Have you noticed the increase in MINI owners that don't seem to have the motoring spirit? No wave backs when you wave at them? Etc. What's the deal?

 

Yes, I have! I think that for new MINI owners, they are so involved with learning their new MINI...they just don't notice other MINIs on the road! At least, that was true of me when I got my first MINI last August!

 

I think sometimes they are so busy motoring they don't see me
Lois

 

Yeah, I saw a yellow MC going to the mall here in San Francisco and I gave a little toot on the horn and he didn't even bother to look or say hi :???: I know he saw me too since there's not that many Coopers around here and he looked really uptight..

Not a good sport, no sense of humor, hahahaha, oh well

 

>>Yeah, I saw a yellow MC going to the mall here in San Francisco and I gave a little toot on the horn and he didn't even bother to look or say hi

 

hehe when i drive my eclipse around and i see a mini i wave and give thumbs up just cuz i hope people do the same when i get min in late july early aug

 

Here in San Jose, there seems to be plenty of MINIs on the major roads. Every morning I head over to Gold's Gym, I see at least one or two. I wave and give the thumbs up! They sometimes wave back.

When I start driving around with my MINI, I intend on honking to get other MINI drivers attention if I have to.

 

I have been that person on the other end that doesn't wave. I try to wave to every MINI I see. But sometimes I'm looking somewhere else and see the MINI too late. I wave but, the other MINI didn't see it. ops:

MINIACK

 

Saw a MINI last evening across a wide median. I gave my usual wave, not sure if she could even see me. She came back with a big frantic wave and I could see the glow of her smile.

Don't give up. Keep waving, the wavers are out there and the feel good after glow is worth it.

 

I'm into waving ...(honking, flashing lights...whatever), but its true many times I can't see if the wave is reciprocated because of glare, tint, or we just passed too quickly. Most (...but perhaps not all) local MINI owners are wavers, but then I get waves from pickup trucks, too! Actually, any car that shows the motoring spirit is "wave-worthy" to me. I got in a wave match yesterday with a BRG Triumph Spitfire!

 

Since I have had my MINI I have had only one other Motorer wave back, and I know they can see 'cause they usually look - the one time I did was the very first day I had my MINI and another Motorer let me into the leftlane on the freeway.

I am in Portland and if you are too, start freakin' wavin'!

 

I had pulled up to two MINI's this weekend. A new Gold/Black and a CR/B and both seemed to ignore me! I pulled right in front of them waving as I passed, not even a look. Then while in front I turn on the rear wiper as a "wave" hello. Nothing!!! I stayed in front of them for a good mile or two then off I went. (They were both MC's and my MCS can't stay at 55 for long)

 

Here in South Florida home of the worse, mean and non-insured drivers, I too have noticed that most MINI owners do not wave back. I pulled up to one at a light and he looked at me I waved and he did nothing back. I honked the horn at him and waved again and he looked the other way. Man that pissed me off. So at the next light I got behind him and honked and waved then he got out and started yelling at me. Then he noticed I was driving a MINI. Said Oh I thought you were messing with me. I said no and told him he should be smiling when motoring and he looked at me funny and walked away. Lucky for him I didn't get out and kick his *** for giving MINI's a bad name. What a jerk this guy was. He was driving a CR/B in Pembroke Pines.

 

>>I said no and told him he should be smiling when motoring and he looked at me funny and walked away.

OH MY GOD! That's exactly what I'm talking about!! People who do see you waving but IGNORE you on purpose.

There's been plenty of times where I know that other driver could have certainly missed me due to conditions, but there's been the times where they're right there, looking at me waving my long arm out the window at them!

 

I have waved a number of times at a CR/B MCS that works down the street from where I live with no response..

Saw him Friday morning, and he gave a wave back. There is hope!

 

This was a little while ago, but I encountered a guy down in Canton who was getting into his Electric Blue S with his family. I stopped and told him that I really liked his car and that mine was parked right around the corner and weren't they just great? He looked at me like I was nuts and got into his car without saying anything.

 

CaptNjoe's got it: We always try & wave, or look to initiate waves if folks are a-turnin' heads at us (or SugarBelly).

Saturday we made up a new driving game.

We were coming home from a festival, slowly motoring through a very small Mid-western town, when I noticed a large group of seniors had aligned themselves along the sidewalk in their wheelchairs for what seemed to be a parade-route. Since there was no parade & they were likely just out to enjoy the sunshine, as we approached I put all the windows down & began honking & waving with a huge smile like Tom Hanks in Forrest Gump. :smile:

(Now, each time I get a wave I say, "See, - I could be Mayor.&quot

enjoy...

-sb

_________________
MINI: The best horse for the buck!

 

I think that MCO members are enthusiasts and on the cutting edge of being leaders of the MINI revolution.
As leaders we must be tolerant that others are new at being MINI owners and may need a little guidance.
In a small city of one million (Hawaii) we try to cultivate the spirit by having get togethers so that we get a chance to meet other owners and talk. See how people have made their MINIs unique and get into the spirit.

On the road esp with new owners there may not be the awareness of other MINIs. The new owner maybe new to driving manual and not able to wave and drive safely in busy traffic situations. Wave if it is safe. Children waving is non threatening but sometimes males waving at females can be misinterpreted as harrassment. I wish sometimes I could have a window mounted light system I could flick on that read "Smile-you're driving a MINI" or "Wave if you like your MINI".

I have some suggestions to help facilitate good MINI motoring spirit.
Get your local dealer to warn new owners that there are a bunch of people out there that WILL wave at MINI drivers.
Drive with your windows down. So that people can see you and so that you can wave back. In a MINI, you WANT to be noticed. Tinted glass is a big problem- some people hide behind tinted windows and want to be private- That's OK.
Wave when you car is stopped- this is safer. Drive side by side and wave rather than tailgate or follow. Always wave when facing a MINI going the opposite way-honk if needed- sometimes it is hard to see across several lanes if you are on the far right and they are the same on a multi-laned road.

And finally- wear your MINI clothes -go for a walk- and wave to all MINIs on foot. That's pretty non threatening.
Motor on. Live Aloha.

 

These folks musta just bought a car off the lot (...now that they're more readily available) and have no idea about MINI culture. They wanted the car...plunked down some cash...and drove off. (...nothing against those here who did buy off the lot, though, you saved yourselves months of anguish! As for me...I waited 3 months for my MINI and it was a great time to learn all about what I was getting myself into.) Anybody properly exposed to MINIness, (book, brochures, etc.) must know about the wave...how could you miss it? Sad thing is they're the ones losing out. On the other hand, they may know all this and just be jerks, but let's give them the benefit of the doubt...................for now.

_________________
'03 IB/W Cooper

 

i have noticed that, apart from all the people that don't wave... i was talking to this guy that goes to my school who drives an audi TT and he came over and started talking to me about my car and was saying that he was thinking of getting a cooper S cause he could get one for a trade in on his car. he was saying he would get dark silver cause thats neutral. he sat in my car and goes "this dashboard looks cheap, thats one thing i dont like about it, and the speedometer in the center.. i dont like that" in my head i said "i'm really glad this guy doesn't have a cooper!"

 

>>and the speedometer in the center.. i dont like that" in my head i said "i'm really glad this guy doesn't have a cooper!"

 

>>>>and the speedometer in the center.. i dont like that" in my head i said "i'm really glad this guy doesn't have a cooper!"

 

I've seen the future, and it's not waving (or flashing, honking, etc.).

I used to be quite amazed -- particularly back in the fall and winter -- that I virtually NEVER saw another MINI around my parts (Boston area, Southern New Hampshire). Well, that has changed big time this spring. Now, I see one virtually every day; and I tend to see several just about every time I travel up Route 3 toward Concord, NH (I do this drive several times a week). Each time I flash lights and wave/honk if I get close to 'em...and I think that only ONCE in dozens of encounters have I had anyone acknowledge. Last week, I followed a CR/B Cooper for about 3 blocks through downtown Concord and ended up right beside the guy at a light. He finally turned when I beeped the horn...and gave me a "What? Go away!" look.

Maybe it's just the crusty, no-nonsense, nature of us New Englanders, but I think not. Basically, as MINIs become more commonplace, the percentage of people driving them who "don't share the motoring spirit" will naturally grow. As long as there's MCO as a place where those of us who choose to can share our enthusiasm, that's probably sufficient.

You know, at one time, Honda (old civics) and VW (orig bugs) owners flashed and beeped each other too.

 

>>
>>some people, i wont mention any names even though they are on this site, consider a mini "just a car" and doesnt buy into the lifestyle
>>
>>i call them party pooooopers

 

I would have to agree with jsun...in 5 years, there should be well over 100,000 MINI's on the road. Most of us here are early adapters, and part of a community (MCO) that's into the spirit of the car. But at some point, you'll have people just buying a MINI because it's small, good on gas and neat looking. I see a few MINI's everyday. Some wave, some don't. I always try and gesture and smile, but I know that at some point, people will see the MINI as just another car on the road
On the good side though, MINI get togethers, online forums and it's handling will keep people enthusiastic about the car, as well as it's ability as a kick a** auto-x car. To see them zooming around cones and stuff is a real hoot.