BIG RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — There are a lot of things that bond people who drive Jeeps; cruising with the top down, off-roading, parking next to each other, but there’s another ‘Jeep thing’ that continues to grow in popularity.

“(I) had a duck on my Jeep. I’m going OK, what is this?” said military retiree Bobby Gean. “It had a little tag on it that said, ‘You’ve been ducked by so and so.”

It turns out the small rubber duck on the handle of Gean’s Jeep wasn’t a random prank. In fact, he learned it was part of an international movement known as ‘Jeep Ducking.’

“Allison Parliament out of Ontario, Canada started it July 4, 2020, and it was just to kind of bring happiness and cheer and friendship to other Jeepers.”

Gean said the rules are simple; you typically set the duck on the driver’s side door handle and leave a sticker or tag to let the driver know who ducked them. 

“Most Jeepers have a bag of ducks in their car,” Gean said. “I’ve probably got 100 ducks in (my Jeep) just ready to give out.”

Along with his ducks, he leaves a sticker for his group, ‘Michigan Jeep Mafia,’ which he helped start to bring other Jeep drivers together and support veterans. The group is a zero-profit club that raises money to support 22 vet and supply PTSD service dogs for disabled veterans. 

“We’ve got approximately 1,800 members here in Michigan, and growing every day.”

Gean is passionate about spreading positivity and said being a Jeep owner has allowed him to do that.

“It’s just other people out there like you that just want to enjoy life and make people smile.”