“4-1-5” – the greeting that’s turning bus drivers into trendsetters

Young people once dreamed of becoming an influencer, a professional footballer, a pop star – or at least a barista at a hip café. Now they all want to sit at the wheel of an articulated bus! Not because of the impressive vehicles, friendly passengers or flexible working hours, but because of the “4-1-5” greeting. This is how it works: first you wave with four fingers, then you point with one finger at the other person, and finally you raise your hand. Michel Schwartz is the innovator of this cool gesture – a greeting that has now gone viral online and is imitated by millions of kids all over Germany. 

A likeable guy from Hamburg, Michel Schwartz is a passionate bus driver. A few months ago he began posting videos of his journeys through Hamburg on TikTok and Instagram. The response was tremendous: not because of the insights into local transport in the Hanseatic city, but because of Schwartz’s iconic way of greeting his bus driver colleagues. In the past, the captains of the road would greet each other by flashing or double flashing their headlights, giving a windscreen wiper wave, doing a thumbs-up, or simply raising a hand. Those days are history. Nowadays it has to be the sensational “4-1-5” – and not just behind the wheel, but in school playgrounds, on factory floors and in the business world, too. Even celebrities are already using the special greeting in their fan communities. 

Who would have thought that a harmless finger exercise could be the magic answer to the shortage of skilled labour in the public transport sector? The job of a bus driver is becoming a lifestyle icon. Bus companies should take action right away: why run expensive recruitment campaigns when a trendy TikTok clip will do? The new slogan could be: “Join the 4-1-5 crew”.