What began as a simple act of kindness by a woman from a small town in Ontario, Canada, became an international sensation. Allison Parliament, who has sadly since passed away, began placing rubber ducks on Jeeps in her small town to pass on a smile.
Allison placed a rubber duck on a Jeep with a note saying, "Have A Great Day." She did this to bring some cheer and happiness during the pandemic. What she didn't expect was for the duck to go viral under the #DuckDuckJeep tag. Now searching #DuckDuckJeep on Instagram,
Facebook, or TikTok provides numerous fun videos where Jeep owners find ducks on their hoods or side mirrors. As a show of pride, Jeep owners will place those ducks on their dashboards to show how many they've collected.
While some may believe that Duck Duck Jeep is just for Wranglers, as they seem to have featured more ducks than most other Jeep models on the road, any type of Jeep is eligible to get ducked.
In the words of Allison Parliament, "Jeeps get ducked for many reasons and with lots of motivations and meanings. For me, it was an act of kindness, a healing of sorts, as well as recognition of and greeting to a fellow Jeep owner...You don't really need a reason for Jeep ducking other than to connect, bring a smile to someone's face, and have fun."
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What Type Of Ducks Are Used?
One of the primary rubber ducks used by Jeep owners is the normal, everyday yellow rubber duck that many people might see in bathtubs. Yellow rubber ducks are affordable and anonymous, allowing nearly anyone who owns a Jeep an opportunity to duck a fellow Jeep owner. You can find yellow rubber ducks in bulk on marketplace websites, and then you can start your own Duck Duck Jeep journey.
Duck Duck Jeep is not restricted to just yellow rubber ducks, meaning any color, design, or size (as long it's not going to damage the vehicle) can be placed on a fellow Jeep. As the owner of a 2008 Jeep Wrangler, I've had my fair share of run-ins with Duck Duck Jeep. There are currently two ducks in my Jeep, a purple colored one and a yellow colored one.
Occasionally, Jeep owners will find small, cute notes written on the duck. These messages are usually something along the lines of the ducker liking the Jeep, or they may also wish the other Jeep owner to have a good day. Usually, at the end of the message or written someone else on the duck will be #DuckDuckJeep.
Are There Other Jeep Traditions?
Jeep culture runs deep, and there is another major Jeep tradition that almost every Wrangler owner has experienced: the Jeep Wave. Whenever two Jeep Wranglers pass each other, the drivers will either wave to the fellow Wrangler or raise some fingers off the steering wheel (if they want to be safe). I have found in some situations, mostly while on vacations and renting a Wrangler, that most tourists or first-time Wrangler drivers are unaware of the wave.
While not a tradition, there is a very strong culture around Jeeps that evokes a sense of adventure. Jeeps are built to go places other vehicles only dream of, whether that's up a near-vertical rock wall or through a river. Jeep owners even come together every year to celebrate the capability of these off-road beasts at the Easter Jeep Safari in Moab, Utah.
Running every year for a week through the Easter holiday, the Easter Jeep Safari brings tens of thousands of Jeep owners to the Utah desert. The event, which is sponsored by Jeep, offers drivers an opportunity to share in the Jeep culture with fellow enthusiasts and also features guided and solo adventures through designated off-road trails. Jeep will typically show off a handful of concepts at the event as well.
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Read the original article on SlashGear.
