Not a fun event for me. Not my crowd at all. I got harrassed on several accounts... for showing up late and not registering, for not knowing how most of the event works. The people that were parked next to me for the photo were making comments about how un-mini my car was...

I figured... ok well maybe this is just an odd twist of fate and im just a jerk... then i headed to the dragon...

I'm a regular there and I have to say... never in my life have i seen people with such small cars have such a big problem staying on their side of the road.

I will not be returning for mme next year... and after meeting many people in the classic community... i will never own a classic.

thanks mme.

 

What made your MINI so 'unMINI' to them? Sorry that you had a bad time, next year it won't be held near the Dragon, so maybe a new venue would give you a better time?

 

no idea... my mini isn't exactly a hommage to the classics... As far as it not being close to the dragon that's actually good. It means the dragon won't be so crowded with people that can't stay in their own lane. I for sure won't travel to meet up with this gang.

 

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy yourself. You must have found the small, very vocal group of the uncool. Unfortunately , if they get a response they usually continue in the same vein. Don't let it keep you from classics though or you will miss out on some really fun and cool people who like your car too.

The meet was full of folks who enjoy both old and new Minis, including the organizers. I wish you had emailed you were coming and I could have helped you out with how the event works. It started on Thursday and when you came on Saturday, it was moving toward the end. It follows roughly the same pattern every year, just in a different place, hosted by a different club. It will be in Maine next year, hosted by NEMO.

Cheers,
Donna

Oh yeah, I found some really great shots on professorzoom's Flikr site here.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/penfold/

 

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy the event,
but I don't think Mini's/MINI's are the only people who are guilty of crossing the lines at the Dragon, the Dragon website has pictures of the daily wrecks involving Corvette, Ferrari, tuner cars, even semi trucks, but mostly the bikes are the wanderers,
I met lot's of VERY nice people in both groups of cars, people I would not normally run into if were not for our shared interest,
Please try one more time, Manuel

 

I disagree with the bike comment. I'm down there on average 3-4 times a month... Those other cars and bikes crossing the lines don't affect me... it's the people that are like...

"Hey nice mini... do you know that other guy in the mini that keeps crossing the line?"

guilty by association. Me having a bad time at this event is partly my fault... i should have done more research and headed to the autoX only as there were probobly some like minded people there to me...

Regardless I will not ever attend another mme event. Not my crowd, not welcoming enough for me and makes my decision on owning a classic very easy... not ever.

 

So was it one particular Mini that was lane crossing you were being asked about? From your previous post it sounded like you observed more than one yourself. Is that the case? We spent time posting on the Mini Mania board quite a bit about not doing so, just like here before MOTD, trying to educate the unaware coming in from other areas. Maybe it will show up in some Killboy shots.

One of the Florida group had an incident with a bike coming in on Thursday via 129. His Mini truck had a trailer like a tiny 5th wheel. The guy on the bike lost it and the bike ended up under the trailer, or something like that. The Mini pick up truck had damage to the rear quarter panel. Some talented artist drew a Dragon over the damage.

 

Moving on to friendlier tack....

Donna, my wife and I would like to thank you and all the other "Volunteers" for putting together such a great MME. We had a lot of fun down there, even though we slept away the Thursday night activity and didn't get started until Friday's car show. I even convinced her to go to the Dragon with me and some other MINIs from Ohio! While she didn't want to make the return trip thru it, we still had a great drive down Hwy. 28, to US 74, and west, to US 411 and back to Alcoa. Kind of a long afternoon, but we saw a lot of pretty scenery. On our way home yesterday, she admitted she had been a little harsh about the Dragon, so now she wants to return in Oct. for the Fall color and the Cherohala Skyway, too!

That fun rally on Saturday was great, too. As with so many others, we got lost. In fact, if we hadn't run into "Alan" [who was going south on Hwy 321 while we were headed north...and made a u-turn to catch him], I have no idea just where we'd have ended up. We followed him to the farm and the BBQ and sweet tea were just what 2 famished travelers needed. After the lunch, just sitting in the shade and enjoying the folk there while we waited for the photo was relaxing, for sure. The short ride back to the hotel was pretty, too.

Y'all DESERVE a "pat on the back"! WELL DONE!

 

I don't like to point fingers. And I would especially not like to do so in this case as this event will not be held near 129 next year. I don't get excited about it unless it is the peoples second time on the gap. I had the opportunity to correct a few people at the look out, and they were so excited to be there I didn't want to urinate in their cheereo's so to speak.

It's no biggy... like i said this event just wasn't for me and it wont be for the future. I'm lucky that I only had to drive 120 miles to find that out this time imo.

 

I drove 5 hours to get there and had a WONDERFUL time !,
I've only read positive comments and praise for the folks putting the event together, It was quite a task and I think they did an excellent job, there was something for everyone,

Manuel

 

my comments have nothing to do with the organizers but rather the people that were un-friendly to me...

does not matter you wont ever have to hear my complaints again as i will not return.

i should have kept this to myself... but i didn't and that's done, i guess it was me that was being the jerk. lol

 

You're free to voice your opinion and shouldn't feel like a "jerk". There are lotsa classic owners who are really nice folk, though, and you shouldn't let the ones who are idiots drive you away from attending MME in the future, or killing your potential desire to one day own a classic. This is the first time my wife has gone to an MME with me and she was impressed and happy to have attended. I've never told her about some of the BCDs I've attended, whose snobby attendees sneered at my "new" Cooper, and made snide remarks about it being a "British Car Show" and not open to outsiders [like a BMW MINI Cooper, or a BMW MCS]. It ruffled my feathers at first, but I kept entering, and started placing in my class. Now, thay can talk and diss my car all they want, but it sure is nice to hold an award at the day's end and look at the ones who aren't.

I guess the bottom line is: don't let the snooty one[s] upset you. Go, make new friends and have fun. Above all, come on back next year...that will REALLY tick them off!

 

Good post, Jeff. You aren't a jerk, prime. The others are. Even those of us with both new and old have been irritated by some of them. THis year's MME was the 32nd gathering. It's like a huge family reunion. But there is always that "creepy aunt" or some other relative who isn't much fun who turns up at the reunion. That's who you ran in to. We just don't want you to make your choice about classics based on that because it isn't what is real and true about the group. ManuelB has only classics. He posts and shares here too.

I guess what I am saying is, don't let those few turds keep you from having some fun with the classic guys and gals if an opportunity arises again, whether it is MME or something else. Plus Saturday was only a piece of the event. We had a beer can crushing funkhana, creeper races thanks to Sarcux here on NAM, the Canadians mixing margaritas every night in the parking lot with the gas blender......and you haven't seen an autocross until you see one with a Moke.

 

I am a classic owner that enjoys both Minis and I was also one of the organizers who hate to hear that you had a bad time. I Tried to keep my ears open the whole weekend for those that were not enjoying themselves. I did however park MINI unfriendly people next to MINIS but I had little choice in doing so. I do not own a MINI and I get aggrivated at non BI-MINIUAL people. I am sorry for the unfortunate adventure but it should not be reason to give up future events. There is a good bunch of Bi-MIniual people out there.

 

When I was a kid, I owned a 1959 Morris Mini Minor 850, which not only taught me how to drive a stick shift, but also began a lifelong love affair with the Mini/MINI. However, as college grew nearer, I was forced to unload my seemingly always breaking down beloved Mini Minor. Ohhh, how I wish I hadn't done that, now, but I swore that I'd get another, someday. Unfortunately, the Mini I knew became a thing of the past as the years sped by, and then BMW reissued their versions of my childhood dream. Yeah, they are bigger...but so am I. That has not diminished my love for them...a Mini IS a MINI IS a Mini.... I bought a used '03 MC in '04 and have enjoyed it so much that I added a new '06 MCS last year. I may not be "Bi-Miniual" in the sense of having an old classic AND a "new" one, but, I will always be a Mini/MINI person, through and through.

 

thanks for the words guys. After I posted i realized that my post could be taken as a slant to the organizers... I didn't intend that at all. overall from what i gathered it seemed like the event was organized very well, had a very grass roots feel and over all had the potential to be much more personal then motd (dare I say it)

It's clear that my attitude and the attitude of those i met did not mesh. Not a biggy and i really appreciate you guys pointing that out to me. I'm new to this whole classic v. non-classic thing... and I guess this is the first time it was apparent to me.

I'll get over it and I'm sure I'll cross paths with this event some time in the future. Maybe by then my r53 will be a classic :P

again please don't take my comments personally... I did meet a few people that i would like to see again so clearly i just ended up half and half on this one... you win some... you lose some.

 

I really DO hope you try again, but after reading your post on the Michigan MINI site I see that you were only there for 30 minutes, how can you condem an entire group of people in that amount of time ?, sorry you had trouble getting free food, Molly seemed to do OK,

"the event seemed kinda fun. I stopped by saturday and was not well received. The harassed me about showing up late and not registering... they harassed me when i tried to get some food for my gf. The people I parked next to me were making comments about how my car is very un-mini...

I was not pleased to say the least. I bolted out of there after being there for a bout 30 minutes... not my crowd"

 

been going to car shows for most of my life...

It's clear to tell when you are welcomed and when you are not. It doesn't take long. Most mini events open you with welcomed arms... this was not the case.

Lets put it this way... it was rude enough that my gf didn't want to be there for more then 30 minutes. I didn't have too much of a choice as the co-driver makes decisions too.

I tried to pay for food and whatnot... was just met with eyes rolling and a shrug of the shoulder. after driving for 3 hours at triple digets through traffic etc...

I'm done debating what happened and didn't happen. I've been to craploads of events and craploads of mini events so i know the ropes. I had never experienced anything like this one.

p.s. for the record i spend 3/4 weekends every month at car events or bolting mods on friends cars... So I'm entitled to my opinion consider the effort i put in to the community around me.

 

Hi Donna - Do you know where and when it will be held in Maine? I may want to attend on my annual pilgrimage up north.

 

Hrach announced where but I forget. If you will watch www.mme2008.com details will be added as NEMO makes arrangements.

minimusprime, it's ok, no one intended to be unfriendly (expect possibly the Mini people who don't like MINIs and we can't control those few) If you were running late, you would not have been aware that food was supposed to have shutdown at 2PM because of another group coming in. The McCords (farm owners) kept the food line open long after that trying to accomodate late rallyists but they reached the point where they had to shutdown to prepare for the next group. I don't think anyone meant to be unhelpful.

It's ok. It's not worth sweating over. It was great group of people but I am sorry that somehow you were not shown that.

It's all water under the bridge and I hope we can move on past it.

EDIT - Great pictures Molly took on Michigan MINI. It really caught the spirit of the event. I love how she gets people and their cars in a lot of her shots.

 

i agree. on all accounts. I over reacted no doubt and it was a learning experience. Next time if i return it will be for the full event and not just 1 segment. That way i can get to know and be known more completly. not just a here judge the hole event in 30 minutes fasion.

regardless scope out mol's pictures. she always does a great job of catching the little things.

 

I'm glad you've settled down a bit, at least to see that the majority of the attendees are really good people. As stated before, I've had some negative encounters with some of the Mini crowd, too, but I have chosen to go back and stick it to them whenever I can...in a friendly way, of course. We all seek our own kind at MME and that's what makes me go back. I see friends I've met at MOTD and I've made new friends among the Mini crowd, too. I really look forward to going and seeing what each new location has to offer and to participate in their drives, as well.

That said, I hope you come back for round 2...heck WE can chat, as I bring either my MC or my MCS.

 

sorry you had a bad experience. they are not all like that. i have been going since 96. i have a new mini and many people feel it's about the people more. there are some classic owners that can not get over them selves and they do not believe the new mini is a mini. can't change everyone. they don't have to like it. as for me i like them both and there are some really good classic mini owners out there. i know plenty of them. chin up, and don't let an handful of people "drive" you off.
cathy

 

MME 2008 will be at the Sunday River Resort, Bethel, Maine
I haven't heard the dates yet,
Manuel

 

July 3- 6 as it is posted on Mini Mania