i'm allowed to drink in my car, and i only eat if i absolutely have to (like on a 13hr a day drive and don't feel like stopping)
noone else is allowed to... there is no smoking in my car, if you feel sick, i pull over, hand you a bag and let you walk the rest of the way home
if you need a bathroom and there are none nearby, i pull over and give you a kleenex and turn my head the other direction (you better hope there's a bush)
noone in the mini tells me, the one and only pilot, what to do... including windows, radio, speed, or any other operation
if we go to the beach, you take a towel to sit on, bags for shoes and some water to wash your feet with
if you touch an inside window you wash ALL the windows, if you touch the outside paint job or windows you wash and wax the mini
Happy Motoring

 

Now that is what I'm talking about.

 

thanks
i don't sound over the top do i?

 

Not at all!

 

Yes you do, but that's cool.

 

HAHAHAHAHA food in the MINI?
Thats what i have the CR-V for

 

It's just a car, guys; just a car -- no matter how obsessed I am with it. I learned a long time ago that self-imposed rules are not as fun as just living. The interior can be cleaned


So eat, drink and be merry! And motor on!

 

to answer the OPs question, whatever I feel like, and whatever keeps the kids quiet. Just a car, buy it, use it, fix it, etc.....

Matt

 

Blasphemy! No, just kidding.

The thing with me is that it's not so much a 'self-imposed rule' as it is just my personality. It simply makes me a lot happier not having food in my car. On the one occasion that I honestly did want to eat (and drink) in my MINI, long road trip, I did. Oh and trust me, the interior still gets cleaned quite a lot.

To each their own!

 

Well, personally I've noticed that it almost seems like the more OCD I am about my car the more bad stuff happens to it... so I try to resist the urge. Still the above post reminded me of one of my roomates a few years ago who would do the same thing. I didn't have the mini at the time, rather it was a Nissan Maxima which I would anally try to keep clean. Anyway, he used to often sit cross legged in the passenger seat and rest his foot (with shoe) on the dash. This drove me nuts, and I could never understand it.

Foodwise, eating in the car is a no no period (this is a general policy with all of my cars). I will occasionally take a starbucks around myself, however I am extremely **** about how I transport it to prevent any spills (basically I tell them to leave room at the top and usually won't drink it while driving). Though I may allow myself that liberty it is an absolute no no for any passengers unless I know for a fact that the person is as OCD if not more OCD than I am

 

Was that me, Jana??? If so, SORRY! :impatient

OMG, Msteadman and ajabbari! I have an R53, but want to share. One of my best friends is like Pigpen from the Peanuts comic strip! When I know she'll be riding in my MINI, I make sure to move the passenger seat as far back as possible, to give her more room, because she inevitably crosses her leg over the other one, rubs the soles of her shoes on various surfaces, and I usually clean them off right front of her, too. mad:

She got into my car eating apple slices last week, and I nearly fainted! I handed her some paper napkins, and said sternly, "no eating in the MINI!" She looked at me like I am a lunatic, and asked "Why not?!" I replied, "STICKY FINGERS!" When she gets out of the MINI, she closes the passenger door handling it by its window...

But actually, I am pretty easy-going, except for when responding to behavior like the above. Most people are very respectful of my MINI. I guess my sloppy friend sees vehicles as merely appliances to get from Point A to Point B. I am not a garage queen type, but I do try to keep her neat and clean.

I eat in my MINI and allow other MINI owners to do so, as well, as I know they will be careful. But allowing non-MINI people to eat in my MINI? NO WAY!

 

you can bring food that is sealed up in containers but you can not i repeat can not eat in my toy. its the only toy i have and i do not ask for much in life , just leave my only toy alone its mine and stay away from it and we will be ok. my 6 year old gets all the toys so this one is mine and i gave up my 06 gsxr 1000 to get it so there. also i dont haul anything that cant fit in the boot. its not a truck its my toy.

 

Only thing in mine an occasional cup of coffee from starbucks.

As far as driving in bad weather. I'm in the south and can drive year round, however, it is a second driver for me. I took delivery in April and the mini has only been driven in the rain once when I got caught in a shower.

 

See I dunno. My experience has always been the opposite. When I try to ease up and give my friends/passengers a little breathing room, that's when they end up doing something especially ridiculous. Like this one incident between my MINI and one of those damn cinnamon and sugar pretzels. I swear one of the messiest foods ever.

It never fails to annoy me because I totally saw this coming! Took a friend to the store and she decided to buy one. Starts eating it on our way out to the car and when we get to it I immediately give her the whole line like, "Not be an a*sshole, but I really don't like people eating in my car. I mean I don't even do it! I trust that you won't make a mess (total lie, but shoot me) however, it's just my one rule for the car." She puts it away but OF COURSE half the damage had already been done. Sugar all over my door handles, inside and out, on the seat, somehow it even ended up on the headliner... UGH!

On the other hand, when I'm insanely OCD and don't allow even a bottle of water and tic tac in my MINI, these things do not happen.

However, I have smartened up enough now to know exactly who my especially messy friends are (as much as I love them) and just try to avoid transporting them altogether. LMAO, something is always bound to go wrong when they're in the MINI!

See but with me it's not even some 'holier than thou' mentality because I have a MINI. It's just my (admittedly kind of insane) personality. I treat all cars this way. Like it kills me when I see other peoples cars which either they or their passengers have totally trashed. Sometimes I even find myself cleaning up for them, it's really bad! I just love cars in general and yes I know "it's simple transportation from point a to b" but I'm the type of person who really likes to take care of items I appreciate. My own possessions especially. I mean they're mine, I like them a lot (or else I wouldn't buy it) and I plan on having them in pristine condition for as long as I possibly can. If not I'd buy everything used, no offense. That said, I know and partially accept the fact that most people do not feel that same way. So I take precautions to minimize the damage.

Like ajabbari, it's an entirely different story when I'm dealing with people who I know are either as or more OCD than me (yes they exist!). The good thing about most of them is they wouldn't dare bring food into my MINI to begin with. Really most that know me well in general, messy or not, don't even try to pull these things as they know I'll go basically apesh*t insane.

LMAO, see the cleaning them off in front of her part is priceless! I need to start sending more obvious messages like that... I love your story about the apple slices. Although it definitely would have been me looking at her like a lunatic for even thinking she could possibly get away with such a thing. I never understand it when people have the nerve to ask "why not" in those situations.

Don't even get me started on the closing the door using the window issue. I swear so many people do that. And slam the absolute hell out of it at that. I'm always reminding people, it's a small car, the doors are light! Which is totally untrue because I swear the MINI's doors feel like they're filled with bricks and always want to swing wide open, so I really don't get the problem. I also would be much more trusting of MINI owners. Problem is most of my passengers still drive their old VW/Honda/Toyota (no offense to any of those brands of course) from high school so they can care less.

I'm not a garage queen type either, although I'd love to be! I'm on a college campus so indoor parking is most unfortunately non-existent.

 

No food, only drinks.

 

To me I just don't see the need to eat in a car. Why would you, other than a long trip where you don't want to stop and eat? That's the only time I could somewhat rationalize it.

I have my cup of coffee into work in the morning, but that's it.

 

eleventy billion% agreed!

 

I am getting an R56 soon, and currently have a Honda Accord, of which no food is allowed. Since I don't allow people to eat in my Accord no one will eat or drink (except maybe water) in my MINI.

 

One solution is to establish a NO PASSENGERS rule. Hence, no problems but maybe no friends.

 

I allow any food that isn't a solid or liquid.

 

No food in mine either. Bottled water once in a while for my passenger. Twist on sealing lids only. No "travel" coffee cups, no candy, no tic tac, no cough drops. Nothing. Eating is done outside and you better wash your hands before getting back in!

 

There's nothen' like finding a french fry from 2 years ago under your seat! Yum!

 

I've never eaten in the car, but I have found that the seat warmers do a decent job of keeping takeout pizza warm!

 

I just say no messy food in my car. Most of the time I'm eating breakfast in my car which consists of some kind of granola bar. I tend to drink in my car quite often as well, typically coffee.

 

eat or drink whatever and be careful. if you spill- just clean it up. I have a 2000 Xterra that looks almost new inside, and I eat in it -whenever-, if I'm hungry or thirsty.