I got a great wave a while back - I flashed my brights and the guy threw his arm out the window and gave a huge sweeping wave It made my afternoon.

What's worse than not waving is when a fellow MINIite doesn't let you in on the freeway! I had a girl in a white MINI block me out when I was trying to get on the 110 once, and I feared for the sancitity of our brother/sister/siblinghood

 

What you noticed IS true. But here is the solution...

Find the older MINIs (by looking at the license plates) and wave at the drivers-
These owners are likely to be the old timers and early buyers that were so enthusiastic back when.

Once any car get too established and popular the uniqueness fades and the mass acceptance takes over.

Resist this temptation and be a free spirit. Make your MINI an original, do something unusual. Make an impression or statement that sets you apart from the mundane. Keep on waving!


You don't see Toyota camry owners waving to each other... do you?:impatient

 

I always opt for taking the courteous approach. Wave, honk, smile...
When cruising around on the Beemer I always try & wave to other riders - except HD riders, who are pretty much unanimously *********s, and more concerned with being part of the HD image than part of the larger community of riders.

 

We could have fun together... Mick

 

You should take the high road... wave first

 

hey i'm a new owner and i wave all the time. Almost no one waves back on long island

 

Their loss. Hope you keep waving.

 

Another new owner here, and I generally give an appreciative nod / thumbs up / short beep when I encounter another MINI or nice VW/ Audi/ Lotus/ classic sport car and current driving workload permits it.

I usually won't intiate waving or light flashing as it tends to draw a bit too much attention away from the road for the waver and wavee, IMHO, but try to return any waves I recieve when ever possible.

If you wave and I don't wave back, please don't take it personally. I can get pretty pre-occupied w/ the road or other things while I'm commuting. I am definitely feeling a great level of enthusiasm for my MINI (especially now that I'm past break in ) and definitely enjoy the enthusiastic community that comes with it.

 

Okay, so by now, I would like to think that the other drivers are the exception to the rule instead of the norm...set an example and be friendly....amile and don't stop waving. And remember waving with your middle finger is NOT friendly. Mick

 

OKay all together now WAVE!!!! SMILE!!! I do it all the time

 

I'm on new owner just waiting for the opportunity to wave at another MINI. I just haven't seen another one yet! I know there are a few around town, but I usually see them parked in a lot... :(

 

Out here on the West coast (SoCal), the middle finger salute is the only wave we know.

 

OK, I've resisted as long as I can...

I don't initiate waves much these days. Not many MINI owners respond, and besides much of the time I have a lot on my mind. When I'm driving, what little is left of my mind has to be focused on the road.

I find myself smiling at the sight of other MINIs, and wanting to wave, more often when I'm in someone else's car! After more than a few very funny looks I've learned to squash the impulse to wave in those situations. Maybe I need one of those "my other car is a MINI" bumper stickers to flash when I'm a passenger in someone else's car, or walking down the street.

But the real reason I've held off commenting is that I don't care for the premise that you need to put someone else down just because they don't share your enthusiasm for your/their car.

It can be easy to walk around all day critiquing and labeling everyone around you for one reason or another... their looks, what they chose to wear that day, whether they appreciate the MINI as much as you do, etc. etc. Many years ago a friend of mine referred to it as "recreational critiquing". The more accurate (and up-to-date) term would be "recreational dissing." And yes, you could argue that this is basically harmless. However, I think that the more you hone this skill, the more you use it. I don't really want to hone the skill of passing judgement on others (and by extension, affirming myself as being "better") just for the heck or it.

There are times when you have no choice but to pass judgement on someone else when it really matters, and their live (and yours) will be changed by your decision, at least for a while. Personally, I'd rather save it for those occasions.

And BTW I consider myself a MINI owner whether I wave or not...

 

When I had my second gen VW GTI back in the day, it was almost unthinkable to pass another GTI without flashes and/or waves. But that was when 99.9% of car buyers didn't understand why anyone would get the Golf that rode so hard and only came in three colors.

It's always the passionate who are the early adopters. After they pave the way, the "regular" people feel safe to join in and the dilution begins. They wouldn't think of waving to strangers just because they have the same brand of car. They didn't wave when they had their Honda Accord so why wave just because they have one of those little cars people are driving now. They aren't necessarily being mean, it just never occurs to them.

 

Mark me down as one requiring a clue. No offense, Karen, but I've owned my car for all of 5 weeks, and frankly it gets NO special attention from other drivers, at any level. Might as well be invisible, just another car on the highway. Where I live a typical 15 mile drive in any direction will yield at least a half dozen Mini sightings, maybe more. There are at least 4 in my neighborhood.

I've notice a few wavers, can't say I'm a waver yet. I'll wave if someone else does, but I don't instigate.

Am I an enthusiast? Sure. I really like my car. Do I LOVE my car. No, I don't. It's a car. (Sorry)

I own a Lotus Elise too, which I really, really like (the Mini is my daily driver),

Really. Do I LOVE the Lotus? No, it's a car. (Sorry fellow Lotus enthusiasts).

I bought the Mini S strictly because it provides the most 'reliable' alternative to my Lotus for daily driving fun. No thought at all to the greater Mini community.

Now that I own the car, I'm meeting a few nice folks, and that's a nice plus.

 

EGADS!

Run for the hills while you can! I'll hold back the villagers wielding pitchforks and torches! It's for your own good! Don't look back.

 

I wave and do not even bother to see if they wave back. I'm doing " my " part and that is all i really care about

 

Your rational, intelligent, sensible view on this puts you in a very small minority here on NAM, although perhaps in the majority on the street (I think). Don't get me wrong, your position is unassailable but the rest of us are irrational, stupid, and not sensible. Many even will admit to being crazy. I love my MINI (even though it is just a car).

 

I vow from now on, when I get my car, I will wave at every single mini I see, til death do us part.

 

__________________

Thank you both, gentlemen. You would be among the 'nice' folks I've met so far in the Mini world.

I'm absolutely delighted that folks love their cars, just disappointed if they are disappointed that I don't share that level of affection in the car.

 

I'll admit i'm not the one who waves first - i'll wave (and I do look for it) if i'm waved at...but I don't instigate it. I am however a car guy, and I won't buy a car unless I love it. I just think you might have a fear of commitment. Maybe this the same line you use with your girlfriend, wife or significant other - "I really really like you..but lets not get into the love part" . Of course I'm just messin with you... but love is not for everyone i guess

 

Interesting point of view, I'll have to give that some thought.

(Don't tell my Lotus, but I'm going to test drive a Cayman...)

 

I agree! I don't LOVE my car, but I DO love how my car makes me feel. [IMG]images/smilies/grin.gif[/IMG]

 

I live in a small town and the number of Mini owners in my area has grown a lot since I got Spike in November 2006. I hate when I walk up to one, all happy and excited, to tell them about our local club or an upcoming event and look at me like I'm nuts. But I keep doing it...eventually someone will care!!

Lynn

 

often its the mood you portray that gets the nod or the passerby.

I was test driving a 05 MC convertible and passed a liquid yellow mc in a parking lot. I raised my hand and the other fellow did as well. My wife sitting beside me didnt understand and made fun of me.

Either way, I was paying respect to a MINI enthusiast.

My mcs 06 is on order now so the dream will soon come true