personally i only get waves maybe a 1/3 of the time. Im in the same area as WAY and agree 100% that people around here view them as a "cute" car (lots of justa coopers), even some of the modded ones dont wave though.
I think part of it has to do with the branding. Mini used to have local clubs and events posted in the showroom, as well as their salesmen (when i got mine) tried to get you into that stuff. I even remember that my car came with an idiosyncrasy booklet that talked about the funny sound the power steering makes and lots of other stuff INCLUDING a statement that "mini owners tend to aknowledge their MINI brethren on the road by waving or flashing their lights, and may be offended by people who do not wave back" or something to that effect. That's how I learned, the guy at the dealer told me when i bought my car and handed me a booklet to show it! ... it also came with a "mini" styled card (black background, red trim with mini logo in bottom right with White letters) that said "Hey Sexy!"

^^ love that one, used it a few times and gotten a few laughs from other drivers out of it.

 

Just got my first mini yesterday. We shall see!

 

I'd have waved at ya.
I was next to a MINI at a light yesterday and my first reaction was to wave, so I did. The guy looked at me with a blank stare and I felt so foolish but I'm one of those irritating females, so I'll keep on waving.

 

I waved at four MINIs on a trip to town the other day. Three returned the wave, one woman in a Cabrio and her daughter waved very enthusiastically, they even came over to talk, after we parked!

Dave

 

I got my first wave today! I've had the car since late June, got rear-ended and got it fixed, and have had it to drive a total of about 4 or 5 weeks. I've been waving, but never has it been returned. But today was different.

 

I'd really like to know now the wave-ratio goes geographically. I just have a feeling that people in California are just not that friendly! Is it a case of the grass is always greener?? Or are people in other states just friendlier.

 

I have been a MINI owner since Oct/06 and I've noticed that the number of wavers has dropped. I noticed it when the second gen started showing up, Nothing against second gen owners its just what i have noticed. I always honk and wave to get other minis to notice. It usually works for the enthusiasts, mostly because of the dixey horn (same horn that's on the General Lee). It makes everybody laugh especially when u live in a red neck area.

 

I think you're right....I notice in LA nobody even looks in your direction....so you don't even get a chance to wave! I see minis all the time and nobody even acknowledges me.....sad :(

 

In the old days, when I had my '71 BMW 2002, fellow 2002 owners flashed their headlights at one another. 34 years and 7 BMWs later (8 if ya count the MINI), I very seldom see that amongst the Beemer owners of today. Likely it's beacuse the lights are always on but few are actually at home (behind the wheel, or otherwise).

As for the waving tradition amongst MINI owners, I'll just keep wav'n and hope maybe it'll make 'em stop to think "Why'd that guy wave at me?" Hell, I've even flashed my headlights when a wave was known not to really be seen by the other driver. Talk about confusion...

Some'll get it - some won't. No worries. Not all MINI owners can be as cool as us that know.

 

I did notice a girl in a countryman checking out my color! LOL...no wave tho!

 

I pulled up behind a Clubby the other day and WAVED, twice!! The lady looked in her rear view mirror like why is this guy waving at me.. When she pulled ahead a little she then realized I was driving a MINI as well and then she waved and smiled....Made my day....

 

I'll wave at ya if you're driving through Fort Worth! lol

 

I wish people in washington would wave :( I have pretty much become accustomed to not waving or getting a wave back. I'd say 1/25 minis will wave and I'm serious. It makes me sad and disgusted. Just gotta keep waving tho! Nothing but love for the Mini!

 

I live in Olympia and I get better than 50% returned waves from my fellow MINI owners.

Now that the weather is nice, I wave out the window or sunroof, but when it is cold, I flash my lights. I think that people have a hard time seeing the wave if you do it from inside the car with the windows up.

For me, the confused look is almost as good as a wave!

Dave

 

Kind of a bummer. That's how BMW owners used to be. Now, they're little more than just another car for many people. I've owned BMW's for a bit, and I used to wave, but now I don't bother. Everyone is seemingly in their own world, no matter what car they drive.

I own a red Triumph TR4A. One time I waved to a guy in a red MGB and he clearly ignored me. I guess he's still stuck on the Triumph vs MG war that ended 30 years ago.... Come on now....

I intend to be an auto enthusiast knowing every aspect about my car until the day I die.

 

I wave at mini that are tricked out n clean n shiny, it show they love their car

 

Im sure ive replied to this thread before but ill just add my .02 cents.

I always wave back to another mini owner. But ill admit I only wave to modded minis, and especially if its an R53.

I also wave to any other european car thats nicely modified, not so much *** cars and american cars.

 

i drove up on a white cooper tonight and when i passed him, i waved. i think he did too, but couldn't tell bc it was dark. however, when i usually wave, no one notices it.

 

People in Mooresville, NC seem to love MINIs. There are a good bit of MINIs running around and I always get a wave. On a side note, I went into autozone to get a part for the car and the lady didn't know MINI was a brand of car. Anybody ever have that happen?

 

I've felt kind of awkward waving at other MINIs because I wasn't sure how they'd react. I saw this thread last night, so today when I saw another MINI, I put my hand out the window and gave a big ol' wave. My dad thought I went crazy when I started smiling wider than the steering wheel and started laughing to myself when the passenger, then driver, waved back! Definitely making waving a habit now, just in the hopes of getting a wave back.

 

Hmmm, where was this? It was quite possibly me. So far I've only had luck getting one wave back in Memphis. Knoxville folk were much friendlier

 

All in all, I think it amounts to ignorance (and I don't mean that in a bad way).

I used to ride motorcycles. Now no one told me to wave at other riders, but I caught on pretty quick. There's an unspoken camaraderie with folks who adopt a unique activity.

But with MINIs, it's a whole different mindset. It's just a car to some. In some places they're quite common, so it's not seen as unique. As well, it's driven by all types of people, young, old, soccer moms and grease monkeys.

I think those who don't wave aren't being rude, in most cases I think they're just clueless.

But if enough people wave at them, they might eventually figure it out. so I say, keep on wavin'.

 

As I had said earlier on - several posts ago in this thread; Five Fingers or One, I'll Keep Wav'n...

Keep yer eyes open.

 

Proud to say that I'm of the grease monkey elk and I plan on getting to know my John Cooper Works Mini very very well!

 

hey fellow maryland-er!! i just bought my mini and i'm in love with it. i was at a light right around the corner from my place and a couple guys in a non-mini waved. it was pretty cool.

heading home on 97n, two people in a green gen 2 mini waved also. the feeling was pretty awesome. it definitely put a huge grin on my face .