Remember the days when just about every MINI you passed would waive or flash their headlamps?? (Or reciprocate yours). Has owning a MINI suddenly lost it's thrill to the point where it's "no big deal" to have one? 7/7 MINI drivers failed to respond to my friendly hello's last week commuting, and IMO that's pretty darn upsetting.

jw if fellow 1st Gen's have been saddened by this.

 

I still honk and wave

 

I've only had my R50 for a year, but being a former motorcycle guy i immediately jumped on the Wave bandwagon. Unfortunately my return percentage is maybe 1%. Almost no one waves back. At best they don't notice and at worst I get dirty or confused looks

 

Being from the Boston area, the waveback percentage is low but I think I can deal cause traffic, and driving here is sometimes so bad, that Id rather peeps keep eyes on the road and hands upon the wheel!! lol Being a motorcycle rider, I was pretty used to waving and only getting a low percentage back too. Maybe regional?? I wave and honk or both!!

 

I've only had my car two months but read about save the wave on here, and so far I'd say 95% of the MINIs I meet do not wave back at me. I'll continue to wave though.

 

I'm new to MINI's but I have been trying to wave to each other MINI I pass. I say its a 50/50 thing around Baltimore. A lot of men that own MINI's wave back. Although, today I was heading home from work, I came right next to an older guy and his wife who were in a R50 at a red light and they didn't even glance over (while I was waving ) and then just kept puttering along.

I gotta say, a lot older ladies just don't know what they are driving, other than a "cute car." Cute girls that wave back is always pleasant.

We gotta save the wave!

 

I think it's all in the numbers. In some areas there are so many MINIs that they are becoming commonplace.

Do Volkswagen owners wave? In 1957 when I bought my first VW I could drive across Baltimore (pop 2,000,000) and possibly see one other VW. We waved.

In 1959 I drove my PV544 (Volvo) to Florida from Baltimore. During the entire trip we saw one other Volvo going in the opposite direction and he blew his horn until he was out of ear shot.

Where I live now we're about 60 miles from the nearest MINI dealer, so we get lots of waves. Of course it seems a tradition for the folks in the mountains to wave at anything that's not a bear.

 

I got a super awesome thumbs up from another Mini owner the other day! I was so happy! I don't get too many in Fort Wayne. Although when I first bought my Mini and had the temporary tag on it, another Mini rolled up next to me and started asking me if I loved my new car! I was thrilled!

 

I've concluded that the majority of todays MINIites are either texting, talking, or trying to do both at the same time. They've got no time for the finer things of life...

 

2nd gens happened, then appliance drivers bought them.

 

I guess living in the south, waving is common place, even just waving to someone walking down the road gets a nod and a wave back. I'm batting about 90% wave back down here in GA

 

part of the problem is as time goes on, the "wave campaign" mini did during their original launch of the bmw coopers is being forgotten. for example i bought my cooper used at a subaru dealership and didn't know about the wave until after i came here. the mini dealership i visited to get some parts didn't have anything about the wave but the "Unauthorized mini cooper manual" that came in my car did mention the wave.

 

The newness and exclusivity of the MINI has diminished over time. MINI sold nearly 30K vehicles in North America in the first half of 2011 alone.

Ouch! I am still trying to warm up to my 2nd gen JCW. It has definitely taken longer than the love-at-first-drive R53.

 

This is even happened to the Jeep crowd. It used to be when I had my 87 Wrangler EVERYONE waved. It was a niche vehicle. Now that the JK Sahara has come out and they've turned it into a damned H3 no one waves. I guess that's what happens when you put street tires and chrome on a Jeep.

 

I've got like a 40% success rate with waves, hah! Maybe I scare the ladies


I've noticed the same thing with boating though... barely anyone waves on the water anymore :(

 

The other day I was driving in western MA and saw a middle ages couple driving together and as I gave a wave out the window the male in the passenger seat gave me an enthusiastic wave back but I don't think the lady driving knew what was going on. Regardless it put a smile on my face.

I bat about 50% here in northern CT I'd say in my r56. I get more waves now than I did in my r50 I think....

Keep it going

 

I too had this thought rattling around the back of my head somewhere, but didn't want to admit it. I think the "30k sold" stat is most likely the finger pointing at the age old fact: As more people know, the more we forget.

On a happier note I went 1/1 on my commute today

I have much better return rates out in center city (philly) than out in the burbs or on highways.
And it's always nice when you walk back to your car after shopping to find someone elses MINI hanging out with your own.. regardless of how far away from other cars you park. talk about a MINImeet

 

I don't mean the 2nd gen is at fault, its just a different type of person buying most of them.

 

I couldn't figure out why other Mini drivers didn't respond to my honks and waves. Told my son what was going on. He looked at me and said "Dad, you've been driving my Focus". Moral of the story - make sure your driving your Mini when waving.

Kevin

 

This topic comes up all the time. Just keep waving. If they don't acknowledge, it's their loss. I just drove down to Florida and back to see Atlantis' launch, and I got a few waves and smiles.

 

Bahaha this happens to me! Most of the times I remember to wave I realize I'm in someone else's car and end up looking like a crazed sociopath. When I am in the Coop it seems that no one waves back. Pity, that.

 

i still waive but don't honk or do the lights. some people waive back.

 

When I had my 02 everybody waved.... I remember running down the interstate and some yahoo hung out their window doing 70 to get my attention to ask what my car was... lol.... hopefully I can get my hands on another mini (been mini-less since 04) and experiment with the wave....

 

I have only had my Mini 2 weeks now. I waved at another Mini today, very similar in look to mine, we were passing in opposite directions, slowly, in a parking lot and he definitely saw me, and I definitely had time to see the strange look on his face, something like "why is that strange man waving at me!??"

 

I've had my MINI for 14 months and I still have to refrain from waving at smarts... I had a smart for 2 years before I got my MINI.

The other day on the way to work I was stopped at a light where the only cars there were me and two other MINIs. Needless to say, waves ensued!!