Biker-Greeting

Hello alls,
as you maybe know, in germany the motorcyclists lift their left arm to greet fellow bikers coming in from the opposite direction.
I was so happy after I passed my test that then I would be one of them, getting greeted and lift my own arm to say "Hello". Like uberproud. I think as its the hand on the throttle in the UK you are only allowed to nod. Fair point. But in Germany its NOT the hand on the throttle and one german "green" party is planning on forbidding it :(
I think its a nice thing between bikers and i dont want it to end so soon after I just started using it :(

What do you lot think, arm or nod?? (of course you dont raise your arm when you are in a corner or something)
I would like to know your opinion!

In South Africa the greeting is with the left hand (drive/ride the same side as the UK).

I have heard people complaining that the nod is pretty lame, for me I like the different methods used in various countries; gives a variety.
There is also a silly understanding that we should not nod around London, within the M25. Think this is geared more to the daily commute, there are aprox 16 000 bikes that go into the city daily, so I guess you'd be nodding quite a bit. As a weekend warrior, I tend to disregard this (unless I am in the heart of the city) and fortunately I see more and more are as well.

I use the tried and tested nod of the head There are loads of people out there that don't even do that though :(

The other thing i do is if a car pulls right over to let me past i generally give them a thankyou wave or a nod as i go past Manners don't cost a thing

I'm with andy - very occasionally i flash my headlight or put my (left) hand up (or stick a leg out as i go by another biker!) but usually its a nod and i always put my left hand out at car/road users who pull over to the side to let me by and i always pull over when i'm in the car if i can and a bike appears behind me and its bloody irritating if they don't thank you (guy stuck her left leg out at me the other day - luckily i knew what he meant ). I know some people question the point of acknowledging other bikers but i enjoy it (but ok i don't nod at scooters or mopeds but if they acknowledge me then i'll do it back) - i find Hardley riders often don't do it tho lol

here i do a nod or a wave,, but in spain I go all continental and do the leg shake or wave
it used to be done by most bikers but it seems to be a tradition that is sadly dying out
hardley and goldwing riders rarely return the greeting

yeah i noticed that most chopper riders dont do it but other than that usually does it and i really like it
in germany i have never seen anyone shaking a leg i would be most confuzzled!

I think the leg is a thank you gesture - we can use our left hand to thank drivers, you can't use your right hand - so a right foot out is done instead.
I sometimes use that here when hands off bars isn't a clever idea like filtering - oops sorry you can't do that there :(

Harley's and the like do seem to have a code of non acknowledgment - but I have seen some that have nodded (maybe they were shaking their heads trying to get the flies out of their teeth)

Ezzy's Mum! wrote:(guy stuck her left leg out at me the other day - luckily i knew what he meant )

Never mind the acknowledgement/thanks etc i'm confuzzled by he/she?? haha

I always nod my head personally, and generally at most riders, if they don't acknowledge me then ho hum, karma 'el catch up sooner or later, i can rest i knowledge i'm a nice person!! I Thankyou!!

[quote="JDM"]

Ezzy's Mum! wrote:(guy stuck her left leg out at me the other day - luckily i knew what he meant )

Never mind the acknowledgement/thanks etc i'm confuzzled by he/she?? haha

quote]

lol you know me - i always say the wrong things/give out duff gen - but i can always rely on it to be pointed out

I love riding in France where the acknowledged way to "nod" to another rider is the palm down V sign with the left hand.

A French biker once told me that the lower your hand when giving the signal, the cooler you are.

I always nod in this Country but I can't wait to get back to France next month to see how cool I can get. No Comments Please!!!!!! Lol.

Tony

I'm a nodder but even that has it's sub divisions, some straight to the front and some to shoulder.

Often seen a thumbs down as an indication for Plod or other hazards, hey I'm a poet 'no nod for plod'

Any takers for the second line

Amos

I usually nod but acasionally if in a 20 or 30 limit i would nod & do thumbs up. I do nod to scooter riders after all they are on 2 wheels also even if a bit lame.

I nod and may have been known to accidently nod while driving the car

But in Derbyshire its less common, maybe because of sheer volume, its also less common for cars to pull over to let bikes past.

While commuting to work, several hug the white line so I cant filter!

Amos wrote: 'no nod for plod'

Any takers for the second line

Amos

Shame on You They're bikers too !!(i'm a poet too) and i do nod for plod

I normally do a Mexican Wave , and then get my Vuvuzela out and hoot.

espaceman3 wrote:I normally do a Mexican Wave , and then get my Vuvuzela out and hoot.

I can never get my Vuvuzela out my trousers quickly enough never mind get it blown.

You are on form tonight !

I'm a nodder / tilter mostly but have been known to give a thumbs up, a wave and the odd leg out to cars that pull over. ( not all at the same time though. It would look as though I was having a fit or doing the oke koke! )

I used to flash back in the 80's but after my conviction that had to stop!

Around Hull you do get a few returns especially as peeps are heading for the ferry.

Oh not nodded to plod yet but there are a couple of traffic assistance riders that are around. Not got a return yet though, but they filter like mad, and at speed.

I like riding on the continent when you can give the victory sign. Seems to be the done thing.
I usually give a wave or a nod. Really pisses me off when I don't get one back tho..found Harley riders seem to think they're too cool for nodding back. Found myself screaming the word "wanker" inside my lid when I get ignored after offering a wave or nod.

I just FLASH ow err missus lol
kat

A nod to other bikers, provided it doesn't distract me, and if they don't respond then WGAF? Maybe they're too busy concentrating, their mind is elsewhere or they're just ignorant. Whatever...I did my part to be friendly.
No nods to scooters unless they say hello to me. And I tend not to nod to patches, not because I don't like them, but I just get the impression they're not bothered about me, which is fine.
A nod to plod - usually returned and I've found they sometimes nod first.
A "cool" thank-you left hand downward and palm forward off the bar) to any accomodating drivers.
And if there's a few bikes coming the other way, I either nod to the leader if its a small group or wave if the bunch is somewhat larger.

And occasionally I'm a moody bugger and I don't acknowledge anyone.

On a similar note, does anyone wave other vehicles out or flash their lights like you would in a car?

petercriss wrote:

On a similar note, does anyone wave other vehicles out or flash their lights like you would in a car?

depends on the circumstances but i have done it

Ezzy's Mum! wrote:

petercriss wrote:

On a similar note, does anyone wave other vehicles out or flash their lights like you would in a car?

depends on the circumstances but i have done it

Likewise, done both by nodding and flashing, especially when in a queue passing a t junction and traffic is waiting to get out and in across me.

petercriss wrote:On a similar note, does anyone wave other vehicles out or flash their lights like you would in a car?

Yip as long as they haven't blocked the other side of the road forcing their way in. Will let buses and even taxis in. Bus drivers in particular seem surprised and often wave me past after they have got into the traffic - win - win me thinks. Mind you some of them are bikers, just like the HGV guys.

Car , umm let me think - have a license for one of them things and used to drive daily up to 4 years ago, now a couple of days a year if I'm 'lucky'