Here's a wave to imavunderbrah...noticed this was your first post...welcome to NAM!

 

I'm a chica, and when I see another fellow motorer, I go nuts waving and flashing lights and/or honking, and they do the same in return.

Although, I was driving up to Cleveland (I like and work in Akron, OH) and there was a chica in an all black MCS, and I waved to her, and she did not even acknowledge me. So perhaps you're right....

But I go nuts when I see another one (there aren't too many in Akron).

 

Wavin' big. For the best of me I can't recall on middle-aged female driver waving, honking, flashing, etc. ever. It is quite evident when driving that thye are trying to ignore your presence. However, the majority of owners wave or at least acknowledge you being there. When passing them in traffic I usually just give a small wave or head nod to "older" motorists. The reason being they seem to be more introverted about their ownership.

Young people usually wave or honk. Even the hotties, bystanders alike, stare and smile. He he. Maybe it's my young good looks. With the exception though of some who unfortunately feel it is necessary to look away. Sad because most people are just trying to be friendly.

Lastly, I am waved at/wave to people in Shelby Cobras, BMW 2002, Z8, and other classic cars.

 

Chollomo - That was doggone funny, about the corn chips thru the sunroof to symbolically represent flyaway truck cargo, . And to top it off, the driver "got it".

Hmmm, "symbolically represent"... is that redundant?

I been working MUCH too hard,
Tatt

 

I have noticed that most women just try to look as if they didn't notice, feeling threatened or stalked or whatever. Men do tend to wave more.

I was driving a female friend of mine who wants a MINI bad and when I flashed the lights at another MINI she explained to the other passenger (a friend of hers) "These MINI people ....." and I said, "Wait don'y YOU want a MINI?.....That is something you too will have to get used to."

 

I'm not sure if it's regional or not. I think I got more waves when I lived in the Chicago 'burbs, but then out as far as I was MINIs were rare. I'm in the DC 'burbs now & while they aren't quite a dime a dozen, MINIs are pretty common. I get a lot fewer waves now even though I still give them to every MINI I see... emphasis on the SEE. Sometimes I'm in my own world & don't see them...

I do notice that MINIs with lot of stickers (club, performance, cheek, etc) always seem to wave... same with those with stripes. The others are hit & miss. I do admit that I don't think a single woman has ever waved at me or waved back... maybe they think I'M flirting with them... hahaha (NOT). Guys seem friendlier about comparing cars... and I'm going no further with that line!

My best wave was to a classic Mini identical in colors & stripes to mine... I was grinning all day.

I did get to "play" with a cute guy in a nice M last night... I find that happens more often than waving... just a friendly little game of chase (nothing dangerous, just showing off a bit and sounding cool LOL) and grinning at each other. Though I do admit I am picky about who I'll "play" with... usually it's BMWs, though I've played with a few Porsches, 1 Ferrari (who was I kidding??), 1 NSX (smoked me, but he was cool about it!) and lots of WRXs... I won't play with the Ricers or low-riders trucks. Gotta have some standards!

 

How can people wave when they are steering with voice commands into their cell phones? At least I assume that's what they're doing...

Seriously though if there is one thing I have noticed, I have seen exactly zero males driving a mini while on their cell phone. And literally nearly 40% of the time a female is jabbering away, certainly not paying attention to a wave.

But I think the overall issue is location and demographic. The boston area has a huge concentration of minis. There are two on my one-block street, one the next street over, and another two streets away (that I know about), for example. But commonplace is not an excuse. I am always amazed when heading out in my friend's Jeep Wrangler, the amazing number of wrangler drivers that wave at each other. If you look, you see them everywhere. There are sometimes FOUR on my one-block street! And they are certainly nothing new.

Problem is that we are all enthusiasts, which is only one demographic that mini sells to. Enthusiasts notice and wave to each other. They pay attention to the road and their surroundings.

But as we all know, girls consider the MINI a CUTE car. And the base version at $15,000 means it is a CHEAP CUTE car. MINI sells a ton of cars to this demographic. Guys will not buy a car because it is cute. Tons of girls do. These girls are not entusiasts. "It's Just A Car" is their usual mindset and they just went for the cuter one than the Toyota. Don't expect them to wave back, or to even notice you waving.

However I still encourage waving at them, you may catch the attention of a small percentage, and infect them with a little enthusiasm for the car. Once it's in their brain it spreads like a virus, and if they keep seeing it, next thing you know they're at the next MINI motoring meet.

P.S. That other MINI on my street, a near-base MC driven by a female, for example wore the big bright yellow airbag-warning sticker on the dashboard for literally 5 months. Recently, it finally disappeared. Perhaps she's noticed the other mini, and me always outside caring for it, and decided to do the same. Unfortunately it still carries a Herb Chambers emblem on the back...

 

Hey Maydayer buddy! While your generalization about us women MINI drivers may be true, I don't think it is an overwhelming majority. Then again, I do not live in an area with a high concentration of MINIs, so I'm not exposed to the average woman MINI driver that often. So I must be the minority. All it took for me was to see Charlize Theron driving through the "practice" course, and I was hooked. I wanted to go fast. I wanted to take sharp turns w/o slowing down. It wasn't about the car being "cute" - it was about this car being so much fun. See my "How Dobby Changed me" Post.

And oh yeah. I never talk on the phone while driving. In fact, if my phone rings, I don't answer it. Why? Because I'm afraid I will miss part of my thrill ride.

 

Of course you are the exception WM. You just proved so in your right-lane drving thread! :D

And I think Charlize driving the mini got the attention of plenty of guys too.

Actually if you watch the behind-the-scenes driving school video, they wanted to sign her up for 4 extra weeks of driving school and have a stunt driver for most of her driving, and she instead said no way, took her car out and beat the pants off the other actors on the course, and ended with a big grin. Mark Whalberg ended with a trail of vomit!!

So WannaMini you can qualify yourself as being just like Charlize Theron.

 

Oh yeah, I've watched that driving school segment several times. I LOVE the reverse 180 she did in the tight space in the warehouse. And when you say I'm like Charlize, you mean driving skills in Italian Job, and not appearance in Monster, right (although a FANTASTIC acting performance)?

 

I'm glad I made you laugh I hope your day is a little better. The funniest stuff in life is always true.

 

I see six or seven a day. People around here have pretty much given up waving since there are so many.

 

I really like the ad that Puls posted, so I took it and cleaned it up a bit.
We should all print it out and put it in the window or something.
Grab it here.

 

First got my baby I was so stoked driving him and running my mouth (definite girl thing) that one of my coworkers, also a MINI owner passed me straight away leaving one of our local big box shopping joints and I didn't realize I hadn't flashed lights until he passed me. Now, Im more aware; try to wave, peace sign, and all that, and Id say get about an 80% response rate. People are just spacing out a lot of times; don't take it personally; probably jus tgroovin on some tunes, yakking it up, or just digging the moment in the MINI. Happy Miniiing to all

 

I think you are right.. In my daily commute there are a few MINIs that I have passed in the opposite direction.. I learned to stop waving at the ones who dont wave or flash back.. I saw a new MINI driven by woman (between 25-45 maybe?) not long ago, and I waved her.. she did not acknowledge. I think she either wasnt paying attention or didn't know to respond.. because I passed her again today, and I almost didnt notice that she was flashing and waving as we were passing..

 

I wave at MINI drivers and they look at me funny... then I realize I'm not in JerseyGirl's car...

 

I don't care if you own it, stole it, or are just borrowing it. I don't care if you are male or female, I don't care if they are driving or riding in the boot. I don't care if your on the phone, or playing with the radio: It is your dutyfree responsibility to recognize other MINI people with some such notification including, but not limited to: waving, honking, light-flashing, or some such noteable method.

Those who do not, do not deserve the joy that MINI brings them.

 

:wavey: