One Finger Salute (no not that one)

When driving in Wyoming you’ll notice there’s this thing that happens on country roads.  It’s a wave, sort of, sometimes and most often, from a complete stranger.  Usually on a dirt road, one finger (the index finger if that digit is intact) lifts off the steering wheel of an approaching vehicle.  It’s like “howdy, I’m on this bumpy a*s road in the middle of nowhere too…good to see ya”!

Now I know this happens in other rural areas of the country too, but there seems to be an unwritten rule, or maybe it’s law (?), in Wyoming.  It is so common it’s to the point that if someone doesn’t “wave”, my next thought is “what’s that guys problem?”.  If I’m distracted and I don’t wave at someone that waved at me, I feel guilty.  Friends visiting, particularly my city slicker friends, will say “you know that guy?”  Then I have to explain the whole one finger salute thing.

It generally happens on unpaved dirt, gravel, mud road.  It does happen on some paved county roads too.  But not well traveled paved roads. And hardly, if ever, on well maintained highways.  Strange huh?  What qualifies as a one finger salute road?

I have a theory.  I think it’s an unspoken recognition that “I see you, I know you’re here”.  I’m saying with my index finger lifted high, “if anything happens to you out here, I got you”.  And when his/her finger goes up they’re saying “yep, me too”.  Honestly…it’s comforting.  I know without one doubt whatsoever, that if I’m broke down on the side of the road, or slide off into the ditch, the next pickup truck down the road will stop and lend a hand.

It’s kind of old fashioned.  It’s neighborly.  I bet folks in covered wagons, horse drawn carriages or on horseback, did the same thing, only slower, longer and with a tip of the cowboy hat included.