Why do people on boats or the riverbank wave at each other?
Answers:
because it's a lot easier than standing on your head and clapping with your feet. that's hard to do in a boat.
cos they r friendly
Cause they're friendly dur.
It is just deemed polite to acknowledge a fellow seaman!
Because they are boat "brothers and sisters", just like Corvettes and Harleys wave to each other..
It is just a bit of friendly fun. People do the same thing from hot air balloons.
I believed we talked about this in social psychology class years ago. It had something to do with back in the old days when ships weren't quite as "nice" as they are today, and sea travel was very treacherous and sometimes deadly. The tradition of waving at people on the shore was meant both as an encouragement to those still on shore silently saying "we're going to a new life", and also the perception of "we might not make it", so it was a good luck gesture to those on the ship to wave. This tradition began in the era where people believed that when you sneezed, you soul temporarily left your body and if someone around didn't say "bless you" you were doomed (crazy I know, but from the same era).
People in the street used to say hello and acknowledge each other for no reason other than friendliness.
It's sad that this question has been asked.
I guess, before the pain of continuous waving caused the novelty to wear off, people used to do the same with cars.
EDIT
For Rickey C, on sneezing. The "bless you" dates back to the time of the plague when sneezing was a sure sign that you were infected and that your number was, sadly, up.
Because boating is fun and makes people happy. Happy people wave at each other for no apparent reason.
Haha, made me for smile for some reason. Yes they do appear to go wave crazy when they are on a boat, I only wave back if there are little kiddies doing it, not to the adults though!
because they are acknowledging someone else who is obviosuly enjoying the same thing as them when i was younger my dad always used to have 3 wheelers he loved them and when driving along if he see another he would beep and wave to them, and they would do the same back.
cos there friendly and it's good manners
Its a rosie & jim situation
they are all stark raving mad & are happy to see like minded people
We are in the same family or boat~common factor. It is just the norm of marine life. Have you ever been on a motorcycle? they wave to each other too!
I simply don't believe that society has sunk so low that you even need to ask this. It's called being 'friendly'. Look it up in Google (sigh.)
Isn't it nice! I remember a canoe trip that a group of us were on. It was on New River in North Carolina. Ten canoes in all, we rounded a bend and there were 6 men on the bank with guitars . They were playing and singing blue grass music. We all pulled our canoes near the bank and enjoyed the most awesome spontanious concert. Beautiful memoriY, thanks for reminding me.
Because they have no other friends!!
Something we do since we were children and still do cuz who is gonna tell you not too..no one cares relaly they just embrace the novelty. Its not threatening I guess as waving to someone in the street, and maybe because poeple are in relax mode.
why not ?
just bein friendly i guess..i think people feel really relaxed by the water and as its a slower pace of life you have time to smile and wave at each other.
to say hi cos their really friendly or it may be cos their actually amd with each other cos they've bumped their boats
the ones on the river bank are trying to tell the ones on the boat that there are rocks ahead
the ones on the boat are trying to tell the ones on the river bank that a tidal wave is coming
This is something we don't see much of anymore, people being friendly
comardery, plus you might need them later
When I was a kid we used to go down to the Manchester Ship Canal and wave at the ships.
It didnt matter what nationality they were the crew even somtimes the captains always waved back.Sadly the canal is little used these days.
Because it's fun! Like answering Yahoo Answers.
Us nautical types are just friendly folks. A nice break from the road rage gang on the blacktop.
Social customs and Boating
"Greetings are social customs or rituals to show attention or to confirm friendship or social status between individuals or groups of people meeting each other. Greeting habits are highly culture- and situation-specific and may change within a culture depending on social status. "
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/greeting.
The act of waving from a boat to others, either onshore or in other boats therefore becomes an act of friendship and confirmation of social status. The waver is in effect saying:
"Yes. I have acheived a certain level of success in that I not can only afford to own a boat, but I can drive it with some level of proficiency as well'
The person being waved at responds with a wave and in effect is saying:
"Yes you certainly have acheived a certain level of success but please watch out, you are driving much too close to that red buoy."
There are other perhaps more subtle acts of communication that can be seen between boaters.
Sometimes you will see two boats pass, and a passenger of one will turn away from the opposing boat and drop his pants thus providing the opposing boat and it's occupants to a full view of his backside.
Many consider this as a gesture of insult. In fact it may just be a polite way for the offending passenger to relieve himself of some painful gas without offending his own crewmates. The jury is still out on this.
It's the only action they are likely to see for a long while?
its a way of letting other boaters know you see them and they see you
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