Wow, what an amazingly stupid response.
Gosh acejones, grow up!

 

I guess being waved at validates you.

 

annnnnnyway, the embarrassing part is waving and forgetting you aren't in a MINI at that moment.

 

If you want to get all Freudian about it, feel free. If you have nothing of value to add to the conversation, there are other topics on NAM that no doubt would interest you.

Moving on, yeah, I can be embarrassing waving and not getting so much as a look back. Makes me feel a bit silly if others see me doing that, but it is funny. It seems (and this is my opinion only) that Mini owners of the R50-R53 body style variety will wave back. ALMOST all of the post 2008 owners look a bit confused by it, or don't even look over. At least that's what I've found over the couple of years I've had my R53.

 

I get 100% wave backs, when I'm riding my motorcycle!

Dave

 

Non-wavers, just don't get "it." They bought the car, but just can't figure it out. A Mini, any Mini, is a lot more than "your father's Oldsmobile."

As an aside, I just was out in my Z06 for the first time in a l-o-n-g while. I can report that the Corvette world has this problem as well, and would caution would-be MCS racers against run-offs.

 

I doubt they "bought the car" so they could wave at people.

 

Played a little "tag" with another MINI today. Not only did I not get a wave, he wouldn't even look at me. Really? Not even look. And yes, his MINI had stripes.

 

Will continue to wave even if I don't get a wave back. Would like to point out that I get a lot more wave backs from "S" drivers

 

Same thing happened to me a few days ago while driving back home. The other MINI was a PW/B with bonnet stripes and he was driving very "enthusiastically". We went side-by-side and I was looking right at him, waiting for him to turn so I could give him a thumbs up. Nothing. wtf? Whatever, I raised two fingers anyway and drove off.

Never stop waving. People will get it eventually.

 

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Never have gotten a wave from a Justa. But I think they are a totally different breed of drivers. More interested in fuel economy then the sheer joy of driving.

 

on my way home today i passe da clubman packed with 4 people got a wave from everyone of them. we were both smiley the whole way home

 

You are new here aren't you First off there's nothing "justa" about a MINI Cooper. Second if you'd spend enough time here or with any MINI club you'd see there are a lot of cooper owners just as passionate about their MINI's as the "Elite S" owners.

 

Well Said!

 

Count me in on that one too!!! I felt inferior at first from comments about the "Justa" but then I discovered that I LOVE MINE and I get all the power I need, when driven correctly!

 

Has anyone waved at a MINI while not even driving? I was walking back from lunch and saw a DS R53 with the JCW kit (or maybe just the exhaust) and I instinctively looked at him and waved. I guess he didn't think I was a total whacko, as he smiled and nodded.

 

LOL! I have to stop myself when I want to wave at someone in my girl's Camry.

Well yes I am a little disappointed when I wave (in my MINI) at another motorist and find that well it isn't a motorist, but just someone who bought a MINI. Nothing to get too terribly upset about. It just tells me that either they don't get this car culture, and that they are missing out on a lot of fun.

I will continue to wave. When I do get a wave back it is an enthusiastic happy wave with smiles and someone else in New England is happy that I "get it".

No harm no foul. Just like offering a hand to shake or a friendly smile to new friends or acquaintances, it is putting yourself out there. If no one else wanted to pay it forward then at least you tried to put out positive energy into the world instead of negative. Always a good ting.

So keep waving, it's all good!

~p

 

The only wave exchanges that I have had are with Atomic #47. The other MINI's that I have seen locally all seem to be driven by women, who are in their own little world, and don't appear to see any other cars, let alone another MINI.

A couple of weeks ago, we made a trip back to Grand Rapids, Michigan (where I was from up until a year and a half ago). We saw no MINI's on the trip there and back. While in GR we saw many MINI's with absolutely no wave backs.

 

Maybe it's a SoCal thing, but a lot of MINIs here have really dark tint so I can't see if they are waving or not if there windows are up I would actually like to get some tint myself for the heat... but any MINI I have come across so far if I look, smile, or anything else I've yet to get a reaction.

Oh, and by the way, for the comment that 'justa' owners are their own breed and don't enjoy driving, I pass a LOT of Cooper S cars on the street and on the freeway so many of them are regular 'economy' drivers too. Maybe they just liked the look of the scoop in the hood? Or dealer talked them up?

 

I'll tell ya something funny about cute women driving MINIs...I find that most of the time if I wave, I don't get a wave back which is frustrating, but when I have my 6 year old son in the MINI, and he's waving, HE WILL get a return wave usually with a bunch of smiles....so maybe it's not so much that people don't wave, but it's WHO is doing the waving.

Course, he's also not driving so he can watch for a return wave, whereas I might have missed seeing one when I waved too.

 

I drive a "Justa" and I always wave. Here in Victoria, BC we have a large retiree population and many MINIs are driven by ladies in their 60s who are not interested in waving. No big deal. I don't get bent out of shape if someone doesn't respond.

I am an enthusiast and I do enjoy driving fast (last ride was a CBR600.) but I'm learning to squeeze plenty of performance out of the Justa even with it's relatively low power to weight ratio. I'll probably upgrade at some point, but not until I find a smokin' deal like I did on this one.

 

From my experiences, oddly, Clubman owners (and I drive one!) are twice as likely to wave back than any other model! And yes, the last wave, the driver had a HC Clubman. I have no clue about the stripes though I admit I do have black stripes on my car.

 

flashed lights at a Cubman coming the other direction this morning, and he waved back. My first exchange after returning to the MINI fold, officially as of last night...

 

I just picked up my car Friday night and was thrilled when a woman waved at me on Saturday late morning - I was driving north on Wauwatosa Rd toward Cedarburg, and she was southbound. I missed the color of the car but it had British flag side mirrors. She made my day and my kids thought I was nuts - I was so excited!

Keep on waving