What happened to the Wave among MINI owners? I thought they would be a hyped up bunch. The Vette folks were pretty good about it, the Miata folks were at first, but the MINI bunch doing the Wave is kind of dissapointing. Or am I just in the wrong place, wrong time, duldrum?

 

Not many waves here either. Most of the time it seems the other Mini driver never noticed me.

I'm always looking for other Mini's.

But, if I didn't see the other driver, did they wave at me and then I could be accused of not waving back?

Oh, well. I'm going to keep on waving, no mater how much it annoys my wife.

 

It's kind of like Tinkerbelle - the wave is only dead if we stop believing in it.

I try to wave at any other MINI driver I see, but sometimes they come up and are gone before it registers that a MINI just went by! I also like to flash my lights in recognition of the superior taste and style of the other MINI owner.

Don't be discouraged if you wave without getting it returned. Either the other driver didn't see you, or your wave is a part of their training to become responsible MINI owners.

Before I got my MINI, I drove a Volvo. Volvo owners never wave at each other unless it's the "one finger" salute. I also have a couple of Triumphs and let me tell you, Triumph drivers always wave, and not only to other Triumph owners, but also to any driver of a "classic" British Sports Car. Jaguar owners often won't return the wave, but that dosen't stop us. We're so conditioned to it that I think my head would explode if I missed a wave to another LBC driver.

 

Oh goodie....a wave update!!! Yeah, I think it is dead. I still wave, but more and more I'm simply ignored. Occasionally, I do get a response back...and for now that is enough to keep me waving. I personally think it is on the way out.

 

I wave whenever I safely can, but to date have only gotten one reluctant wave back from another MINI driver here in the Triangle. However, I got a great wave from one out in the boonies, and also from some pick-up drivers in N. GA. I also got a wave from a guy in a restored yellow hot rod the other day! I get more waves from non-MINI's than from MINI's here!

 

The only time I can count on getting a wave is from the only other MINI owner in the town where we live.

We just made a trip to Indy to see family, and saw 5 or 6 MINIs during the trip through IL, IN, and while driving around the area north of Indy. Didn't get a single wave back the whole trip. We're not 100% sure the other drivers saw us, but one lady in IL driving a CR/W looked right at us as we were waving and didn't wave back. This kind of bummed us out since we don't see very many MINIs where we live. It makes our day to travel and see other MINIs, and we look forward to "the wave".

 

We wave. If they wave back, great, if they don't, no big deal.

Mark

 

As long as my kids are around, the wave will live on .

 

I've gotten to the point where I no longer initiate a wave. Since I got Gromit, I used to wave at every Mini I saw. A couple hundred sightings later, and only four or five waves..... I'm done.

Face it, most people see the Mini as an alternative to a VW Beetle, and aren't into the personality.

 

I wave at all MINI's when they pass, even when I'm driving my non-Mini's. I intend to keep on doing so.

 

I usually do the thumbs up thing, because I am far too cool to wave.
Just kidding. Sometimes I wave. Sometimes I thumb-up.

Got a nice wave yesterday from a chili red with white stripes as I was pulling out of my neighborhood.

 

With the surge of recent buyers because 'its so cute!' instead of the enthusiast factor, I think that is killing the wave, BUT I WAVE ANYWAY! Its so great to get the wave back!

 

We'll be visiting family in Raleigh after the Dragon, so we'll be looking for you so we can wave back.

 

I waved to a (realy hot) girl in a yellow MCS this morning on the 5 heading north - she blew me a kiss in return.

Then I realized that maybe she got the wrong idea as I was driving my MR2 with the roof down....

 

Yeah, it's weird but I work really close to a MINI dealer (MINI of Mountain View, CA), and since it's in Silicon Valley, there are a lot of MINIs on the road. As such, whenever I wave, I'm usually disappointed because I rarely get a response during my commute (I see at least 3 MINIs a day; sometimes more).

However, I've noticed that I get a much better response when I initiate the wave somewhere with less MINIs. I was in Mendocino two weeks ago, and saw one MINI and got a response. I get a lot of responses driving through the Pacific Coast Highway...umm, at least when I can get one hand off the wheel safely.

So, I guess part of the time it depends on location. Or maybe it is dying...

 

That pretty much sums it up. There seem to be two tribes out there:

1) The motoring enthusiast (aware of their surroundings, having fun on the road with others, fully realizing why they purchased the vehicle (besides how it looks))

2) The superficially oblivious, who simply purchased the MINI "because it's cute".

 

The wave is alive & well here in Alabama

 

I'm south of Santa Cruz and I'll get a wave here and there, but knothing like when I first bought my MINI. I always wave

 

Yes, it is. . . . probably because being a MINI owner in Alabama takes a special type of enthusiast willing to drive to Tennessee to visit the nearest competent dealer.

Not too many fair weather MINI owners willing to go to such an extreme just to drive a cute car.

 

Somewhere else on the forum, I talked about the "Cute Car" buyer, and the effect they'd have on the Mini. Fear them. They won't care for their Mini as well as we do. As long as it starts, they're happy.

I formulated this thoery back in the 70's when I had founded an MG club, and was facing the same phenomenon.

Cute car buyers only care about how they look in the car, or how their friends will perceive them in the car. They will usually drive the car into the ground.

 

I agree. Unfortunately the number of drivers in Tribe 2 seems to have surpassed those in Tribe 1.

I always try to wave when I see another Mini. If the other driver even looks in my direction I get, at best, a reluctant response or, at worst, a look like I just gave them the finger.

 

Theres a lady here at work that recently bought an 02 MC and when she came and told me the about it i told her if she knew that she had to wave (just to make sure) then i also told her about NAM!!

 

The wave has been intermittantly dead and resurrected since early 2003.

 

I wave at every MINI I see. If they don't wave back, well that's their problem not mine.

 

I wave, even if I am not in my MINI S, at other MINIs. My wife thinks that I am weird. That is true, but the spirit will live on if we do not let it die. This car has more personality than some people I know. I am proud to tell people that I have my MINI S before the movie came out. If you had to ask what movie, never mind....

Bomboasy