At this point, I highly doubt I'd be the slowest driver.

That's too bad that some people felt like it wasn't fast enough. Guess they should have just gone on the later run. Or maybe it was past their bedtime? Like you said... the point of that run was to be a little slower. Seems silly to have a group of people unfamiliar with a road to be screaming through when it's dark.

BTW-I was just trying to find the video of the moron biker I mentioned but it's not there anymore (it changes, I guess). Anyway, I saw a few others and found myself wondering... why is it acceptable that these bikers can be all over the road, crossing yellows on straights as well as curves, hanging heads into oncoming traffic lanes, aggressive and out of control? They are much smaller than a MINI... so if they have to take a curve over the lines... well, just seems like they have even less of an excuse. Sorry, I know this isn't a debate about bikes on the Dragon... it's about personal MINI responsibility.

I'm sure it takes lots of work to coordinate these events... so even though I wasn't there to appreciate it... I bet that there were MANY others that did.

 

Sorry MINIbee :-( I was just trying to share your link. I had no idea it would create so much drama. If I would have visited NAM first, I would have seen that people got upset. It must really suck to step up and volunteer to help out and get drives together only to be insulted later.

 

I completely disagree. I was at the front of the pack, and found our speed perfectly reasonable for the Darkness run.

 

Unfortunately, there will always be some self-centered driver out there that will cause problems for others. I still remember the EB MINI with dubs that got called passass for his behavior.

The preaching of "Don't cross the yellow" has been done by many people and the most visible by KillBoy. Some people either cannot learn with out facing the results or just don't care.

 

Hey it's all good. I knew I was sticking my neck out there when I did it but it was too important an issue to not do it. I won't be replying anymore over at the Atlanta MINIs forum. It's obvious I'm just encouraging him (or her) to come back with more personal and mean-spirited attacks. I tried to keep things on topic but now it's not worth my time there.

For the record I saw lots of photos of your MINI and they were right down the middle. Good driving! I hope you had fun out there!

 

Yep! We had such a great time! Our twins loved it too, and our little Collin came home saying. "mimi, go fast" so cute! thank goodness they don't get carsick - can't say the same for one of my close friends that rode with me LOL fun times! till next year!

 

I'm all for calling out the double line crossers. I've asked many drivers and riders to PLEASE mind the double yellow, and most are less than receptive to the request. Seems like the ones that cross know they do and care less. I had a conversation with a guy on a Harley about his usage of the whole road and he laughed at me and said something I wont repeat. Later that day he was surrounded by about 6 very angry and much more aggressive guys than me. Not much sympathy there The thread was ultimatly made to point out very dangerous situations and I think did it's job well. Thanks, Mini_bee Work on your lines and don't drive/ ride over your heads and the Gap will be a much happier place Proof you can run a fast pace and stay in your lane:

 

Kudos. Great thread. I got into it with a guy last year that was in front of us. As a biker, I am sensitive to this subject. Funny enough, I was "busted" by Killboy a few years ago playing around, but I remember the exact time and it was where you could see a long way ahead. A friend of mine that knows how I feel about this subject bought the picture just to mess with me.
Thanks for this thread!!

 

I saw the "mimi, go fast" video. Hysterical!

 

well, that is incorrect and this is why:

1. From what I understand you guys use radios, well, relay plate numbers write them down, then alert the LAW.

2. I have been driving for quite sometime, and most of it has been behind the wheel a little more performance oriented than most street legal performance cars are, and I took alot of stages like this. Not saying I'm the "best" Driver in the world but I know the difference between a race stage, and a public road. This fact might need to be beaten in a little more.

3. Informational videos are a good way to show what NOT to do, and some people need to be "put in their place" to get the message across.

4. After pics are useless, I have lived through after pics, and seen stuff that would make you vomit. The only way to properly show a rule is to show it when it is broken, that's exactly what Bee did.

5. Top gun is an awesome movie, and one of Tom's best.

Please think about others when you are out on the road, or your ways might come back, and YOU could be the car on the inside.

mini_bee, don't tell anybody I can coherently post.

 

Some of those things I agree with, some I disagree with, and I do think about others when I'm on the road. Hope you didn't think I'm one of the ones on the film and are somehow condoning the actions of those that are. I just happen to disagree with the route taken.

Also, if you note, there are very few posts actually addressing the core issue, which is how to deal with drivers who cross the lines. There are a lot of "glad you brought this up" and relaying of stories from the dragon, but not many that have suggestions on how to correct this at future events. I asked in my very first post for ideas on how to correct this, and it took a while for people to stop focusing on the fact that I disagreed that the video was a good idea, and look at what I was saying. We've seen the same "stay in your lane" stuff every year. And yet every year someone else crosses the line (this year apparently more so). So what's the new idea?

bhelton provided a few tips in post 9, and another suggestion in post 15. It took all the way til post 63 by MINI_Bee to get another suggestion. Up til then was banter, and high fiving for posting the video. One or two more posts since then with suggestions, including yours asking for LEOs to enforce the law. So let's just go high and say there were 10 posts with suggestions on how to fix this problem. 10 out of 85.

I'm not trying to stir up trouble, I want just as much as everyone else to see an end to this (along with needless wrecks due to excessive speed), but if the thread serves no purpose but to say "YEAH THIS IS IMPORTANT!" we can expect a similar thread next year, just like every previous year. Someone has to come up with an idea to correct the behavior. Personally, I don't think that a youtube video is going to do it. Aside from a few notables (like the aforementioned mod), I doubt many people will even remember next year about the video and be able to single out the folks who were in it. And even if you did, what can you do? Get everyone to treat them like a pariah?

 

I doubt anybody has a sure fire fix. Just putting it up is positive because if nothing else, the people that read it will learn from it.

 

sure, mistakes happen, but mistakes still have the potential to kill...

 

Me, too. I was near the front of the pack on the Darkness run and the pace was quite good.... we attacked the Dragon pretty hard but not so much so that we were in any danger of losing control at any point. Like the baby bear's porridge, the speed of that run was juuuuuuuuuust right.

 

Coming up with more ideas to further educate people is great and we should do that. But there is no magic bullet here. It will always come down to people making their own choices. It's a public road and we hold no jurisdiction. But as a community we can educate people, stand up for what's right and apply peer pressure when needed to get people to do the right thing. Some will listen and some won't. But we can make it better than it was this year.

This will be controversial but I'll put it out there. Next year we can have a wall of shame. Anyone who makes a photo of someone intentionally crossing brings in a digital card and we print the photo and post it on a bulletin board at the Adventure Center. The photos will be left to the discretion of whomever sees the infraction and if possible a constructive conversation with the violator would be best at the end of the run. But for those who arrogantly decide the rules don't apply to them, let's give everyone fair warning and post the photos.

 

I didnt go to (and have never been) to the dragon, however I think it is great that the video was posted. More people should be aware of what they are doing on a road as dangerous as this one, and just how many lives they are risking by being a little careless.

As far as the pictures with cars that didnt go completely over the line that were pictured in the video, I think (and I may be completely wrong here) that those were placed to show that a large quantity of drivers do/ have driven over the line, whether its a foot or 4 feet. If only the pictures with large portions of the minis were shown, then the point this video is trying to make would not have been as powerful.

 

I worked very hard all week to avoid touching the yellow line and was complimented by some seasoned Dragon slayers on 3 occasions for keeping a good line. I'm embarrassed to see so many "offenders" with Ohio plates?! C'mon guys, lets clean it up next year! Someone's life may be at stake. Maybe yours!

 

Well, the folks in the group that left early on the way back didn't think so. I'm really not sure why they came on that run knowing it was advertised as one for beginners.

 

Dude, those drivers did that to themselves. I would be humiliated if I was driving like that.

 

I agree, and as MINI Bee said earlier, I think posting a "wall of shame" is a great idea. As I said earlier, these images are public domain, and I'd like to think we can all man up if we see our picture posted up as a bad example. I know if I saw my MINI posted in the Adventure Center, you can bet that you wouldn't see me crossing the yellow line the rest of the week.

It's really kind of sad that such a fundamental driver's ed lesson can be so hotly debated...

 

And I'd say there are two types of people you're going to deal with, those who made an honest mistake and are humiliated and may not come back to an event, even though they'd be happy to correct their driving style, because now they're immortalized as a "BAD DRIVER" in such a video, and those who don't give a damn, and all the videos in the world won't change how THEY drive THEIR MINI.

One you won't affect at all. One you may affect negatively and not mean to.

Bartski came on and admitted that his was one of the photos listed. And he'll be correcting that issue. Has anyone else stepped forward to claim responsibility? I'd say if it was a positive mark on the community, you'd see more than just one person coming forward and saying "Y'know what, I screwed up. My bad." Wouldn't you agree?

 

A little humor in the midst of a serious subject, excellent.

I live in the mountains of NC, and observe the double yellow being crossed more than not. The road to my house has 7 switch back curves. The lines have to repainted every other year, could be every year but DOT doesn't have the funds. Those who are not used to the curves just don't realize what they are doing. The message is worthwhile.

 

We can't assume that everyone who's in the video has seen it. And actually Bartski said it was his MINI with his brother driving for the first time. Just want to make that clear.

 

Perhaps this link should be sent over to the Ohio MINI club threads since there are quite a few(at least in this video) MINI's bearing Ohio plates most notably the "JCW Hot Dog" who has the most shots of his obvious disregard for the double yellow line.

 

Note to self.
Cross double yellow = loss of shoe.