There’s a tradition among Jeep owners to place rubber ducks on other Jeep owners’ vehicles. In turn, they display the ones they are gifted on their dashboards.
TikTok user and Jeep owner Danielle (@thissonkissedlife) took to TikTok to respond to a question posed by another creator: “You drive a Jeep, and you have a million ducks on your dashboard. Why?”
“You don’t have to like the ducks, but, like, do you like joy and fun and happiness ’cause that’s what the ducks are,” she says. “We’re just spreading joy from one Jeep to another Jeep.”
Danielle says she has 17 ducks on her dashboard, and she shows them off in her video. “I’ve got, like, this whole sea of ducks, and I’ve got more in the back,” she says.
Furthermore, Danielle responds to those critical of the tradition. “You don’t have to like it but other people do,” she says. “Don’t worry about what makes other people happy because this world is a dark enough place, and we need a bit of joy.”
Danielle further defended her ducks in the caption, saying, “Don’t come @ my ducks.”
@thissonkissedlife Don’t come @ my ducks #duckduckjeep #jeep ♬ original sound – Danielle | @thissonkissedlife
Danielle’s video was viewed over 663,000 times.
Jeep owners weighed in on the Jeep trend.
“Love my ducks! Makes me smile every time I get in,” one viewer wrote.
“It’s like trading a friendship bracelet,” a second commented.
“It is the most reliable part of the Jeep!!!!” a third shared.
“You tell em Jeep sister. I love my jeep and my ducks. getting ducked is such a compliment,” another said.
In the comments section, Danielle revealed that in addition to receiving and displaying the ducks she receives on her dashboard, she also gifts ducks to other Jeep owners.
The Origin of Jeep Ducking/Duck Duck Jeep
This trend is called “Jeep Ducking” or “Duck Duck Jeep.” It started with a woman named Allison Parliament from Ontario, Canada in 2020.
According to Motor Trend, after having an argument with someone earlier in the day, Parliament wanted to spread some kindness. So, she told Motor Trend that she bought a bunch of ducks and placed one on a Jeep Wrangler. This act of kindness made that Jeep owner happy, and he posted about it on social media. From there, Jeep Ducking, or Duck Duck Jeep, became a trend.
Now, many Jeep owners carry rubber ducks with them in the event they run into another Jeep at a place like the grocery store parking lot. It’s simply a way for Jeep owners to spread kindness to one another.
Update 1:50pm CT, June 6: Danielle said she discovered Duck, Duck Jeep through social media, and her kids were really excited for her to participate.
“I don’t display all of them. I know that there are people that don’t like duck duck jeep so I usually stick to ducking those will at least one displayed duck. We tend to only duck wranglers or gladiators,” she said. “I think it’s a positive thing to do. I get so excited to receive and pass out ducks. I hope it brings joy to others as well.”
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