Serious post on MC hand signals for those new to riding bikes..

[VirginiaJim]

Everyone who rides needs to pay attention to these hand signals....stolen freely from O.C. at the UK site.

[Strawboss]

Good things to remember on the road. I'm not sure what a rakia shop is though.

[gPink]

Must be something that hasn't made it out here to the colonies.

[Strawboss]

Fruit brandy popular in the Balkins.

[mikeeitup]

My group just makes phallic objects to communicate? Just kidding the bluetooth communications are amazing.

[just gone]

I'm not sure how serious the first post was, but this post is a serious question in keeping with the topic.

Seems a lot of road rage and or just bad feelings could be nipped in the bud by a simple acknowledgement of "Yeah, I fucked up. Sorry."
Is there a hand signal for that?

I do screw up occasionally, especially when I'm hot and tired but I still think I can continue on. Of course once I screw up I take a rest stop and get a gatorade or two
and give thanks that it was a survivable screw up. Most recent one was, I missed a sign that said (I assume it was there, I never saw it) two lanes were merging into one
and I was trying to pass a small 6 wheel FedEx truck on the left and he came over and squeezed me off (easy boys n girls!). It was OK as he was still ahead of me and I quickly realized my mistake and I gave him the "D'OH" sign where I tap my helmet at the 10 o'clock position with a closed fist 3 times.

Is there a better or more acceptable hand signal that I should have used to acknowledge my screw up? I suppose an open palm to the forehead could be used but I thought it would more likely
be misconstrued as "OH good grief, You're a terrible driver." I use the Homer Simpson head fist slap to the forehead because I think anyone younger than me on the road (95% maybe) would know what it means. Maybe I should be just reaching around and slapping myself on the back of my head for clarity, although that doesn't seem as safe or visible enough.

[maxtog]

I'm not sure how serious the first post was, but this post is a serious question in keeping with the topic.

Seems a lot of road rage and or just bad feelings could be nipped in the bud by a simple acknowledgement of "Yeah, I fucked up. Sorry."
Is there a hand signal for that?

Yes, there is for me, although I am not sure there is a universal one.  I usually stick out my arm, half raised, with my fingers spread.  It just seems instinctive to me.  Similar to the "thanks" signal.

I quickly realized my mistake and I gave him the "D'OH" sign where I tap my helmet at the 10 o'clock position with a closed fist 3 times.

I am not sure that would be interpreted by me to be a mistake acknowledgement or a complaint that someone else was hard-headed.  I do wish there were something more specific to use.

[Rhino]

I've used the "Dance like an Egyptian" sign but to signal "WTF was that?"