I haven't noticed anything different in the MINI, but I do find myself having to think of driving like a video game in any of my cars. Not as in racing, but like someone is going to crash into me at any time. I've never ridden one, but it's probably the same way riders have to think on a motorcycle.

It seems like actually driving is becoming the secondary focus for most people when behind the wheel.

 

I run into this daily. I, however, am an aggressive driver. Not in the sense where I'll cut someone off. But if I see an opportunity I take it. I'll take corners fast, speed up to pass someone if they're trying to "race" me to the edge of a passing lane.
Just yesterday I was going up a hill downtown and a 535 was next to me. It seemed like once he heard the turbo then blow off he gave it all she had. We get up to a red light and once green I smoke him.. like bad.. then, we're getting up to the next set of lights he doesn't slow down, but flies past me to turn into my lane and get in front of me and slamms on his brakes to avoid rear ending the car ahead. Whatever.. Some guys just cant take losing to a Mini
after all that we both hadda get onto 85 (ATL) and needless to say, all he could see was taillights

 

dingdingdingding
I think we have a winner
Hello exactly

and all the other cliches to signal my agreement.
Again,
I drive professionally. I see the idiots and a holes all day every day. Its to the point I drive my wife crazy when we are in the P/U because I am constantly pointing out other peoples stupid driving habits.
Riding the bike is thrilling and terrifying all at the same time because now I am in a position where I can die due to what is being discussed here.
But I still dont know about the homophobic thing....................

 

Your friend has been rear ended five times and still has a commute? :-)

 

I've come to the conclusion that real car guys respect other car guys and their cars. The rest are just ignorant. I went to a muscle car show here in town over the weekend and you'd be surprised how many thought my Cooper was "cool". One guy even said it was "a bad *** little car".

The Mini is a true drivers car. Anyone can go fast in the straights. It's hugging them curves like being on rails and having power and torque in between is where it's at. I've owned an 80' Z28 with a 383 stroker and 4:11's in the rear(my favorite muscle car). A 68' C10. 75 Cutlass. A couple blazers in there and a CB7 Honda. I started out in the muscle cars because they were/are bad *** and my dad and I built/restored them. But they handle for **** and get horrible mileage. Are they fun? Yes.
But i'll take my Mini any day.

Now as a gay man I may fall into that stereo type. BUT. I'm 6' 215 lbs and when people find out my sexual orientation they don't believe me. So that being said, I'm not the stereo typical gay man prancing around with a purse falling out my mouth,so maybe I don't count? LOL
Motor ON! F the haters. Burn em in the corners.

 

Yeah, to a Mini dealership. Obviously not getting rich at it.

First accident was the worst as he was dead stopped and hit by an F450 going full speed. Accordioned his mint low mileage JCW. Was off work for a month.

The other ones were much lower speed, but he still ended up getting rear bumper paint jobs.

The funniest part is, he bought a couple, let's call them, cheap driving cameras, which always seem to fail in the collision, with nothing retrievable.

Grem....

 

The Mini's can stop quick. Tailgaters be warned!

 

I think we've all experienced "MINI directed Road Rage" at some point.

A while back when I lived Phoenix I was driving to the airport to catch a flight back east. It was 6am in the morning, not much traffic. I signal that I am changing lanes to right to catch the on ramp about 3 miles or so up the freeway. I check my mirror and look over my shoulder and spot a Dodge RAM (the V10 variety) hovering in my blind spot. So, I press firmly on the loud pedal to put some distance between and Mr. ***** Compensation so I can change lanes, and he does exactly as has happened a 1000 times before - he speeds up to cut me off. Being prepared for said "******* Maneuver" a deftly drop to 5th, floor it and change lanes. I notice the bright lights of the RAM fast approaching, then supergluing his truck to the back of my Coupe. I shrug and proceed to take my off ramp. The RAM follows. Now, this is a two lane off ramp/on ramp. So to demonstrate the size of his ***** and his driving skills he switches to what is now the outside lane of a ramp swinging to the left and proceeds to floor it. I have been taking this off ramp for several months when heading to the airport and I know that in the dry my Coupe can make take the ramp and the it's curve at 85 mph, which is what I am doing at the time. So both of us hit the bend of the ramp about the same time. I stay planted and neutral, the RAM slides across the lane and bounces off the concrete wall and back into my lane behind me and come to a halt facing the wrong way.

Morale of this story - High sided pickup trucks ARE NOT SPORTS CARS.

 

Nice ^
A story for the ages

 

When I was a MSF instructor we taught SIPDE.

S = Scan for any possible hazards or potential hazards
I = Identify those hazards
P = Predict what they might do
D =Decide how to react if they do as you predict
E = Execute when they do

Motorcycle riders, as a group, are safer automobile drivers than non motorcycle riders.

 

S = Every other car, pedestrian, and bicyclist within 5 miles
I = Virginia tags spotted and cataloged
P = What is the stupidest possible thing they could do? I predict that.
D = Get the everloving f*** away from them.
E = Zoom zoom, stupid people (MINI hugs tight corner and accelerates to safety)

 

"I = Virginia tags spotted and cataloged"-


Funny, it has been my experience that I have never before seen a MD driver signal a lane change, whether in my Mini, on a bike or otherwise.
;P

 

The behavior isn't MINI specific, but any car that's "not normal" in the eyes of the average under-educated idiot. There are two cars I've owned that have received the greatest unsolicited negative feedback from others; my Lotus Exige S, and my Prius C. People hated the Lotus because they assumed I was a 1%'er and the car was 7-figures, and muscle/bro-dozer types hated the Prius because it wasn't a gas guzzler. Even self-proclaimed car enthusiasts hated the Prius, though when questioned they couldn't articulate why, just that they hated it because they were told to.

For sure the MINI's I've owned have been the target of some hate, but I think they've been out long enough now that most people have gotten over themselves, or at least become accustomed to the car.

 

I've been driving MiNis continuously since 2002 (and a Miata for 7 years b4 this) and I can not think of ONE time I've experienced 'road rage' directed at me ... maybe I missed it. This includes driving in and around DC and MIAMI! A few thoughts.....

- if that big pickup/suv/semi/bigger car seems to balk at your cutting them off, drop back and pull in behind ... what's the loss? Plan your lane changes farther out and don't try to impress others with your ability to jump from lane to lane

- that guy that challenges you at the stop light ... my brother has a Ferrari and he just laughs at them. When I'm in my 79, I just wave

- if you are happy that no one can keep up with you when you get on the twisties .... maybe you should review how you are driving on the expressway. I like twisties too but only get my foot in it when no other cars are around.

- do you challenge motorcycles? Why not? (I rode bikes for a while too) Do you get pissed if they buzz bomb you?

- on the bike theme .... when rode bikes I learned to become a VERY defensive driver - my one mod to my bike was BIG HORNS so I could warn others I WAS THERE. MINI is a small car ... my Mini is smaller and lack airbags ... side door beams ... bumpers ..... head rests



- Have you seen the video on the news recently where a car "intentionally" bumped a bike and tossed the riders off? The biker says "yes, I crossed a double yellow to pass" but that does not give him the right to hurt me. True! ... but how intimidating was the biker leading up to this point????? (I do NOT justify the action .... just discussing the cause)

- in other words a 'drive it like you stole it' mentality MAY be the reason for the season .....

****************
blast away ...

****************
editorial .....

I had a Miata which was/is considered a girly / gay car ... and MINIs ... hearing the same thing. But NO ONE has ever accused me of owning a GAY car with regards to my 79 Mini . . . most women call it cute .... but no one has questioned my sexuality . . .

two most asked questions at car shows .....

- It's not a Cooper?

- You fit in that?

 

You're talking about us being the jerk and then being surprised at a retaliation. The topic is about the opposite; us minding our own business and other people on the road going out of their way to instigate negativity.

For sure there are cases where drivers are either totally unaware they're the problem, or unwilling to accept responsibility for their initial actions.

You even admitted that people called your Miata and MINI names. Now imagine an angry bro-dozer going a step further and trying to run you off the road, or getting in front of you and brake-checking. All because they saw your car and decided it was their right to instigate assault towards you and your car. Or if you didn't race them at a stop light they'd get angry and start throwing things at your car. Hardly civilized behavior.

 

The topic is about the opposite; us minding our own business

THIS is a matter of opinion

...... maybe your own business is outside the box for the other 90%

*******************

IMO juvenile MINI owners bring this on them selves

 

I agree with this 100%. When in traffic and around other cars I drive my car very cautiously and, as important, courteously. Going backwards from my present MINI I've owned a FR-S, a Miata, and before that a 911 Carrera Cabriolet. I can not recall one incident of someone else being aggressive towards me. As I've mentioned before, I rode motorcycles over 60+ years and riding motorcycles goes a long way in sharpening a persons 'common sense' genes.

 

Maryland drivers are absolutely the worst... except for all the other states.

Seriously, everyone should have to get off the road when I'm driving.

 

So I have just pulled out of a parking lot, on the green, and have pulled up to the stop light. Absolutely no chance for my driving to bother anyone.

The light turns green and the pickup next to me swerves into my lane, I honk, he yells "get out of the way you fu... ***"

And that's my fault?

I have been hit 6 times, 3 of which I was at a complete standstill, and the other 3 were from the rear after traveling a constant speed in the same land for over 10 seconds.

Those accidents were my fault?

 

Ok then, editorialize this exact situation:
*You're sitting ALONE at a stop light
*A lifted Diesel truck pulls alongside you
*drunken fool in passenger seat calls out "HEY QUEER, your stupid little car is GAY and I bet you Sxxk Dxxk!"
*You absolutely do not turn your head, respond, or gesture in any way
*When the light turns green, you mildly accelerate, however the truck driver yanks on their steering wheel into your lane, forcing evasive action on your part to avoid a collision


Now, is that a circumstance you have experience with? Is the MINI owner still at fault? Did the MINI owner bring it upon themselves? The answer to the latter two questions, unless you're a sociopath, is a resounding NO.

 

Where the heck do you guys live people are yelling queer at you? I live in western New York, considered to be one the most racist places in the country so lots of ignorant people I suppose. Anyways, I've never experienced any of this type of behavior.

 

Southern Plains probably ranks right up there and have never heard such yelling. In fact the worst racist I know owns two MINIs.

 

I have been hit 6 times,

I've been driving since 1973 and have never been hit ... or hit anyone

knock on wood



maybe being a ship driver has given me a better sense of relative motion .....

have you ever heard of a defensive driving course?

*******
I see one post person is from Detroit ..... hmmmmmm

foreign car in Detroit ....

Could it be: Houston we have a problem?

WAY BACK in the 80's when the US car industry was suffering I lived in Indiana - where a TON of {US} auto electrical components were made - and I drove an AUDI. Did I get road rage then? YES but it wasn't called that yet .....

There were places that would not allow foreign cars to park close to the store/place of work. If you did you risked keying and worse. I had gas stations refuse to sell me gas. I once had a problem with my windshield wipers and stopped at a back road gas station .... I needed to tighten a nut.

Can I borrow a wrench?

That's a damn foreign car ... ain't got no metric crescent wrench ...

Fortunately I had some metric pliers that did the job . . .

 

Again with the quick "blame the victim"?

Accident #1: I was sitting, stopped, at a red light and I get rear ended.
Accident #2: I kid in a pick-up performs an illegal u-turn in front of me, another foot and I would have avoided the accident.
Accident #3: I am 3rd car back, stopped, waiting at a red light, on a residential street. A woman backs out of her driveway hitting me.
Accident #4: I am making a right turn, on a 2-lane turn, in the outer lane when I get hit from behind by a car in the inner lane that decides to go straight.
Accident #5: I am driving 5-10 MPH in a crowded Costco parking lot when I come to a complete stop at a stop sign only to get rear ended by the car behind me.
Accident #6: In freeway gridlock with speeds between 10 and 20mph a pick-up tries to force his way in front of the car behind me, clipping the rear of my car in the process. This idiot, already on the freeway, entered an on-ramp "lane" to speed past the cars in front of him and the guy behind me made an attempt to block him out, and I was hit because of it.

All of my accidents, except for when I was 17/18, have been in this single car; and I while there was body damage the car never received frame or structural damage and was always safe to drive.

I agree that the rhetorical "you" should ask what is going on, but automatically blaming the driver is not right.

So what is going on? That R53 Checkmate will be the last small dark colored car I will ever own.

I have avoided innumerable other accidents; but the fact the MINI is harder to see is something you must always be aware of.

As I said in my first post on this thread
One could argue that it is because I am a defensive driver that none of my accidents were serious.

Even you must agree that your blithe "have you ever heard of a defensive driving course" was out of line; especially given the accidents I have had.

 

THEN YOU ARE damn UNLUCKY AND i SUGGEST YOU STOP DRIVING . . .

what are you looking for?

OK .. here

you are the .01% that is being sought out and persecuted ..... you and your MINI have been targeted

**not logical huh?

have you ever heard of the problem solving technique where you ask WHY 6 times .....