Hi all,

I bought my Mini on Friday and found out on Saturday that the tradition is to wave when you see another Mini. Well, I haven't gotten a wave yet and I've had my car for 5 days.

Today I drove from Silverlake to Century City via Beverly Blvd and saw 5 mini's I waved to one and the passenger just smiled, I waved from my sunroof and 1 girl waved back. The other 3 I guess were in their own little world. So out of 5, 1 girl passenger smiled, 1 girl waved back, and the 3 guys were oblivious. Is is just the girls that initiate the wave and wave backs? I am being dorky by initiating a wave? I was thinking that all mini owners would get into the spirit like I have... I'm normally kind of shy and would never wave to someone I didn't know if I wasn't in my Mini

Anyway I was just curious if anyone in L.A. still waves.

 

LOL, I feel the same way. I've had my MCS for 8 months and have gotten very few waves. I always wave and I feel like a dork most of the time. Also my wave style has morphed... I wiggle my fingers instead of doing a full back n' forth wave, which is a little less obvious... that way I don't feel so bad if I'm left hanging.

Keep on waving, who knows we might see each other one day!

 

I think people are too busy on the phones, eating, smoking, or looking at their navs to notice other drivers. There's also ALOT of MINIs in Los Angeles. I see more MINIS in West LA than any other cars. For the majority, I think it's just another car. I tend to only give the "what's up" nod if the MINI is modded or if the person waves first.

9 times out of 10, I don't see a wave, but who cares! I am driving a MINI!

 

 

i give the peace sign, no waves from me

 

I've been motoring in L.A. since August 2002 and I always wave or flash lights at other MINIs.

Sometimes folks are busy and don't catch the greeting, but sometimes they look at me like WTF? LOL! I've noticed a pattern. Often, if someone has a personalized MINI-esque plate, they acknowledge; if they have the standard CA plate, they tend to ignore and most definitely are not in the cult.

 

I usually do if they look like someone who cares. Not much into the 45 year old soccer mom waving, as I generally just get the "Uh... what on earth is he doing" look from them.

I've gotten quite a few waves, and gotten even more waves back, so it really just depends on the owner. Los Angeles is a market where 75% of the owners have no idea what a pulley is, and wouldn't understand why you'd want to change it if you explained it to them.

If you I see you around i'll do my best to wave .

FYI, you have a lot better chance of getting a wave out of me if you look like an enthusiast! I don't generally drive around and wave to everyone with a stock MINI, no tint, on 4x4 suspension and stock wheels. If it looks like they've modded their car, or tinted the windows, or SOMETHING, 9/10 times i'll throw a wave in their direction .

 

What about 50+ over-stuffed bald guys? I have pretty much given up on the waving thing. But, in this area, people appear to be afraid to wave. Probably don't want to accidentally vote for something.

They never seem to see a wave, but usually see the finger.

 

I wave at other Minis when I'm driving mine, sort of a "hi, how ya doin'" wave, and I'm 59.
I've always waved at the drivers of classic British cars when I'm driving my MGB. Most of them wave back. We know we're sharing something special in the odd addiction to our hobby.
I agree fewer Mini drivers wave back. I think they're probably not NAM members, not joiner types, and unaware that by selecting a Mini they became members of an automotive fraternity of brothers and sisters that they should acknowlede.

Maybe if they get enough waves they'll start to wave back, so keep it up.

 

I wave all the time (rarely get waved back to).

 

Don't feel alone - the same thing goes on here in the San Diego area. We saw 6 MINIs this afternoon/evening, and not one waved. Every single one was talking on their cell phones....

Donna

 

it's a california thing i guess. there's alot of nice people here but, the a-holes far outweigh them. i wave all the time and i've gotten a total of 2 waves back. i probably see 5 or 6 MINI's a day too. i'm not an elitist, i have tinted windows and after market exhaust and pretty much all i can do modwise on my R50. still, i wave to ALL MINI's. people out here seem to so self absorbed it's crazy. of course i'm NOT saying EVERYONE is. but, when i wave people look at me like i belong in a nut house. or they turn their head and pretend they didn't see.

it's a lot different here than back in texas where i hail from. i remember the first time my old bronco broke down here at an intersection and not one person would help me out. they all just drove by honking and flipping me the bird seriously. it was a shocker as i pushed my huge bronco out of the intersection on my own. back home someone would always pull over to help you out.

anyhow, socal offers some great things as far as career opportunities and such (reason i moved here) but, the MAJORITY of folks here are self absorbed poseurs. sorry, again it's not everyone but, i have to say it.

 

I got waived at in wifey's Clubman today, but it was from a guy in a lifted Chevy truck and a motorcycle in the back. I think he recognized me from the local motorcross track.

 

When I got my first Mini in 2003, almost every Mini owner waved. Five years later and my second Mini later and almost no one waves. I still try to wave at every Mini. Most people just give me a look like who the hack are you. I think the difference is the type of owners. Five years ago, only people really excited about the Mini owned Minis, now many people own Mini because they are cute and economical. There are probably the same number of people waving now as five years ago but there are many more Minis being driven and many of the new owners are just not as excited about the Mini.

 

i guess you're right. for me it's been a life long dream (40 yrs) to own a MINI or a Mini. when i finally got one it's been total daily exuberance. i often find myself staring at it for very long periods of time when i sit on the couch. and continue to wave.

so, sorry for any harsh socal comments above. i'm still bitter about the bronco thing .

 

As a second-generation native Angeleno, it wasn't always like this, with the poseurs, etc. Many folks are just busy living their lives, (you know, eating and applying make-up as they drive ), or they don't notice anything because they are yakking on the phone or are just trying to survive our nutty traffic!

The funny thing is, I get more thumbs-up and waves from folks on British motorcycles and in MGBs than I do from other MINI folks. If I can make eye-contact with another MINI driver, I usually get a wave or smile back...but yeah, it can be discouraging.

 

Whitey,

I know exactly where you are coming from, one day during rush hour traffic my first BMW broke down in the middle of Los Feliz close to Vermont, people were screaming and cussing at me, I was so mad but also frustrated because I couldn't do anything except try to push the car myself. A really nice pedestrian saw what was going on and came out to help me push the car to the side of the road. So yes, even though the drivers can be a-holes, there are still some really nice people in L.A. they are usually nice when they are not driving.

I am also a native of Los Angeles and it saddens me to see that people are so self absorbed these days. I confess that when I drive my BMW I'm pretty self absorbed also, but for some reason when I drive the Mini, I'm a totally different person.

Hopefully you will have a better experience next time.

Joanne

 

i know that area well. my wife works over there on ambrose and hillhurst. gets pretty nutty in that area. lot of MINI's over there too.

 

I must see at least 20+ MINI's a day and every time i give my fellow drivers a wave, but they all seem too focused driving and not enjoying it all. For a while I was kinda pissed that no one waved back to me until to day: I was heading to the beach when a fellow driver flashed their lights at me. I still have hope in all the So-Cal MINI drivers. KEEP IT UP!

 

I waive all the time! People think I'm crazy ... Why? Because I'm on foot or in an Infiiti, not a MINI .... YET. Ordered my baby, and waive to all the MINIs I see until mine arrives.

Who knows? Maybe I'll be picking my baby up wearing a straightjacket ....

 

Out here on the other side it is the same. I left Manhattan Saturday am, dove out on the LI Expressway to go on a MINI wine run. I passed two Cooper S, neither occupant would turn to acknowledge. Same today. I was on the FDR coming to work, slow traffic, a silver S, same thing...

 

Here's a wave from Nashville, TN we are very friendly in the South.

 

I would be waving more.. but the windows are up a lot on the clubman.. and there is no sunroof.. .

 

i think people have mini are all nice...so ,I will wave...

 

I just got waved at this weekend in Torrance. I hope he saw me wave back. He was turning left on a protected light so he might not have been looking.