Saturday, July 19, 2008

Windows Down....

I wasn't kidding about the rotation ("attempted artsy" then ridiculous) Get ready for the most useless piece of reading you will do all week.

.Windows Down.
Okay, so it's a hot day, and you are driving, and your windows are down. Air conditioning or not, we all do it from time to time. Now, you might put your arm out the window. And my big question here is:


How do you put your arm out the window?

Do you sort of let that arm hang on the side, do you keep your hand up? Do put your hand straight out?

The reason I ask is that I was driving around the other day, and I saw a person with their hand in a straight up "stop sign" motion. Even more tilted than the diagram, like they were actually telling you to stop with their hand. I thought this was a little unusual, but then within five minutes, I saw the exact same motion again! And then, I wondered, maybe I am the crazy one? Is the "stop sign" hand out the car window normal? I need to know.

"Stop Sign" Hand

"Normal Hand"


Okay, these diagrams are far from perfect. They are meant to teach Irish drivers how to signal. (Hence the opposite side of the vehicle driver) So there doesn't necessarily need to be up and down movement. The point is that your hand is slack, and that it either rests on the side of the car, or in some "downward" motion.

I've always thought that the arm out the window is such a wonderful pose. Relaxed, disinterested. And then, boom, I am confronted with the reality of these stop sign hands, all rigid and firm.

Does it really matter? Well obviously not really, but I just thought a poll might be fun. I'm not here to judge, what do you prefer? I'd like to know...

.and one more thing.
why do people wait in drive-thru lines in their cars, when they could get out, breathe some fresh air, and wait in a line up half as long inside? It constantly astounds me. That being stated, if you are said people who sits in their car, please continue to do so, because you make my inside line shorter. Thank you.

4 comments:

Unknown said...

stop sign hand = feeling the wind push through your hand and fingers, ride the air currents...does that make sense, we all did this when we were kids...i still am doing this, oops, hopefully no one thinks i'm stopping ahead...

drive thru=shorter line. especially at starbucks in clayton heights where 3 girls work the drive thru and one the inside. 3 times as long when i go inside. sick. and sometimes it's just nice to keep listening to the tunes...

Sharelle said...

so on the way home today, i tried the stop sign hand for liz, and discovered that indeed, it does feel nice to feel the wind push through your fingers.

i now understand "the other side". haha.

as for the drive thru - still not convinced :)

Tyler said...

Remember Sharelle, 'drive thru' people will tell you anything to prove their point; they're just those kind of people. I'm not trying to be rude here, but seriously, if they cannot even be bothered to call it a 'drive through' what could possibly induce them to leave their cars to get their food? (just kidding you lovely drive thru people who do indeed make my life easier and more spacious; keep it up!)

Ben S. said...

sharelle - you pose some interesting questions here.

i do the stop sign - feel the wind - when i'm a passenger. as a driver, I do the normal hand. though lately i've become hyper aware of sunburning and tanlines. i rarely put my arm out the window. :)

as for the drive-thru? maybe these people aren't wearning pants. or they recently spilled something on their pants and don't want to get out. maybe their left leg is broken. or could they be barefoot? some thoughts.