>>I can see where you are coming from. What I was endeavoring to do was point out is that a car is just a material object with an intended purpose. When you say I am not a car person that is not true. I retired in 2001 at age 53 after 37 years in the automobile business in San Diego with the last 30 with one BMW dealership. I love cars and I am always in the process of searching for my next acquisition. I have a ’04 BMW M3 on order and I am anxiously waiting for the new BMW M5 that is due out in a little over a year. My experience with BMW tells me to be leery of the first year’s production as they quite often caused us the most problems initially so a M5 for me is at least two years away. Whereas I may drive my high performance cars hard and fast I am not hard on them cosmetically. I take great pride and care of my cars, I just try and not lose perspective as to their intended use.
>>

Ok glad that u are a car enthusiast... but ya, just confused how u are not as **** as other people are. especially when u say how much of a car enthusiast u are... no no Lose prospective on the cars intended use?? Of course not... but being a door jam for the car next to me is not it... definite no no.

Yes I too am looking forward to the E60 M5. congrats on the M3. if u want... and if u are interested there might be a drive comming up with E39 M5s M3s and Porsches... let me know if u are intereseted... We MINIs can keep up in the twisties... I know I've done it.

 

Would you leave it in any other parking lot?

This is a MINI, not a Ferrari. Get a life...

 

>>Would you leave it in any other parking lot?

Yes with wide enough spaces and more considerate people around depending on the area...

>>This is a MINI, not a Ferrari. Get a life...

Why dont you? some MINI enthusiast you are... should appreciate other people's views.

 

errr.... A MINI is a passion, a way of life...I religion...a Driving craze for new millennium, a Bible beating gift from god himself, and if ferrari was a religion, the MINI is the massaiah...and that's saying something....If you got nothing nice to say, keep it to yourself...Two words...**** Off.

Thank you for your time and reading skills.

 

>>if ferrari was a religion, the MINI is the massaiah...

What about the M5?

 

err...The M5 is great, but err...Yeah, It's cool.

Thanks for reading the eight words i've used.

 

>>Is it legal for your employer to dictate how you get to the airport? Does your company have rules governing transportation to the office each morning? No taxis, only subways! Doesn't sound right to me. I wouldn't want to leave my car at the airport.


Well, Yes they can tell you what you can and can not expense off to them to pay!!! When you use your company expense account to pay for the taxi to the airport, they can certainly take that away from you.

-- My company did way back last year! I can't use a rental car, I have to expense off the mileage I put on my personal car. No overtime. No hotels either. and I can't fly, we have to video conference, period. I can only go in person if I can drive there and back within one business day.

But I do have to admit, I would not want to leave a nice car at the airport. Especially a car like the MINI that seems to attract allot of vandalizm. Now I live about a $20.00 taxi ride to our airport. I think I'd pay $20.00 there and $20.00 home just to know my MINI is safe in the garage.

However, if your company will pay for the Long Term parking but Not the Taxi then you may want to think about leaving the car in Long Term. If they are willing to pay for it, let them. If you pay for the taxi and save them the Long Term fee, they won't be saying "thanks" ! Next, they'll just refuse to pay for the Long Term saying "no one used it anyway". so if you don't use it, you'll loose it!

_________________

"Madeline" is Due in Late November ! -- MCS Chili Red/White/Stripes, Full Aero Kit and Union Jack --

 

My apologies about the use of profanity in this thread, to both the moderators and those who were insulted by the use of such words... One thing though, that might be considered is the use of some kind of censoring software, I've come across many boards that have such systems in place for when someone does use slang vocabulary by accidental means. Just a thought.

Sorry again

Cheers

 

>>My apologies about the use of profanity in this thread, to both the moderators and those who were insulted by the use of such words... One thing though, that might be considered is the use of some kind of censoring software, I've come across many boards that have such systems in place for when someone does use slang vocabulary by accidental means. Just a thought.
>>
>>Sorry again
>>
>>Cheers

Hey, You're ok, and welcome to MCO.

and BTW -- We don't need no stinking software (Blazing Saddles)

and what's that line of a joke? (and you know I'm terrible with jokes)
"Talk to me as though you were speaking to the Queen!"

 

I've parked my mini at La Guardia, JFK and Newark for almost a week at a time. I love it b/c occosionally you can fly over the lot and I can spot my chili red with white roof and bonnet stripes from the sky! It has always been there for me when I return and so far hasn't had a ding or a scratch. But even if it getsa little banged up one day, that's life....isn't it?

 

>>>>if ferrari was a religion, ...
>>

Repeat after me,

Tifosi

Tifosi

Tifosi

FERRARI is a Religion!

(There, now I feel better)

 

Please....spare us.

 

i know its just a car, but - and i get this impression a lot more in MINI forums than anyplace else - to a lot of people, their MINI is like their baby. how do you not understand this?

so like a week after i got my MINI, i went out with this guy...we'd met up in long beach, and he drove to the place where we hung out. halfway thru the nite, i started really worrying about my car, being parked out there in some residential neighborhood near downtown, wondering why i let this happen, freaking out about every possible thing that could happen to it. maybe that random skater kid was gonna crash into it and leave a dent...maybe 4 guys would pick it up and put it on the back of a flatbed, and drive off with it...maybe somebody would key it...i don't know. anyway, when the nite ended and we were driving back to my car, i guess my "what-if" scenarios were really getting on this guy's nerves...so he said "let's say something *does* happen to your car....it'd serve you right for overvaluing a material possession..." i shut up right there. when we got to my car and saw that it was ok, he asked when he would be able to see me next, and leaned over to kiss me...too bad i was already halfway out the car door, and running for my baby. i never did see him again.

though its true that i overvalue my car, nobody wants to hear something like that when they're honestly freaking out over it. i mean seriously, guys, if you really plan on getting some action, then uh...

anyway, that's the funny thing about MINI owners...some of them seem really absorbed with their cars...not sure why that is, but i totally fit that mold...i dunno, maybe i need to get some help...

 

funshine314: I hear ya. Peace.

 

>>i know its just a car, but - and i get this impression a lot more in MINI forums than anyplace else - to a lot of people, their MINI is like their baby. how do you not understand this? >>

I guess the same way I can’t understand getting all concerned about the “well being” of an inanimate object. If it gets scratched or dented I take it to a body shop and get it fixed. If it gets stolen that is what insurance is for.

>>so like a week after i got my MINI, i went out with this guy...we'd met up in long beach, and he drove to the place where we hung out. halfway thru the nite, i started really worrying about my car, being parked out there in some residential neighborhood near downtown, wondering why i let this happen, freaking out about every possible thing that could happen to it. >>

I doubt if my wife and I would still be together after more then 26 years of marriage if either one of us was more concerned about the well being of our car than enjoying each others company.

>>and leaned over to kiss me...too bad i was already halfway out the car door, and running for my baby. i never did see him again. >>

That may be a blessing in disguise.

>>i dunno, maybe i need to get some help...>>

I think that is one thing we can both agree on.

 

Funshine,
I know exactly where you are coming from! Your car is your passion. You voiced your concern that you'd left your car and it may not be safe, but the friend you were with didn't care about your concerns. He is not the guy for you! He could have easily seen it was important to you, even if he thought it was silly!

I had sort of the same thing, but it was with my dog. The guy just couldn't believe that I'd want to stop by my house after work to let my dog out before meeting him for drinks. When I tried to explain that I leave my home at 6:30am and don't get back until 5:30pm and it's 11 hours for a little dog to wait to go pee-pee. He thought I was nuts and said terrible things about little dogs, house dogs and dogs in general.

-- funny, I got a "headache" that afternoon and "had" to call his office and leave a voice mail that I was ill and couldn't meet him ... and after that was just too busy!

Buh-Bye!!!

_________________

"Madeline" is Due in Late November ! -- MCS Chili Red/White/Stripes, Full Aero Kit and Union Jack --

 

I think this thread is a matter of perspective. My friends, and especially my long-suffering wife, would confirm that I'm very attached to my cars. I was anxious from September to February waiting for my MCS to arrive, and now you couldn't scrape the stupid smile off my face with a chisel every time I drive it. I have sunk a lot of money and psychotrauma into modifying my Miata so that it's just about perfect for fast street driving; if it's not raining or cold, I'm driving the Miata like I stole it.

I'm crazy about these mass-produced cars, but I could replace either of them if I had to -- there are thousands and thousands of Minis and Miatas on the road. So if one of my cars burned to the ground, I'd be disappointed that I (or more likely my long-suffering wife) would have to deal with the insurance hassles, but I wouldn't lose even a minute of sleep.

My perfect sons and my beautiful wife are precious to me. I worry about them all the time. Cars that I can replace just aren't worth worrying about.

If there are people for whom a car can be their most significant concern, that's fine. I know exactly where they're coming from. My first brand new car that I bought with my own borrowed money was a beautiful 1985 AMC/Renault Alliance. I bought it for two dumb reasons: it was the Motor Trend Car of the Year (and I was fool enough to believe pretty much everything I read back then), and it looked a lot like the BMW 320i that I couldn't even dream of buying. That Alliance was pure junk, way inferior to any Kia or Hyundai available today. But I was nineteen and didn't know any better, so I thought that car was awesome. I washed it every week, even when I knew it was going to rain the next day, and I'd have a severe freakout of anybody touched it the wrong way.

Eight cars of my own later (four of them brand new), and after buying five brand new cars for the wife, new cars themselves don't hold much magic anymore. After more than half a million miles on my own cars, the magic is in the driving, the visceral feeling of being one with the car, the freedom of the road. I feel all of that as much as I ever did, if not more, but the possession and ownership of any particular mass-produced car isn't that much of a thrill.

I park my cars at the airport all the time.

 

Good morning,

My comments on parking at the airports. I park at the airport from time-to-time for
work related & personal travel. At least at Detroit Metro, any car get's fairly dirty when parked outside. When possible, I usually find an end-spot on a high level away from pretty much everything. Sounds nuts, but I try to park next to a car that is well cared for with as few dents as possible. Big SUV's (because of the mass and where the doors hit cars) seem to dent others the easiest :smile:

For me cars are importaint and I like them quite, but my true "loves" are my girlfriend, parents, sister, relatives and friends.

-Matt

 

>>I had sort of the same thing, but it was with my dog. The guy just couldn't believe that I'd want to stop by my house after work to let my dog out before meeting him for drinks. When I tried to explain that I leave my home at 6:30am and don't get back until 5:30pm and it's 11 hours for a little dog to wait to go pee-pee. He thought I was nuts and said terrible things about little dogs, house dogs and dogs in general.>>

BJ (Pebbles). I see a big difference between a dog which is a living being with feelings, needs, personality and the ability to give unconditional love and a car which is an inanimate object whose only real need is gasoline and an occasional service and oil change. The dog is happy to see you when you come home from a long day at work, whereas you may be happy to see your car, it could care less at seeing you. When your dog gets old you take care of their medical needs. Our 14 year old Caviler King Charles Spaniel is on a host of medications for her heart, breathing and arthritis. When your car gets old and starts needing a lot of repairs, you either sell it or trade it in. In my 37 years in the car business I never saw anyone break down and cry when they traded in their car, maybe a little sad, but no uncontrollable tears. I now when our little dog dies there will be plenty of tears from both my wife and myself. I even get a little teary eyed just thinking about it.

The guy you were to have drinks with was an idiot. He should have wanted to go to your house and meet your dog. I can’t think of a better way to get points with a girl then showing interest in her pets. But then I was always told that I was lucky in love!

Jerry

_________________
2003 Chili Red/White MCS, sport pack w/white wheels, cold weather pack, black leather w/anthracite dash, DVD-based Navigation w/OBC, HK sound, MFSW, PDC, rain sensing wipers & auto dim mirror.

 

if i wanted a car that was just "an object to be used", i would have saved some money and bought a jetta...

 

>>
>>Pebbles. I see a big difference between a dog which is a living being with feelings, needs, personality and the ability to give unconditional love and a car which is an inanimate object whose only real need is gasoline and an occasional service and oil change. The dog is happy to see you when you come home from a long day at work, whereas you may be happy to see your car, it could care less at seeing you. >>

jerry, do you see a big difference between a dog and a cow? cause they're both living beings with feelings and needs, and, depending on which society you're from, the ability to give unconditional love...we live in a society where the ideas you expressed about your dog are accepted, but to others, those notions are just ridiculous. the fact of the matter is, you worry about your dog when you're away for extended periods because its yours. so why can't somebody worry about his car - irrational as it may seem - if he's so inclined to?

 

>>
>>if i wanted a car that was just "an object to be used", i would have saved some money and bought a jetta... >>

>>
>>jerry, do you see a big difference between a dog and a cow? cause they're both living beings with feelings and needs, and, depending on which society you're from, the ability to give unconditional love...we live in a society where the ideas you expressed about your dog are accepted, but to others, those notions are just ridiculous. the fact of the matter is, you worry about your dog when you're away for extended periods because its yours. so why can't somebody worry about his car - irrational as it may seem - if he's so inclined to?
>>
>>

I don’t know if I see a BIG difference between a dog and a cow. But in the society that I live in, a dog is a pet and a cow is something you eat and cover the seats of your MINI with. I know there are society’s that have a different view, but I quite frankly don’t care as I don’t have to live there. And if you are going to equate the price of a car with the amount of worrying you are going to go through, then you better not move up the social-economic ladder through your life time, as the MINI is a relatively inexpensive car. You brought up price; I didn’t want to go there as what is affordable to some may be expensive to another. I don’t care how much a car costs, its still a material object that can be replaced. I currently own and in the past have owned cars that cost 4 to 5 times the price of a typical MC and I did then and would now park them in long term parking at an airport. I agree with Pebbles that the young man you were out with may not have handled the situation properly (I am not saying that I would have handled it any differently) as he could have been more understanding. But if I were out with a women that was more concerned about her car than my company, I wouldn’t have been looking for a kiss good night and I certainly wouldn’t have had any desire to see her again.


_________________
2003 Chili Red/White MCS, sport pack w/white wheels, cold weather pack, black leather w/anthracite dash, DVD-based Navigation w/OBC, HK sound, MFSW, PDC, rain sensing wipers & auto dim mirror.

 

>>i know its just a car, but - and i get this impression a lot more in MINI forums than anyplace else - to a lot of people, their MINI is like their baby. how do you not understand this?
>>
>>so like a week after i got my MINI, i went out with this guy...we'd met up in long beach, and he drove to the place where we hung out. halfway thru the nite, i started really worrying about my car, being parked out there in some residential neighborhood near downtown, wondering why i let this happen, freaking out about every possible thing that could happen to it. maybe that random skater kid was gonna crash into it and leave a dent...maybe 4 guys would pick it up and put it on the back of a flatbed, and drive off with it...maybe somebody would key it...i don't know. anyway, when the nite ended and we were driving back to my car, i guess my "what-if" scenarios were really getting on this guy's nerves...so he said "let's say something *does* happen to your car....it'd serve you right for overvaluing a material possession..." i shut up right there. when we got to my car and saw that it was ok, he asked when he would be able to see me next, and leaned over to kiss me...too bad i was already halfway out the car door, and running for my baby. i never did see him again.
>>
>>though its true that i overvalue my car, nobody wants to hear something like that when they're honestly freaking out over it. i mean seriously, guys, if you really plan on getting some action, then uh...
>>
>>anyway, that's the funny thing about MINI owners...some of them seem really absorbed with their cars...not sure why that is, but i totally fit that mold...i dunno, maybe i need to get some help...

Sorry but I have to agree with the guy a bit... If your first date consisted of you yapping about your MINI the whole time...I would think your nuts and materialistic as well. I mean christ its a first date..... Especially since he isnt a MINI owner I assume. Some people take the MINI thing WAAAAAAAY too far.

_________________

 

All you people need to wake up. However much some(most) of you people think that this car is your child, god, whatever..IT ISN'T! It is a car, a mode of transportation. You people have become so tangled up in this car it is rediculous. I almost have to think twice when I read what some of you write about these cars. Everyone thinks this is such a "happy" little car, and everyone has to be "happy" because they drive one. You people think I am "anti-mini" just because I think it is ok to compare it to a regular car, that it is actually ok to leave in an airport parking lot. MINI has brainwashed all of you into thinking this car is worth more than it actually is. Wake up already...

 

>>
quite frankly don’t care as I don’t have to live there. And if you are going to equate the price of a car with the amount of worrying you are going to go through, then you better not move up the social-economic ladder through your life time, as the MINI is a relatively inexpensive car. You brought up price; I didn’t want to go there as what is affordable to some may be expensive to another. I don’t care how much a car costs, its still a material object that can be replaced. I currently own and in the past have owned cars that cost 4 to 5 times the price of a typical MC and I did then and would now park them in long term parking at an airport. I agree with Pebbles
>>
>>

hey, i'm 22, and just graduated from a top university in my major...
i'm not solely to blame for the person that my upbringing/school have molded me into...this isn't so much my *defense* as it is a statement that i am very aware of who i am, my materialism and obsessive nature. unfortunately, this is the world that we live in, and i can get on the high horse and try to deny that i'm a part of it, or i can just face the facts. having said that, there's plenty of room (and time) for me to be moving up the socioeconomic ladder. so some people take their love for their first car (or second, or third or whatever) too far. we live in a society that accepts that, as well as the idea of dogs as household pets...deal with it.