R50/53 Most new mini owners suck
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Originally Posted by CNred
About a year ago while driving around my mini i could find another cooper and wave hello or mess around in traffic a little. now it seems that any regular joe has one and they do not seem very friendly, any one else notice this?
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Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Weeblegabber West (aka WLA)
Posts: 36,087
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I think that at least in Los Angeles, there are so many MINIs running around, many driving them are unaware of the community of enthusiasts.
I think a lot of folks may have bought them off lots and don't know sites like NAM exist.
I always wave or flash my lights at other MINI drivers. I would say that I get a response a bit more than 50% of the time now. Back in 2002, we all acknowledged each other. It's a matter of no longer being quite as unusual, perhaps?
I think a lot of folks may have bought them off lots and don't know sites like NAM exist.
I always wave or flash my lights at other MINI drivers. I would say that I get a response a bit more than 50% of the time now. Back in 2002, we all acknowledged each other. It's a matter of no longer being quite as unusual, perhaps?
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Originally Posted by CNred
About a year ago while driving around my mini i could find another cooper and wave hello or mess around in traffic a little. now it seems that any regular joe has one and they do not seem very friendly, any one else notice this?
It all depends upon where you live. You live in the boonies, then two MINIs is a gaggle and you got a club. Your unique. Live near the big cities ... I see just as many MINIs now as Corvettes ... No biggie, they are mulitplying. I might see 10 in one day just driving 25 miles ... Dealers have 50 on the lot unsold. ALMOST ALL of them are totally stock ... OEM. The vast majority of the motoring public could care less about "modding" ... its a car.
The days of MINIs being totally unique are long gone in the sense that with 150K of them on the roads now, those numbers are getting bigger and bigger. You know what they say "You can never go home"
Being in the DC area, we have lots of high-end cars. BMWs are a dime a dozen. Yesterday I saw my first Mercedes SLK355 on the road ... ever. That was unique. (to me).
"They" are going to be less friendly because its just a car.
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I always wave, even if I don't get the wave back. Maybe they didn't see me. Maybe they need to get a clue. Owning a MINI is supposed to be fun! No sense being a stick in the mud.
Here's where I show my team colors: I heard of someone who owns a MINI but doesn't wave, participate in any groups, gatherings, forums, or want to talk to other MINI owners or anybody else about MINIs because "it's just a car." ARGH! It's not "just a car." If you feel that way, you can take your attitude and go buy a genera-honda!
Buying a MINI is like dyeing your hair fluorescent green; you knew ahead of time that your uncommon choice was gonna get some attention. Don't make a stink about the attention being unwanted; if you didn't want attention, you wouldn't have made the choice that you did.
Here's where I show my team colors: I heard of someone who owns a MINI but doesn't wave, participate in any groups, gatherings, forums, or want to talk to other MINI owners or anybody else about MINIs because "it's just a car." ARGH! It's not "just a car." If you feel that way, you can take your attitude and go buy a genera-honda!
Buying a MINI is like dyeing your hair fluorescent green; you knew ahead of time that your uncommon choice was gonna get some attention. Don't make a stink about the attention being unwanted; if you didn't want attention, you wouldn't have made the choice that you did.
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Originally Posted by CNred
About a year ago while driving around my mini i could find another cooper and wave hello or mess around in traffic a little. now it seems that any regular joe has one and they do not seem very friendly, any one else notice this?
The other day, I was in the parking lot of my local REI out side of Chicago (Oak Brook). Another MCS was parked directly in front of me... and the driver looked up, saw that I was in a MINI and didn't do a single thing. Didn't make eye contact. I drove off complaining to my wife.
I get a lot more obvious rubber necking from guys in their pimped out golfs (probably because the R99s look like their VW rims). I even had more thumbs up in my Samba Green del Sol 10 years ago than I do in my Cooper today.
Now not every MINI driver in Chicagoland is like this. There is one very nice young woman who I've spotted several times in her MC on Rt. 59 between Bartlett and Schaumburg who is the most enthusiastic waver out there. I guess the half dozen times shes buzzed by me at 7AM honking and waving is worth the aggravation of every other MINI driver who doesn't care. Her enthusiasm definitely puts a big smile on my face
Frankly, MINI drivers not acknowledging fellow MINI drivers is a very sore spot for me.
Comon Chicago MINI drivers -- WAVE !!
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Originally Posted by KarenTKD
...ARGH! It's not "just a car." If you feel that way, you can take your attitude and go buy a genera-honda!
One ancedetol story (which don't mean much considering all the possible stories).
Coming out of a grocery store, I saw an "older" guy in his MC. Just putting his groceries in. I tried to go over and ask him how he liked it and got the dirty look and he just drove off. Like what was I doing bothering him while he was doing his errands.
Does that make him any less a MINI owner than anyone else?
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Originally Posted by chows4us
Coming out of a grocery store, I saw an "older" guy in his MC. Just putting his groceries in. I tried to go over and ask him how he liked it and got the dirty look and he just drove off. Like what was I doing bothering him while he was doing his errands.
i think he thought that you were going to trick him and steal his frozen pizza.
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Thanks MINIclo!
I guess I'm venting at the wrong crowd. Sorry! Like chows4us said, we're all like-minded so the ones we're complaining about aren't necessarily going to be reading this. Perhaps I hoping that a noob reads this thread and decides to give their fellow motorer a nice wave and a smile!
I guess I'm venting at the wrong crowd. Sorry! Like chows4us said, we're all like-minded so the ones we're complaining about aren't necessarily going to be reading this. Perhaps I hoping that a noob reads this thread and decides to give their fellow motorer a nice wave and a smile!
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I feel somewhat better. I have had my MCS for a month now and at first I am waving around beeping at all other MINI's I can see. And everyone keeps looking at me, unenthusiasticly waving back like I am nuts.
So far I only have one decent response and that was on a highway in the rain no less?! He followed along and brighted and honked when I was getting off.
Now I just look to see if someone waves first. I am eager to return it but ......
signed losing my enthusiasm to waving....
So far I only have one decent response and that was on a highway in the rain no less?! He followed along and brighted and honked when I was getting off.
Now I just look to see if someone waves first. I am eager to return it but ......
signed losing my enthusiasm to waving....
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The growing number of MINI on the road is certainly having an affect. Here in the DC Metro area, I see lots of them, the funny thing is, I see more "non-club, bonestock, normal, non-waving/non-enthused" than I see "club member, modded, real-motorers".
Although, I did see a fellow DCMM'er this afternoon - but that's rare!
I probably should do a better job of waving and smiling at ALL MINI that pass my way.
Although, I did see a fellow DCMM'er this afternoon - but that's rare!
I probably should do a better job of waving and smiling at ALL MINI that pass my way.
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Originally Posted by chows4us
Coming out of a grocery store, I saw an "older" guy in his MC. Just putting his groceries in. I tried to go over and ask him how he liked it and got the dirty look and he just drove off. Like what was I doing bothering him while he was doing his errands.
Does that make him any less a MINI owner than anyone else?
Does that make him any less a MINI owner than anyone else?
It's not like there's any shortage of those anyway. There's plenty of people who are just so stuck on themselves that it nearly kills them for someone to wave or strike up a conversation. Maybe they'll get so unfriendly they won't meet anyone and therefore won't breed!
By and large, there aren't many of those types driving MINIs...thank God.
Rawhyde
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The first day I had my MINI, I was tooling around the township and while trying to make a difficult left-hand turn across multiple lanes into an auto parts store, suddenly there was all this honking behind me....
I thought to myself, "Hey, I am in the correct lane..." when I saw a PW/B MINI zoom by on the right with hand waving.
For the first time I felt a member of the "movement" !!!! It was really cool and I fumbled to wave back.... Now, I am on the lookout for all MINIs and have no qualms about recognizing them....
Bill
I thought to myself, "Hey, I am in the correct lane..." when I saw a PW/B MINI zoom by on the right with hand waving.
For the first time I felt a member of the "movement" !!!! It was really cool and I fumbled to wave back.... Now, I am on the lookout for all MINIs and have no qualms about recognizing them....
Bill
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Originally Posted by paulr
I couldn't agree with you more! I wave, honk, etc and 90% of the time I get nothing in return
Now not every MINI driver in Chicagoland is like this.
Frankly, MINI drivers not acknowledging fellow MINI drivers is a very sore spot for me.
Comon Chicago MINI drivers -- WAVE !!
Now not every MINI driver in Chicagoland is like this.
Frankly, MINI drivers not acknowledging fellow MINI drivers is a very sore spot for me.
Comon Chicago MINI drivers -- WAVE !!
btw.. nice sig