Why dont caravan users . . . .

I guess it depends on which way your hand is being held as to what reaction you can expect from your "one finger salute"..............lol

Hi Phil, We have recently completed a holiday in not so sunny Qld and in the main we did not experience that lack of recognition to the same extent. We did notice it somewhat more than usual but there were few non wavers.

I find the worst ones were the motorhome fraternity who, in the main, do not wave to lowly caravan owners. There are many exceptions but non waving is the norm for them. Me, I wave to anybody and everybody and if they wave back, good oh but if not, perhaps they did not see me or they have a problem.

See you out there, Cheers, Bruce.

They possibly could be concentrating on the road ahead and may not see you or by the time they see you it is too late to spot their gesture.

The fact that someone doesn't do it, does not make them a bad person IMO, even though I appreciate it when travellers respond.

Maybe with the modern designs of vehicles, it is difficult to see this one finger at a distance when holding the steering wheel correctly ;)

Andrew

Me, being an ardent caravanner and an inveterate waver, find that not many 4WD drivers wave back. I always mutter something about boring old ??.

But there again I get a few Caravanners who don't wave as well, so I guess you just strike a few of em every now and again. I find the truckies are a pretty friendly bunch, most of em give you a wave or have a chat on the uhf.

This is The only One finger salute i know of,

http://one-finger-salute.org/middle_finger.png

If that's what you're giving people it's no wonder you're not getting a wave in return.

When I was riding motorbikes the Harley riders rarely waved back, to good apparantley!

Lets hope that after this thread is read a few more "friends" will be seen on the road.

This is a very old tradition in the bush and unlike two posters I think most would like to see this one continue.

Thanks and lets hear from some more readers.

Phil

I don't wave to everyone on the road! Give me a break! I always acknowledge courtesy at narrow places, on bush tracks I stop for a talk, in remote areas I stop for a brew, but on roads and highways I am doing my thing.

Waving a traditional thing? Cars haven't been around long enough for it to be a tradition.
Ian

Phil,

I always loved the change in my fellow motorists once you get north of the border, paticlularly further to the west towards Broken Hill and the likes. I added it to one of my earlier blogs as an intersting and amusing observation.

"The amusing thing to note is the acknowledgement gained from fellow motorists in the forms of waves and finger gestures as they pass. I’ve identified the most popular and will attempt top give a brief description of them.

1. The “Peace Man”; Left hand at 12 o’clock, index and middle finger raised in the classic sign of the 60’s.
2. The “Cockatoo“; Left hand at 1 or 2 o’clock on the wheel, thumb remains and four fingers move up and spread to the left.
3. The “Dicky bird“; One for true cricket lovers. Right hand up with fingers clenched and the index straight up. Slight movement forwards towards windscreen as if answering that age old question “ow-iz-ee?”.
4. The “Goal“; Hands in the classic 10 and 2 position on the wheel, both index fingers rocket upwards at the same time as if Sav Rocca has just threaded a beauty from 65 meters out.
5. The “Stop!”; Right hand up in front with palms out towards oncoming driver.
6. “The Howe”; (Refer Amerindian custom - F Troop etc) Left hand gesture. Elbow stays to rear and in middle of seats, hand up vertically with palm exposed and all digits extended together.
7 “The Frank“; My personal favourite and named after Cousin Frank who’s to tight to waste much energy. Left or right hand at 12 on the wheel, index finger only moves slightly up. At least it’s a gesture of acknowledgement, no matter how small.
8. “The Cowboy”; Index and middle fingers outwards like you’re playing shoot-em-ups.
9. “The Pope”. Hand forward palm outwards. Thumb out and index and middle fingers straight up. Ring and little finger bent inwards to palm. Also more effective if you make the sign of the cross as you pass vehicle!"

On teh road to Camerons Corner - 2005



Cheers Mick

hi there vk1dx.
try travelling from Darwin to Adelaide to in early june waving to every one you will end up with arms like popey cheers for now bill.

I wave at most travellers on the road, it dosen't worry me if they don't wave back, you can get a sore wrist from waving sometimes, so I just lift the fingers, maybe a bloke ought to get one of those old mechanical hands you used to see on buses ect, then again some of you young ones might not have seen them or know what i'm describing lol lol.

Cheers

We just did 1900kms in WA and had a wave of some sort by most. The non wavers came from all types of outfits.

One thing I've noticed though is that sometimes it can be hard to see the other driver. The angle of the windscreen, the direction the sun is hitting it etc can obscure the driver so if there is a wave or not I wouldn't know.

Paul

Hi vk1dx,
There's a farmer that we see sometimes as we travel to town, I've got no idea who he is or his name, but he waves. He might be some ways from the road, half a kilometer at times, yet he waves as he sits on his tractor.
Now, I don't know if he sits there all day waving, or he's just a friendly bloke, but I always wave back.
I've come to the conclusion, that some folsk wave and others don't, some pull campers and others pull vans, Makes no different to me, I knowledge all travelers.

A few years back, I use to work in hardware, the truck driver went on a fortnights holiday and I got to do deliveries, well, if I didn't have a sore arm from waving to every Tom, Dick & Harry that came the other way, It wasn't just trucks, it was car, bikes, delivery vans and push bikes to people walking along the footpath.We always wondered why it took him so long to do a delivery. The bloke spent all day waving, A true story.

If ya wave and ya don't get one back, ya no worse off are ya?

Nah, keep it going

Its time for Phil to take his chemo pills. 23 each night for a week. And that taste rotten. Thanks you mob for jokes and the reminder of how great the country is.

Night all

Phil

When we bought our first Jayco we started to notice other Jayco owners giving us a wave. Wasn't long before we started doing it too. Friendly bunch we thought.

Back in the day when i was a kid and my dad would be driving along,,,, for example,,, between port augusta and glendambo............
We used to see a car about 4times an hour so a wave was a valid form of recognition of another traveller in a remote sort of area....

You guys seem to want a wave back from people travelling between Cairns and Innisfail in the month of July,,, come-on,,, what the.????

What a waste of an iconic gesture..

I think it is a waste of time waving to each and every car that comes along every 1 minute or so...

Save it for when you are on the Northern Arnhemland Road, or on some station track etc etc...

There are too many travellers to really appreciate a two way wave on our highways nowadays..

When i get waved at i dont even bother to wave back on a major highway but it is a different story in remote areas..

And by saying remote areas i dont mean Cape York or Kimberley etc...

I mean places like Arnhemland, Hay River, Gunbarrel Hwy sometimes........ etc etc...

If you dont wave on Kangaroo Island the locals run you of the road. Every body waves there. Great place

Greetings, we are caravaners and 4WDs. We always wave, and have a chat to truckers, vanners, and 4WDs. Closer to the cities, there are fewer wavers.
WD

When I was 18 ('77) I won 2x30 day Greyhound bus passes and set off with a mate. Bris to Cairns was 1st leg. We were seated up front when I noticed the lift of the right index finger "wave" between the driver and truckies etc. I asked the driver and he said those doing long hauls acknowledge each other with the finger wave as a signal that they will look out for each other. It was more important in those days of lesser traffic. If you had break down between say Rocky and Mackay, the code was that if your vehicle was recognised as a friendly they would stop to assist.

Its an interesting thread I reckon. We tow a van & always wave to oncoming vans & & in nearly all cases get a wave back, usually from the driver. My wife goes crook on me if I get a bit lazy & forget to wave, so she does it for me.
One important thing I think about what our family call the Fraternity wave, is that you should smile while you do it & not do so in a bored & sort of dutiful manner!
But this bit always make me wonder.................. Why is it that if I'm in my Ute & do not have our van in tow & there is an oncoming Van or motor home & I or my wife wave, the on comer does not wave back? It seems you must be hooked up to your pride & joy in order to participate in this wonderful practise? Try it yourself & I reckon you will quickly see what I mean!

A great & friendly thread, there should be more in this vein! Happy & safe travelling to you all & keep waving & smiling