i've been known to drive a topless vehicle in the dead of winter with the top down [and heater blowing on high] there are fewer blind spots in a cabrio

 

And where do you live?

Let me understand the cop's logic: cold air will sober you up? Is that some kind of urban myth? Cold air removes alcohol from the bloodstream?

Funny story, but it must have been a slooooooow night of crime.

 

INDY DAVE: california

the only thing that sobers me up is a spicey bloody mary

 

Nice story

 

Many intoxicated people believe the urban myth that cold air will sober them up.

As a former police officer, I've arrested intoxicated drivers who were driving in a blizzard with their windows down, and they said the reason the windows were down was they were trying to sober up. But that was not the only reason I had to stop them, it was just one of several indicators I observed.

 

Too funny...I open my sunroof sometimes in cold weather because the heat can be too warm. I don't guess that raises as much suspicion as a convertible though.

A friend of mine was at a blues festival a year or so back with his wife. The cops were out in full force looking for people driving back to Memphis after drinking all day at the festival. My friend was pulled over for suspicion less than a minute after he pulled onto the road. He laughed when the cop asked if he had been drinking- just a gut reaction. He has been sober for 12 years. The cop was a little perturbed with him for laughing. It was just so funny to him that after all those years of acting irresponsibly and never being stopped, it finally happens when he hasn't drank a thing.

Apparently the cop had seen my friend and his fairly tipsy wife walking back to the car. The cop just assumed that if she was drunk, he must be too.

 

THAT is the prefect example of the MINI spirit!

I get annoyed at how many people buy convertibles
and then never USE them for what they are.

I say good show!

 

No sunroof in the Mini, but the one in my truck is open most of the time.. Run the heater if it's cold, the AC when it's hot.. I don't drink and drive, I just like the fresh air and sunshine...

 

Geez, I never thought of how driving with the top down would appear to the police. I always drive my 330CI convertible with the top down and my 3 lifesize gorillas with me. Of course they have scarves, hats and sunglasses and are securely belted in.
I always drive to my shop with the top and windows down in winter or summer but the car does not go out in bad weather. I do get a lot of looks and one guy in a SUV yelled out that I was a psychopath once. Otherwise most people enjoy it. I just never thought of it as being a cop magnet.
I don't drink or indulge in anything so no problem there. I just enjoy having the top down.
Why have it if you can't enjoy it. I must admit the drive home can get cold at times even with the heat up, but I always arrive home in a good mood.

 

Great thread!

 

Exactly! I guess I understand the cop's thinking (a little), the odds were much higher given the time of day, that alcohol was involved rather than just an avid MINI driver.

My pals at work bust my chops (I think they're just secretly jealous) for driving top down in the '30's and below. To which I say, what is crazier, driving top down at 30, or top up at 70? (which you see a LOT from other convertible drivers).

 

Too funny. When I owned my Miata, I bought a snoopy style bomber hat, and military cold weather gloves that went above my elbows from a local army navy store. If the sun came out, the top went down.
Now that I'll be a convertible owner once again, I need to dig out that hat and gloves. My policy has always been: Sun out, top down.

 

Same here.

Cheers,
Jack

 

Great story

I agree wholeheartedly with putting the top down, regardless of the cold. It's fun to drive open air in the winter. The confused people who gawk at us winter cabrio drivers are just part of the fun!

 

Carp! Another thread I missed while I was out of the country last month!

What a great story...

 

I paid a lot of money for my sunroof and heated seats and like to use them as much as possible.

 

And driving topless really isn't that bad if you max out the heater AND have an appropriate hat, gloves, and eyewear. I keep an REI balaklava in the car, along with sunglasses and wind glasses and am toasty even at freeway speeds.

 

To me the great thing about a convertible is:

If I'm comfortable the top goes down.

If I'm uncomfortable the top goes up.

No big deal....