I'm curious to see if other MINI owners notice other drivers behaving particularly aggressive towards our cars. I don't know if it's because they're small or if jealousy plays a part. I'm talking about things like tailgating, particularly aggressive passing...things of that nature. I'm not a slow driver, and don't think this is my imagination. Any thoughts?

 

Some people are just jerks.

If you have rear fog lights, flick them on and accellerate quickly when you have a tail gater. They will think you are hitting the brakes while you create many car lengths of open space between their car and your's.

If that doesn't work to shake them off your tail, try offering them some caltrops:

 

I've noticed it but I dont know why .

 

Another reason to use my rear fogs. I did get them for "safety" reasons.

I think more people are trying to cut me off and such, but this is new york city. It's pretty much the norm.

 

That's the aggressive method!
Passive-aggressive folks decide their windshield's need a quick squirt or two. . . or three!

 

Have owned our 06 MCS for 15 months and have experienced all of the above. Then we installed the 3rd Brakelight Pulsar and sightings of cruel and inhumane driving habits by the room temperature IQ'd dramatically declined.

 

When I lived in memphis, any time I passed someone on the interstate when coming home from work at 3 or 4 am (normally going 77) they would SPEED UP to pass me again, then slow back down to where they were (60) and continue to do so until one of us hit our exit. Somone racing by me at 100+ wasn't uncommon after I passed. And they were never doing anything wrong to being with and now they are risking a ticket for excessive speeding, reckless driving, and probably street racing. I also got alot of people ghosting me which as annoying. Really annoying.

I didn't really have people wanting to race me at every light, but any time a SRT-4 would see me he would try to chase me down in rush hour to cut me off, or a PT loser would speed up if i was crusing by only to almost hit the car in front of him. I never understood what PT owners had against me, but they all do it, and as far as the SRT-4 guys are concerned, I would feel the same if I wasted my money on a hopped up neon.

I'm glad I live in a small town now and don't have to put up with that crap anymore. Well, PTs still have it out for me.

 

My old VW had a rear washer jet that I adjusted so it would squirt straight up instead of on the back window. That made the windshield squirt trick work so well.

I once saw someone toss a Slurpee out the sunroof and onto a tailgater's windshield. About the funniest thing ever.

 

I have not noticed; they all seem to be behaving back there.

 

I second the brakelight pulser. It really works, especially for those behemoth SUVs. I got the one with a 15 second delay since I do a lot of stop-and-go.

 

All this time I thought they were just getting closer to take a look at my fantastic MINI.

I love it when I find some corners and leave them in the dust.

I must admit that when I drive my Silverado Pickup, I do not get pulled out on as often. When I am in my 96 Impala SS, they usuallly think I am a Law Enforcement Officer!!

 

The NY metro area is tough.....everyone drives aggressively. Couple that with the fact that the look of our Mini's seem to just say: "Please cut me off" and it gets annoying quick.

I gotta agree with the hyper-light flasher comments; I use them on my motorcycle and it's a world of difference. I figure that's my next mod for the Mini.

And what is it with every GTI/SRT4/EVO? Is there nothing more to life than chasing & racing Minis? Sheesh. I enjoy a good run through the twisties as much as the next guy, but racing with street amateurs isn't my thing.

 

Someone think of a way to deploy the caltrops on demand. A switch under the shift **** would do nicely.

 

This is what I was thinking. After doing the one-ball mod to the exhaust, I have room for a caltrops deployment device!

 

I think sometimes I live in the eye of the aggressive-driving storm. Arlington (Texas) has more than it's fair share of SUVs and pickups but folks are really very sane and respectful of MINIs...even friendly. I really can't explain it.

The best mod I ever did on a MINI was the conversion of the non-functioning rear fogs on my '03 Cooper into an extra set of brake lights. My daughter drives this MINI now and I am frequently following her. It is superb!!!!

 

Now thats a good idea !

 

I'm busting a gut just reading about it!

Hearing about all the aggressive drive about the MINIs is a bit distressing, but fortunately I live in an area where aggressive driving isn't too prevalent.

~Neal

 

I had a car speed up then cut me off as I was driving on the hgwy...I just kept driving until my exit

 

Drivers in Chicago seem to be that way regardless of what car I'm in: my old WRX, my old GTO, my Firehawk, the Mini, my wife's truck... I've watched *** clowns go from tailgating me to the next vehicle they end up behind. At least they aren't prejudiced or practicing discrimination.

 

I'd love to have seen that. Heck, I'd love to have done that. For the record, though, that is illegal. Typical - they'd bust you for reacting to the tailgater, but do nothing about the tailgater.

 

No, they bust you for littering and assault with a frozen slurpee.

 

I've heard of, but do not recommend, tossing a handful of pennies out of the sunroof as well...

 

Always a good reason to keep a few water balloons handy!

 

Hey, gokartride, I was born and raised there.

I agree that when I drive out of nyc to more "rural " areas, people smile more and yield more when they see my mini cooper.

 

To many people who drive MINI's have the "Im special syndrome" People! ...Nobody cares what you are driving! Do you behave diffrently to other vehicles? do you cut off or block hummers and not toyota priuses? If so you have a special kind of dysfunction.....If people are jerks to you they are just jerks to everyone.... get over the Im driving a small car so people take advantage of me...victim mentality. I happen to my surroundings, I dont let surroundings happen to me. If someone is tailgating me that means I need to get out of the way....speed is not what causes accidents...congestion and spacing of vehicles is what causes accidents. I am never afraid of the aggresive driver because they are actively engaged with the traffic, aware of their surroundings, moving through the congestion.....The people I fear is the distracted soccer mom driving the expedition while talking on her cell phone doing 5 below the speed limit relizing that she is about to miss the exit to the soccer field