by the driver in a right hand drive
car but I cant remember what what it was. Hand moving
downward indicated slowing down before lights were
common.

That might still be legal

Yeah, it is still used by bicycle riders.

but I don't remember anyone using them.

I did see it very rarely indeed in my early days
and still see it quite a bit with bicycle riders.

Eh? Cyclists just stick one arm straight out in the direction they're
going. Anything else would bre ambiguous.

Yeah. I meant hand signals in general there.

That reminds me of the first time I ever saw someone tell us to slow down.
He had his hand palm down, and was lowering it repeatedly.

Yeah, that was the common signal for that.

We realised later he was informing us of an accident up ahead. But both
me and my friend who was driving were trying to figure out what was left
open, thinking he meant the boot (trunk) was up in the air.

Mate of mine tried to indicate to me that there were cops up ahead
in the garage sale run. I didnt have a ****ing clue what he was trying
to indicate when he waved his arm around outside the window.

He's the bugger who refuses to use a mobile phone. The
rest of us warn each other about cops using the phone.

I was on holiday and parked in a layby with poor visibility (blind bend
behind me). As I began reversing out, a German tourist simply raised one
finger. I took this to mean "you're ok to go", and continued, then
slammed on the brakes as a bus came round the corner. Apparently Germans
don't bother using the whole hand to mean stop.

Thats why they lost both wars.