Instead of waving, try giving a "thumbs up." Its more of a statement about the car, and thus less personally threatening. Those of us that owned Bultacos recognize the value.

 

I've noticed that with other enthusiast cars too! My hubby drives an Evo and we hang out with WRX and STi folks. We all wave to other WRX's out there. 99% of the guys in WRX's wave, but on the rare occasion that you see a woman driving, they never wave. And I don't think that it's because they don't see us 'cause all of us wave like big fools. And in this case, they can't be driving it for the cute factor, since WRX's aren't cute or "girly" at all

 

Why should these women be any different in their Minis, than they are out of them? Well at least here in L.A....

 

If I ever see another MINI I plan on waving. I noticed when I'm riding my bike at the walking/biking trail a lot of women have the straight ahead, no eye contact attitude. I think there're convinced there are a lot of bad people out there.


Maybe there 're right.

R.E.

 

For the most part, I think men are naturally more outwardly friendly than women. Men are more likely to chat up a stranger and yes, wave at someone they don't know. Women tend to be a little more suspicious.

That said, I'm a girl and I've owned my MINI for all of five days. I saw one red MC in that time, and yes, I did wave. I will continue to wave because, in short: I got the memo. I read NAM and forums elsewhere, so I know it's the right thing to do. If I never found the forums though, I'm not sure if I would be a snob or not.

 

The last woman I remember waving, looked about 80 years old in a CR/W MC on the Maine Turnpike, and she waved first. I kid you not! She was a sweetie. :smile:

 

I can understand that women tourists in Italy are wary as you can look straight ahead and still get your butt pinched. In a MINI however, a guy would have to reach pretty far for a "pinch on the boot" .

 

Same thing when I run. Women don't wave back.

We have a woman in our MINI club that told the story of a guy that followed her home only to ask here where he should go to buy a MINI. She gave him our club card and now he calls me once a week while still shopping for his MINI.

 

Umh...... Helloooo..... Like you live in-New Jersey!?!?


Just kiddin. I know some great people up there.

 

No, its not you. I find it the same way here, there are a few middle aged women drivers around here and none of them wave, other than them, i dont see many.

 

I like to wave when I remember (I am female) but I don't usually notice the oncoming MINI until it's too late. I am watching the road, specifically the lane I'm in and whether or not any of the cars in front of me are going to do something strange. I'm also keeping an eye on oncoming traffic, but I don't notice specific makes and models (even MINIs) until they are about a second or two away, not much time to get a wave exchange going.

And I have been inculcated with a very high level of paranoia by my mother and grandmother, so I have to assume everyone is out to get me until proven otherwise.

 

it is just the opposite around here....10 of 10 women wave(not middle aged all very cute)...I start to wonder whether is it my charm or MCS

 

Outside of driving the twisties scary fast, my favorite thing to do when driving my MINI is to wave at other MINI owners. Even if others don't wave back I will always wave.

 

That's a very interesting point, and one that I've suspected for a while...not that I (as a male) could have made that point publically myself.

Maybe it's just women up here in New England...but I have the same experience as scooterboy. And I'm probably one of the guys who waves back at him all the time.

 

I agree, but not tryign to be sexisit but there is a slight tip in the balance of male to female wavign ratio... of course, I have notice that women who don't wave just didn't see my car or soemthing, but guys who don't wave will go out of there way to IGNORE your exsistence and not wave, which is sad. Of coure I go out of the way everytime to wave.. I've been known to weave up to other minis just to give them a hello and ride with them in traffic. If I see a mini at a gas station I will fill up or at least pull in to say hello. I love my car, it's the only car I've ever had that makes me smile. and I want others to smile in it too.

funny side note.

I drove up to a trucker the other day and opened my sunroof to get his attention I was waving at him.. he wave at me and even blew the horn for me...of course when I starting throwing corn chips out of my sunroof he did finally get the hint that I was trying to tell him that his cargo of boxes, and foam, package etc... were flying out to the top of the truck a spewing all over the road. Oh well, nice guy though

 

I don't have mine yet, but I for sure will wave to anybody I see! (female talking). I doubt that will be many since I live out of the metro area.

I even wave to MINIs in my car now! I think they think I'm crazy... Can't help it, I just go crazy when I see one!

 

I'm still a-wavin'! Not too many MINIs out here in the corn fields, I get all excited when I see another.

A a grocery store parking lot yesterday, a grandmotherly lady waked over to my car (at the far reaches of the lot). She had two youngsters in tow. "We've come to talk to you because we have a MINI too!" I have seen her around town in her cw/b Cooper, knew what driveway the MINI parks in at night, but we had never met. In a slight British accent she told me of owning a Mini in England many years ago, how she bought the third MINI in Indiana, how she plans to keep her '02 until her grandson grows up and is ready for it.

She is definately an enthusiast, although she had not heard of NAM. I told her she should get on line and start sharing her stories. Oh... she waves.

Dogspeed.

 

If I see other MINIs in time, I always wave like a fool! LOL! Plenty of times, the other MINI driver is yakking with their passenger and misses me...

I've looked plenty of MEN in the eye and waved, only to have them look at me like I'm insane! No...not flirting...just acknowledging a fellow-motorer! Sheesh! I also flash the high beams if I have enough time to do so!

Clo/Wanda

 

I always wave when waved to, but I never instigate anymore because I feel like a jackass when I wave and it's not returned. You are right though, Scoot...men in my area are about 3000 times more likely to wave. I only have had a couple lady wavers. :smile:

 

That's b/c 9 out of 10 women drive like they have blinders on! (it's a joke - don't flame me!)

 

Same deal in my area. Maybe women are busy driving and not wanting to be distracted by waving. Maybe it's a reflection of our society and different norms for males and females for being outwardly friendly. That's a sad commentary.

 

Last night while driving around with my husband, I noticed how much stuff he is looking at while he is driving, besides the road. Don't get me wrong, he's a safe driver, but he's always talking about what the people in the cars around us look like or are doing, etc. When I say that I didn't notice, he makes some comment about how I don't pay attention to anything. Do all guys do this, and as a result they see the other folks who are waving at them? I try to pay attention to other cars around me, but I have to admit that I tend to focus more on the idiots on the road in front of me.

 

Driving home from work, coming up to traffic by Sorrento Valley on 805 South (this is in San Diego). I'm in the #3 lane and see a PW/PW MC in the #2 lane. I was excited because I have a PW/B MCS - I figure we have the same color car so for sure I'll get a wave.

My lane was moving faster, so I passed by and stuck my whole arm out the window and waved. I check my mirrors and don't see any waving, but notice the driver is a cute blonde. Couple minutes go by and here comes the MC as her lane is going faster than mine now. We're going maybe 10 mph right next to each other and I look over and...she won't even look over! She was kinda smiling so I think she knew I (and more importantly my MINI) were right next to her (and more importantly her MINI), but she chose to go with stare-straight-ahead over the friendly look-over-and-wave.

Her license plate started with 5C..... and mine's 5H......, so she's had hers a lot longer than I've had mine. Maybe she's just jaded. I will never be jaded I tell you. Never! I love when people wave to me, and I love when kids notice my car, too - don't be afraid to say hi!

 

I really don't think the reason is that they don't see me. I'm not talking about seeing one on the other side of the highway or even the other side of a secondary road. I'm passing these women on the highway in the lane immediately to the left of theirs. There's no way you don't notice a car just like yours passing you in the lane next to you, especially when it's a rarer car like the MINI.

I'm convinced that these women make a conscious decision to ignore me and I'm just curious why that is. Again, I'm happily married and not flirting - just being friendly.

Maybe it really is that a lot of women get gawked at on the highway and have conditioned themselves to ignore all other drivers. Oh well...

 

I agree, I don't even bother waving at women drivers unless they do first because they typically give me a dirty look or ignore me anyway. Once woman, who was driving a very nice customised S, acted like I was going to kill her or something because I gave her a friendly wave. I was seriously afraid that she was going to call the cops on me. I was thinking, don't flatter yourself chick - I wouldn't give you a second look if you were driving another car. With that being said, the most enthusiastic people I have run across in a MINI have been women.