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Thu Apr 23, 2009 10:55 am

I have waved at at least 4 vanagons in Santa Cruz in the last 2 days. Not a single one waved back. I was in my Syncro Westy at the time, not my passenger car.

Are people here too scared to be friendly?

Everywhere else Ive been, Socal, New Mexico, and inbetween, Van drivers wave at each other..

Whats the problem in Santa Cruz? With this kind of response, Im going to stop waving too..

Here's my last wave

Jon

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:04 am

Looks like your geting some good surfing waves though!

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:16 am

Dude, didn't you notice how many vanagons there are? Every other car is a vanagon. When they are so plentiful, it seems silly to wave. It would be like Toyota Camry drivers waving to each other.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:16 am

Hey Jon
I noticed that to when I spent some time there and I think you answered your Own question you saw four vanagons I see four every 6 months
if I'm lucky. There are a lot of them around there. You want to get waved at get a old mini.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:29 am

In the Bentley, in a somewhat obscure section, is a few paragraphs which deal with waving back to a fellow Vanagon owner. The often overlooked waving stimulator, located in the drivers seat, is often not working properly. The relay which energizes the stimulator is often mistaken for a air freshener, as it is green and shaped like the outline of a tree, with a string attached to the top. Up to the 83 model year this relay was air cooled, but later years it became watercooled. The SX486 processor used to control the relay often requires extra RAM installed, usually after about
100k, or so of miles. Like anything else electronic or binary in nature, it takes patience to troubleshoot and fix. When I'm driving our Westy, Buttercup, I always wave at fellow Westy or Vanagon's, if I don't, my wife will insist I have a defective waving stimulator. So to avoid having to find that elusive section in the Bentley, let alone work on the damn thing, I just smile and wave back. I've also heard people who are constipated don't like to wave, has something to do with a shitty attitude, anyway that's what I heard on NPR awhile back. I also don't want people thinking I am constipated.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:30 am

It's Santa Cruz...The most "Local" angry, territorial area on Nor-Cal. They assume you are some dude from Arizona, who just came for their waves and cool factor... I say f'em :wink:

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:39 am

HeeHee...I have noticed the same thing, too, and ckissik might have the answer. I live across the bay in Monterey...most still wave back over here.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:46 am

I just bought a house in Salinas. I always wave at other Vanagons so I guess there will be one more waver.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:52 am

Jon_slider wrote: I have waved at at least 4 vanagons in Santa Cruz in the last 2 days. Not a single one waved back.

My ex-girlfriend called it "Being in The Club".

She got a real kick out of how many Van (or bus or Evan) people would drive down the road grinning and flapping like drunken monkeys when we'd pass.

"Oh - He is TOTALLY in the club"

How windy was it? I have been know to refuse to release my death grip on the steering wheel during high-wind situations...

Thu Apr 23, 2009 11:52 am

I always wave! Even sometimes when on my bike..

Thu Apr 23, 2009 3:38 pm

There is every model of vanagon in multiples within a 5 block area from me- multivan, syncro doka, hard top syncro, syncro westy, 2wd camper, syncro 16, weekender etc. they are so plentiful that it ridiculous. I drive around in a lifted syncro doka and I rarely get a second look. If you go up and down the coast prepare to wave, honk or flash highbeams but in town you are just another car.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 4:47 pm

The same goes for Olympia, which has lots of stock daily drivers and a few tricked out units. I'm not really the waving type, but in the last four years, I think one guy waved at me. He may not have seen me wave back, 'cause I wasn't prepared for the gesture.

Thu Apr 23, 2009 6:47 pm

Maybe their waving hands are stuck in their wallets in a anticipation of arriving at Van Cafe? :wink: