Hand waving code

In the city, nobody waves to ANYONE unless they know them, even then they triple check before committing to a wave. In the country town though, the chances of knowing people you see are far higher, the longer you live there the more likely you will know them. This has made a "wave code" necessary. Contrary to the city persons belief, the country wave is not merely "the finger lift" That is only for incase you might know them, or just habit. The person who has spent his entire life in the small town does this to everyone based on the fact that he is acquainted with 80% of the residents. The 2 or 3 finger wave, is when you are pretty sure you recognize the car or driver but you can't be sure so play it safe. Then there is the "Hey look, there's so-and-so" wave. This is the lean forward, hand up near wind screen, energetic side to side motion to attract attention and show companionship with the other person.

The city person sees only the finger lift from country people who do this on the off chance that they know you, therefore the city persons conclusion is that this is the country mans wave.