Why can't MINIs get any respect???
So something happened to me that got me thinking of this thread so I have to post this here. I work at a night shift where I usually get out around 12PM to 1AM. And around that time, I have to drive by this big rotary where there is a state police station. Right before we enter the rotary, I was at a red light. This guy next to me is in a honda civic (no offense to civics) and was revving his engine staring at me. From the looks of it, he probably did somethings to it. The velcro body kit, the same lights as every other modded civic, a fart canon, and a 747 wing.The exhaust sounded more like a loud rattle. Kinda like when kids shove a plastic bottle on the frame of their bike tires for that "motorcycle noise." Knowing whats up ahead, I gave him the thumbs down. The light turns green he shoots off, reving like theres no tommorrow. I thought he was going to get pulled over by a statie, but instead about a quarter mile down, he had his hazard lights on and pulled over. By the time I was driving past him, he was out of the car staring at black smoke coming out of his exhaust. It's karma.
p.s. sorry for mashing on civics.
p.s. sorry for mashing on civics.
Last edited by MrCooperS; May 23, 2008 at 12:05 AM.
HaHa that's a great story! Karma describes it perfectly. Granted there are some pretty quick civics but only with monster turbos and gutted interiors. But a majority of them (ones meant to look fast...I have nothing wrong with civics that are left stock) are just over accessorized piles of junk. Like those stupid aluminum hole panel that they put in the rear bumper...and the dumb multi colored control arms they put in the rear and oh you can't forget the broken clip and now hanging and blowing in the breeze cheap *** body kits. Glad a moron like that got what he had coming...its just too bad he couldn't have gone by a cop driving like that and gotten the trifecta....a ticket, broken car, and humiliated in front of you!!!!
I tend to point out great gas mileage, a plus these days as crude oil and gasoline set successive record highs, and then mention offhand I got my MINI up to 100 and usually cruise at 80ish. That pretty much puts the brakes on the condescending attitude of those who drive gas guzzlers like SUVs and 'muscle' cars and like to tease. Pound for pound, the bulldog MINI's got more muscle anyway. Besides, what other group of motorers wave at each other? Cool car, cool owners.
Red Dragoon
'07 MC chili red with white roof and stripes on bonnet, checkered flag sunroof and sideview mirros.
Red Dragoon
'07 MC chili red with white roof and stripes on bonnet, checkered flag sunroof and sideview mirros.
Rather than accept the "cute" tag most uninformed commuters put on the Mini, I prefer to say they're "STYLISH" with great performance, handling, and accoutraments that blend to ensure miles of smiles!
Maybe I'm alone on this, but I don't get the disrespect thing much and when I do its usually from a testosterone laden punk in a WRX or Civic. Kinda' hard to feel disrespect in those situations, given where its coming from. So, I just laugh it off.
I get far more positive comments about my MINI than negative.
The only disrespectful comment I remember came this past winter. I am a contractor and was at a meeting with the home owner and the builder. It was snowing like crazy and on the way out the builder wished me luck getting home in my "tuna can". Well, my tuna can has Blizzaks on it and I just waved as I passed him in the oncoming lane as he was spinning his wheels trying to get over a hill. He later fessed up to having to back his Hummer down the hill and take a different route.
Since then he has seen me show up to the job site with 20 boxes in my boot containing over 15,000-feet of various wire. He said it looked like I could fit as much in my MINI has he could his Hummer. I said "yes, but the gas tank doesn't hold nearly as much ...nor does it need to."
Dean.
I get far more positive comments about my MINI than negative.
The only disrespectful comment I remember came this past winter. I am a contractor and was at a meeting with the home owner and the builder. It was snowing like crazy and on the way out the builder wished me luck getting home in my "tuna can". Well, my tuna can has Blizzaks on it and I just waved as I passed him in the oncoming lane as he was spinning his wheels trying to get over a hill. He later fessed up to having to back his Hummer down the hill and take a different route.
Since then he has seen me show up to the job site with 20 boxes in my boot containing over 15,000-feet of various wire. He said it looked like I could fit as much in my MINI has he could his Hummer. I said "yes, but the gas tank doesn't hold nearly as much ...nor does it need to."
Dean.
I tend to point out great gas mileage, a plus these days as crude oil and gasoline set successive record highs, and then mention offhand I got my MINI up to 100 and usually cruise at 80ish. That pretty much puts the brakes on the condescending attitude of those who drive gas guzzlers like SUVs and 'muscle' cars and like to tease. Pound for pound, the bulldog MINI's got more muscle anyway. Besides, what other group of motorers wave at each other? Cool car, cool owners.
Red Dragoon
'07 MC chili red with white roof and stripes on bonnet, checkered flag sunroof and sideview mirros.
Red Dragoon
'07 MC chili red with white roof and stripes on bonnet, checkered flag sunroof and sideview mirros.
There's some really great facets of car culture and some really stupid ones...I recommend opting out of the stupid ones completely. It's odd, I wind up getting a good amount of respect out there, but it's generally because I defer to pedestrians, let people over when they need to change lanes, drive in a non-threatening manner, and use the MINIs superb motoring dynamics to drive more accurately in order to create safer, friendlier roadways. I get a lot of waves and thumbs-up from folks because 1) this cute little car just helped them out and 2) I think they know that MINIs are quite capable of zipping right around them. Everybody realizes how nuts things are out there on the roads these days...random acts of kindness are greatly appreciated, even moreso when it's coming from a MINI. MINIs are designed in a way that can make us better, more accurate, more aware drivers....that's what we should be about. 

Last edited by cmt52663; May 23, 2008 at 06:53 AM. Reason: speling misteak
And I'm sure I've posted it before, but I found a t-shirt that has a sillhouette of a Mini and says, "It's not CUTE, it's MEAN." I've almost worn it out! Time to get a new one...
One thing that I do notice now that I've parked by Xterra in the garage is that alot of folks go to switch lanes in front of me then hesitate (I guess because they notice oh there's a car in that lane) and then dart in front of me anyway...yesterday after it happened a second time, I pulled out and cut back in front of them...the expression on his face was priceless...
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