We have a peculiar love of traditions in America. Some are familial while others find their roots in national pride. Italian-American families eat “the seven fish” at Christmas and unwaveringly love Joe DiMaggio and Frank Sinatra. Sports fans at live events stand in solidarity during the national anthem. Whatever the tradition may be, we often work hard at obstinately refusing to let them go, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Our friends at Leith Chrysler Jeep Raleigh recently highlighted a tradition among Jeep owners: the “Jeep Wave.” If you’ve ever owned a Wrangler, or had a friend who took you on muddin’ trips, then you have witnessed this greeting. It’s almost an acknowledgement that the two drivers share some secret the rest of us have yet to learn – the off-roading stone masons of the world.
If you haven’t performed your rightful duty as a Jeep owner to wave, or if you’re new to this club, then this article will definitely help…
Dear readers,
You should know by now that we like to monitor the Twittersphere and keep are ears tuned in to the sounds of customers and community members in need. Lately, we’ve listened in and heard news that is frankly disturbing. Therefore, we must do our duty as purveyors of the Jeep brand: We must teach you the Jeep Wave.
Let this post stand as a vital lesson for all new Jeep owners and a needed refresher for Jeep veterans.
To begin, a disclaimer from the ancient website JeepTalk.org:
“Warning: Owning, registering, insuring, or driving a Jeep implies knowledge of and intent to abide by the following rules, regulations, and guidelines. Failure to obey the letter or spirit of the rules may result in your being ignored by other Jeep owners as you sit along the side of the road next to your stalled vehicle in a blizzard surrounded by Saturns, Yugos, and Hyundais.”
There are two very simple rules for carrying out the Jeep Wave. The first rule is that all Jeep owners must wave. This is the most crucial and basic rule. The disturbing news we gleaned from Twitter and mentioned at the beginning is that Jeep owners are waving at other Jeeps and getting nothing in return. When you don’t wave back, you are hurting a tradition. As the below video says, the Jeep wave is a measure of showing pride in vehicles that have won wars and conquered just about every landscape known to man. It’s one thing to not know about the Jeep Wave, and if that’s the case we hope this post will rectify the lack of knowledge on your part. If, however, you are privy to the protocol and you don’t return a wave, well then shame on you. Remedy yourself.
The second rule can be as simple or as complex as you want it to be. At the crux, this rule deals with who initiates the wave. In the simplest terms, the newer Jeep’s driver should wave first, letting the more venerable Jeep’s owner return the gesture. If you want to get complicated, JeepTalk.org has a formula for ranking each Jeep broken down into three categories based on the vehicle itself, what you do with it, and how you’ve modified it. The video explanation also discusses the point system to an extent.
Of course, perhaps what is most important, what does this wave look like? We think that you can be as enthusiastic as you want to be, but the primary gesture is to raise your fingers from the steering wheel and keep them raised until you’ve passed the other Jeep.
N.B.: Many adherents of the Jeep Wave think of the gesture as something exclusive to those who drive Jeep Wranglers. While we think that enthusiasm is a great thing, purism tends to be exclusive in a bad way. Leith Chrysler Jeep wants to do everything we can to keep the Jeep Wave alive and spreading, so we think it doesn’t matter what kind of Jeep you drive.
Hopefully you take this PSA to heart. We expect to see a lot of waving out on the road from now on.
Your friends,
Leith Chrysler Jeep