# Cars that wave to each other **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 16, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352 "2015-07-16T19:21:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/81 "2015-07-29T16:26:52Z")
I have two wave-y cars: Jeep Wrangler and an '02 BMW. In 2000 my Nissan X-terra was a wave-a-licious SUV, but they became common very soon and the solidarity was broken. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/82 "2015-07-29T16:31:50Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > I had a Smart when they were first introduced to the UK. We’d wave and/or flash headlights at each other. Not sure if they still do it. Now that I’m a BMW driver I’m not allowed to make any signals of any sort. My Bimmer gets a lot of waves – is it a model year thing? I hope I haven’t been violating a policy in the Official BMW Conduct Manual! ---
**Author:** ![Onomatopoeia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/onomatopoeia/32/4145_2.png) [@Onomatopoeia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Onomatopoeia)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/83 "2015-07-29T16:45:45Z")
> [@epbrown01](#): > > Porsche owners wave or grouse endlessly about people not waving as the brand’s been diluted to the point it’s just a car to some owners, or how some models are not a real Porsche (pretty much everything not a 356 or 911). This exactly. Mine is a garage queen that I rarely take out…do you realize how course the dust in the air is and how easily it can mar your paint? 😉 Seriously, I wave, but have also forgotten to wave when I’ve passed a 930, 991, or 996 from time to time. Sometimes I am simply too rapt marveling at the other car to wave. The thing that I find humorous is when the other driver becomes visibly irritated when I don’t acknowledge his wave. So childish. Also, you hit the nail on the head about brand dilution. I blame whoever thought the abominations Cayenne and Macan were good ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Poysyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@Poysyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poysyn)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 5:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/84 "2015-07-29T17:08:38Z")
> [@Muffin](#): > > I went through the same thought process when I first drove my Wrangler. My daughter takes the Jeep wave very seriously. It wasn’t bad back in Manitoba because there were not that many Wranglers on the road, but out here in Alberta…I could develop some kind of stress injury waving at everyone. I have a friend that didn’t believe it was a ‘thing’ then she rode in mine with me :). I will say that I don’t always wave at the skin-colored ones, especially if they are a four-door model - out of spite. I hate that color on a vehicle. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/85 "2015-07-29T20:29:19Z")
We’ve had a '92 Mercedes 500SL for like 3 years now. Once I was in the center turn lane to pull into a grocery store. A _much_ newer model coming the other way stopped in the road (there was no other traffic) and waved me to go ahead. I guess he just wanted to look at a side view. It’s a convertible, but I’ve never been a fan of driving topless (bugs, sun and shit) so we pretty much just leave the hardtop on. Think it looks better with hardtop on. I love the car, especially when I feel the need to put my foot down, for whatever reason. ---
**Author:** ![swampspruce](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/swampspruce/32/261_2.png) [@swampspruce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/swampspruce)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/86 "2015-07-29T21:45:02Z")
> [@Poysyn](#): > > My daughter takes the Jeep wave very seriously. It wasn’t bad back in Manitoba because there were not that many Wranglers on the road, but out here in Alberta…I could develop some kind of stress injury waving at everyone. > > I have a friend that didn’t believe it was a ‘thing’ then she rode in mine with me :). I will say that I don’t always wave at the skin-colored ones, especially if they are a four-door model - out of spite. I hate that color on a vehicle. That doesn’t leave much to wave back at except green and blue…😃 Unless you don’t wave at those either which makes you an Undead Classist!😉 ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [July 29, 2015, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/87 "2015-07-29T23:46:10Z")
> [@jimbuff314](#): > > We’ve had a '92 Mercedes 500SL for like 3 years now. Once I was in the center turn lane to pull into a grocery store. A _much_ newer model coming the other way stopped in the road (there was no other traffic) and waved me to go ahead. I guess he just wanted to look at a side view. It’s a convertible, but I’ve never been a fan of driving topless (bugs, sun and shit) so we pretty much just leave the hardtop on. Think it looks better with hardtop on. I love the car, especially when I feel the need to put my foot down, for whatever reason. I had the '88 560. May have loved that car as much as any other. So … manly guy wave. ---
**Author:** ![kferr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/71e660/32.png) [@kferr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kferr)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/88 "2015-07-30T14:18:46Z")
> [@Jennshark](#): > > My Bimmer gets a lot of waves – is it a model year thing? I hope I haven’t been violating a policy in the Official BMW Conduct Manual! I was riffing on the stereotype that BMW drivers never use their turn signals. I’ve never received a wave in my 120d, but then again BMWs are pretty common here in the UK. Maybe drivers of older or high performance models wave at each other. ---
**Author:** ![Jennshark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Jennshark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jennshark)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/89 "2015-07-30T15:10:36Z")
> [@kferr](#): > > I was riffing on the stereotype that BMW drivers never use their turn signals. I’ve never received a wave in my 120d, but then again BMWs are pretty common here in the UK. Maybe drivers of older or high performance models wave at each other. Ah, got it! Do you also have the BMW cupholder joke in the UK? ---
**Author:** ![Ms\_Boods](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5e9695/32.png) [@Ms\_Boods](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms_Boods)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/90 "2015-07-30T17:38:45Z")
> [@kittenblue](#): > > Mini Coopers. This baffled the heck out of me when I owned one in the US. I’ve got one now in the UK, and no waving (as it would be quite strange; there’s too many of them on the road). ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [July 30, 2015, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352/91 "2015-07-30T23:56:13Z")
> [@UncleNito](#): > > I wave if the window is down, but the truth is there are enough on the road that I just don’t wave to everyone the rest of the time. But I also have stock exhaust. I get waved at often when the top is down, mainly from other GT’s that have been modified. Mine looks mostly stock from the outside, but I’ll admit I’ve gunned it a few times for other GT drivers (even better under an over pass) and have had the same done to me. I can also count on other Mustang drivers to let me merge in heavy traffic. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cars-that-wave-to-each-other/725352.md?page=4)