Rider in distress signal

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All the years I have road and I just learned this. The international signal for a rider in distress or needing help is to put your helmet on the ground behind the rear tire.
 

Joseph/TX

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This has been around for many years; I first heard of it about 20 years ago. However, it seems like it's pretty much useless if it's not common knowledge. Might be a European thing...
 

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Yeah, nowadays the distress signal is your cell phone battery out and on your seat - if it's removable.. LOL
 
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jimbo2
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I've seen it twice on Facebook in the last couple days so hopefully with that and some posts on forums it can become common knowledge, I feel that would be a good thing.
 

Throttlejockey

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I look out for the "tapping on the top of helmet".... esp when going over the limit

Me too! haha.

What does holding your arm straight up in the air with your index finger pointing up at the sky mean? I had a guy do that Sunday. I thought I was #1.
 

ST4Sal

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index finger mean he's got speed enforcement from the air..... middle finger means you're #1

MOST people have no idea about the helmet behind the rear tire or the tapping of the helmet means.
 

JQL

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Tapping the top of the helmet is Speed Trap or Police up ahead
 

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You guys are so out of touch, tapping the helmet is now tapping to say ' hello senna'..
 

JQL

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The helmet on the ground can be beside the front or rear wheel but it must be very visible which ever wheel it is next to.
 

Throttlejockey

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index finger mean he's got speed enforcement from the air..... middle finger means you're #1

MOST people have no idea about the helmet behind the rear tire or the tapping of the helmet means.

I don't think it was about air enforcement. Not that I saw. I was also on a secondary road and saw nothing ahead.
 

SupraSabre

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Same here, not idea with the helmet behind the tire thing.

As far as the tapping of the top of the helmet. I see that probably once a week on my commute in the carpool lanes, which is great, because you never know where they might be hiding!
 

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What is the signal if you choose to ride with no helmet?
A finger circling one side of your head....

Tapping on the top of the helmet is also a Southern thing - means Bee In Helmet.
 

Tom Mac 04a

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Me too! haha.

What does holding your arm straight up in the air with your index finger pointing up at the sky mean? I had a guy do that Sunday. I thought I was #1.
Always thought that ment single file... but maybe he just was offering his services and he liked you :)
 

ST Gui

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Yeah, nowadays the distress signal is your cell phone battery out and on your seat - if it's removable.. LOL
:rofl1: Ok Andorids have a clear advantage over iPhones in this case!

I've known the hat-on-the-ground "signal" for many years but have never once seen it used. Not a lot of people recognize it as a distress signal or call for help unless the rider is still in it. Which is the only way my helmet would ever be on the ground.
 
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As far as the tapping of the top of the helmet. I see that probably once a week on my commute in the carpool lanes, which is great, because you never know where they might be hiding!
The San Diego north county I-15 carpool lanes are patrolled fairly aggressively, I always just assume they're there somewhere, because they usually are. About a year ago one of them was setup in the northbound lanes as I was traveling south. As I closed on another biker riding northbound I starting doing the top of the helmet tapping thing, only to realize as the bike got closer that it was a CHP bike. :crackup
 
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