Hi all. My wife and I are new to the MINI scene, having owned our MINI for just about a month now. We were told that the MINI etiquette was to wave to other MINIs when you see them but out of the two dozen MINIs we've seen since we've had our car, we've only received one wave back! So my question to all you grizzled veterans is, do we wave to other MINIs or is this just not done in the DC area?

As new owners we're ecstatic any time we see another MINI and we can't help but smile and wave because this car is so damned cute....but the enthusiasm so far hasn't been returned.

 

Mr(and Mrs)MellowYellow--

Keep on waving

It's not your fault that others don't love life and MINIs as much as the rest of us. And join us Saturday at Tate MINI for breakfast and a nice lunch ride afterwards. I promise we'll wave to you

 

Just keep trying, I get about a 50 pct. return wave. Wish it were more.

 

I wave It's contageous...so keep at it and let the others know its OKAY hehehe

 

I alyaws wave ... and I am on the "other coast"

Funny story from today.

I pulled up right next to a MINI at a red light

ME ... big smile and a wave
The guy JUST LOOKED RIGHT AT ME ... NOTHING !
the light went green and he took off ... much faster than me

I was in my "old man" station wagon ... NOT in my MINI

 

Thanks for the encouragement everyone!

We'll keep on waving and I guess we won't worry if we get any returns. I just wasn't sure if people still did that but I'm glad to hear that others still do.

Hypnohealer: We just joined DCMM last week and we can't wait to attend an event (any event!) but this is a hard time of year to fit in activities...so we can't make the breakfast at Tate. We may be hitting MoT for one of their Motor-Tober events though.

Oh, and Cor Blmy...now that you mention it, we did receive two waves from non-MINIs! haha. I'll admit, they took us off guard and we didn't wave back. "Why was that BMW waving at us?...They're not a MINI!"

 

Yes, we're fairly new mine owners and are also astounded that Mini owners don't wave. However, the other day someone waved at my husband with her thumb out and forefinger in vertical in the air. Is that the really proper wave?

 

We wave and also flash our lights, and of course we say "MINI"........!!!!
It's fun on our end. We also park next to or close to other MINIs when we can. It has led to some intersting conversations with other owners.

 

Yeah, when I got my Mini 8 months ago (!!), a man in his truck was waving frantically at me. I didn't know about the waving etiquette, so I just thought he was a nut. I was like, is he waving to ME, and I looked around. My bad! Now I wave to every Mini possible, even when I'm not in my Mini. Sometimes I forget I'm not in my Mini and I think I am and those Mini owners just look at me. It's fun!!

Christine

 

I always wave, too. After all, what does a wave cost? Nothing, and in some cases it really brightens someone's day.

For example - a few weeks ago my boyfriend and I were sitting at a light just off of Fairfax county partway. I saw a MCSC turning from the cross street and headed up past us. I did the little "peace sign" wave, when suddenly the entire MCSC erupted into huge waves. Mom, Dad and two kids in the back were furiously waving at me from the convertible (with the top down).

We just had to start laughing - it was just so much fun. Pass up on that because most of the MINIs I see don't wave? Nah!

 

I always wave, even to the blue Mini in my area who refuses to wave back! Yes, even she gets a wave, though she doesn't deserve one. =p

Got a nice enthusiastic smile and wave from someone in a PW convertible yesterday. Made my day!

 

I always wave. And it's easier to be seen waving at someone with the top down. I'll get bummed at few waves back then suddenly get a slew back. One woman I see about twice a week took almost a year of waves before she waved back. That day she finally looked over, was startled and gave a BIG wave and smile. Guess she just didn't see before.

Of course, here in VA people wave at each other a lot in traffic, but usually one fingered waves!

 

I want to wave at MINI's now and mine is not here yet. Guess I would be like the nut in the truck.

 

I wave CONSTANTLY...to the point where I wish there was some sort of secret wave or hand signal I could use when I'm in my work truck, short of carrying and waving my Mini's key at other drivers!

I'm up in Queens right now, and coming up the highway yesterday I saw a green MC coming up the road behind me. I slowed down and moved over a lane to give him time to catch up so I could wave. He drew even, and I started waving and smiling...he looked at me like I was NUTS!

He pulled ahead, and on the back of his Mini????

Zipcars.com

lol

Maybe we can have them put in some literature about waving when they see other Mini's?

 

i think there is a barier around the fairfax area- on my way to work i get several waves on the MD side and as soon as i cross the wilson bridge- nothing!
i can only count on one wave in fairfax - a nice checkmate that i pass coming from my folks house- hello check mate guy on fox mill!
but yeah- even when im in my mini and sitting right next to a mini at a light - i wave profusely and get nothing back- sometimes if the windows are down i yell "hey - nice mini!" - nothing.... so sad....

 

I'm exactly the same way!

 

Keep on waving.... I wave at MINIs even when I'm not in our MINI. Some people may think "what the heck"? but they probably realize afterwards - we either have a MINI or we just love them or both!!!

Donna

 

I wave, and sometimes I don't. I feel bad if I notice someone has waved and I was oblivious until it was too late to wave back. Keep trying, for what it's worth it was the same way when I had my Miata.

 

I AM NEARING THE POINT OF BECOMMING A FORMER WAVER !!
The ratio of no returned waves is far outnumbering the reurned waves.

 

WAVE DAMMIT!! Oops- I mean...

Like many, I still wave about 95% of the time and get about a 10% return. Way better than my saving account! I always wave back (sometimes to the detriment of my co-pilot!). In SoCal we often get the "blatant ignore": When you know they saw you- they know you know they saw you, and you know they're pretending they didn't.

I used to feel dissed but then I am reminded that road rage, drive-bys, and the "hey you have a flat tire" trick, were either invented or perfected here.

Its like duck hunting. If you get one, it's all worth it.

(ed. note: the author does not endorse duck hunting or drive-bys)

 

I used to work for them. I will pass the waving request onto the DC Marketing Manager and maybe they will put it in their newsletter.

 

[quote=loxycoon;1811608]I always wave, too. After all, what does a wave cost? Nothing, and in some cases it really brightens someone's day.

ABSOLUTELY!

 

We fell for the ol' zipcar trick on Saturday. A MINI was coming towards us and in mid wave, we see the zipcar dot com on the side.

 

Wensleydale, Wifey and I will wave if you see us around

 

Keep waving!!