Duck, duck … Jeep? Here’s why so many Jeep drivers have rubber ducks on their dashboards
If you’ve walked or driven past a Jeep in the last few years, you’ve probably noticed something hanging out on the dashboard: a rubber duck. Maybe several rubber ducks, all lined up in a row.
While it may seem strange to the uninitiated, it’s actually not a surprising sight to other Jeep owners. In fact, it’s part of a game that’s meant to brighten someone’s day.
The trend goes back to 2020, at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. Allison Parliament, from Ontario, Canada, randomly bought a bunch of rubber ducks from a convenience store and gave one to another Jeep owner with a note that said ‘Have a great day,’ the Wall Street Journal previously reported.
That’s when ‘Jeep ducking’ or ‘duck, duck Jeep’ began.
“Everything felt like it was falling apart for lots of us and the ducks were a simple way to say, ‘Hey you’re not alone,’” Parliament told The Wall Street Journal.
Fast forward to 2024, and there are now Facebook groups and hundreds of thousands of social media posts from Jeep owners around the world who take part in the trend.
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“Owning a Jeep Wrangler is like being in a club. They wave at each other on the roads and treat everyone like a friend,” Madi McKinney, a Charlotte resident, told The Charlotte Observer in one of many media stories on the trend. “Getting a duck is basically a show of respect for your car from another Jeep owner. It’s so fun, and people display them in their cars forever.”
That’s why when McKinney sold her Jeep a few months ago, she made sure to pass along the rubber duck she was given with it.
What are the rules for Jeep ducking?
Overall, the trend is really just an act of kindness between Jeep enthusiasts and there aren’t really strict rules. According to Parliament’s Jeep Ducking site, all you have to do is leave a rubber duck with a note attached or written on the toy in a spot that’s visible for the other driver to see, like on the front of the hood, door handles or front bumper.
If you want to join the Jeep ducking fun on social media, snap a picture, post it and make sure to use the hashtags #duckduckjeep and #jeepducking online.