The valuable lesson I learned when I embraced Jeep culture | Articles

I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t understand all the hype of daily driving a Jeep. To me, it seems that most Wranglers–and now Gladiators and Broncos–are subject to a life of pavement driving and the occasional trip to the beach or a gravel road even though they’re better suited for off-road trails.

However, after spending the weekend with some friends and riding around in their four-door JL Wrangler, I can’t help but appreciate the culture that the Jeep community has built.

In a world where the internet makes fun of any car built that isn’t exactly what someone thinks it should be, Jeep people seem to appreciate and accept all levels of builds.

It almost seemed exhausting at how many “Jeep Waves” we experienced. It didn’t matter if it was completely stock, a lifted rig with big tires, or just one with tons of stickers on it, everyone was waving. It seems like if you have a Jeep, you’re part of the club, no questions asked.

Want another example? Have you ever looked at a Jeep and wondered, “Why do they have so many rubber ducks?”

Well, I learned that is part of a ritual called Ducking or Duck Duck Jeep. From what I have been told, many Jeep owners carry rubber ducks, and when they see a Jeep that they like, it is customary to leave a rubber duck on the driver’s door handle.

Now, I know what a lot of you are thinking and I think the same thing: That’s kind of silly. But how cool is it that a whole community of people supports each other? I think it’s awesome, and maybe we should take note.

I am not saying we should all run out and buy some rubber ducks and start handing them out, but before you go bashing someone’s build or writing off a car because you drive a different brand or prefer a different setup, take a second for another look. Sure, that person may not have modified their car in the same way you have, but maybe they are just getting into cars and they are looking for a community to build that joy of cars with.

It’s easy to go to the local car meet with friends and judge, but why shouldn’t we be more like Jeeps and work on building that community and bringing everyone in car culture together, no matter what they drive?

So, maybe next time you go to a cars and coffee, talk to the person with the base-model Civic covered in stickers and invite them to an autocross. You might be the one to show them it’s easier than they thought to do race car stuff. You…