What does it mean when someone flashes you a "C" while driving?

September 27, 2009 10:49 PM

Tonight around midnight, in South City St. Louis, MO, my mom pulled up to a stoplight left of a pickup truck, and the thirty-something, white, crew-cut haired driver flashed her a hand sign that looked, from her perspective, like the letter "C." He did this several times over the next couple minutes whenever he pulled along side her, until she managed to lose him. Has anyone seen this before or know what it means?
posted by Hollow to Human Relations (18 answers total)

Well, since you're not in L.A., and thirtysomething white guys don't usually join the Crips, I'm going to go with the international symbol for blowjob.
posted by rokusan at 10:55 PM on September 27, 2009 [1 favorite]

It may have been an attempt to call attention to a headlight or tail-lamp problem on her car. Perhaps one (or many) is burnt out?
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 11:14 PM on September 27, 2009 [1 favorite]

"cunt"?
posted by randomstriker at 11:25 PM on September 27, 2009

Yeah, check your tires, maybe, as well. One might be low. Not saying that an uncouth or sinister motive isn't a possibility, but I'd run with the "helpful motorist" assumption until such an explanation seemed unlikely. Couldn't hurt to check such things, regardless of the guy's intent.
posted by jjjjjjjijjjjjjj at 11:47 PM on September 27, 2009 [2 favorites]

Isn't that the international hand sign for "Wanna get a drink"?
posted by Acacia at 1:25 AM on September 28, 2009 [4 favorites]

This is complete wild guess territory, but the first thing that came to mind was that he was trying to ask if she's a "cougar" (warning: really bad Wikipedia page). Though, depending on your mother's age, he may have been a bit old for that.
posted by The Michael The at 4:14 AM on September 28, 2009

"C" for "cops around"? I've been flashed the signal to slow down because there's a speed trap over the years on the highway (a few downward pushes with a flat hand) so maybe it's something like "heads up, there's a cop around" in order to do things like make sure your seatbelt is fastened, watch the weaving and pay attention to signs and signals?
posted by peagood at 5:48 AM on September 28, 2009

Were there any motions with the hand signal? I would probably interpret that as the guy looking for a lady. Either for drinks (if the 'C' was sort of tippy looking), or roadside oral favors (if the 'C' was more strokey looking).

People who are alerting you to cops around aren't going to continue following you and continue giving you the same signal. And if it was some kind of taillight or open gas cap, the signals would be pointy and/or the universal hand signal for "roll down your window".
posted by gjc at 6:46 AM on September 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Hand signs don't happen in vacuum. His facial expression and demeanor is pretty relevant and we don't know that.
posted by smackfu at 7:08 AM on September 28, 2009 [2 favorites]

Perhaps he was holding his hand in a circle and making circling motions in the air? That's the signal to roll down your window. Otherwise, there is no set "C" hand signal for motorists.
posted by Eicats at 7:18 AM on September 28, 2009

Yeah, I want more details. You say it was a "C." Does that mean that he was turned, using his right hand, meaning it was important to make an effort to present a properly oriented letter "C?"

His expression... was he leering and arching his eyebrows? Tongue out? A stony faced sociopath? Concerned?
posted by cmoj at 8:25 AM on September 28, 2009

When drivers attempt to communicate weird cryptic hand messages, they are saying "Get the Hell away from me, I am unsafe."
posted by Xoebe at 10:24 AM on September 28, 2009 [5 favorites]

Agreed.

the international symbol for blowjob

...is what, exactly?
posted by Rash at 11:40 AM on September 28, 2009

...is what, exactly?

A hand gripping an invisible dick and working it in and out of an open mouth.
posted by beerbajay at 2:13 PM on September 28, 2009

is your mom an annoying/bad driver? "cunt" is what came first to my (female) mind
posted by liverbisque at 2:16 PM on September 28, 2009

the international symbol for blowjob ...is what, exactly?

The same as the sign for "wanna get a drink?" with a twist.

(Imagine the opportunities you've missed!)
posted by rokusan at 4:13 PM on September 28, 2009

Hold up your left hand & make a letter "C".

Now imagine doing that out a car window so the person looking at you sees a "C" - were his fingers actually pointing back towards him or was it a reverse letter C with his fingers pointing towards the front of the car?
posted by MesoFilter at 8:44 PM on September 28, 2009

Was he British? If it looked like a hand-job motion, then he might have been calling you a tosser/wanker.
posted by jayne at 8:23 AM on October 19, 2009