The Jeep Wave and other stories

The other night a woman was being interviewed on the news about the GM plant in Ontario rehiring 800 layoffs. She was really hoping that she would be one of the rehires because her savings was running out and she had two kids. Boy did I feel like a shit for complaining about my job. I am well paid, doing what I love, and NOT in a factory. I'll shut up now.


For those of you who do not have the privilege of owning a Jeep, you might not be aware that, similar to the VW Beetle Wave, Jeep people also have one. The enthusiasm tends to vary with model, but if you encounter another Jeep on a 2-lane road, there is probably a 65% chance you will get a wave, 80% if you wave first. The percentage also increases with decreasing population or when you are near good off-roading terrain. There is also a hierarchy in the Jeep community. Usually, the older and more beat-up your vehicle is, the more cred you get. I think I even saw a points system on an online forum once.

CJs (1944-1986) are at the highest level and drivers basically deserve a salute for keeping their vehicle roadworthy. The YJ (1987-1995) is second, though this is a somewhat controversial topic for some because of it's un-Jeep square headlights. TJs (1995-2006) used to be considered the "yuppie jeep" and an object of scorn until the much maligned JK came out in 2007; the round headlights were back, but there was much less metal in the body and the switch form leaf springs madefor a smoother ride. The argument against the JKs was that if you want 4 doors on your Jeep, get a Liberty or a Compass and leave the Wranglers alone. And as far as cred goes, most folks believe that if you are driving a JK, Liberty, Compass, or a Cherokee (also known as an XJ) made in the last 15 years, you don't deserve a wave. You also lose points for having an ugly lift, bad paint job or any kind chrome.

Please note that these are not necessarily my views, just what I've learned. Though I still think that a 4-door JK looks way too much like a mutant baby Hummer.

On the topic of Jeeps, my poor little 20 year old beast has seen better days. There is an alarmingly loud ticking sound when the engine is running, probably caused by the lifters and/or rocker arms. Instead of tearing the engine apart, my dad figures we should just put in a new engine. At $2000, the repair is most assuredly more than what the whole vehicle is worth, but frankly I don't care. He may be noisy, drafty, bad on gas, and a rough ride (gotta love leaf springs), but my little beast has never left me on the road (except for the time I found out my gas gauge was broken). Not to mention I got him for free! I figure it's like a heart transplant on an old man. It may not extend his life by much, but if he survives, it's still totally worth it.

- A.