i'll even give a toot on the horn if i'm passing one on the road, or a flash of the headlights if they're across from me

 

this one time im turing and there a jcw sitting at the light and we each gave the head nod ever since then i never got a wave in jersey again:(

 

I waved at a MCS today from my dealer loaner Countryman... but it just didn't feel right (and I didn't get a response anyway).

 

I always wave.
I get a wave back 90% time. :D

 

^I also wave all the time! Most don't wave back, but that's ok. So far today I am 0 for 2.

 

Just keep wavin. Eventually you will waves back.
Then maybe all minis wave. Positive motoring attitude is the way to go about it.

 

^Agreed!

 

I waved at a classic mini today left turning in front of me and got a wave back! Made my day

 

if you see a silver jcw in north/central nj i'll wave back

 

I saw an oncoming Lightning Blue r56 with what looked like the JCW body and gave him a nice wave but I saw no response :( come on!

 

I pulled into the post office parking lot in HSV Friday, and saw myself coming! Actually, it was another CR/W MCS, identical to mine except for my side stripes, driven by a mail carrier. I'd seen her car on another trip when I had to pick up some boxes at the loading dock in back. We paused, laughed, and waved!

 

Waved at another MINI recently. His (her?) windows were so darkly
tinted that I wasn't even sure if the driver was conscious.

 

when I drove a classic I waved and got waves all the time. In eorupe shortly after I go tthe car another Mini owener even stopped on my street and beeped to get my attention before waving. Since I switched to the newer modles I have seen a drastic drop in wave back percentages. maybe it is just because people getting them dont know the tradition.

 

You're right about people not knowing the tradition--it's probably not covered in the new-car introduction your MA is supposed to run through. When I got my car, MINIUSA sent me some marketing stuff that covered it, though.

As for classics, we have a classic Porsche ('64 356SC Sunroof Coupe), and it gets waves from pickups to sports cars alike. Everyone likes a classic!

 

I pulled up to a stoplight and saw a baby blue R56 cooper pull up next to me. To my immense gladness, we both looked at each other, smiled and waved! I was so giddy, I think the only time I was giddier was when I drove the MINI for the first time :D

Oh yeah, I saw a red R56s going the opposite direction a few minutes after seeing the baby blue but it looked like he was on the phone -_- so I waved but got no response to him. :(

 

I have gotten 3 waves over the last 2 days. What is amazing is the smiles on the other Mini driver. This little gesture does so much good it's a shame others don't participate in our tradition.

 

On the highway on a roadtrip I was going through Missouri and got a wave from a Countryman on the other side of the median going the opposite way about 70mph....I didnt even have a chance to wave :(....then coming out of a rest stop ramp, I met up right behind a Justa MINI. I said to myself, "cool" and was all excited. Went to pass and wave and saw the girl was eating a lolipop the size of her head and yacking away with her passenger. Needless to say, she didnt wave. We leap frogged a few times and I didnt get even a look *sigh* I guess she just wasnt in the know....

 

I know what you mean, the true Mini "culturalist" will certainly wave but as noted, the car is becoming more popular so newer buyers may not be as into the Mini mania as we are. The other day, I was next to another Mini at a traffic light and looked over with utmost glee only note the other driver was not near as interested in spotting another Mini driver as me. I felt a bit foolish but I suppose that's how it goes.

 

Based on my observations/experiences:

Return waves/mutual waves > 50%: Teen-20s males, post 50s males

No wave or acknowlegdment: 30-40s males, Teenie bopper females, heck, all females.

Me, 40+ male although I look 30 at first glance.

So what have been your observations on driver age/sex waving behaviors?

 

In my experience, now covering 6+ years and over 92,000 miles, Justas usually don't wave, nor do most women, or anyone on the phone. Most likely to wave? The male driver of any modified MINI, regardless of the mod. Doesn't matter if it's performance or appearance oriented--anyone who "me-ifies" the car is likely to wave.

Having said that, I'll also say there are exceptions--I'm a 62-year-old woman, yet I wave (or flash headlights) to anyone I see in time. Then again, I don't have a Cooper, and my car DOES have custom side stripes. They're not in the photo below, but say "Turbo" in Carerra script.

 

I saw 5 MINIs on the roads today. I waved to 5 MINIs. I received 0 waves back. I am sad.

 

I was told when I visited Mini of Murray in Utah that Mini owners wave at each other. I've owned my Mini for 11 months and never been waved at, and never waved at another. I've made eye contact and smiled and/or nodded at many when we are side by side, but that's about it.

If you wave at me, I'll wave back!

 

They're probably all saying the same thing. Give 'em a wave!

 

I wave at or give the peace sign to every mini i see, if they don't see me or choose to ignore I wave like a maniac till I get some sort of reaction.

 

Maybe it's just because when mini people wave, we can't see their little hands above the dashboard.