There was a MINI at MINI's on the Dragon that looked almost like your description. It was a hoot!!

 

we have these little signs "Share the road" and it's got a graphic of a car, a motor cycle, and a bicycle. (Heck, we even have horses here!) The point isn't making everyone act the same, but how can you have people who want different things from the same road all get the best experience out of it?

Want to drive slow? Fine, but use the turn outs.
Want to drive fast? Fine, but don't pass where it's dangerous, and don't tailgate.

Pretty much, we all get along. The worst offenders are some of the tourests, who may not be used to driving on windy, hilly roads, and I hope you don't take this as age discrimination, the very old who drive large cars and don't give a crap how many cars are behind them.

So if Scarlett wants to put around, fine. And if someone else wants to haul as$, that's fine too. Just be considerate of others. If it only takes 15-20 seconds to pull to the sholder to let a racer by, do it. They won't be on your butt stressing you out. And they won't be getting all agro stressing you out. But sometimes that's just not possible, hence the need for other techniques so that the trapped fast driver can enjoy the drive without having a heart attack....

Matt

 

I've been learning many things here on NAM.
Don't you need a forward facing mortar to get these in front of the mobile road block? Oh wait.. I be following.

 

Your forward facing mortar is the REAL reason why most MINI's come standard with runflats. . .

 

But I just replaced mine with "regular" Khumos!

 

Well thanks folks, guess there’s not really many alternatives available to a car. Sigh... just take your place in line and make the best of it. On a bike, there’s a few other neat strategies available, and I can often get 75% open road time... but at best, it’s about 50% in the Mini. My most successful strategy, then, is knowing huge webs of interconnecting back roads around my area (from years and years of motorcycling around the area) where I can keep changing routes/roads if I get stuck behind a slow driver.

Hey Doc, we really are on the same page, it’s not at all surprising that you used to own a bike. I guess there is really a lot more to the term “freedom” on bike, than what people usually refer to as the open air - and by the same token, the term “cage”also takes new meaning. I guess it’s partially that we’ve simply been spoiled with the experience of the ultimate passing machine.

Don’t get me wrong folks, I’m no speed demon that seeks to make the street his own personal track. In fact, I have no desire for the track (for one, it beats the crap out of your vehicle and is a huge investment in time)... I just enjoy a safe, smooth, spirited, “pace” ride/drive (using the meat of power band, rarely on the brakes, slow in the straights and fast in the corners). And when I say I’m frustrated, I’m more referring to the knowledge that I have such a capable handling vehicle that is being used way, way under its ability, than I am to road rage. I absolutely do respect that all those drivers “holding me up” have way more right to do so, than do I wishing to run my pace.

Lastly, I guess this problem has uniquely surfaced with the purchase of my Mini. My other cars have been pigs which I would avoid taking through the very twisty back roads. Now I suddenly find I enjoy driving the same twisty roads as I would ride a bike on. And the biggest problem with the tight twisties around where I live (approaching Deal’s Gap twisty, BTW) it that the speed limits are set slow... I mean really, really slow... as in for the lowest common denominator vehicle and driver .

Thanks for your thoughts.

 

I've only taken my MINI to the track once (Big MINI Day), but as far as I can tell, it didn't "beat the crap out of my vehicle" and unless you plan to live a very short life, I wouldn't call one day a "huge investment in time". And in fact, it turned out to be the most fun day of my life!

If you're worried about driving your MINI way under its ability, let's face it: You will never get the most out of your MINI on a public road (legally)... the track is just about the only legal & safe outlet you have to realize what that baby's capable of.

 

I've not done a track day in a car, but I have on bikes. Unfortunately for me, the closest track was about 4+ hours away, making it..... not a day trip. (I got a wife and 2 young kids to entertain... and don't forget, another toy that's whole lot more fun than the Mini )

I would agree that a dedicated manufacturer track day would probably be more my speed.... you get the enthusiast driver (but not hard-core track guys) out there out on good paced momentum runs... and not necessarily trying to make lap times.

Outside of those manufacturer days, however, you do tend get the more hard-core guys working on lap times... and aside from being smooth, of course, the best way to improve lap times is to always be either accelerating or braking.... and hard - that's what I'm referring to as beating on the car. I'm a momementum driver/rider.. I like to get up to speed, and then stay there using little brakes or hard acceleration.

Of course, you are free to run your own pace on the track, but IMHO it becomes way more dangerous the greater the speed differentials between the vehicles and the more passing required. There are also beginner sessions, but then you get the opposite problem... having to pass people that don't look like they know what they're doing.... on the outside... and with no insurance .

I have no desire to push my car to 10/10ths, esp. on public roads.... I'm just trying to find ways to move it up from 4/10ths to what feels fun, yet safe, for me at say 7/10ths.

 

Take a handful of prozac (it's legal - don't close the thread) and max out the H/K with Led Zerpplin

 

In that case, they should have called 911, instead of driving the kid themselves.

I'm obeying the traffic laws and driving the speed limit, so back off. Literally.

 

"Obeying the traffic laws" includes those signs that say "Slower Traffic Use Turnouts," right?

 

Sometimes there isn't time to wait for an abulance.

I had some one pass me tonight in a very uncalled for situation, they decided to fly past illegaly on several count, and you know what I let it go, that type of attitude from a driver will get them caught sooner or later. I also got held up by a driver doing 15 under, next passing zone I went around after th on comming traffic was gone; don't let it get under your skin on ethier side of the fence life is too short to go around getting pi$$ed off at everything. (Can I say that?)

 

Sometimes there isn't time to wait for an abulance.

I had some one pass me tonight in a very uncalled for situation, they decided to fly past illegaly on several count, and you know what I let it go, that type of attitude from a driver will get them caught sooner or later. I also got held up by a driver doing 15 under, next passing zone I went around after th on comming traffic was gone; don't let it get under your skin on ethier side of the fence life is too short to go around getting mad at everything.

 

Coutisy in driving should always be on peoples mind. The attitude that one is driving legally so shouldn't accomidate other drivers is just a very inconsiderate way to go about things. Up here in the hills, the FD is staffed by volenteers. Sometimes things get nasty, and more troops have to come in and help. A lot of doctors live up here, the beeper goes off, and the have to get to the hospital. 911 response can be attrocious, so it may be much faster to take a kid to a hospital instead of witing for an answer, waiting for a dispatcher, and wating for a dispatched ambulence. You never really know what's going on in the other car, and forcing others to go slow isn't a very communal spirit. It takes what, 20 seconds of one's life, to pull over an let a car go by. Is that too much of a price to pay? I rarely do it in the Mini, but when driving my MDX, I have no problem using one of the pull outs to let traffic zip past.

There's a 20 passenger bus that climbs the hill about once a week. By the time he's at skyline, there are regularly 20+ cars behind him. Just because he won't pull over, 20-30 people are held up. Doesn't seem fair.

The share the road attitude is about what can YOU do to make sure that the most people get what they're looking for.

One thing I try to do when driving, is anticipate what others want to do and make it easier for them. IF everyone did this, then the roads would surely flow more smoothly. And we'd all earn good karma points!

Sorry Scarlett, I can't agree with that attitude. Wouldn't you feel just ghastly to know that you'd hindered help, even unknowingly or legally? Or even worse, some di*khead gets pissed and does something stupid and someone gets hurt? Sometimes there's more to life than just being right.....

Matt

 

I can't recall seeing any of these signs here. We need them.
(Along with "Use turn signals" and...)
p.s. LOL at username.

 

There's another great reason, for even enthusiasts, to pull over to let faster traffic pass (although in the case of the enthusiast, it maybe somewhat a rare occurance ).... The reason is that you let someone else run interference for the cops, deer and misc. other road hazards. I love it when someone's willing to lead a spirited pace ahead of me .

For those that like to block general traffic (and let's face it, in general, traffics moves around 5-10mph over), perhaps they enjoy the control they can exercise over other people .

 

Honestly, you probably don't. Courteous people will turn out whether there are signs or not, and (trust me) plenty of people will drive right past the turnout, doing 15 under the limit, with 5+ cars behind them, signs or no.

 

(emphasis added)

HEAR HEAR! Even when what the other driver wants to do is "be a jerk", hey- let 'em!

 

Amen to courteous driving! People need to be aware of the situation around them, not just of their own vehicles.

How often have you been cut off on the freeway because someone ahead checked their blind spot, saw no one there and moved over - without noticing you coming up in that "empty" lane to pass them at a faster speed? They weren't aware of what you were doing, only of what they wanted to do!

 

Recently happened to me.
I was the only one on the new freeway on 89A, saw an old Maxima zipping up the on-ramp. I moved to the inside (left) lane so he could merge. He almost crosses the gore stripes, continues across the right lane and almost into me!!! ******* didn't even look for me, I honked but he was focused on locking into the Left Lane Lemming mode. When we came up to the red light , I was in the right lane and just happened to stop to *******'s right, and I turned the lazer brain melting stare on him. He sure was focused on that left lane.

 

JUST SHOOT 'EM!

Sorry, got carried away. Originally from Philadelphia, where that is always an accepted solution.

 

Is the bus doing the speed limit or under? Just wondering.

In general, if this stuff really bothers people, over a long time, its going to be a quick trip to stress related illness.

Life is just too short to worry about wasting a few minutes, or seconds, because the guy ahead was going to slow. Who really cares if you get where your going 30 seconds early?

My point is ... I would't let the stress get to any driver. It just aint worth it ... One day you may understand that life is way too short to worry about the small stuff.

 

I'd rather be driving a MINI than reading about any car.

 

take a dump SOMETIME! Otherwise you get that bloated feeling....

Just my two cents worth!

Matt

 

Good read on the subject from the Road and Track/Cycle World editor, Peter Egan:

http://www.roadandtrack.com/article....rticle_id=2941