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The signal is showing your open palm with the thumb tucked and then closing into a fist, not just the fist on its own. It would be a very weird motion to do uni

The signal is showing your open palm with the thumb tucked and then closing into a fist, not just the fist on its own. It would be a very weird motion to do unintentionally. This particular signal was also created during Covid lockdowns and was intended to be something you do to a camera, because you don't have any opportunity to see people in person and ask for help. So you raise your palm towards the camera and then close it into a fist.

dylan604 5y ago
yes, thanks. i understand the signal. however, if you've ever made a "wrong" fist, you've made this signal. you may not have done it while pointed at a camera or out the window of a moving car, you people have probably gone through the motions of making this signal more times than they think. you could make this signal with your hand down by your side while being "walked" to a location while in public. it would be much less noticable by the one doing the taking than trying to get people to do it in an "upright" position.
- burkaman 5y ago
  Yeah, fair enough. Again it wasn't really intended to be used in public or to mean "I am in immediate danger, call 911 now", although obviously it worked out well for that purpose in this case. The idea was that if you see a friend do it in a video call then you make an effort to reach out privately and ask if they need help or someone to talk to, and only with further confirmation do you call the police or find them a shelter or something. If they didn't mean to do it, no harm done. I think you're right that this hand signal is not ideal for "I am currently being kidnapped by the person right next to me", despite this success story.
- mkl 5y ago
  > > The signal is showing your open palm with the thumb tucked and then closing into a fist, not just the fist on its own. > yes, thanks. i understand the signal. however, if you've ever made a "wrong" fist, you've made this signal. You still don't seem to understand the signal. It is not simply a wrong fist.
jorvi 5y ago
When your hand is stiff the basic motion is fully stretching your fingers and then closing your hand over your thumb, repeating a few times. Pretending this is some obscure combination of gestures is just disingenuous.

dylan604 5y ago

yes, thanks. i understand the signal. however, if you've ever made a "wrong" fist, you've made this signal. you may not have done it while pointed at a camera or out the window of a moving car, you people have probably gone through the motions of making this signal more times than they think. you could make this signal with your hand down by your side while being "walked" to a location while in public. it would be much less noticable by the one doing the taking than trying to get people to do it in an "upright" position.

burkaman 5y ago
Yeah, fair enough. Again it wasn't really intended to be used in public or to mean "I am in immediate danger, call 911 now", although obviously it worked out well for that purpose in this case. The idea was that if you see a friend do it in a video call then you make an effort to reach out privately and ask if they need help or someone to talk to, and only with further confirmation do you call the police or find them a shelter or something. If they didn't mean to do it, no harm done. I think you're right that this hand signal is not ideal for "I am currently being kidnapped by the person right next to me", despite this success story.
mkl 5y ago
> > The signal is showing your open palm with the thumb tucked and then closing into a fist, not just the fist on its own. > yes, thanks. i understand the signal. however, if you've ever made a "wrong" fist, you've made this signal. You still don't seem to understand the signal. It is not simply a wrong fist.

jorvi 5y ago

When your hand is stiff the basic motion is fully stretching your fingers and then closing your hand over your thumb, repeating a few times. Pretending this is some obscure combination of gestures is just disingenuous.