I've always figured that if I don't get a wave/flash/honk it's because the closing speed of the oncoming MINI is too great to react in time.

That's certainly my excuse.

 

A beautiful thing happened today.

An old lady and her grandson--I am assuming--rolled up behind me in a dark blue mini and passed really slow. The kid's eyes were glued to the car and they both had goofy grins on their faces. They waved, I waved.

Everything's gonna' be alright...

dan

 

If any of you in here see an '06 SB/S MCS, w/silver bonnet stripe, go by and not wave it is because I did not see you, not because I don't wave.

My wife and I came to the conclusion that she is a better MINI spotter than I am. When I am behind the wheel I am looking for hazards in front of me and thus miss many MINIs. It is not because I am "stuck-up" or anything else, it is just because I didn't see you.

If I see you, I wave, even if you don't. I just figure that you were too busy driving and didn't see me.

 

Best post of the day!

Oh, and In Before The (not too likely) !

 

 

I drove roundtrip from Tallahassee to West Palm (850 miles) this past weekend and saw maybe at total of 6-7 MINIS going in the other direction. I never saw one or passed one or got passed by one in "my" lane/direction coming or going.

PS I saw an awful lot of new Mustangs.

 

I dunno, it certainly got my attention. I wanted to know what the problem was and if their was anything I could do to fix it...here I go again...trying to save the world. But then it turns out that he is just in an anti-social neighborhood and, well, if he continues to set an example, maybe those anti-social ones will get their north end out of their south end.

I love it when I'm in a shopping lot and loading up my MINI and every now and then someone will stop to watch and when I get it all in there, they ask if they could sit in the car too. I let them...no harm done. They are always amazed at how much room is in the front as well as the back. Key West is very small. My car is unique. And people wave, whether they know me or not, they recognize the car. Tourists riding the tour train and trolly like to take pictures of my baby. It makes people smile, and that is nice. I work in a jail with the male and female inmates...all day long, all I hear is "you have to, I have a right to, you gotta do this or that, I'm gonna sue you"...

It's just nice to see people smile.

Mick

 

Hey I am a new Mini owner. I bought mine used and never knew anything about the wave thing. Luckily a fellow Mini owner gave me a wave on my second day of ownership and I got clued in real fast! Now I always make a point to wave, but have noticed that many, maybe as high as 50%, don't. Yesterday I saw a brand new 06 BRG MCS Convertible and got a wave from both the driver and the passenger. I have a hard time believing that all these people who don't wave are new owners.

Don't stop waving because other's don't. There is no faster way to kill this than for everybody to wait for the other driver to wave. I think it is what helps to make this car special. If somebody doesn't wave back I don't take it personally. I just figure they're having a bad day and it is not going to ruin mine. Maybe a wave can even make somebody's crappy day better.

 

Well...I've been thinking about this thread and how when I got my first MINI back in 02 that I was COMPLETELY oblivious to not only other MINIs, but other everythings on the road! I was in a happy pink cloud of getting to know my new MINI, and my hubby had to point out other MINIs on the road. I was too busy just enjoying my new ride to have enough wherewithall to notice other MINIs.

Now, I can spot them very easily, but it took me some time to adjust to my marvelous MINI. Also, I hadn't driven a stick in 18 years, and that was absorbing much of my attention!

I also agree that so many folks are multitasking, that they may not have an extra hand with which to wave, flash lights, or whatever. I laugh when I wave and flash hi-beams at other MINIs and get the shocked deer-in-the-headlights look from them....they just may not know about the friendly MINI community we've all built.

 

I'd like to add my thoughts on the title of this thread... We held the Norfolk Pulley Party this weekend, and met quite a few new Mini owners that came out for the event. One fella had JUST picked his up from the dealership the night before! Didn't even have 150 miles on it and was Randy pulley install #727!

I'm sure there are still plenty of mini owners out there that are very unaware of the enthusiasm we all share, and that there is such a great community around this fun little car. I guess the bottom line for me... I love my Mini... but I really love all the people that share the love.

 

I'm a new mini owner and I waved to another Cooper S the other day, and he just stared at me like a deer in headlights. I think it's the older (longer) Mini owners that suck . The new ones are more excited, and it's the have beens that think they are too good for the new guys. Of course i'm just making this up as I go, but it sounds logical .... But either way, I could give a poop. Enjoy your car and happy motoring. I'm still going to wave

 

I bought a 1988 Chevrolet (work truck) in 1999 and waved at everyone who waved at me in that old truck. I did not identify with the vehicle at that point just I had a truck that was so common people everywhere near where I live knows a person with that color and looking truck (red and silver). Now I'm a new MINI owner and cant' wait to see other MINI owners to wave becuase I now identify with my MINI and love my little car (Little Gunner). It is so much fun driving to and from work now and it is a real joy driving around anywhere in Gunner.

I have waved, and will wave at anyone I see in MINIs whether I'm in my car or not. It seems funny to other people I'm sure having a person in a Toyota Sienna minivan waving at them but my other car is a MINI and I'm proud of it.

 

Sweet! I forgot to mention that if people wave at me, I wave back IF I notice them (and I usually do...I'm a car guy, I sense cool cars).

My intent was really to get the point across that many people might not wave because they honestly did not see you or some other innocent reason. I sometimes notice other Mini owners after they've passed or if I was mid-shift, then I feel bad. So I just wanted to comment to the original poster that maybe people have a reason for not waving.

I once sold a car to a guy with one arm...hope he never waves at me on the highway! (that is 100% true!)

I'm no classic snob, either...motor on!

 

My wife and I drove to the east bay and back again today. We were in my 02 CR/W S, and saw about 8-10 minis. Only one acknowledged our wave.....

Matt

 

I'm still waving. When they don't wave, oh well. Today I was at a stoplight. A Blue MC driver (if this was an SUV thread, read: "the SUV turned..." ) turned right, with me in plain sight. She was concentrating on the negative camber at the intersection, plus SUVs in front of her. I was looking right at her. No funny face either.
BTW: have we convinced CNred that new MINI owners don't suck?

 

hi--I am new here and a new mini owner--I have found that some wave --some don't. My first day I was on my way to pick up my son and a young kid drove by me and waved--I started laughing so hard. I felt like I was in a cladestine organization...now I try to get a grip and wave, but as said before, I sometimes wait for them to wave first.

 

What ever happened to the Hey Horn Wasn't that made to solve all of our MINI waving problems?

 

I first saw this post yesterday and opted out of replying. I am a new owner this year and feel proud to be an owner and part of a good group of enthusiasts.
Glad to see more people feel the same.
I will wave if I pass you.
Cheers

 

do like me......stalk them..i will follow them till they wave back..............only j/k......

 

Actually, back in 2002/2003, 90-100% of MINI drivers waved back to me. Now the folks I see driving new MINIs seem annoyed or bugged when I acknowledge them. I, too, will keep waving, and yelling "MINI!" whenever I see one motoring down the road.

What I really love is watching pedestrians admire Wanda and I can read their lips saying, "Look! It's a MINI!" That is a HOOT!

 

alright im convinced that they dont suck perhaps its that they are just uneducated on the community. It just really liked back a while ago when MINIs would motor together. But i agree i only wave now when i see a modded one they know whats up. And any new owner on NAM is exempt i guess...

 

This has added quite a few miles to my MINI, I think it usually sacres most though, I doubled back the night before I saw this thread cause I saw one in a local fast food drive through, thought I'd a least give them a club card for the sunshineminis well the waved back and pulled out of the lot never to be seen agian, I felt very sad that I had missed them but realized they had no idea and probably thought I was going to get some food myself.

Not everyone is aware and not everyone cares as much as we do, but we can't give up trying because those that do care will never learn if we give up and then (yes bring back a refrence from the first page, based on kenchan's experiance) the MINI will end up being like the civic: just another car. In the UK, from what I can tell based on the responses of those that have been there, that has already happened it is up to the motors to spread the community if we want it to grow and be as itonce was.

 

I live in northern new jersey with a lot of snootey people who never wave, i think the only people who have waived were back in 03. To contrast that, I am in Inverell, Australia for the next 6 months and the people are absolutely the most outgoing and nice people i have ever met Everyone waves even if they dont know the person. Unfortuntaly i have not seen a mini yet, but im holding out. Every car is either a Holden, Mitsu, or Ford.

 

Off Topic: hey, have fun Down Under! A great guy, (snoopy is his NAM username), from Australia visited the States last year and went to the Dragon, too! Great enthusiasm....I know there are MINIacs there....don't give up!

 

It isn't as novel as it used to be, with respect to enthusisatic waving. I can usually tell if a response will be forthcoming before hand, but I usually wave anyway.

Growing pains I guess.