Our MINI is my wife's daily commuter. I rarely get to see it during the week. Today was different in that I took it to the dealer for some work. On the 4 lane highway, back and forth, FOUR times huge SUVs ... all different, literally cut me off. Each time had to brake hard, once hard enough to activate the ABS.

All travel was in the slow lane at the traffics pace ... about 65. They weren't exiting, just weaving in and out of traffic. I'm only venting because I felt like they thought I was some little ant to be stepped on.

When I was a wee lad, I would have reacted much differently but now I just let it go and let the blood pressure remain low. But THEN ... coming home, somebody ELSE did the exact same thing, weaved in and out of lanes, doing at least 85. A state trooper pulled in behind him. He must of ignored him because he pulled away, crossing lanes and WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP. Somebody was going to have a bad day

I'm sure there are very considerate Large SUV drivers but these just acted arrogant. Its not like they couldn't see me, the car is bright enough with enough graphics to stand out in normal traffic!

Arghh. Breath deep ... let the blood pressure drop ...

 

I never give them the chance

On the gas and in the fast lane

I avoid those suckers like the plague, defensive driving don’t ja know

 

Invisible MINI Syndrome...I see it all the time...

 

I don't give them a chance either... I get more people cutting me off in my old beater '92 BMW525. For me, it's so refreshing being in the Mini and not letting them have a chance to cut me off...

 

If it makes you feel any better they are destroying the environment and will probably burn in eternal hell fire for it. Just joking of course, but this is what I tell myself everytime an SUV angers me


I also heard from a freind who is a police officer that the State Highway Patrols have begun targeting large vehicles. I told my friend it is probably because with so many of them out there the police can't even see us little guys

 

i know the feeling!

there was one day when i avoided two accidents. one vehicle was an suv and the other vehicle was full size truck. drivers just don't seem to pay attention or see the mini.

as soon as they started to drive into my lane, i had to lay on the horn and swerve slightly out of my own lane to avoid the collision.

i can't remember ever using the horn this much in my old honda and it hasn't been limited to suv's being the culprit. thankfully, the mini has an audibly adequate horn and good maneuverability.

 

I do not succumb to road rage in these situations.

Instead, I use the MINI's accelleration and top notch handling to dish out what I like to call "Road Retribution"

 

I was trying to remain cool, and did. When the last car did it, I was about to "retribute" when I saw the state trooper (and he didn't) and decided that "discretion was the better part of valour"

hehe

 

I do get cut off by SUVs in the summer, in the winter they are not such a problem, as they are stuck in the ditch

 

I am actually thinking about buying an airhorn set for this reason. Nothing like blasting away at someone to give them a good scare.


Truthfully, IMHO, SUV commuters (note, I said commuters, this doesn't apply to all SUV owners...) really do support terrorism and therefore are no better than the terrorists. Why? They spend a ton of money on fuel driving vehicles that do nothing more than clog the highways for our MINIs, they take up massive amounts of parking, often using a space that two or sometimes even three MINIs could fit into (or at least two MINIs and several scooters!) and they routinely damage our shiny cars with their careless parking habits, opening doors and giant protruding bumpers.

Yes, I am an SUV hater. If every SUV owner in the US spent one day a week using public transportation, think how nice the roads would be for MINIs, and how much fuel we'd save as a country (talking about the US).

My two cents...
Mike

 

The idea of SUVs not being able to see the MINI is total BS. The MINI is taller and wider than many, many cars. Taller and wider than an '87 Honda Accord, for example.

 

very true....with my car lowered, it is still about the same height as my mom's audi A4 and is actually taller than my dad's TT.

 

being that I used to drive a bike everywhere I expect it...so the way to drive is...


"Drive like noone can see you"

Which means make sure you are always in a spot where that can't happen or you expect it to...on a bike you are keeping you distance or passing at a good rate...I prefer the "always stay in front" method of driving my self...just get by them and stay in front...obviously if they are speeding rediculously then let them go...Just try not to be with in a car length of them...

Thier mirrors are prolly pointed at them...so they can fix thier make up...or who knows...but they sure aren't looking for you...

if you think it's bad in the Mini...Imagine a bike...as in motor cycle in case anyone is wondering

 

I agree... more needless SUV bashing BS... Poor little mini... always getting picked on by the evil "big" grown-up cars..
I'm sure these evil SUV's drive around all day looking for poor little helpless minis to pick on... they don't bother other cars.... just minis... be scared.... be very scared...

 

Don't be scared, just move out of the way like not many other cars can't

 

This is how I drive any vehicle... I drive like others are not paying enough attention. In other words, I drive very defensively, and always have. People don't always use their mirrors or turn to see their blind spots. I am very cautious about my lane-changes as well as those of others. :smile:


Clover

 

you must have been a hoot in high school.

 

I get the same treatment here in Atlanta, there is NO respect for the MINI. I told my husband about this and he didn't think much of until last week when he took DC out and he experienced the same thing. I understand that our cars are small, but c'mon, they're not invisible!

 

I play with yellow cabs in Manhattan weekly so SUV's don't scare me ... I have backed a few back into their lane.

The drivers usually assume that it must be some wimpy little person driving that MINI.

Yeah ...

 

AAHHH, all the SUV bashing on this site kills me. I own and absolutely love a MCS, but I also own and love to drive an Explorer. I cut off and **** off more people in my Mini than I do in the Explorer. With the handling and power in the Mini, I'm able to weave in and out of traffic alot more. Where I live, this is the norm....those of us in little cars are the aholes. When in our larger vehicles we know to mind our own business and stay the hell out of the way.

 

That comes from owning a MINI. Most SUV, 4x4 owners don't own a MINI.
I just avoid them as much as I can.

 

Ah yes, in the land of speed and maneuverability, fast, little cars own the road. Everyone else just commutes there...

God save the MINI.

dan

 

I find that leaning on the horn, yelling out profanities, and displaying a choice finger to the offending driver tends to calm my nerves in such situations.... but then again, I have terrible road-rage.

 

DUDE ... you are WAY off.

I was making an "observation" of how these "large" SUVs drove. Just the facts. I was not bashing SUV drivers in general. I'm one of those people who have a SUV (albeit a "small" one) AND a MINI.

Your sarcasm is so far off base ... your out of the ballpark.

 

I probably was... but I can't remember.. those years were a blur.... Class of 1971