There are many pictures of people on the highway overpasses waving at the truck convoys. Waving is a long tradition. We waved at a lot of trains when we were kids. It's a friendly gesture.
The original gesture pre-1800 was saluting. And rather than a hello or goodbye, its message was: "coming armed with weapons, but friendly intent."That seem appropriate for the truck convoy - we are armed with homicidal vehicles but come to park in a friendly way.
We know that waving in North American culture is a friendly gesture. Wikipedia reports that it is highly offensive in South Korea, Nigeria, Greece, Bulgaria, Latin American countries, India, Japan, and other places.
Waving from trains and cars was a common pastime, so I thought there might have a tradition of jokes. I did find some - but waving seemed to be missing from the car and train jokes.
This joke relates to our current situation given trucks and convoy behaviour are in the news and on top of the Canadian mind.
A grizzled old man was eating in a truck stop when three Hell’s Angels bikers walked in. The first walked up to the old man, pushed his cigarette into the old man’s pie and then took a seat at the counter. The second walked up to the old man, spat into the old man’s milk and then he too took a seat at the counter. The third walked up to the old man, turned over the old man’s plate, and then he took a seat at the counter. Without a word of protest, the old man quietly left the diner. Shortly thereafter, one of the bikers said to the waitress, “Humph, not much of a man, was he?” The waitress replied, “Not much of a truck driver either, he just backed his big-rig over three motorcycles.”
Perhaps Ottawa's police have seen this joke, and it has influenced their cautious approach.
