READ THIS
#1
03-10-2007, 11:35 AM
READ THIS
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Ever since Corvette No. 00001 first met Corvette No. 00002 on the road, their drivers saluted each other with waves. Today, unfortunately, this grand and glorious tradition is wavering.
There's one item of standard equipment that comes as a pleasant surprise to every new Corvette owner. It's an instant wave of recognition he or she recieves when he meets one of their ilks on the road. The first time it happens, they will be taken by surprise. He immediately thinks:
[ol][*]He has been mistaken for Sterling Moss. [*]His lights are on. [*]He has just been given the bird. [/ol]
Soon, however, the new Vette owner anticipates, indeed even relishes, encountering other Vettes as he drives. During this period, he experiments with his waves, running the gamut from the gaping "yoo hoo" to the ultra cool "two finger flip." He perfects his timing, making sure he affects neither a too-early wave, nor the jaded "oh brother" too-late variety. Determined not to be one upped, he even developes a defense mechanism for non wavers, usually settling on the "Wave"? My hand was just on the way to scratch my head" approach. (This is especially useful when you're not driving your Vette, but you forget, and like a dummy, you wave anyway.)
Indeed, one of the most perplexing problems facing a would-be waver is what to do when driving next to a fellow Vette owner. Passing him going in opposite directions is one thing. Greetings are exchanged, and that's that. But what happens when you pull up next to a guy at a light, wave, nod, smile and then pull up to him at the next light, a block later? Wave again? Nod bashfully? Grin self-consciously? Ignore him? Or take the chicken's way out and turn down the next side street? If you're expecting an answer, you won't find it here. Sad to say, some questions don't have any.
Girl-type Corvette drivers also have a unique problem: to wave or not to wave. This miss or misses who borrows her man's Corvette for the first time is immediately faced with this quandary. Should she wave first and look overly friendly, or ignore the wave and look like a snob? Most ladies who drive their own Vettes prefer to suffer the latter rather than take a chance of being misread. For this reason, all girls are excused for occassionally failing to return a well-meaning wave. So are new owners who are still learning the ropes.
There is no excuse, however, for a guy who refuses to return the wave, not out of ignorance, but of arrogance or apathy. While this type of behavior is the exception to the rule, it seems a few owners of newer models refuse to recognize anything older than theirs, while some others simply won't wave, period. Boo on them. These ding-a-lings don't seem to realize that they are helping to squash a tradition that had its beginnings back when most of us were still driving tootsietoys.
So now you know the meaning behind “Save the Wave”
This is a reprint of an article, titled “SAVE THE WAVE”
that appeared in the August / September 1969 issue of the Corvette News.
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This article, titled “SAVE THE WAVE”
appeared in the August / September 1969 issue of the Corvette News.
appeared in the August / September 1969 issue of the Corvette News.
Ever since Corvette No. 00001 first met Corvette No. 00002 on the road, their drivers saluted each other with waves. Today, unfortunately, this grand and glorious tradition is wavering.
There's one item of standard equipment that comes as a pleasant surprise to every new Corvette owner. It's an instant wave of recognition he or she recieves when he meets one of their ilks on the road. The first time it happens, they will be taken by surprise. He immediately thinks:
[ol][*]He has been mistaken for Sterling Moss. [*]His lights are on. [*]He has just been given the bird. [/ol]
Soon, however, the new Vette owner anticipates, indeed even relishes, encountering other Vettes as he drives. During this period, he experiments with his waves, running the gamut from the gaping "yoo hoo" to the ultra cool "two finger flip." He perfects his timing, making sure he affects neither a too-early wave, nor the jaded "oh brother" too-late variety. Determined not to be one upped, he even developes a defense mechanism for non wavers, usually settling on the "Wave"? My hand was just on the way to scratch my head" approach. (This is especially useful when you're not driving your Vette, but you forget, and like a dummy, you wave anyway.)
Indeed, one of the most perplexing problems facing a would-be waver is what to do when driving next to a fellow Vette owner. Passing him going in opposite directions is one thing. Greetings are exchanged, and that's that. But what happens when you pull up next to a guy at a light, wave, nod, smile and then pull up to him at the next light, a block later? Wave again? Nod bashfully? Grin self-consciously? Ignore him? Or take the chicken's way out and turn down the next side street? If you're expecting an answer, you won't find it here. Sad to say, some questions don't have any.
Girl-type Corvette drivers also have a unique problem: to wave or not to wave. This miss or misses who borrows her man's Corvette for the first time is immediately faced with this quandary. Should she wave first and look overly friendly, or ignore the wave and look like a snob? Most ladies who drive their own Vettes prefer to suffer the latter rather than take a chance of being misread. For this reason, all girls are excused for occassionally failing to return a well-meaning wave. So are new owners who are still learning the ropes.
There is no excuse, however, for a guy who refuses to return the wave, not out of ignorance, but of arrogance or apathy. While this type of behavior is the exception to the rule, it seems a few owners of newer models refuse to recognize anything older than theirs, while some others simply won't wave, period. Boo on them. These ding-a-lings don't seem to realize that they are helping to squash a tradition that had its beginnings back when most of us were still driving tootsietoys.
So now you know the meaning behind “Save the Wave”
This is a reprint of an article, titled “SAVE THE WAVE”
that appeared in the August / September 1969 issue of the Corvette News.
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#2
03-10-2007, 11:46 AM
RE: READ THIS
Cool. Interesting that an article printed almost 40 years ago still holds true. Some things never change.
Also interesting is the line "This miss or misses who borrows her man's Corvette for the first time..." implying that a woman would not actually own a vette. Some things do change.
Also interesting is the line "This miss or misses who borrows her man's Corvette for the first time..." implying that a woman would not actually own a vette. Some things do change.
#4
03-10-2007, 10:03 PM
RE: READ THIS
I think its going away because of the older snooty C5 and C6......drivers......SOME.....just like the car because they think it shows everyone they are rich. Others are very friendly!
#6
03-14-2007, 09:17 PM
RE: READ THIS
It didn't take me very long to figure outwhat the wave was all about. Now it makes me pretty angry when people don't wave back, except on the highway when they're four lanes away andon the other side of the median. I guess I can forgive them, but I wave anyway. Sometimes I forget b/c they seem to sneak up and you don't see them til its too late. then you freak out b/c you dont know whether to make an attempt to stick your hand out the window. I think some people are a little cocky, but most new owners don't know about the corvette guidelines. dont hate on C5 and C6 owners, though. heck, i even talked to a guy with a C3 and he didn't even know what a "C3" was when I asked him about it. The only thing he knew was somehow l-82 applied b/c was on the side of his car. I propose a taining session for all new owners so that we can learn them something.[sm=rant.gif]
#7
03-14-2007, 11:26 PM
RE: READ THIS
ORIGINAL: Black86vette
I think its going away because of the older snooty C5 and C6......drivers......SOME.....just like the car because they think it shows everyone they are rich. Others are very friendly!
I think its going away because of the older snooty C5 and C6......drivers......SOME.....just like the car because they think it shows everyone they are rich. Others are very friendly!
A number of years ago for a different forum in a whole different galaxy, I wrote an article about the wave. Have to see if I can resurrect it and post if for you to have a giggle over.
In the mean time .... wave!!!!
#8
03-15-2007, 03:57 PM
RE: READ THIS
ORIGINAL: LTstewy8
It didn't take me very long to figure outwhat the wave was all about. Now it makes me pretty angry when people don't wave back, except on the highway when they're four lanes away andon the other side of the median. I guess I can forgive them, but I wave anyway. Sometimes I forget b/c they seem to sneak up and you don't see them til its too late. then you freak out b/c you dont know whether to make an attempt to stick your hand out the window. I think some people are a little cocky, but most new owners don't know about the corvette guidelines. dont hate on C5 and C6 owners, though. heck, i even talked to a guy with a C3 and he didn't even know what a "C3" was when I asked him about it. The only thing he knew was somehow l-82 applied b/c was on the side of his car. I propose a taining session for all new owners so that we can learn them something.[sm=rant.gif]
It didn't take me very long to figure outwhat the wave was all about. Now it makes me pretty angry when people don't wave back, except on the highway when they're four lanes away andon the other side of the median. I guess I can forgive them, but I wave anyway. Sometimes I forget b/c they seem to sneak up and you don't see them til its too late. then you freak out b/c you dont know whether to make an attempt to stick your hand out the window. I think some people are a little cocky, but most new owners don't know about the corvette guidelines. dont hate on C5 and C6 owners, though. heck, i even talked to a guy with a C3 and he didn't even know what a "C3" was when I asked him about it. The only thing he knew was somehow l-82 applied b/c was on the side of his car. I propose a taining session for all new owners so that we can learn them something.[sm=rant.gif]
ORIGINAL: sigung86
I take great, and exceptional exception to this line of thought. I am neither snooty, nor am I rich! After all! I may be poor, but I don't have much money.
A number of years ago for a different forum in a whole different galaxy, I wrote an article about the wave. Have to see if I can resurrect it and post if for you to have a giggle over.
In the mean time .... wave!!!!
I take great, and exceptional exception to this line of thought. I am neither snooty, nor am I rich! After all! I may be poor, but I don't have much money.
A number of years ago for a different forum in a whole different galaxy, I wrote an article about the wave. Have to see if I can resurrect it and post if for you to have a giggle over.
In the mean time .... wave!!!!
#9
06-08-2007, 01:13 PM
RE: READ THIS
I'm a female and always acknowledge another vette. I usually drive with my left hand at 12 o'clock, so I just raise 4 fingers to say "Hi".
Almost everyone waves back. . . especially the really good-lookin' guys.
Take care. Stay safe.
RJ
Almost everyone waves back. . . especially the really good-lookin' guys.
Take care. Stay safe.
RJ
#10
06-08-2007, 02:21 PM
RE: READ THIS
When I'm in the Vette, I wave at Vettes, when I'm in the bus, I wave at busses... and when I'm on the Harley... I wave at all bikes. Even scooters... we all got to start somewhere... but the other day someone in a Subaru waved at us when we were in the Vette. How the hell did he know we also had a Subaru...