Mixed Signals

When you’re on a bike it helps to communicate where you’re going. At first it may seem weird, especially if you’ve never seen anyone signal before. This was the case when I started biking. But I gave it a shot. At first I stuck to the basics: “right” and “left.” I started with the most textbook versions.

Then I realized it was much more nuanced- it was about using body language. Even the littlest gesture said something.  I could mix it up depending on the situation. I could convey urgency, scale it up or down, even completely change it up sometimes….

You can even get creative and make your own signals. Though, everything you do becomes signal of some sort…

But once you get over the awkwardness of hand signals- it’s a relief to have more in your commuter vocabulary than “right,” “left,” and “honk.”