Blue 05 MC on Rt. 50 going eastbound @ approx 3:40pm. Your rear license plate frame said you got your MINI from Towson.

 

Yesterday going to school. You: BRG MC. Headed East on Rt. 50 around 6:45ish p.m. I got in front of you and waved and you waved back! (my first wave *sniff* So proud)

Around 6:40ish p.m. You: B/B MC. Nice lady you were. Talking on the phone, not sure you saw (or cared) me wave.

 

Yep, it was me. I have to say I was surprised when I picked up the Mini in Oct 2003 that all the variants of "Actual Size" were available for Virginia plates. I guess I just thought someone else would have thought of it by then.

Sorry if I didn't see you, I do my best to always wave regardless if anyone reciprocates. It's too damn fun not to wave.

- Jim

 

I would love to post that I have seen any MINIs, but during the week I have no idea where they are.

I am sure that others have noticed this phenomenon. M-F I hardly see any MINIs on the roads. I commute 28 miles one way and some weeks I go all five days and do not see a single MC or MCS (except a coworker's parked in the lot). Then on the weekends I will see anywhere from 2-6 per day when I go out motoring (this is not counting my friend's MCS, or the MCS on my own street).

This leads me to theorize that a majority of MINI owners in the Ellicott City, Columbia and Rockville areas do not use their MINI as a primary vehicle, but as a weekend touring car.

This is really not a gripe because I love that the MINI is still a very unique & uncommon vehicle to see on the roads.

Oh, and if you see a CR/W MC with a white vinyl R2D2 decal on the left of the rear window that would be me!!

MTFBWY,
--Will

 

you probably go right by my house every morning on your commute to rockville, but my mini can't be seen from 28 due to the trees.

woodstock is definitely my daily driver since it gets far better mileage than my LR.
(500 extra pounds of winch, skidplates and bumpers don't help)

 

Friday 09/09, 6:50-ish AM. You, Silver and Black MC with Germany decal on boot, south bound on RTE-29 and then West on 219. Me Chili Red and White MC with bonnet stripes. I honked at you when you were behind commuter bus.
MTFBWY,
--Will

 

Nope. In fact I think thats backwards. My wife takes the MINI to work everyday as her daily commuter.

On the weekends, I (and she) have to haul stuff around so we take the (oh no, not that!!!! SUV). In fact, right now, she's hauling grass seed and mulch back from home depot. No WAY is she doing that in the MINI (no, not that it won't fit ... well actually, it won't, I think too heavy like 900 pounds of stuff) but no dirt is going in that car:smile:

 

BG/W CS heading north on 695 near Towson, followed immediately by a blue (don't know which blue sorry) with black bonnett stripes convertable w/ top down, went by too fast to tell if it was an S or not. Both seen around 6:30 p.m. Then on York road in Towson around 7:00, CR/B Cooper parked near Sushi Hana. Unfortunately we were in the Murano, so my waves were not seen...But it was nice to see so many MINIs on the way to dinner!

 

CR/B MCS with boot stripes on 713 (Ridge Rd) in Hanover. Seen this one a coupla times now, as I live right off that road. Anyone, anyone?

Also: CR/R MCS (w/satnav), and Blk/Blk MCS (w/Euro front plates) in the Odenton MARC lot.

 

On Friday, my friend and I were coming out of the movies at Arundel Mills. You: Parked about 7 cars down from me. Same color as me too - DS/W MCS. As my friend tagged your rear windshield, you and your S.O.walked ever so hestitantly towards your car wondering who in the hell is doing what to your car. I drove away slowly and looked back at you reading the card. You waved and I motored on off giggling all the way.

 

lol..what an akward moment

 

In an IB/B MC, male driver, I could see your face. I waved. I don't think you noticed me heading north cause you didn't wave. At least, that's what I'm going to tell myself, cause if you saw me wave and you didn't wave then that's just plain mean.

 

CR MC or MCS stopped by the crossing guard in front of Osbourn Park H.S. You waved and I waved back. I was just getting out! :smile:

 

...inbound on GW Parkway Wed 9-14-2005. My friend spotted you and thought it was me at first. He said it was a red S convert with stripes and aero kit.

you out there?

 

I saw a pure silver Cooper S (or Cooper) yesterday with a DCMM sticker on the rear window in Reston yesterday..
I was in the slow DS MCS. You should slow down a little.. it's 35mph zone.

 

Was the DCMM sticker in the rear passenger side window? The President/CEO of the company I work for is in town for two days (he lives in California). His executive assistant forgot to book a rental car for him when he flew in, and she could not obtain one for love or money. I never thought Hertz could run out of cars! At any rate, she had a panic attack about it in my office (she was too embarrassed to loan him her 1995 Saturn) and long story short, I ended up loaning my 05 Pure Silver/B MINI Cooper to him yesterday and today. Yes, I love my car, but if he breaks it in any way, well, I know he has the money to make good! (and with a 2006, too!)

Our office is in Herndon, and I know he had some appointments he drove it to in Reston yesterday. If he got a speeding ticket, here's hoping he pays it, not sure if they will come after me because it was my car!

 

Wednesday, I had gotten off the New Carrollton metro and had parked in the lot closest to the exit Rt 50. Behind me and to the left was an AB/MC and on his right, directly behind me was a CR/MC. It was such a precious site, I camera-phoned it I tagged you both

On Tuesday, you were a LY/MC parked near the Florestano building at AACC. I tagged you, but I don't think you saw me since you were there before I got there and I left before you did. I think there's a purple plastic ball in your backseat.

Yesterday, around 4:30ish on Rt. 198 in Laurel, you pulled up sorta behind me in the left lane by the 7-11. I just happened to look over and you waved in your Purple MCS. I waved back. Ah...no one ever forgets their first wave. Thank you, Ms. Purple. You then proceeded to cut in front of me and motor your *** off down 198, so being the giddy one that I am, I put her in 4th and motored on behind you. Then I got caught in slow traffic, and lost you, but somehow I managed to catch up, but you were busy trying to switch lanes. It was fun while it lasted.

 

OK, I'm being an annoying spelling corrector here, but it's just one of those pet peeves I can't ignore. Sorry!

The word you wanted was sight, not site. A site is a place. Site of where the party was, site that your office is located at... even a web site (a virtual place instead of a physical one!). A sight however, is something you see, something you are looking at.

I don't doubt that it was a beautiful sight, but I hardly consider a metro parking lot to be a beautiful site!

 

It is also one of my pet peeves... a big one. Here are some classics from the work place and emails written by individuals with Masters degrees no less.

"QA Manager Will Burnham is fully familiar with our SWEET of products." And I thought I worked with software and not candy. The word they wanted was SUITE.

"I will be in late, so if you need to reach me you can of COARSE contact me by sell phone." Sounds kind of rough where I work and I wonder how much she is selling the phone for. The word they wanted was COURSE.

By the way I tagged a Silver/Black MCS with a DCMM card in the park-n-ride at Routes 216 and 29.

MTFBWY,
--Will

 

I like to shorten my words.

sight = site; night=nite; cool=koowal/kewl

Thought it was nifty because the only other time that has happened to me was when we did the Mini's by the Bay drive last month.

I know all about the spelling corrector, because I am one too. I get annoyed when the comma is placed outside the quotation marks (i.e., Sally said "Touche salesman",. it's supposed to be the other way around: Sally said "Touche salesman,") Or when people don't seperate the word "alot" Just been real busy today here at work and when I gets ta' typin', I gets ta' shortin' my words

 

I can appreciate it to an extent... but the problem is that by doing that, you only make the overall problem worse. Even though you may know how to spell these words correctly (in their proper context), other people who are less enlightened, may be confused. And once confusion starts, people will permanently adopt the incorrect spelling.

It's compounded in this case by the fact that "site" is indeed a real English word, and that makes it all the more confusing - especially since spelling checkers aren't going to blink. However, your other examples, like "nite" and "kewl", won't be confused with any other real English words, so the "damage" done is not as severe. (OK, I realize that "damage" may be an overly dramatic word to use in this case)

May I suggest (remember, just a suggestion) that you limit your shortened terms to one-on-one chats, like IM or text messages, and try to use the correct terms in a public forum such as this one? :smile:

 

Next time I will try to be more careful and look over what I write before submitting it. Excuse my mistake.

 

For my part, I'm sorry if I offended you in my correction - I don't mean to come across as a scolding teacher... I'm a pretty friendly guy actually, or so I seem to believe.

 

Um, Edge...

"site that your office is located at"? I don't believe the word at should be used at the end like that... it should be "site where your office is located".

hmm, I wonder where my MINI is at?!

 

Saw you again today, a Black (haven't figured out which one)/B MCS with DC plates. I've seen you a few times and waved, but you are usually sitting in traffic and I doubt you notice. You sit in that loooong light in the morning at Centreville Rd. to turn left on to Woodland Park Dr. in Herndon. I quickly zip past you to turn right at the next light (Sunrise Valley Dr.)

I only mention it because it brought a smile to my face this morning. I was running really late (more than an hour past my normal time) and who did I see also running late this morning?? You! Glad to know I wasn't the only one!