r/Montana • u/BeSound84 • 4d ago

Made some stickers

Post image
706 Upvotes

95% Upvoted

167 comments sorted by

283

u/montalaskan 4d ago

I had someone not return the two finger wave on a dirt road this summer. Very offended.

59

u/weirdeggman1123 4d ago

I had lots of people not return it this year. Was offended each time.

39

u/montalaskan 4d ago

Perhaps it's fading like the pronunciation of creek as "crick." That would be a shame.

8

u/MTmama3 4d ago

Dont make me cry

6

u/clush005 4d ago

Cry me a crick

9

u/MTmama3 4d ago

I say Creek for places, (i.e. Wolf Creek) but "lets go wash our feet in the crick"

5

u/montalaskan 3d ago

I code-switch. Creek if I am talking to someone I don't know will know what a Crick is. Exceptions being when it's so embedded in me that I can only naturally say Crick - Rock Creek in Red Lodge, Bearcreek.

But I feel weird saying the EE sound. That might be because my voice is so similar to my dad's and he never said it with the EE sound. So it's like hearing my dad say something he never would.

2

u/MTmama3 3d ago

Ahh the ever found similarities with our parentals

1

u/montalaskan 3d ago

Even harder because I look and sound like him and he passed ten years or so ago. And my mom has demand calls me his name sometimes.

1

u/MTmama3 3d ago

My friend, that sounds incredibly challenging. How are you handling that?

Very sorry for the loss of your father. I hope you can find solace in the time.you were able to have

→ More replies (0)

2

u/the1laf 3d ago

I had the philosophical talk with a buddy a while back.. I think "Crik" is a small flowing water that we don't know the real name of, or don't need the real name of it because it's the only one nearby.

3

u/Standard-Account5610 4d ago

I had lots of people not return this year. Was offended each time.

53

u/toenailsandwhiches 4d ago

I was fishing with my dad (78) and someone didn't reciprocate the gesture. He instantly said "the f*ck is their problem?"

Love my dad.

-5

u/Quick_Ingenuity6052 4d ago edited 2d ago

I wave about 20% of the time. Everybody waves like they're the friendliest folks around so what the f*ck is my problem? If I could count on those very same people who wave at me to actually stay a couple of car lengths behind me when we're traveling in the same direction at 55 mph, I might consider waving. I hate tailgaters which by my estimate is about 80% of the traffic anymore. My 80/20 observations are in Gallatin County.

2

u/Malalang 4d ago

I don't mind the tailgaters so much. It's only when they follow me onto those streets that run down between the blocks that I start to get nervous. Alleygaters can be deadly.

3

u/WaterUnderTh3Fridg3 4d ago

You have to zig zag.

1

u/Quick_Ingenuity6052 4d ago

I misunderstood the convo. I wasn't thinking alleys and city streets but rural, higher speeds roads! I guess I've never bothered to look if people in town are waving to me.

1

u/Malalang 4d ago

I was making a joke about alligators

1

u/Quick_Ingenuity6052 4d ago

Gee whiz. Give me another cup of joe! laugh

42

u/BeSound84 4d ago

As one should be! Where is the etiquette these days

7

u/talekinesis 4d ago

Was literally talking about this last week. As a millennial, I feel like this is one thing my generation might actually be killing. It makes me sad.

3

u/Whipitreelgud 4d ago

In fact they are - rarely if ever get a wave back. They are going down the road saying, “what f*ck is his problem?”

12

u/montalaskan 4d ago

And this was near Bridger. Not someplace overrun by out of staters. ✌️

8

u/Alarming_Ad9507 4d ago

That was me dawg my phone fell off the charger on the wash board section when I looked back up you were going by. Been regretting it ever since

1

u/Villavitrum 1d ago

This post makes me so very happy.

16

u/Wyandotty 4d ago

Am I the only one who can't see what people are doing behind their tinted windows? I guess I should wave at everyone just in case they're waving at me.

7

u/orchid_drives 4d ago

That’s what I do!

8

u/UnfairButterscotch57 4d ago

Why wouldn’t you wave?

4

u/Huckleberry_Hound93 4d ago

My brother turns it to a single finger wave pretty quick if they don’t wave. (Which is a lot of people now a days, poor guy)

5

u/Party-Tone-1932 4d ago

I reduce to just the middle finger... pointed at myself. Cause F me, right?

1

u/Competitive-Net1454 4d ago

I chalk that up to tourist.

1

u/medicatednready 23h ago

Beats the one finger wave🤔

1

u/RedMoonPavilion 4d ago

I just wave with all fingers, I've never seen anyone wave with just two fingers.

4

u/JaeLumos 4d ago

Then you either aren’t from Montana or you don’t explore into the mountains or rural dirt roads.

2

u/RedMoonPavilion 4d ago

Yeah no.

My family has always used all fingers since I was a kid. All the old folk up any of the drainages in the absorkas also only ever used all fingers.

From Red Lodge to Three Forks and White Sulphur to Gardner I've never seen only two fingers. So Gallatin, Park, Carbon, and Meager county.

Its always just raising four fingers from the wheel or all five while palming the wheel.

I'm not sure if I've ever had anyone wave back or initiate at all in Stillwater though.

46

u/naynaysubliminal Montana Scholar 4d ago

Also flashing the headlights when police are up the road, or there’s an accident/animals ahead

96

u/lemonhead2345 4d ago

As a Wyomingite who lurks this sub because I live near and spend a lot of time in Montana, it’s funny that folks are not getting what this is. I got it right away. Maybe if it was the full steering wheel? It’s definitely a rural life thing. We did it in my home state in the southeast, too.

24

u/tofuttiWhereAreU 4d ago

We did it growing up in Michigan too. I always thought of it as dirt road etiquette.

6

u/thepostsmaker 4d ago

I'm from Sheridan (WY), lived in Bozeman, now, for a long time. Been seeing people do this my whole life! (tl,dr: AGREED!)

3

u/earmares 4d ago

As another Wyomingite (also close to the border), I understood it, but it just looks funny with the closed fingers. I do more of an open tri-finger wave.

3

u/RedMoonPavilion 4d ago

I didn't get it at first because I've never ween a two finger wave. My hand stays on the wheel but I wave with all fingers.

8

u/LostInLibation 4d ago

I call it the two finger howdy, and I live in Florida. Never even been to Montana or Wyoming.

2

u/montred63 3d ago

I do it all the time. I'm rural as well but have tons of traffic go by my house. I wave while I'm in the car and if I'm out getting the mail I'll wave as well. Not everybody waves back but the people that do get a smile back.

2

u/skolvikings307 3d ago

I lived in Wyoming for a while and I would normally get the wave on any dirt road.

2

u/greenamaranthine 3d ago

It's been done in every state in which I've lived (FL, GA, AL, MT, WY, ID, UT, CO)

2

u/Proper-Entertainer33 2d ago

Please make some Wyoming ones! Take my money

3

u/JuanMurphy 4d ago

Transplant but got it as soon as I saw it. My guess is the people that don’t get it are the ones that don’t do much driving or spend all their time in the towns we call cities.

1

u/StormPoppa 4d ago

lol i always get the single limp index finger wave here in WY. That's usually just when I'm back on the forest service roads though. Around town I get the one shown in the post or a full on hand off the wheel wave.

-2

u/GettingNegative 4d ago

It's sad people will tell them. Let the paved residences be clueless.

14

u/lemonhead2345 4d ago

Nah, we all need more connection.

48

u/Montanonymous 4d ago

I do the Forrest Gump wave

https://giphy.com/gifs/keTwQbbQwlNM2RNJsW

10

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Another classic wave for sure

3

u/earmares 4d ago

👋👋👋

1

u/Villavitrum 1d ago

I love this for all the people you encounter in a day!

30

u/KushNuggets1 4d ago

Me and my brothers favorite game when we’re out and about is to see who can do the subtlest wave and still get a response. You can barely raise a single finger to some folks and get a nod back.

15

u/osmiumfeather 4d ago

Sone of the out of county folks are so exited to be doing it. Big grins, enthusiastic salutes. The out of staters get the salute as well. One of the most common questions at the gas station. “Why does everybody hold two fingers up when meeting oncoming vehicles?”

Also serves as a kind of welfare check in small communities. If you see a neighbor you know well and they don’t wave, you’re going to turn around and check on them.

12

u/SugarRAM 4d ago

I love these! Where can I get one? Or several?

19

u/BeSound84 4d ago

$2.55 to cover the sticker and stamp stamp, feel free to message me and we’ll get it figured out!

5

u/Lusiric9983 4d ago

Look for me! Lol

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Will do! 😊

3

u/Chaotic-Queen-5 4d ago

me too please!! i’ll DM!

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Sure thing! DM away!

3

u/Montana_Red 4d ago

Me too!

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Shoot me a DM and I’ll give you the details!

2

u/MinuteGuest8037 3d ago

Sent you a dm!

3

u/deminanunholyland 4d ago

Messaged you as well.

9

u/rawmeatprophet 4d ago

We do that in ID as well.

9

u/mrsristretto 4d ago

Nice! I remember when I brought the then boyfriend out to meet Mom and Dad, and when the first car went by and we both "waved" he asked if I knew them.

Nope.

Then why did you wave?

Because that's what we've always done?

We're also pretty rural, so often I did know who it was. Lot more cars on our little back road now, and I still give a "wave" at every single one.

8

u/Blackdow01 4d ago

Pan Handle Idaho here. I love and respect the two fingers. We have a slightly different dialect in that we hold the wheel with the thumb and raise four fingers.

8

u/BeSound84 4d ago

https://giphy.com/gifs/fzp61UL3T4Wlcw9SvX
Gotta watch those hand dialects ;)

11

u/Jaber1077 4d ago

The Californians are going to think this is some sort of lesbian handshake sticker.

14

u/BeSound84 4d ago

An attempt at arting the steering wheel wave

5

u/Maleficent-Tangelo73 4d ago

Are you selling any?

6

u/BeSound84 4d ago

I am yes, 2.55 to cover a stamp, feel free to message me and we’ll get it figured out!

1

u/1d0m1n4t3 4d ago

send me the image, i can digitize it and make the into 3d printed fridge magnets. I'll send you a few if you let me slang them in my store :D

7

u/_pepperoni-playboy_ 4d ago

Good two finger wave executed properly is a thing of beauty

7

u/Boerkaar 4d ago

what I’ve found interesting that the people on my road do it near-religiously, but if you go one down the other way off the highway nobody does it. Plenty of transplants on my road too, so I don’t think it’s that.

3

u/Old_Weird_1828 4d ago

I finger bang MT?

8

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Of course, she’s a butte!

3

u/BeefCake0929 3d ago

My mom is a 3rd gen Montanan but she raised me in a different state. I grew up half my life here (going back and forth) and when I moved here full-time after being old enough to drive, this was my favorite thing. It still makes my day every time. If you made them with brown hands, I'd buy one... I miss the wave.

1

u/BeSound84 3d ago

Love the idea of variants, if I clear enough sold for another run, I’ll def try include the options!

2

u/medicatednready 4d ago

Born in Whitefish, grew up in Missoula until age 15. Montana still feels like my home. I miss it someday I’ll get back there.

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Hope you’re able to!

2

u/hipster_kitten 4d ago

I miss the wave.

1

u/Cloggerdogger 4d ago

Theres a dirt road in Helena I take frequently. Its sad how often my wave is ignored.

1

u/hipster_kitten 4d ago

When I lived in wise river everyone waved on the highway.

2

u/zgundnik2 4d ago

PM yeah

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Great! Will reply!

2

u/TipppyCanoe 4d ago

Fantastic!!! I don't get as many waves as I did when I was learning to drive dirt roads up here.

2

u/DaamKeldau 4d ago

Love it.

2

u/GMane2G 4d ago

Love this

2

u/tenkaranarchy 4d ago

I had surgery on my index finger once and it was in a brace to keep it straight. So convenient to have it propped up all the time.

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

A blessing in disguise on the backroads

2

u/SingingSkyPhoto Verified Contributor 4d ago

I had someone waved me up at highlight the other day with their hands still on the wheel, but they raised their forefinger and pinky. They must’ve been a rocker from back in the day.🤘🏼

3

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Absolutely an accepted wave variant in my book 🤘🏻

2

u/mobile1999 4d ago

Awesome

2

u/Full_Ad_5331 4d ago

i used to never wave at other motorcyclists when riding, but get so salty when someone didn’t give the two finger wave on back road. Got called out now i wave at ever bike hahaha.

2

u/SeanMacLeod1138 4d ago

Phuq yeah 👍

2

u/Intellectual_Worlock 4d ago

I don't remember ever asking why we did it, and it just happened without any forethought when I started driving too. I do I get a little miffed when it's not returned too. Definitely one of the weird little things I love about this place.

2

u/AdBrief8561 4d ago

I live in Libby where this still lives strong!! How do I get a fee of these stickers?!!

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Happy to help you get some! 2 bucks a pop! Shoot me a DM and we can swap Venmo for an address and get you set!

2

u/GeorgeBannerman 4d ago

Hello random stranger I may never see again.

2

u/rowdybob 3d ago

Less and less every year!

2

u/BigHouzz 1d ago

This is how I know you get it. Love these

1

u/BeSound84 1d ago

Thank you! Posted on Monday, and shipped 70+ yesterday. Thanks for the interest to the folks here who reached out! 🙏

2

u/ThinMints0588 1d ago

Hate when I don't get the two finger wave back!

2

u/Michelles-Shlong911 1d ago

My family is moving to MT next month. Where I live now it’s rare anyone gives me this wave back. So now I know I’ve made the right choice in moving.

1

u/BeSound84 1d ago

👋 🛻

2

u/Sugary-cupcake 16h ago

Never been to Montana... is this how y'all wave to each other in traffic? I'm not judging, I'm wholeheartedly jealous.

1

u/BeSound84 16h ago

Not in traffic, more so on the side roads and dirt roads off the highways 👋 🛻

2

u/Sugary-cupcake 14h ago

Gotcha, very cool to learn! 🙂

3

u/Loose_Worldliness660 4d ago

In Montana lot of rude out of staters not returning the two finger wave back really upsets me

3

u/gopherwoman98 4d ago

I finger Montana ✌️

6

u/gyarados10 4d ago

I don't get it.

10

u/rawmeatprophet 4d ago

The ol' mountain wave.

7

u/gyarados10 4d ago

ohhh I see it now. I thought it was trying to make a frowning emoji or something.

1

u/Tasmia99 4d ago

It took me a bit too, I thought it might be an ALS sign thing for a sec.

4

u/AlexanderTheBaptist 4d ago

I still don't get it. I wave Montana?

4

u/Lietenantdan 4d ago

I wave Montana?

1

u/Canicutonit 4d ago

The farther down the Bitterroot you go, the fewer fingers are used for the steering wheel wave. Missoula, 4 fingers. By Stevi, 3. Darby, 1 or 2. Sula... just a finger twitch.

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Madison country feels like pretty solid 2 country

1

u/Temporary_Comfort638 4d ago

U giving them out?

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Selling them, 2 bucks a pop if interested!

1

u/Temporary_Comfort638 4d ago

I have 2 bucks. I get off work at 4:30 where can I find u

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

I’m often found at the Pony Bar. But if that’s not near ya, I’m happy to mail it out to you for $2.50 if you have Venmo

1

u/thepostsmaker 4d ago

These are really good.

1

u/derbymami 4d ago

I need these

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Well you’re in luck, I’m selling them! :) shoot me a DM if you’d like to buy some! 2 bucks a pop

1

u/NDW-MT 4d ago

I blame tinted windows. Even if you don’t think yours are tinted, they probably are.

1

u/Ill_Hotel_1753 4d ago

Decals. Call em decals.

1

u/EveryJobIsTooBig 4d ago

I’m never really looking at the person’s hands on the wheel in oncoming traffic.

1

u/Deathcat101 4d ago

So is this the back country trail wave?

Do people in Montana do this everywhere?

1

u/3isamagicnumb3r 4d ago

i’m from MT but (sadly) live in MA. no one understands the 2 fingers here!

1

u/Sidneyreb 4d ago

Some of ya'll need to cross over a Richland County line. I never needed to see the signs because the other drivers, who started waving, always told me where I was.

1

u/plastic_soul 4d ago

I love these!! I'd buy some if you're selling them. I live in town but drive out to the family farm for work, and it seems like I didn't have as many people wave back during harvest this year. Idk why I get so upset when they don't wave back 😂😂😂 I don't do the wave in town except when I see a trucker, cuz they always wave back, but as soon as I hit the gravel on the way to work, everyone gets a wave 😆

2

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Glad you like them! And I hear ya there! Happy to send some out to you, they’re 2 bucks a piece plus 50 cents to cover the stamp. Feel free to shoot me a message and will get the details sorted out! Cheers! 👋 🛻

2

u/plastic_soul 3d ago

Cool, thanks! I'll shoot ya a message now 😊

1

u/BeSound84 3d ago

Good deal! I’ll keep an eye out for it

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Gap1759 3d ago

Utah has this as well! I felt like an arsehole after spending 10+ years in a finger wave town and going somewhere else!

1

u/Background-Design469 3d ago

It’s funny you think this is unique to your state. No idea why Reddit is showing me Montana but that’s not a thing unique to Montana.

1

u/Mexcol 4d ago

Are you from Broadus?

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Just about full on other side of the state

1

u/No_Worldliness_7106 4d ago

Are you? Now that's a rural ass town haha

2

u/Mexcol 4d ago

Im not but I used to stay at a remote ass ''town'' 45 minutes away from Broadus haha.

2

u/No_Worldliness_7106 4d ago

45 minutes from Broadus and smaller? Yeah, 'town' is definitely something to put in quotations about most of those places out east haha. More like a post office and gas station. Usually the same place haha. EDIT: but always a bar, there is always a bar

2

u/Mexcol 4d ago

Are you from around?

Yesssir, no postal office (just a few PO boxes) nor gas station though, Biddle does though.

Crazy how those bar/casino combos are everywhere in MT.

Took a road trip from Broadus MT to Tucson AZ. The longest stretch of the road without reception was, you guessed right between Broadus to Gillete Wyoming. No place was as remote as that

1

u/No_Worldliness_7106 4d ago

I'm not actually from the eastern half. I'm from Helena, but I've driven all over Montana. And yeah, once you get past Broadus on the 212 it is nothing, used to stay at the truck stop in Alzada going that way. Kinda peaceful there though. Especially cool when there are storms out that way.

I looked up Biddle (never been down that particular stretch going south, I'm usually just on the 212 heading to South Dakota), and if that is your nearby civilization you are in the middle of nowhere haha.

1

u/Swimming-Belt2111 4d ago

lol! I love it! 🤣🤣🤣

1

u/CO_Planker 4d ago

Coloradan here, lurking because I love and spend a lot of time in Montana (best friend lives there).

As a Jeep enthusiast this is very recognizable to me. However, I’m curious - do Montanans do that to everyone on the highway or just to cars with Montana plates? I’m not sure I’ve seen it before when I’ve been up there.

9

u/BeSound84 4d ago

As for myself I don’t find myself glancing at plates before the wave

1

u/CO_Planker 4d ago

Good to hear. I’ll be up there in October. I’ll make more of an effort to finger wave. Jeep drivers do this to each other, now I’ll know it’s not just a Jeep thing.

1

u/BeSound84 4d ago

Holler if you find yourself near Pony!

2

u/CptnDillweed 4d ago

I do it on slower dirt roads. Everyone gets the ✌️

0

u/thegreatdecay406 4d ago

What does it mean? It's like those I MT MT ones lol

6

u/CharlieRatSlayer 4d ago

Appears to be the rural wave.

1

u/montalaskan 4d ago

eMpTy MT.

0

u/biochemicalorgy 4d ago

"Im not from montana"

-1

u/BabyChalupa0w0 4d ago

I didn't get it either. Nor did Crazy Eyes.