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Jeep ducking

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A white Jeep with a duck on a side mirror, and more ducks visible through the windshield.

Jeep ducking, also known as Duck Duck Jeep,[1] is a custom among owners of Jeep vehicles in which they leave rubber ducks on other Jeep brand cars.[2]

History

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The origins of the gesture have been attributed to Allison Parliament, a Canadian resident of Alabama, who in 2020 during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic had purchased rubber ducks to hide at a Canadian friend's house. After having been yelled at at a gas station for allegedly not observing health protocols and because of her American license plate, she stated she felt inspired to leave one of the ducks on a Jeep in a store parking lot with a simple note stating "nice Jeep" as an act of kindness. The owner of the vehicle saw Parliament commit the action of ducking, and suggested making a social media post. The post went viral, which then popularized the action.[3][4][5][6] Parliament's mother announced on Facebook that she died unexpectedly of natural causes on June 22, 2024.[7][8]

In 2022, it was estimated that Jeep ducking Facebook groups had around half a million members.[9] By 2023, it had become common to see rubber ducks on the dashboard of Jeeps.[10] Some owners only perform the gesture on certain more classic Jeep models, with some limiting it to the Jeep Wrangler model, while others are less selective.[3][11] Ducking a Jeep is considered a random act of kindness;[11] however, not all Jeep owners are enthusiastic about the practice.[12] Drivers who are ducked use the hashtag #DuckDuckJeep to post to social media.[13] A similar "Moo Moo Subaru" movement Facebook group launched in June 2023, aimed at promoting imitating the gesture with rubber cows on Subarus, garnering 36,000 members in six months.[14] Owners of Mini vehicles engage in the practice of ducking as well,[15] and some Chevolet owners have developed "sharking".[16] Other copycat trends include "yoda yoda Toyota" and "buck buck Bronco".[17]

Philanthropy

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Duck-themed fundraisers by Jeep owners have raised money for veterans, hearing centers, and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.[18][19][20] BFGoodrich hosted a sweepstakes in which they pledged ten cents to Allison Parliament's "Ducking for Teachers" for every entry.[2] One hospital has utilized a Jeep toy electric car, complete with a duck on the hood, to help put children at ease before surgery.[21] Stellantis, the manufacturer of Jeep, rented the World's Largest Rubber Duck for the 2022 North American International Auto Show in celebration of ducking, displaying it outside the Huntington Place convention center.[17]

References

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  1. ^ Elvin, Noel (August 11, 2021). "Duck and wave! A look at why Jeep owners put ducks on other Jeeps, and the popular Jeep wave". LancasterOnline. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  2. ^ a b Bartiromo, Michael (September 2, 2022). "Jeep owners know what 'Ducking' means. Do you?". NewsNation. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  3. ^ a b Alcántara, Ann-Marie (July 11, 2023). "What the Duck? Rubber Birds Left On Jeeps Baffle the Nation". Wall Street Journal. Archived from the original on July 11, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  4. ^ Bogle, Jeff (May 6, 2023). "Here's What It Means if You See a Rubber Ducky on a Jeep". Reader's Digest. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  5. ^ Granger, Elizabeth (October 15, 2022). "What it means to duck a Jeep". Grand Haven Tribune. pp. A1, A3. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  6. ^ Chhith, Alex (July 15, 2023). "Drive a Jeep? Don't be surprised to find it visited by a rubber duck". Star Tribune. p. E2. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  7. ^ Kucinski, Joe (June 27, 2024). "The Jeep Ducking Trend's Founder Has Passed Away Suddenly". Road & Track. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  8. ^ Galvan Posey, Holly (June 25, 2024). "Jeep community mourns 'Duck Duck Jeep' founder Allison Parliament". KPRC. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  9. ^ Sudborough, Susannah (July 29, 2020). "It may sound quacky, but Jeep ducking is a real thing and it's right here in Taunton". Taunton Daily Gazette. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  10. ^ Blackmon, Chyna (September 18, 2023). "Duck, duck … Jeep? The reason why Jeep drivers put rubber ducks on their dashboards". The Charlotte Observer. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  11. ^ a b Bourdon, Stuart A. (April 4, 2023). "What in the Duck Is Jeep Ducking?". MotorTrend. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  12. ^ Rose, Sundi (August 28, 2024). "What is Jeep Ducking? MS Coast trend encourages a little kindness in an unexpected way". SunHerald. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  13. ^ Olguín, Nicole (October 29, 2023). "What do rubber ducks have to do with Jeep?". EL PAÍS English. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  14. ^ Lawrence, Eric D. (December 9, 2023). "Do have a cow, growing herd of Subaru fans says". The News Journal. Detroit Free Press. p. A9. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  15. ^ Banner, Justin (August 12, 2024). "Mini Duckin': The Special Meaning Behind the Mini Phenomenon". MotorTrend. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  16. ^ Gillett, Thomas (September 11, 2024). "A Jeep Trend Has Evolved Into A New Chevy Trend, But With Sharks". TopSpeed. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  17. ^ a b Noble, Breana (July 13, 2022). "'World's largest rubber duck' at Detroit auto show celebrates Jeep 'ducking' movement". The Detroit News. Retrieved August 2, 2024.
  18. ^ "Just ducky: Quacks and Beep, Ducks and Jeeps helps provide hearing services". Kingsport Times-News. August 19, 2024. pp. A1, A2.
  19. ^ Orozco, Jessica (October 9, 2022). "'Ducking' the Jeeps". The Lima News. p. 5. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  20. ^ "Local charity group, Duck Duck Jeep, helps raise money for cancer treatments". ABC11 Raleigh-Durham. January 9, 2022. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  21. ^ Tuggle, Zach (February 4, 2025). "Hospital's mini cars help nervous kids on their way to surgery". Reno Gazette-Journal. Mansfield News Journal. USA Today. p. B6. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
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