Driving down the road the other day and I came upon a brand new JK at the stoplight going the opposite direction. It was a basically stock Jeep and was all shiny and clean with freshly armor alled tires. They had their top off and were enjoying the day just like I was. As the light turned green and we passed each other I put up my hands to give the traditional Jeep Wave only to be greeted by a blank “Do I know you?” stare coming from the other Jeep owner. This has unfortunately become a lot more commonplace than it used to. Sure, I know that every Jeep wave can not be returned. Sometimes you are busy fumbling with the radio, the phone or might just be zoning out and not notice the other Jeep owner putting up their hand. It used to be though that I would get a wave back about 80% of the time. Over the last year or so I have seen this percentage drop down to closer to 40 or 50 percent. Sad to say the least and it leads me to ask the question, Is the Jeep Wave dead?

So whats the deal? Do people just not give a damn any more or do they just not know their obligation to wave to fellow Jeepers. It is an obligation after all. Jeep owners are passionate about their vehicles. We love our rides so much that we put up with crappy gas mileage, poor storage space, no security, a rough ride, exposure to the elements and a vehicle that just about sucks every last penny out of our pockets. But we love our Jeeps and that love binds us together as a group which is why we wave to eachother as we pass. It’s really not a lot to ask, just stick up your hand and wave. Hell you don’t even have to wave. Just hold up your damn hand.

But maybe I am being harsh here. Maybe the jeep Wave is not dead yet. Maybe people just don’t realize how to perform the Jeep Wave and they don’t want to be embarassed. This could very well be the case so maybe we should help people out by giving some guidelines to performing the Jeep Wave.

For starters you must wave or raise your hand every time a worthy Jeep vehicle crosses your path while you yourself are driving a Jeep vehicle. You might get the urge to wave at a fellow Jeeper while driving in another type of car but you should not expect to get a wave in return. If you are not in a Jeep they probably either won’t see you or won’t know what the hell you are doing. You should automatically wave at all Wranglers and CJ’s. Grand Cherokees, Cherokees and other Jeep vehicles should also be waved at if they are obviously modified in some way.

If a lesser Jeep oner waves at you, you must return the wave no matter what. Who knows, they could have a stock daily driver Jeep in addition to a trail vehicle or the might have not had the time or funds to modify their Jeep yet. The act of them waving shows that they understand the Jeep spirit and they should receive a wave back in return.

The type of wave you give depends greatly on the type of vehicle you are driving. If you are driving with the top down on your vehicle your Jeep wave should extend above the windshield or outside of the Jeep tub. The exception to this is if you are driving without a top in rain or snow in which case a nod will do. If you have a hard top vehicle you should attempt to extend your hand outside the vehicle or at least wave your hand vigorously inside your Jeep so that the other Jeep driver can clearly understand that you are waving at them.

No matter what style of vehicle you are driving be sure to use all of your fingers while performing the Jeep Wave. You might think that their Jeep is #1 but there is no need to tell them that and add to their ego.

Lastly, don’t get disgruntled if you do not get the wave back. They might have simply not seen you or they might just not know. If you get pissed and stop waving at people you will simply be adding to the problem. Instead of getting pissed at the other driver take that rage and just bottle it up deep inside you. Its good for you.