Is the Jeep wave almost extinct?

In 6 months of driving a TJ in Maryland I found the jeep wave was very common. Which was odd since the only local off-roading was behind the movie theater. Now I’m driving in SoCal where jeeping is everywhere, so no excuses for JK with clean rims, and barely anyone waves.

I saw this sticker in Maryland in another Jeepers windshield and I’m thinking of getting my own.
64eba70be9a16fd390a68b029c25d1fa.jpg
 
Seriously, Jeep vehicles have become so popular, at least around here, that if I tried to wave at every one, it would be a serious driving hazard. We own two 2016 Cherokees along with the TJ and my immediate neighbors have, between them, a TJ, a JK, and two GCs.

I DO wave to every Wrangler; even the 4-door JK's and JL's and 90% of the time i'm reciprocated or they wave at the same time/first. EDIT: When I'm in the TJ, that is. When I'm in my Cherokee, I wave out of site, under cover of the dash...my wife things it's really funny.
 
I wave at everybody, I don't care who you are! Mostly convertibles though, but if you are riding a bicycle and I pass you be prepared. Like most people here. I wave at all jeeps and don't care if they wave back. I don't always notice. Hopefully people like us will bring the good will back!
 
Almost nonexistent down here from JK/ JL owners. TJ owners, however, keep it alive.
Same here with jk/jl. Most of them i see are soccer moms or dads getting groceries...lol.
And they just dont get it.
One of my colleagues bought one took it to a 4x4 shop, showed them a picture of one "fixed up" and told them to make his look like that.
I laughed my ass off...."on the inside"
He is actually a nice guy.
 
I got my first one after owning my TJ in LA for 3-4 months. Not a good statistic as I see them all the time. Cool to get a wave though. :)
 
I thinks lots of folks miss the point. Insisting that if folks don’t wave at you you won’t wave back. So you don’t waive unless they waive first. To me that’s typical of more than just the Jeep wave but society in general now. I’m guessing I’m very much in the minority but I do the two finger wave to anyone driving or walking in my neighborhood whether I know them or not. It’s just the neighborly thing to do. And I do it regardless of what vehicle I’m driving or if I’m just working out in the yard.
When I get on the elevator at my office building. I say good morning, good afternooon or whatever to others on the elevator and “have a nice day” when they or we get off it.

I hold the door not just for a pretty girl but for anyone.

Back to the elevator situation for a minute. My building is 17 stories and my company occupies 2 floors, so more often than not I do not know others riding the elevator. The most common reaction when someone gets in is to pull out their phone and pretend to check email or something, all so they don’t have to interact. But these same people, after I’ve said good morning and have a nice day a few times will actually start to say it first, leave their phone in their pocket and may even start to make smalll talk.

I’m trying to save the country from continuing to become antisocial introverted jerks, one person at a time. LOL.

Back to the Jeep wave, I know it’s supposed to symbolize the camaraderie of other jeepers and mutual appreciation for the outdoors, off-roading and Jeep cruising, but it never would have become a thing at all if folks took the attitude that the other person better wave first and if you wave first and they don’t wave back you get all butthurt.

Talking in platitudes. I implore you to make the Jeep wave more about if somebody has a TJ, JK whatever and more about goodwill to your fellow human. Even if they don’t get it at first, maybe if you keep it up, a few will start waving, and because they wave at people a few people they waved at will start waving and so on. At the very least maybe they will be less road-raging for a couple minutes.

Yeah, maybe I’m just crazy and the world and the jeepers are too far gone to be polite or care about anything outside their small little worlds, but even if that is so, doing the wave and hoping I can “convert” a few humans to be less antisocial for a minute make ME feel good. And if you believe in God...well ill leave that be. Kumbaya!!!
 
Last edited:
I like accidentally waving at TJ's when i'm in my pickup truck and get that look like.. pfffft idiot.
My DD is a Jeep Renegade. When I am in the TJ, I wave. When I am in the Renegade, I wave. When I drive the wife's Cherokee, I wave. Yes, I have gotten more than my share of crazy looks for waving at a TJ while in my Renegade, but if you get in the habit of waving, it just happens! :)
 
My DD is a Jeep Renegade. When I am in the TJ, I wave. When I am in the Renegade, I wave. When I drive the wife's Cherokee, I wave. Yes, I have gotten more than my share of crazy looks for waving at a TJ while in my Renegade, but if you get in the habit of waving, it just happens! :)
If I saw you wave from the Renegade, I would wave back!
 
Around my neck of the woods, waving at at JK/JL is about worthless. Big college town with a TON of stock JK/ JLs running around. With some Kewl sound systems. Most of them just look at me funny.

It is like being on my Harley, and waving to the ricer coming my way, and turns out it was just a fancy moped.
 
I agree, Jeeps have become soccer-mom taxis and safe haven vehicles for urbanites facing 4" snow crisis!

North Idaho is loaded with Jeeps, Dave Smith Motors is recognized as the world's largest Jeep/Dodge/Ram dealer, has effectively saturated our area, and there are LOTS of jeeps on our roads. Very, very rarely will a JKU or any JL give a jeep wave, but the vast majority of two doors, regardless of age (except JL's) still enthusiastically reciprocate a jeep wave!

I love North Idaho! :cool:
 
  • Like
Reactions: MikeM
I try to wave to all , kinda like the motorcycle wave. My wife thinks it's funny that she can tell who will wave back in advance. We were comparing it to the wave reaction we get on sportbikes when we wave to Harleys not much reciprocation. You can tell the lifestylers. Lol
 
  • Like
Reactions: mde8965
Around my neck of the woods, waving at at JK/JL is about worthless. Big college town with a TON of stock JK/ JLs running around. With some Kewl sound systems. Most of them just look at me funny.

It is like being on my Harley, and waving to the ricer coming my way, and turns out it was just a fancy moped.
I would wave back at you if I was on my scooter. Lol
 
  • Haha
Reactions: TJ Hunnicutt
Whenever I see a TJ with the hand-wave sticker in the windshield, sigh.

I'd respect a guy who use his hand to wave and I feel weirdly insulted waving on a sticker - specially if the driver who does not even look at my direction.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, in our area, if the Jeep has one of those stickers, 99.9% it's a clueless "bought it 'cause it's cool" people that have not the foggiest idea what a real Jeep Wave is.
 
  • Like
Reactions: TJ2
I drove past a large number of “jeepers” today and made sure to wave, without anticipating any reciprocation. I noticed all the people that seemed into “the Jeep culture” waved back, regardless of generation or mods. I’d say 30% of TJ owners, 40% percent of JK/JL owners.

So maybe as a percentage of total ownership the responses may be down, the Jeep culture is alive and well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kiwi TJ
I wave at most cool classic cars, all smoking hot chicks and sometimes Jeeps. Bikers tend to wave to each other (I often do when on 2 wheels). I don't get offended if someone does not wave back. I figure they are driving and paying attention to traffic and not vehicle models. I am usually in that category as well.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Sam Solo