What happened to the Jeep wave
06-06-2017, 08:16 AM
#21
But while I don't recall discussing this with you, my suspicion is maybe you don't want to understand my point of view. Which is ok. I'll still wave
06-06-2017, 08:29 AM
#22
JK Jedi
As the lone professed non, or at times, reluctant waver, I think a few of yalls comments are pretty accurate, although I'm seeing it from a different perspective. I thought I'd just crawl out of my hole and comment on a few.
I think Spartan has hit the nail on the head here, and it kind of goes back to my original comment....although this explains it better. However, my reason for not carrying to wave is the other side of the coin as the "woman around the block" in the example. There are a LOT of these people that wave for the the sole reason of that's what you're supposed to do when you own a jeep. The only thing I have in common with this person is we drive the same vehicle. If we both drove Honda Accords we wouldn't be waving at each other. I simply don't feel obligated to wave at this person unless they are my neighbor.....at which point I'm waving cuz I'm a friendly neighbor.
I think there is some truth to Rednroll's modded vs. unmodded theory too, but I think some of that goes back to Spartan's comment. If you're modded, you're probably a little more apt to be an enthusiast, but i can tell you there are a ton of modded jeeps around DFW that simply think a lifted jeep looks cool. They know nothing about their jeep, when it needs fixed they pay someone to take care of it, they don't use it, and the thrill is soley in owning it. I have no connection with that person and no reason to wave to them just for the sake of waving.
I think there's some truth in some of this here too. Elitism is definitely alive and well. I can tell you this.....I'd consider my jeep pretty modified. Not modified to the extent of some, but more than the majority on the street. I could care less to wave to this group as well. That said, I guess there would be people that might assume since I didn't wave to them that I belonged to this group; however, I can assure you that is not the reason.
There are times that I'll return a wave, and it's if there is inkling of an idea that you just flat out love your jeep in some special way. Usually things like a top off, soft top down, doors off, the jeep is dirty as heck are signals that in general it's just not a mode of transportation or something that is just for looks. It doesn't matter how old the jeep is, what condition it's in, if it's modded or stock, if driver is a teen or a senior citizen....you can typically pick people out that love their jeep in a way that they wouldn't any random car.
I can tell you this....if I don't return a wave, it's not because I feel better than the person, or that the person is driving a "baby jeep", it's just that there's a strong feeling that there is no common bond that goes above and beyond us both driving a jeep. It's a judgement call.....not saying the call is always right, but it's but a passing moment in time. By default my wave is "off", and there are times that I will feel compelled to wave back.....but it's not often. I'm an introvert......and I have a very small monkeysphere!
I will say that I don't deal with it near as much these days as I bought a piece of shit commuter car in order to save wear and tear on my daily driver! LOL
Anyhow, there's an expanded take from the non-waver.
After owning my JKU for over 9 years now, I know the answer. The Wrangler was the enthusiast's choice of vehicle, be the enthusiast an outdoorsman, gear head, offroader, car lover, whatever. Something cars and/ or outdoors related was behind the enthusiasm for the Jeep. You didn't just go out and buy a Wrangler because you need a car. Also, enthusiasts tend to have things in common, even if the commonality is simply the enthusiasm itself. So, there was a pretty logical reason behind the wave. Back then you could probably have a decent conversation over your shared general interests and shared appreciation for your Jeeps with just about any Jeep owner, because there were probably some similarities.
Over the life of the JK, the Wrangler has evolved into a "car" that now appeals to non-enthusiasts as well. The woman around the block with the gorgeous 2013 JK here in sunny Cali has never taken the top off, never gone off road, never goes outdoors, has never fixed a car.... she needed a car it was red so she bought it. Cool person no doubt but not an enthusiast. She thinks the wave is silly.
Over the life of the JK, the Wrangler has evolved into a "car" that now appeals to non-enthusiasts as well. The woman around the block with the gorgeous 2013 JK here in sunny Cali has never taken the top off, never gone off road, never goes outdoors, has never fixed a car.... she needed a car it was red so she bought it. Cool person no doubt but not an enthusiast. She thinks the wave is silly.
From my personal observation. I drove my JKU stock for 5 years before putting a lift, larger tires, and other offroad enhancement mods on it. When, unmodded, I would see about 50-60% wave backs where I was typically the one initiating it, and if I didn't initiate I would see closer to 20-30% like the OP. Now that I'm riding around with a lift and larger tire mods for the past 2 years, I'm seeing closer to 90% waves, where the other person is initiating it more often before I even get a chance to initiate it. I'm more surprised now when I don't see a wave. If I had to try and categorize the 10% I don't get waves from, it's typically a woman in her 50-60's driving around in an unmodded Sport who likely either doesn't know about the wave, not a similar interest enthusiast, or may be borrowing her husband's JK. I know when my wife borrows my JK, she tells me, "I hate driving your Jeep, everyone is always waving at me, and the 1st couple times it happens, I forget I'm supposed to wave." Then she gets re-reminded and starts waving at subsequent Wranglers she passes. The younger soccer mom's typically driving in Saharas or Rubicon JKUs, in their 30-40's are always waving at me, and a large majority of them are initiating it.
You know this thread reveals a reason why lot of why people may not wave: they don't feel included in the "club".
There's this elitism among many self-appointed "real" Jeep owners (or enthusiasts or whatever) who judge others likelihood to ascribe to the "Jeep lifestyle" and exclude people they deem unworthy from their little club.
You're not worthy if your Jeep is not "modded", if you are a "soccer mom", if you drive a Sahara, don't have a lift and big tires, don't have mud or trail-related body damage on your Jeep, etc., so you don't get a wave. You don't qualify. You're a poser, "mall crawler", etc.
There's this elitism among many self-appointed "real" Jeep owners (or enthusiasts or whatever) who judge others likelihood to ascribe to the "Jeep lifestyle" and exclude people they deem unworthy from their little club.
You're not worthy if your Jeep is not "modded", if you are a "soccer mom", if you drive a Sahara, don't have a lift and big tires, don't have mud or trail-related body damage on your Jeep, etc., so you don't get a wave. You don't qualify. You're a poser, "mall crawler", etc.
There are times that I'll return a wave, and it's if there is inkling of an idea that you just flat out love your jeep in some special way. Usually things like a top off, soft top down, doors off, the jeep is dirty as heck are signals that in general it's just not a mode of transportation or something that is just for looks. It doesn't matter how old the jeep is, what condition it's in, if it's modded or stock, if driver is a teen or a senior citizen....you can typically pick people out that love their jeep in a way that they wouldn't any random car.
I can tell you this....if I don't return a wave, it's not because I feel better than the person, or that the person is driving a "baby jeep", it's just that there's a strong feeling that there is no common bond that goes above and beyond us both driving a jeep. It's a judgement call.....not saying the call is always right, but it's but a passing moment in time. By default my wave is "off", and there are times that I will feel compelled to wave back.....but it's not often. I'm an introvert......and I have a very small monkeysphere!
I will say that I don't deal with it near as much these days as I bought a piece of shit commuter car in order to save wear and tear on my daily driver! LOL
Anyhow, there's an expanded take from the non-waver.
06-06-2017, 01:07 PM
#23
It's definitely lower than it was, and I too blame the soccer moms. I've never followed the code of who should wave first, I just do it. About 1 in 20 times I'll miss it -- my wife usually points out when that happens -- so I've learned not to begrudge people for not waving (sort of). That said, I came by the whole wave thing quite organically. When I got my TJ, I was so elated, I just started waving to every one I saw. I told my wife, "Look! They're waving back!" She was laughing and saying, "Stop it!" I said, "Fine! I'll wait on the next one." Damned if he didn't wave first. "SEE!" I shouted.
About two weeks later I was talking with a woman I worked with who was married to a Jeep guy and she asked, "Do you do the wave?" I replied, "I wave to all of them that I see, but what do you mean?" She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, that's a Jeep thing." #truestory
About two weeks later I was talking with a woman I worked with who was married to a Jeep guy and she asked, "Do you do the wave?" I replied, "I wave to all of them that I see, but what do you mean?" She rolled her eyes and said, "Yeah, that's a Jeep thing." #truestory