nightowl, you forgot rules number 6 and 7:

6) If you see a pedestrian waiting to cross in a crosswalk, stomp on the gas and pretend you don't see them.

6a) If someone in front of you stops for a crosswalk, honk at them!

7) When the light turns green in both directions and you're making a left turn, go ahead and make your turn, forcing the opposing drivers to yield. If you're behind someone doing this, or even third or fourth in line, follow them about six inches off their bumper, so that ALL of you get through the intersection before the traffic with the right of way can proceed.

I bike in Boston more than I drive in Boston, and man is THAT scary. (See rule #3!)

 

I don’t know if anyone truly hates being passed by a MINI because I’m in one and their being passed.

_________________


"The only thing a lawyer won't question is the legitimacy of his mother." W. C. Fields

 

Well the best I can figure, only another 200 miles and my Chili Red/White MCS will be past the break in period. and alot of this other cars passin stuff is going to come to a stop. heh heh

 

>>Well the best I can figure, only another 200 miles and my Chili Red/White MCS will be past the break in period.

And what magical thing happens at mile 601 on the odometer. Just drive it.

Never did a break in and have no problems – or would ever think I would.

 

>>nightowl, you forgot rules number 6 and 7:
>>
>>6) If you see a pedestrian waiting to cross in a crosswalk, stomp on the gas and pretend you don't see them.
>>
>>6a) If someone in front of you stops for a crosswalk, honk at them!
>>
>>7) When the light turns green in both directions and you're making a left turn, go ahead and make your turn, forcing the opposing drivers to yield. If you're behind someone doing this, or even third or fourth in line, follow them about six inches off their bumper, so that ALL of you get through the intersection before the traffic with the right of way can proceed.
>>
>>I bike in Boston more than I drive in Boston, and man is THAT scary. (See rule #3!)

LOL, how very true. Though, i'm admittedly guilty of #7 at times.
Crossing the street in Boston is kinda like playing Frogger.

 

Here's my story of the week:

• I am getting ready to get off the highway, I'm in the far right lane
• SUV in front of me, two lanes to the left puts blinker on
• SUV merges into center lane, blinker still blinking, I'm right next to him
• I speed up to allow him to get over behind me
• This pisses him off I guess, becuase now he's riding my bumper
• I get off highway, with him still dangerously close, practically touching my car
• As I attempt to merge left onto the parkway, into traffic, with him right behind me...
• a mergeable spot opens up...AND HE TAKES IT almost forcing me into the guard rail ahead.

I laid on my horn for a good 5 seconds and mentally ***** slapped the guy.
Too bad he needs a big car to compensate for his small IQ (among other things).

 

village idiot here, what is a break in period??? Is that when you don't break wind cuz the car still smells new??

My road rules: I drive at my own speed. On a freeway always signal to change lanes and only use the left one to pass. Always drive in the right lane (safer from the cops for one thing).
Anybody wanna race, knock yourself out, me, I stay at my speed.
Wanna tailgate, a couple of hits of the brakes, you don't get the message and don't keep your distance, I slowly slow down to zero MPH and put my blinkers on at about 10 MPH.....never seem to have a problem.......(my AK 47 on thre gun rack may have something to do with that

 

>>Here's my story of the week:
>>
>>• I am getting ready to get off the highway, I'm in the far right lane
>>• SUV in front of me, two lanes to the left puts blinker on
>>• SUV merges into center lane, blinker still blinking, I'm right next to him
>>• I speed up to allow him to get over behind me
>>• This pisses him off I guess, becuase now he's riding my bumper
>>• I get off highway, with him still dangerously close, practically touching my car
>>• As I attempt to merge left onto the parkway, into traffic, with him right behind me...
>>• a mergeable spot opens up...AND HE TAKES IT almost forcing me into the guard rail ahead.
>>
>>I laid on my horn for a good 5 seconds and mentally ***** slapped the guy.
>>Too bad he needs a big car to compensate for his small IQ (among other things).
>>

I can relate. Here's a story I've told, but it bears repeating. I'm cruising up Highway 1 in Calif. and it's MADE for the MINI. It's about 8:30 AM on a Sunday morning, not very busy, and as I come up behind folks, they're finding the most reasonable spot to let me by if there's no good opportunity to pass. Nobody has given any sign of rudeness up to the point at which I come up behind a huge new Dodge Ram Hemi 4x4. I hold my 2 or 3 car lengths for a bit. He speeds up. I keep my "I'd like by when you can let me" distance, he speeds up a bit more- I'm starting to see his tires chirp and skip a bit on the tight bends. After about 2 miles or so, we're heading down to the bottom of a 10 mph switchback, and he finally slams on his brakes and sort of pulls over at the very bottom of the switchback, a dangerous and asinine maneuver. I avoid him and head up the other side of the swithback. After another curve, I look in my mirror, and he's now RIGHT behind me (think "Duel" w/ Dennis Weaver)- all I can see is Dodge radiator. So at this point, we dance. I start getting my rubber to chirp a bit and do the "Twisty Tango". He tries to keep up, so that he can scare me and/or bump my bumper with his hemi. We go through about 3 more turns, and then hit a nice tight 15 mph one. I look back, and he's completely sideways in the road. I continue on, giggling at his attempt to completely defy the laws of physics. Fortunately, there were no long straights ahead of us, as his hemi could have stomped my top end, so he had to settle down and accept the idea that a nimble little import had the nerve to expect a clodfooted gas guzzler to move aside.


_________________

 

>>Boston is bad? How about Philadelphia? I've spent a week there twice in the last month. They tailgate worse than Los Angeles. In fact there are road signs saying Don't Tailgate. They also have signs saying You can't afford a DUI. In a matter of minutes, I saw so many traffic infractions. Someone turning left on a Red Left Turn signal.
>>
>>To me, any state that recognizes they have bad drivers by having to post road signs to drive properly has some big issues.
>>
>>So what's it like in Boston?

well, they don't call us "M*******" drivers for nothin'

Just recently, there have been two highly publicized cases of road rage here in the Boston area....both times a driver has flipped off the hwy and been killed. I think the last one was a white SUV that was dueling w/ a small car, lost control and wrapped some trees.

Not coincidentally, the State Mounties have just announced a program to use unmarked Dodge Intrepids (how cruel, the Fords are easy to spot, obviously, who'd ever suspect an Intrepid) to monitor the hwys. But, thankfully, they're recognizing the cause of the road rage effect and in addition to targeting the yahoos tailgating, cutting off people, weaving, etc, they're also focusing on the left lane bandits, recognizing it's those slow movers that annoy people and cause (sometimes) the bad boy behavior.

I've noticed people tailgating the heck out of me too.

 

>>D.J.
>>
>>I hate to admit this (because I live here too) but it's 'cause you live in freaking California. Sorry, but drivers here are the worst :evil:
>>
>>Woody

Exactly right...it's the California drivers (unfortunately I'm one of them too). I sure enjoy smashing the throttle all the way to the floor though when I'm on the freeway just to prove what this little car can do, and most people are shocked. I had an Acura TL lose interest after about 110mph...Isn't it amazing how stable these cars are at high speed?

 

I live in Boston and all i can say it that it's like a war zone when it comes to driving. but it's not only the drivers that are crazy. the bike messenagers are the stupidest. i saw this one holding onto a truck and when the truck stop all of a sudden, the biker just flew into it and roled under it. i love my city but when it comes to driving in boston it's a whole different thing and not to mention the big dig really doesn't help much. Parking in the city is even worse. the only parking spots there is around is usually for chermercial plates, but even then people park in them (i'm one of them :smile: lol) regularly i'll give about 6 or 7 fingers a day when i'm driving into and out of boston. thats on a good day. But other then the horrible traffic and the annoying elderly driver who can barely see over the stearing wheel in his tub size lincoln the city is a great place.

_________________
whats UP!!!!!!!!

 

Sounds like a lot of these Cali stories are in So Cal. Up here in the SF Bay Area I think people are just clueless. Tons of people buy AMGs and M-series cars just for the prestigue and have no idea about the true capabilities of their cars. I pass these guys all the time, sometimes give them a quizzical look but 90% of thim they never even look over. I think its a lot like the Boston law (#5 was it?) "you are the most important person on the road", except up here I'd subtly rephrase it as, "there IS no one else on the road" --> people living in a vacuum.

on a lighter note, one time I did come up upon an M roadster who did have a clue. I just installed my pilo intake so I was feeling like hot stuff. He was stopped at a light, I was slowing down in the lane next to him. The light turns, I'm at his bumper but still going about 5mph. What the heck, I open it up. 400 ft later he passes me like I'm anchored to the ground. Oh well, at least I gave him a good laugh.

 

Yes! It was true in my 66 Mini, TR3 and MINI. Especially porkers in theiri Tahoes/Suburbans/Mercedes Trucklets, etc. It's a macho thing.

The best payback is leading them onto an off ramp. It;s fun to hear the tires screech!

Regards,
Red

 

You think you guys get tailgaited by SUV's?!?!?!?

Try having a license plate like mine that says "SUV 2BIG". Most people laugh at it but every once in a while I get some hoopie jacka$$ in an expedition riding my butt trying to "intimidate me". I always wanted to carry with me a bushel of bricks. The sun roof is just the right size to toss a brick out of for the buy behind you to enjoy at point blank range (disclaimer: I would never do this to anyone by any means [except for Mister "Joe Cool" in the jet black escalade on 279 north, **** off you low gas mileage commi-bastard]).

[/rant]

 

>>You think you guys get tailgaited by SUV's?!?!?!?

Ever wish you had a squirt gun attached to the back of your MINI? :evil:

 

FMS, hey I had your story happen to me at least twice on my way to Half Moon Bay area just north of SF. Big ole Suv,s that think that can have it both ways. They may have the speed and can go off road, but when it comes to the tight curves, they are no match for the MINI.

Since that first post back in Aug 03, I have moved to the flat lands of Oklahoma. Not to many good roads back here for my MINI that I have found. Lots of pickups with gun racks though, so I need to be careful and keep a low profile which is hard to do in a Chilli Red MCS. Hmmm, I wonder if they make a gun rack to fit the MINI?

 

>> Hmmm, I wonder if they make a gun rack to fit the MINI?


Here you go my friend
Gun Rack Equipped MINI

 

Well what do you know. A gun rack for the MINI. I think I will drive down to my local MINI dealer here in OKC and go to the parts dept and see if they stock this MINI option

 

BMW 3series owners always have a bone to pick with MINI owners, especially on the highway. I believe they see a MINI and realize they paid WAY too much for a bland status symbol.

 

ALL big city drivers are agressive by nature. It is their environment that makes them like that and I bet even saintly Mini drivers in NYC are agressive. It is life.
someone earlier said that if you are nice in traffic, people are nice back at you and this is SO true, in my experience as well. Even in giant metropoli (how.s that for a word) like London or Mexico city, if you give someone the right of way or wave them across the intersection, they will wave back and thank you.
My biggest pet peeve while driving is HORNS. Many a time I have actually gotten out of my car and told people where to stick their bloody tooters. AAAARGH....now that I am old and infirm, I don´t do that as much.......but I sure think it.....I HATE HORN TOOTING......
And another thing....I also drive an F-350 and you know what, people in small cars are paranoid of big trucks. a) the lights are higher so they seem closer, b) the vehicle is bigger so it ALSO looks closer than it really is, specially from the vantage of a Mini. SUV drivers (and big dually drivers in particular) are people too....

 

Pocket, if you hate horns, don't ever go to Egypt. Lots of drivers and they use those horns. I think the main problem was that the drivers were making five lanes out of three. All the cars and buses were all trying to get into the same lane. Also I noticed in Paris France that lots of horrns are being used. I think it's just a way of life for those drivers in certain areas.

 

>>Pocket, if you hate horns, don't ever go to Egypt. Lots of drivers and they use those horns. I think the main problem was that the drivers were making five lanes out of three. All the cars and buses were all trying to get into the same lane. Also I noticed in Paris France that lots of horrns are being used. I think it's just a way of life for those drivers in certain areas.

Was in Cairo once being driven by a chauffer in a Mercedes. The guy thought that since it was a Mercedes and the owner was not there, he owned the road and that his horn (of course) was a magic wand to make solid obstacles and even people vanish into thin air a second before he hit them.
HOLY GUACAMOLE I'VE NEVER BEEN SO SCARED IN MY LIFE AND I AM THE MEANEST sob IN THE VALLEY.......Lived through it though, and got to see Giza at dusk on horseback......

 

Q: what's the difference between a NYC driver and a Boston driver?

A: A NYC driver will not hit a pedestrian. A Boston driver won't scratch another car.

 

chicago drivers loose control of their car on their own and get runover
by a tractortrailer...

 

SUV's and ricers are constant nuiscances... But TAXI cabs are professionals.

On Friday and Saturday nites in Manhattan, NYC; traffic is light enough that all major avenues tend to become drag strips. If you're going uptown/downtown (on 8th or 9th ave, for example) all of the traffic lites are timed. so... if you are going fast enough, and you can dodge traffic nimbly enough, you can ride green lights from Times Square to NYU.

At a traffic stop, on the five lane avenues you'll have a requisite SUV, YOU in the MINI (our hero), and 3-4 taxis jockeying into position, creating lanes where none existed before.

Traffic Light GO!

Immediately, the line of 6 cars (in 5 lanes) start blasting towards the next intersection, where 3 cars are still waiting at the red light on the verge of turning green... leaving 2 lanes open. Taxicabs will rush at you, trying to pass every other moving object on the road, missing your side mirror and front bumper by mere millimeters, all of them trying to rocket through the 2 open lanes in front of them, just as the light turns green. To cab drivers, everyone is the ENEMY, even other cab drivers. The SUV gets left in the dust, not being able to fit their behemoth through the tight spaces in traffic.

NYC TAXIS will tailgate you, dive into your lane, near sideswipe you, and will play chicken with you without provocation. They will do everything it takes to be the lead car in traffic. Our MINIS are smaller, faster, and lighter, we can beat them... BUT Taxis are the most ruthless bastards on the road that you will ever find.

Always keep your eye on them in NYC.

>>>>>MARIO!