If you do this on NJ roads you need to give up your Jersey card (Opinion)

I’m going to try very hard not to get into “get off my lawn” territory with Gen Z, but I’m not making any promises.

I read recently that Gen Z and younger millennials are reacting to aggressive drivers with an approach different than what was previously the norm.

According to the New York Post, twenty-somethings are insisting that giving a thumbs down gesture to a fellow driver is somehow more insulting that giving them the “Jersey salute.”

Seriously? In what world?

One 31 year old told the Post,

The second you receive a ‘thumbs-down’ in person, it’s like they just pushed your personal ‘dislike’ button. It can be triggering.

If you’re still reading this, congratulations on not injuring yourself with the massive eye roll that quote should have induced.

There’s no way this could fly in New Jersey, we have way too much attitude to be bothered with a young driver giving us a thumbs down. I feel like someone did that to me, even if I knew I was in the wrong, I would just laugh at them.

Our driving may not be perfect, but at least our reactions to worse drivers are. Is there anything more satisfying than giving a stiff middle finger to someone who just cut in front of you with the Jersey slide?

If you don’t have the stones to commit to the Jersey attitude out on the roads, you should give up your Jersey card, you don’t deserve it.

The Post quotes another Gen Z-er who swears by the gesture:

I think about [getting a thumbs-down] every single day. Flipping people off when you’re driving is dead. Give them a thumbs-down, they will never forget you.

Yeah… they’ll remember you because of your lame reaction to aggressive driving, and they think that you’re a wimp.

The argument is made that a thumbs down gesture gets the point across without being overly crass, but guess what? In Jersey we pride ourselves on our crassness and that’s not changing anytime soon.

Ahh damn it, fine, I give in: get off my lawn, Gen Z, and take your thumbs with you!

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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