It is believed that this phrase originated in 1937 and is usually used once a child has mastered the art of riding a bicycle and then demonstrates their ability to remove their hands from the handlebars and remain vertical on their horizontal trajectory. It is most often followed by the outcry of a panicked Ma demanding the child put their hands back on the handlebars. I can relate to that panic when I see automobile companies advertise “hands free driving” as a feature in their new vehicles.
While intended to sell me on the vehicle, it in fact enrages me to the point of exasperation and has quite the opposite effect. One advertisement in particular show the driver clapping and snapping their fingers to the beat of a song playing on the audio system while the two children in the back and the passenger join in. Since when has it become acceptable to drive without your hands on the wheel? Thank goodness the children are strapped in car seats and the driver and passenger have their seat belts on.
Herbert Carpenter
Concord