hello

[rubah]

It is Arkansan custom when driving in intimate areas to raise one's index finger in greeting should you pass a car while operating your automobile.

Of course, this is getting less and less common as more and more people flood our River Valley with their foreign customs and ignorances.

I like to scope out the "good ol' boys" (the ladies almost never return my greetings) while driving. If I raise a finger in acknowledgement, if the other driver is about 30-40 years of age, I may get one in return. The chances are doubled if he's wearing a cowboy hat. I'm practically guaranteed if he's also wearing a flannel plaid shirt.

What does it say about our country if we're losing our regional cultures? Those groups subjegated by our government have mourned the losses of their culture (such as Native Americans).

What about the culture of the polite South, where young men acknowledged young women operating an auto-mo-bile and held the doors for them and especially their mothers when they approached the door of a public building at similar times.

Of course, just as no one wants to recount the bloodthirsty sides of cultures, such as massacres and scalpings and sacrifices, we would leave out the flagrant racism (although small talk amongst relatives still makes for a mortified kind of humor (this is expected from all sides, of course)) and the belittlement of women in private, and perhaps some of the hard farm labor.

There's nothing wrong with raising a finger in silent, two-second greeting, though, as you hurtle past one another at 55mph, and really I encourage you all to try it. I'm pleased as pudding anytime I get reciprocation

[Bunny]

What is an "intimate area"? Is that anything like the places teenagers go to have make outs?

[rih29]

Whenever my father is driving when he passes a car on an intersection or something of the like, he kind of lifts his 4 fingers off the wheel and kind of waves. I don't know if this is some sort of sign for driving, or if it's just a custom.

[oddler]

Strangely enough, I understand you fully. This is not confined to only Arkansan custom. We, here in beautimatastic Virginia, find the finger-wave to be the signal for "Hello" when automobiling. Without your plea to spread this way of yours, I am already versed in the proper politeness of signalling to strangers with one's own finger.

You rock.

[fire_of_avalon]

Two fingers in Western NC, just the middle one here in the Piedmont. But I don't partake in that.

I do know what you mean, though. My news writing instructor and I were talking about that today.

[nik0tine]

I say we go back to warring city states.

[Strider]

That's odd... Here in California, we usually use the middle finger!

[Roto13]

Here in Newfoundland we just throw fish.

[Old Manus]

Here in West Glamorgan we don't.

[Jowy]

If you pass a yellow light it's an unspoken rule to kiss your index and middle fingers and touch the roof of the car. I've never seen the finger point thing at all here though.

[oddler]

If you pass a yellow light it's an unspoken rule to kiss your index and middle fingers and touch the roof of the car. I've never seen the finger point thing at all here though.

That's a gimmick that's supposed to win you 7 minutes of good sex 'round these parts.

[rubah]

What is an "intimate area"? Is that anything like the places teenagers go to have make outs?

It signifies a close area (not necessarily sexually intimate, although that would make the custom more widespread I'm sure) where everyone knows everyone!

[Hambone]

Yay a rubah-made thread!...

My grandparents live in Winnsboro, TX. We travel 300 miles east to there from Austin. Everyone in Winnsboro is friendly. Everyone says hi to each other and knows each other. I guess that's what happen when you only have a population of about 3,600 people lol.

[Renmiri]

That's odd... Here in California, we usually use the middle finger!
Same here in Chicago :p

[Miriel]

That's odd... Here in California, we usually use the middle finger!

That's so true.

Although lately I've noticed less people doing the middle finger wave and more people actually sticking their head out the window and screaming obscenities.

[Bart's Friend Milhouse]

My driving instructor does the necessary gestures for me

[Avarice-ness]

In Texas either while passing or after passing we just kind of do a half wave in just one direction. It ends up sad 'cause less people wave back or even acknowledge the fact we were trying to be nice or if we end up slowing down they pass us and just drive off, then we know they weren't raised in Texas or give any kind of nice gesture. :(

[Heath]

What about the culture of the polite South, where young men acknowledged young women operating an auto-mo-bile and held the doors for them and especially their mothers when they approached the door of a public building at similar times.


You know, people tend to hold doors much more here in Britain than in they did when I was in Florida, from personal experience. No idea if Florida counts as part of the "polite South" but I found it quite rude considering I almost expect people to hold doors for one another, like they tend to over here.

[Dr Unne]

In my area we have a lot of places where there are no turning lanes or no stop signs / stop lights, so it's very common to let people turn in front of you or merge in front of you even if you have the right-of-way. It's custom to wave thanks when someone does this for you. If you don't wave thanks, people get VERY angry. Perhaps rightfully so.

What about the culture of the polite South, where young men acknowledged young women operating an auto-mo-bile and held the doors for them and especially their mothers when they approached the door of a public building at similar times.
I think that particular example is an evolutionary thing and a changing of gender roles. I'm glad to see such practices go away.

[Martyr]

Yeah, I do the finger thing when I go to Arkensaw.

I enjoy it very much, and tried to do it while walking around campus, but it doesn't work there. Most peop[le simply don't notice my little finger and then they come back all pissed off that I didn't say hi.

When I retort that I lifted my index finger, it becomes increasingly clear that my excuses aren't good enough.

Bottom Line: I'm going back to Arkensaw. The chicks are either fat or have bad teeth, but at least I don't have to scream their name across campus, then run over and give them a hug and a couple kisses in order for them to be satisfied with my acknowledgement of their existence.

Of course, Rubah, I'm sure you're beautiful. I only have been to the Arkensaw boondocks, really, and then I was trying to pick up chicks at a hillbilly racetrack. I don't really mean to say that all Arkensaw babes are the kind that I wouldn't want to smooch repeatedly. Over and over. Crimson and clover. Ya dig?