# Waving at trains and boats **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 19, 2025, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080 "2025-07-19T13:41:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![LegendHasit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/legendhasit/32/8246_2.png) [@LegendHasit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LegendHasit)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2025, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/81 "2025-09-27T10:12:55Z")
Agreed. Caught in the moment of a wave on either side brings smiles and connection. ---
**Author:** ![Melbourne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Melbourne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Melbourne)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 4:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/82 "2025-10-03T04:32:37Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > Hey, whatever it takes to pass the time on five hour rides in the country I don’t know about your area, but around here, a farmer in the field doing a tractoring thing _with a crop_ is likely to be there 18 hours plus. Short days are for some other time of year. Not boring, but mind numbing. Waving is as good as a holiday. ---
**Author:** ![ricepad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b38774/32.png) [@ricepad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ricepad)\ **Post date:** [October 3, 2025, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/83 "2025-10-03T06:32:20Z")
> [@BrickBat](#): > > I remember another urban legend from the 1980s about Porsche cars where 911 drivers wouldn’t return waves from drivers of 924s/944s, supposedly because if they weren’t rear engine models, they weren’t “real” Porsches. Up until the early ‘70s, Porsche drivers flashed their headlights at each other. 914 drivers got mocked because their pop-up headlights made it impossible for them to flash, although 914-6 drivers could flash their fog lights. By the time 924/928/944 models hit the road, waving became an acceptable alternative. Now, however, I find that most Cayenne/Macan drivers do neither, and only a few Panamera drivers return a wave/flash. Haven’t encountered too many Taycan drivers yet. Interestingly, I get more responses when I’m in the 356 than in a 911 variant. ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2025, 8:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/84 "2025-10-04T08:21:10Z")
> [@gregorio](#): > > I also wave and say hello to the cows, horses, llamas, sheep, goats, birds and anything else I see in the various fields. My neighborhood’s entrance is a narrow road that cuts through two pastures, one of which is still used for horses. My mom always speaks to them when she’s out for a walk. ---
**Author:** ![Orville\_mogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/aeb1de/32.png) [@Orville\_mogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orville_mogul)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2025, 10:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/85 "2025-10-04T10:39:40Z")
> [@Coriolanus](#): > > and made the “up and down” gesture with my hand held up. No idea if it was universal or anything. When I was a kid we used to do this with tractor trailers. Surprised no one has mentioned this already ---
**Author:** ![Eclipse\_Chaser](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Eclipse\_Chaser](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eclipse_Chaser)\ **Post date:** [October 4, 2025, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080/86 "2025-10-04T21:16:22Z")
A few years ago I was on the Canadian Rocky Mountaineer and the train chief steward made a point of telling us that we were approaching the point where an elderly lady lived next to the tracks and she always waved at every train. So we watched for her, all waved at her and she waved enthusiastically back. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/waving-at-trains-and-boats/1021080.md?page=4)