My very most favourite thing about humans is the fact that we wave at one another on boats. Whether you’re on a ferry, row boat, cruise liner, container ship, yacht, barge, punt or even just standing on a pier, when another boat goes past you wave at it. And everyone on that boat waves back. It’s adorable.
I know that sometimes, in remote places, or in small towns, people in cars will wave to one another. Bus drivers always give each other a slight salute as they pass on the highway. When I lived in China, all the non-Chinese people would give each other a little smile as they passed on the street – the expat smile of solidarity. I also like these things. These things are cool.
But nothing beats that irrepressible urge we all have, the moment we’re near water or on it, to wave wildly at other people on other boats. It’s weird, it’s astonishing, it’s curious – it’s bloody lovely.
It makes me think – if people on boats are all so nice, we should all be boat people!
Except for these guys. These guys weren’t interested in waving…
