Enough with the backwards peace signs, people

When crew members of a U.S. cargo ship rescued from Somali pirates boarded a bus for their return home earlier this week, at least two of them flashed backwards peace signs at photographers.
In Britain, Australia and elsewhere, that’s a hand sign meaning “fuck off.” Somehow in the U.S. it’s caught on with celebrities and urban hipsters as a sign to show how cool you are.
Regardless of whether the hand sign is offensive, it’s not very classy. How about a friendly wave next time, people?

Photos above:

A crew member of the Maersk Alabama flashes a backwards peace sign on April 14, 2009. Photo by the Associated Press.

Shaquille O’Neal shows how cool he is by “chuckin’ the deuce.” (WireImage photo on TMZ)

Still from a YouTube video of sign language swearing in Britain.