He is already being imitated Bus driver Michel Schwartz goes viral with his hand greeting
Michel Schwartz, a bus driver from Hamburg, has become famous for his unique hand gestures on TikTok. Celebrities and politicians are imitating his gestures - including Granit Xhaka.
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- Bus driver Michel Schwartz became famous with millions of views thanks to creative hand signals on TikTok.
- The "4-1-5" sign was created as an original greeting during a road trip to Canada.
- Celebrity imitators and enthusiastic reactions lead to more applications from transportation companies.
Michel Schwartz, a 44-year-old bus driver from Hamburg, has managed to go viral with his creative hand signs on TikTok. Originally working for the city cleaning service, he drives a bus through the city two or three times a month.
His videos in which he greets his colleagues with the hand signal "4-1-5" - as it is called - have achieved millions of views. The first of these videos is now already at over 15 million clicks. Schwartz explains to "Der Spiegel" that his life has remained largely unchanged despite his sudden fame. He remains true to his two professions and refuses to focus exclusively on social media.
The origin of the "4-1-5"
Schwartz came up with the idea for his famous hand sign during a road trip in Canada, where he learned the "surfer's greeting". During the coronavirus pandemic, he wanted to develop a greeting that would get people out of their routine.
The "4-1-5" consists of four fingers spread apart, an outstretched index finger and a final open hand. Schwartz has also developed other gestures, such as the "no-look" and the "squeeze", which he uses depending on the situation.
Schwartz emphasizes that greeting bus drivers is a matter of respect, similar to greeting colleagues in the office. His videos on TikTok originated from the idea of showing real bus driver life after he learned from bus fans that they play bus simulators.
The response from his colleagues and passengers has been overwhelmingly positive. Many ask for selfies or greeting videos, and even transport companies report an increase in applications.
Family and celebrity imitators
Schwartz's daughter Emily, who was skeptical at first, is now proud of her father, as his videos are also well received by her classmates. Celebrities such as Robert Habeck, Granit Xhaka and Lothar Matthäus have imitated his gestures. Schwartz emphasizes that his content should remain apolitical and is delighted with the support from the world of sport.
Schwartz has already received offers to work full-time as a bus driver, but turns them down as he prefers the working hours of city cleaning.
He dreams of using the hype to give his family a nice vacation. A video with soccer stars like Messi or Ronaldo would be a special highlight for him.
The editor wrote this article with the help of AI.
