DEAR ABBY: Is there a universal sign of apology? There are many universal rude gestures known by everyone, but I often wish I had a signal saying "I'm sorry."
For example, if I were daydreaming at a red light and the driver behind me had to honk the horn, how could I let that driver know that I'm sorry? Other examples: splashing someone on the sidewalk, or misjudging the distance in passing so the other driver had to slow down.
Perhaps this "I apologize" sign would work if you absentmindedly jostled another person in a multilingual area, and you weren't sure which language to apologize in.
If there isn't such a sign, maybe you should invent one. You have enough readers. Perhaps we could create a more polite environment. -- SMALL TOWN IN NEBRASKA
DEAR SMALL TOWN: A smile, a salute, a nod, or just a plain "Oops" with the appropriate facial expression would do.