Today I was coming back from a doctor's appointment with my daughter. We managed to stuff her full sized cello in Viola's hatch with the rear seats folded down, along with her back pack and my bag full of random crud, a blanket, a jacket and a star wars action figure thing from Mickey D's... and my visibility was somehow, unobstructed by the cello. I had Jeremy Clarkson's quote about stuffing dressers in the back of hot hatchbacks and taking them home at a million miles an hour stuck in my head, and I was filled with glee.

So there we are, driving along, and I got off an exit earlier than I usually do because I thought we'd stop at the java hut for a couple of Chai Teas... and then it happened. There I was, in the outside left turn lane. In the inside turn lane beside me... was a black Mercedes SUV. I admired the vehicle, it was freshly washed and polished, a really nice looking ride.

The light changed and we turned. The Mercedes SUV driver... did not see me. I am not kidding you, the guy just plain did not see me. He started merging into the side of my car, even though I had edged ahead of him in the turn just a bit. The only thing I can think of is that the guy just wasn't looking to see if there was anyone in the lane to his right.

I honked at him, he did not correct his turn... so what did I do?

I did what any good MINI owner would do in a situation where putting on the brakes was going to guarantee an accident.

I put my foot in the floor.

Viola accelerated ahead of him, and I swung out into the lane in front of him to avoid hitting the car in front of me as I got out of the SUV's way... and then I waited for my heart to stop pounding and was grateful that I had come up to a red light.

I didn't know I had that in me.

It makes me very glad that I got one of the last "I am the STIG" motoring badges that Todd's Mods will ever print, because today... I felt like it for a tenth of a second and I am so grateful for that little racing driver because if that guy had hit me, he would have pushed my daughter and I into a telephone pole and I would not be here typing right now.

Chalk one up for the MINI. I love my car more than ever today.

 

Yup. A fine-handling car is a joy on most days and a life-saver on some.
Way to go.

 

"STIG On" Dude... When I had a silver Miata people used to run over me all the time... a Liquid Yellow S and Sc whine aka pedal to the metal seems to have solved the problem. Great post btw...

 

did you use your horn on the stupid ugly vehicle? that's my 1st line of defense against drivers without eyes. works every time cuz it's loud.

 

Nice post and I am glad that you were able to avoid colliding with the totally unaware driver of the Mercedes SUV

The Mini Cooper is exceptionally nimble as you have already experienced

 

Yep, the horn was attempted.


Nice job on the quick thinking and dropping that hammer. Glad you got out with little more than an increased heart rate.

 

Excellent reaction and driving! These are the best stories to read.

 

Thanks for the compliments and positive thoughts guys!

The only reason I was able to pull that stunt off today was that I have spent a lot more time paying attention to what my MINI can do than I did with previous cars. I've taken it out onto the backroads in the area here and if I have an option, I drive through the bends, because it's more fun. If I don't, I'm usually on the freeway, because 60mph is fun too. I think this gave me the confidence that my car could both accelerate to get ahead of the SUV, and then lane change quickly enough to keep me from rear ending the guy that was in front of me. I am not normally an aggressive driver, but things change when my kids are in the car.

I was so angry immediately after it happened that I really wanted to follow the SUV driver and give him a piece of my mind. Now, I'm just glad that we're okay.

 

A similar thing happened to me once years ago, but I ended up sideways in a large grass median. I learned about not touching the brake in a corner that day.

 

Awesome post! Sorry for the near accident but I'm glad everything turned out well.

More people need to get in touch with their inner Stig!

 

My inner Stig gave me a menacing look when I tried to touch him. I don't think I want to do that again. I'd rather just let him do his thing behind the wheel.

 

GO VIOLA!!!!! And RandomG (aka THE STIG), of course...

Very proud of you, RandomG. If you've been exploring the car's capabilities, maybe you could take one of the driving courses (like the famous Phil Wicks!) I haven't gone through it yet, but I certainly intend to! Confidence in yourself, your car, and I've heard it teaches you everyday driving, not just track stuff. (Some school graduation certificates can even lower your insurance, too!)

Check out this story on driving!
http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/e60/news/story?id=3571491

 

Noob alert: "What's a STIG?"

 

Watch the UK version of Top Gear on BBC America. "Some say he never blinks, and that all his legs are hydraulic. All we know is, he’s called The Stig."

 

You don't get BBC or don't watch Top Gear I assume.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stig

 

Top Gear's infamous/mysterious driver... He only wears a white helmet...If you really want to see his face, you can just look at the pictures of me in my gallery Just kidding of course...

 

Actually, I LOVE the BBC, but my stupid cable package changed and now I've got to spend nearly double to get it back!

And Top Gear rocks. I've seen it before on the "telly" and sometimes on YouTube. It's been a while, though, and I don't ever recall mention of "The Stig" in my viewings. Thanks, guys.

PS - Safari thinks that link is dead.

 

Whoops! Got it to work.

"The Stig is the name given to the anonymous racing driver on the BBC motoring show Top Gear. In the show he is cast as a mysterious "tame racing driver"[1] whose identity is unknown, and who never speaks or removes his helmet on camera. Nonetheless he is fully credited as a presenter, albeit as "The Stig", alongside Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May.

The Stig's primary functions on the show are to post lap times in various cars around the Top Gear Test Track in Dunsfold Park, and to train each week's guest in setting a lap time in the Star in a Reasonably-Priced Car feature on the show. In addition the Stig carries out other driving duties when the need arises.

The Stig has also appeared on some of Jeremy Clarkson's motoring specials, such as Heaven and Hell and The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, as well as on BBC's Whizz Whizz Bang Bang."

 

Thank God that question got answered before I saw it. If I'd had to answer that before I was fully caffeinated, I think my brain would have shut down.

I get asked that question... A LOT. More frequently now than the "How's your mpg?" question.

 

I have tons of almosts , nothing in Apple yet.
Had a pickup on my butt about a foot away on a 35MPH country road,
I showed him how well my brakes worked

 

When I worked for the railroad, I had a friend who liberated a set of locomotive horns, and mounted them on his car. He installed an airtank to power the horns.

There is nothing, repeat noting, this side of a nuclear weapon, to get your attention immediately, like the sound of those damn things.

 

Dude! I want that set up! I don't need back seats THAT bad... LOL!

 

Talk to NAM-er AGranger -- he's got a set mounted under his hood, so you can have your horn AND your back seats!!!

 

Just put the definition in your signature. End of story.

 

Sir Alec would be proud of your use of superbly nible MINI drivability to avoid a traffic mishap. That you were so engaged as a motorer in the act of driving (unlike the SUV guy, apparently) is also a nice benefit of MINI motoring. Good job!!!