What Is Jeep Ducking?

Updated on Jan 11, 2024

Jeep enthusiasts sure are a creative bunch, aren’t they? Who could’ve anticipated that a mutual interest in the world’s most beloved compact SUV would spawn such a raving community, and that those community members would invent craze after craze, like the “Jeep Wave,” “Jeep Stacking,” and the most recent activity dominating Jeep social media: “Jeep Ducking.”

In this article, we’re covering this recent Jeep craze, including what it is, its roots, and how to participate yourself! By the time we finish, you’ll be playing, “Duck, Duck, Jeep!”

“Duck, Duck, Jeep!”

So what is Jeep Ducking, anyways? This gesture involves classic rubber duckies–the type you played with as a kid–only this time, we’re not tossing them in the pool. Instead, Jeep Ducking involves placing a rubber duck on another enthusiast’s Jeep at a car show, in a parking lot, or any other public place.

Typically, the rubber duck is accompanied by a kind note or a pleasant message written in permanent marker, something along the lines of “Nice Rig!” “Love the Jeep!” or “You’ve been Ducked!” At its core, Jeep Ducking is an exercise in kindness; it’s spreading love to a fellow Jeeper for no other reason than extending a friendly gesture.

Where Did Jeep Ducking Originate?

Jeep Ducking originated from a single act of kindness from one stranger to another, which eventually boomed into the craze we know today; over 200,000 people have participated across the country! Though a charming end to the story, the backstory is much less than that.

Allison Parliament, the founder of Jeep Ducking and the #DuckDuckJeep hashtag, found herself the victim of a physical and verbal assault at the hands of a stranger while at a rest stop; after the frightening exchange, she stopped at a general store that happened to have bags of rubber ducks for sale. With a bushel of rubber duckies in hand, she strolled to the parking lot, only to see a stylish, modified Jeep parked nearby.

As a means of healing from her exchange earlier in the day, she attempted to right the wrongdoings of one stranger with a kind deed towards another, placing a rubber duck on the mirror of the stranger’s Jeep along with the message, “Nice Jeep, have a great day!” After noting the fellow Jeeper’s bright-eyed, smiling response, Allison built the one-time action into a movement, posting about the positive exchange on social media and crafting the familiar hashtags. Within a night, the pages were booming, and thus began Jeep Ducking!

What Are the Rules of Jeep Ducking?

Jeep Ducking is a simple act; however, there are a few basic rules to ensure a kind exchange.

According to Allison, the rules are relatively lenient as long as you’re perpetuating kindness in a friendly and non-invasive manner. Along those lines, some basic guidelines are:

No expletives, obscenity, or profanity: Keep the ducks and attached notes clean and friendly.
Place the duck on your target’s exterior: Avoid any placements that may feel like an invasion of privacy, like tossing the duck through an open window or a gap in the soft top.
Place the duck in immediately visible areas: The point here isn’t to play hide and seek; instead, place the duck in an area where it’ll be immediately found, like the hood, fender, front bumper, or against the windshield.
Duck Jeeps and Jeep-like vehicles: While there aren’t any rules explicitly against ducking other vehicles, we’d recommend keeping ducking to Jeeps and Jeep-like rigs, like Ford Broncos, Suzuki Samurais, Toyota FJs, and Land Cruisers.

Follow these simple rules, and you’ll be ducking in no time!

Personalizations

While using a standard yellow rubber duck is a respectable move, you can always go the extra mile with personalized ducks! Whether you're writing kind messages and common hashtags or going all-out with glitter, sequins, custom patterns, and paint jobs, a custom duck only adds to the fun; plus, you might be able to track your duck as it’s passed from Jeep to Jeep!

Building Your Duck Pond

If you end up collecting enough ducks, build yourself a duck pond! This term refers to stashing several Jeeps on your rig’s dashboard, showing off how many times your rig has been ducked by fellow Jeepers!

Jeep Ducking and Jeep Culture

Jeepers are a close-knit community, beyond sports car enthusiasts, classic car nuts, pickup owners, or any other niche. And as such, you take on a certain responsibility when acquiring your first Jeep; but don’t worry, it’s not too demanding. When you spot a fellow Jeeper, expect a wave or initiate one! Strike up a conversation with the Wrangler owner at the pump beside you. And when you find a rubber duck on your Jeep’s hood, keep it or pass it on to another Jeeper; you never know when such a small action may brighten someone’s day.

Though Jeep Ducking was born from a negative event, the movement spreads nothing but positivity and admiration. So, the next time you spot a bag of rubber ducks at the local grocery store, add them to your cart, keep them in the glove box, and get ducking!