The never-ending 'wave' discussion thread

When I was still in Ontario, it seemed like other Jeepers would go out of their way not just to wave at my shiny new Rubicon X, but also to talk to me if I was stopped at a light or sign, parking, getting gas, etc. And I thought my old Mini got attention (Mini owners also wave to each other).

After I moved up here though, not so much. One of the first things I noticed is that JKs and JKUs are the most common vehicle here (I'd swear there are as many as every other SUV and pick-up truck combined). It's a good thing it's a small town, or my arm could get tired waving at everyone. But, almost nobody waves back, probably because they are so common and because most of their drivers bought them to have a dependable vehicle on road. Just to give you an idea, in the winter they don't plow or salt like most places (average temp is too cold for salt to even work), they just pack the snow down and add gravel until it's a certain thickness, then scrape it off. And in the rest of they year, the damage from the freeze / thaw and scraping is pretty apparent. It's really only the modified Jeeps that wave, and it's got to the point that they're the only ones I wave at. At least I know those ones go off road. Mind you, I'm planning to roll with half doors and the soft top open as often as I can in the summer, so I'll see if that changes anything.
 
People around here don't hardly wave in the wintertime. It's funny my son and I play a game all the time to see if we can call which jeeps will wave back. We pick a jeep and then we bet is he a waver or non waver. It's fun because we sometimes wave obnoxiously to get them to wave so the other person will loose the bet.
 
Posers

I've noticed that the ones that don't wave back in built JK's are posers. They do the mods with no intention of ever wheeling it. There is a dealer here who has had two highly modified jeeps for sale and one of the biggest mods was that these Jeeps had Bentley leather seats. WTF!!! I bought mine to wheel, that's why it's lifted and running 35's with lockers. I've had 7 wranglers from YJ to JK and have loved them all. It's great that Jeep has expanded their presence with the JK Unlimited (power windows, locks, and leather interior) but it has also diluted the "cachet" of Jeep ownership. In my opinion 80% of JKU owners don't understand what the Jeep brand is all about. They would have been much better off with a Grand Cherokee for what they use their vehicle for. It may be a "Jeep Thing" but it is unfortunate that many of them don't understand. I still wave but have come to realize that too many of them truly Don't Understand.
 
I wave but find get about a 50-75% return. I think a lot of the non-wavers just bought the jeep because they can put the top down, it looks cool, or they just treat a vehicle as way to get from A to B. They had no idea about the customs or the community of jeep owners. Having gone to a jeep event before ever owning a jeep made me want one, not just for the fact its an awesome, go-anywhere ride, but the fact that everyone's individuality is in their rig and the stories behind them. I had to explain the jeep wave to a "new" jeep owner the other day... I realized their rig will never go into the woods but at least they thought the wave was cool? :doh:
 
Think it really boils down to whether they're a member of a forum or not. IF you're doing the build, more than likely you're going to be on a forum. My estimation is 90% of non-built Jeeps won't wave because they "don't get it"...it's just a car to them. The 10% that do wave want to be like those of us who are members/have done a build and just don't have funds to pull it off. OR...maybe have better sense. :)
 
The built up jeeps do tend to wave more, but I also think the reverse happens as mine is mostly stock and get fewer waves returned than my brother.
 
About 50 to 70 percent of the JK/Wranglers owners wave in the Newport, RI area. More so on the Naval base. I've also notice that when I wave to people and they don't wave back, most tend to the next time I pass them. Some are just obvious though...
 
MattAlpha said:
About 50 to 70 percent of the JK/Wranglers owners wave in the Newport, RI area. More so on the Naval base. I've also notice that when I wave to people and they don't wave back, most tend to the next time I pass them. Some are just obvious though...
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I've always been impressed with the high percentage of people here in RI that give and return the Jeep wave too. Seems we have it good compared to other parts of the country! :yup:
 
My JKU is essentially stock, I wave at all and get a good return in west Texas. This is my first Jeep. My salesman wouldn't let me leave the dealership lot without explaining the Jeep wave in great detail. It's like he had the wave rules memorized...every...single...one...

Anyway, it's fun for me. The wife and all the kids from 3 to 14 wave along.
 
Wildeshawn said:
Think it really boils down to whether they're a member of a forum or not. IF you're doing the build, more than likely you're going to be on a forum. My estimation is 90% of non-built Jeeps won't wave because they "don't get it"...it's just a car to them. The 10% that do wave want to be like those of us who are members/have done a build and just don't have funds to pull it off. OR...maybe have better sense. :)
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I would have to disagree with you on this one. The two places I lived before in NC and MI seemed to "get it", I don't think Missoula "gets it". It is horrible for the wave! There will be days when I am like 0-6 constantly, doesn't matter what model it is or modded. I will say that I did get a wave from an old guy (had to be 80) in his TJ the other day, I was pretty impressed.
 
I wave at every CJ and Wrangler I see, regardless of mods. Most of the time I initiate the wave. It's just habit aftercare these years. I was in Atlanta the other day and was 0 for 16 on Jeep waves. I think it's more area dependent than soccer mom defendant. Around here, even the soccer moms wave back. Back home in Prescott AZ the wave was strong when I left.
 
Around here in the Bay Area we have a lot of these "soccer moms" stock JKU they don't even notice there's another jeep, I wave at every jeep I see, even xj's :yup:
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I think it's pretty good here is socal. But I do get the few who don't wave back. But I just tell my self they aren't real jeepers lol (wife makes fun of me) but then another jeep comes along and waves back just In time to shut her up lmao.
 
Los Angeles Jeeps Have No Hands!

On any given day... driving the streets of L.A... I wave at close to 10 Jeeps... usually ones that are not stock. On average I get about 1 wave back. That's 10 percent if you're doing the math. Is there any other city worse than here for waving?
 
Moab, UT. Out of about 50 jeeps I passed only got 1 wave. The worst part is is Jeep heaven too. What's wrong with these people?
 
Los Angeles Jeeps Have No Hands!

You guys need to visit friendlier cities.
Here in Portland it seems the only people that don't wave are either on their phone, or soccer moms that don't know what a jeep is for.

I even have people wave from across a few lanes of traffic, headed the same way I am, or in parking lots.

I do notice that I get a lot more waves now that I have a lift tires and bumper.
 
Shantz said:
On any given day... driving the streets of L.A... I wave at close to 10 Jeeps... usually ones that are not stock. On average I get about 1 wave back. That's 10 percent if you're doing the math. Is there any other city worse than here for waving?
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Driving around Chicago proper is about as bad.

Out in the burbs its much better.
 
I've been in Sedona for three days and noticed that there are so many jeeps that it's almost too much to wave at everyone in a jeep but on the trail everyone does including the jeep tour drivers. At home 10-20 percent because of the soccer mom factor.
 
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