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Drivers, do you wave? Do others wave back?

What best describes how you and other drivers wave?

  • I wave to all other drivers, and most wave back

    Votes: 4 33.3%
  • I wave to all other drivers, but only locals wave back

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • I wave to other drivers that I know, and they wave back

    Votes: 6 50.0%
  • I've noticed less drivers wave recently

    Votes: 4 33.3%

  • Total voters
    12
  • Poll closed .

RenoHuskerDu

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 17, 2018
Messages
359
Location
Texas
We have a thing in Texas called the finger lift. Truckers always lift a finger or two to say hi to other truckers. At the quarry it's pretty much universal. Even that hot head driver you don't really like much, you still lift a finger or two and greet him. He'll do the same. And if one of us breaks down, you can bet at least one other driver will stop to help.

But these last few years, things have changed around here. We have minority urban youth drivers in from a big city an hour away. And we have wimmin drivers (but very few at quarries.) Neither group really gets the waving thing. Here in Texas, we're over 40% hispanic but they've been here for many generations and most are Texans in their thinking, and they wave.

I'm just wondering what it's like outside of Texas. Do you wave, and other drivers wave back? Have you noticed that the recent influx of auto trannies, women drivers, and urban drivers who aren't much like us has all affected camaraderie?
 

skyking1

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 3, 2020
Messages
7,463
Location
washington
Pretty much that^
One time though my buddy Pat rented a Cadillac and he thought there was a wave called the Cadillac Wave cuz he seemed to find that if you did this little wave other Cadillac owners would wave back. This was at least 25 years ago I thought it was hilarious!
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,059
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
In NZ it always the proper thing to do. Most trucks didn't have any communications like CBs so a wave was telling the truck driver coming towards you the road was clear, mostly of cops and DOT inspections. Giving the thumbs down let them know possible trouble was a head.
It's also the thing with grey nomads out in the bush in Australia and it's easy to spot the driver's who won't wave, they have the new van and Ute and probably on the first trip out of the big smoke.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,542
Location
WWW.
The one or two finger wave around here is normally from the rich guy-it's the {I acknowledge your presence} wave.

It's not my job to warn people-if they are driving correctly they will see it. I don't wave at anybody {except the
ice cream truck coming down the street}.
 

Spud_Monkey

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
6,436
Location
Your six
Occupation
Decommissioned

Steve Frazier

Founder
Staff member
Joined
Oct 30, 2003
Messages
6,599
Location
LaGrangeville, N.Y.
I hauled aggregate back in the early 80s and we have a state road, NY22 that runs north/south in eastern Dutchess County. There was a steady stream of trucks hauling aggregate from the pits and quarries in Dutchess County down to the concrete and asphalt plants in Westechester County, about 40 miles away. Nearly all the haulers waved to each other as they passed in opposite directions, didn't know any of them personally but recognized them from constantly passing them.
 

Tones

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2009
Messages
3,059
Location
Ubique
Occupation
Ex land clearing contractor, part-time retired
we give a pair of flashes of the headlights to warn of trouble ahead.
this was in the days before light switches were on the steering column and the dip switch was on the floor, young feller;)
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
Peterbilt still like that, the light switch is on the dashboard "somewhere" one of the many toggle switches the position of which was chosen by a blindfolded monkey throwing darts. Right in between the diff lock, mirror heat, air dump, Jake brake, city horn, cruise control switches the headlights are somewhere too. They do put the dimmer on the blinker now.
 

1693TA

Senior Member
Joined
Feb 27, 2010
Messages
2,687
Location
Farmington IL
Occupation
FAA Radar Engineer, (Retired)
All of my R model Mack trucks have the tall "blipper" switch atop the dash to the left by the "A" pillar. Pulled back it illuminates the headlamps, pushed forward it temporarily shuts off the clearance, and tail lamps.

I'm accustomed to getting the "two finger" wave myself. That is the middle finger on each hand for some reason.....
 
Last edited:

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,039
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
All of my R model Mack trucks have the tall "blipper" switch atop the dash to the left by the "A" pillar. Pulled back it illuminates the headlamps, pushed forward it temporarily shuts off the clearance, and tail lamps.

I'm accustomed to getting the "two finger" wave myself. That is the middle finger on each hand for some reason.....
I don't. I enjoy that as I become more aged than the average driver I personally know, they give me the respectful whole hand wave. I do find that since I share the same motor pool with my son, I'm often greeted with a middle finger by mistake. First few times it happened, I was a bit disturbed. Evidently that is a form of friendly wave to some?
 

Spud_Monkey

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 15, 2018
Messages
6,436
Location
Your six
Occupation
Decommissioned
I don't. I enjoy that as I become more aged than the average driver I personally know, they give me the respectful whole hand wave. I do find that since I share the same motor pool with my son, I'm often greeted with a middle finger by mistake. First few times it happened, I was a bit disturbed. Evidently that is a form of friendly wave to some?

Yes, friendly, and it has been for some time.
They are just letting you know you are number one of all drivers, nothing offensive by it.
 

John C.

Senior Member
Joined
Jun 11, 2007
Messages
12,865
Location
Northwest
Occupation
Machinery & Equipment Appraiser
Log truckers usually wave to mechanics on the way in to the landings. Gravel and long haul not much. Motorcycles are alway waving, except the new guy wearing $1000 in gear and riding a new BMW. If his wife is on the back, she waves.
 

Truck Shop

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 7, 2015
Messages
16,542
Location
WWW.
Motorcycles are alway waving

When I still had my Wing.
I was on just a day jaunt not to far from home, came across this group of V twins. One had
a flat rear tire or low tire with a nail in it. It was at a cardlock station in nowhere on a
Sunday. I got out my tire repair stuff and a mini compressor-fixed it good enough to get
them home. They were all dressed up in leathers and doo rags, demanded I take some
money for fixing it.

I replied {I don't want your money but you can do me a favor. The next time you see a
group of Gold Wings coming down the road at you---Wave your A$$ off.}
 

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,039
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
They are just letting you know you are number one of all drivers, nothing offensive by it.
My sisters said I was born middle aged. In truth, I was young once. Giving your best friend the finger is a new thing to me.

Driving home just now from a long trip job, my son got a call from Kenny. Kenny is the most honorable, respectable fellow in town. He is 58, 7 years younger than me. He had a health crisis, doctors two states away, dealing with a computer was a bigger challenge than cancer. Seth solved his many problems, even to the extent of giving him a computer. While I have always considered the family to include me, I've never been so close. Seth's phone rings on the way home, Seth answers from the passenger seat: "What do you want?"

Utterly unaffected, Kenny responds with pleasant dialog. He brought good news.

Kenny is not young. Somehow he has learned the dialog of young people. Young people are cruel to him, as they are to each other, he doesn't skip a beat.
 

Willie B

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 2, 2016
Messages
4,039
Location
Mount Tabor VT
Occupation
Electrician
When I still had my Wing.
I was on just a day jaunt not to far from home, came across this group of V twins. One had
a flat rear tire or low tire with a nail in it. It was at a cardlock station in nowhere on a
Sunday. I got out my tire repair stuff and a mini compressor-fixed it good enough to get
them home. They were all dressed up in leathers and doo rags, demanded I take some
money for fixing it.

I replied {I don't want your money but you can do me a favor. The next time you see a
group of Gold Wings coming down the road at you---Wave your A$$ off.}
Here, it's snowmobiles. I don't know if anybody seriously cares, lots of conversation starters, insult the other guy's snowmobile.

It doesn't seem logical, Highway bikes aren't so different. The boys have brought four Gold Wings here as home. I'll try anything. Honda motorcycles, I can't reach the ground. I am not tall! My wife is nearly as tall as me. I get in her car, ALL needs to be adjusted up! I've got short legs, but a tall torso. Gold Wings are a sweet bike, but I can't reach the ground!

Harleys are lower.
 
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