[XSmall]

I know it's been covered on here, but I have to share my experiences, and I love hearing more of yours.
I knew from these boards that I could expect people to stare at my Mini, but I didn't realize the extent.
I swear, people just about break their necks whipping around to look back at my car. When I pulled into Auto Zone, people literally came running out the door wanting to see it. People in parking lots walk around staring curiously. I've been asked if it was a Suzuki, and another thought it was VW.
Two times in the last 2 days I've had people next to me when I'm in a turn lane sit and stare, back their car up for a better look, and almost miss their green light!
A lady yesterday came running up to me as I pulled into a parling lot to tell me it was a Mini Cooper. (I know )
One guy told me he "Seen some of them in Europe, only they had 3 wheels"
I've been asked if it was "that Austin Powers car". ANd of course the old standby, "What is it?" a Mini "Well who makes it?" Mini. Long pause. Ohhhh.
All this and more and I've only had it 17 days.
My favorite is when people just break into a big grin when they see it, turn to the person next to them, poke them, and point to Mini. And when kids wave at me.
What I did not enjoy was the guy in a gas station who says snidely "I don't like them, they're too small" I replied - "Yeah, but it was pretty amusing to drive on by the SUV that was stuck in the snow just now"
And the worst yet was while I was in line at the grocery store, and a guy comes in, sees my Mini jacket and runs up and tells me someone just keyed my car. I thought I was going to throw up. He must have seen me go pale because he told me he was just kidding. I was furious. That is *so* not funny. I don't know what he was thinking.
Then he says "You live around here and you have a Cooper?" (I live in a small town). So I said just as snippy, "You live around here and you know what it is!"
Other than that, I enjoy people's reactions. I always love a new audience to talk about my car to!

[tip]

I was siting at a light waiting for it to change, a car in the other direction stopped so that his drivers window was with mine. He started to talk about the Mini all the while holding up traffic and blocking an ambulance with it siren going. Unbeleivable what the car does to people.

Charles

[EBMCS03]

Hahahha thanks for sharing... these are the stories that I love reading!!!

[MINI Memphis]

For the Thanksgiving Holiday a friend and I drove the MINI up to Chicago. Along the way we stopped in Cairo IL. While driving around this very small town just being tourists. I looked in the rear view mirror to find Flashing Red Lights (I was sure I missed a stop sign or was of course speeding).

The cops get out the their car and come up and say " I didn't mean to scare you, but my wife saw one of those in Paducah, KY and just wanted to know how you like it."

Of course I told him I love it even though it does draw an endless amount of attention. He even gave us a police escort through town to the big attraction, the Custom House.

I can't believe how many people are so forward in asking all about the car, and how much it cost. But it gives great stories to tell about people.

[jwilk]

I swear when I picked my car up, the first four people I came in contact with, all asked about the car. It is amazing the range from little kids to older people you think would care less about a car. Many cars are flashier but none seem to have the universal appeal as the MINI!

[hooker]

The guy who told you that some MINIs have 3 wheels in Europe is mistaken. There IS a small 'car' called a Reliant Robin with 3 wheels, it also has a body made of plastic and is cheap and nasty. It is seen as a poor man's car and the subject of many jokes. It has NO RELATION TO A MINI. To say the Reliant Robin is a MINI is an huge insult to MINI! It's like saying that K-Mart is related to Harrods!

[EBMCS03]

Quote:

Originally posted by hooker
It's like saying that K-Mart is related to Harrods!

Wait they're not realated?

[dr remulac]

I got my cooper on the 22nd of January. I live near Boston MA. It is the capital of bad drivers in U.S. 90% of drivers drive large suv's with cell phones plastered to their heads.When they see me and Polly (my cooper) they give me a dirty look and cut me off.
The people who have asked me about my car in parking lots etc. were trying to steal it and rob me...

[XSmall]

Quote:

Originally posted by hooker
The guy who told you that some MINIs have 3 wheels in Europe is mistaken. There IS a small 'car' called a Reliant Robin with 3 wheels, it also has a body made of plastic and is cheap and nasty. It is seen as a poor man's car and the subject of many jokes. It has NO RELATION TO A MINI. To say the Reliant Robin is a MINI is an huge insult to MINI! It's like saying that K-Mart is related to Harrods!

I know, I saw those cars in Paris. But when random people make dumb remarks like that, I just smile and go on my way. Not worth the energy to argue.
PS. I Loved Harrods! We wandered around the food hall, just salivating! I bought a package of tea to bring home, and every time I made a cup of tea, it made me remember my trip. I can't bear to get rid of the box, it sits on my counter with all my tea and coffee paraphanalia.

[COOPERation]

I've got alot of stories, but my first experience was on my way home from my dealership after taking delivery (about a 75 mile journey).
On an interstate, I was coming up on a Subaru or something and I could see a hand raised high out of the window. As I got closer, I noticed it was a thumbs up and the guy doing it was straining to get his arm out as high as it would go...and the smile on his face...classic.

[GMINI]

Two encounters I recall now:

Just the other day I was stopped at a light. The guy next to me (freezing temperatures) had his window open and was making the rollerdown signal. I lowered the stereo and the window. The guy leaning from the back seat of the two door yelled "is that the s-type?" and the second time I heard him clearly. I just shreugged my shoulders, said yeah, and gave him the thumb up. I was entirely amused.

Cut to LIE last summer. I was on an entrance to 495. It's slow. The honda in front of me cut in front of this tractor trailer before the lane end. If the driver was cool, I was going to make it too. Not only was he not cool, he was busy enough closing the gap AND eyeing the MINI that he rear ended the Honda pretty good. Sorry guys . I had a hard time backing out of that incident. But boy are MINIs dangerous!

[tsipple]

About three weeks ago I was driving home from a volunteer event. There was a Chicago police officer checking people in (including me) upon arrival, at the front gate. During the event he had lots of time to look at the MINI. His shift was up as I drove by on the way out.

He stuck out his thumb as if to hitchhike when I drove by the gate. I thought he was joking, but he called out for me to stop. I rolled down the window, and he asked me a bunch of questions about the MINI. "Which way are you going? Would it be OK if I got a ride to the end of the street?" I said that would be no problem. He hopped in, and I found out I was going by the train station he needed to get to, so I took him several blocks and dropped him off. His exit from the MINI had several people staring. No one, including me, had ever seen a Chicago police officer in full uniform getting out of the passenger side of a MINI. Or any side of a MINI. He was armed, so no one bothered me or my MINI. :-)

Boy did he have fun. (And, yes, I demonstrated a bit of the MINI's fine handling. No ticket. :-))

[sniece]

I love these stories. The day I picked up my Mini, we were heading home down the highway, and there were lots of people looking as we went by of course, but there was one person in particular that was extra enthusiastic. This Corrolla passed us (break-in period doncha know!), and then the car slows, and the guy in the passenger seat starts waving like made for me to catch up, so I oblige, and he rolls down his window and so do I. He's leaning out the window giving me a big thumbs up, and shouting something about liking the car that I couldn't really interpret properly. This is all happening at about 120km/h in below freezing weather.
I had another case after picking up some groceries, and an older guy comes up to me as I'm getting ready to leave the parking lot. Long story short, when he used to live in the UK, he worked in the old Mini plant, and just hadn't seen one of the new Mini's yet. That's the kind of guy I would have liked to take for a ride, but unforetunately didn't have the time, and would have had to leave my wife in the parking lot. I can't say that I've had any negative comments (aside from people I work with...most of whom drive North American boats...and it's just good natured ribbing)

Steve

[XSmall]

Yesterday someone changed lanes into my turn lane and followed me through two lights until I turned into the grocery store. It was a mom and teenage boy in a minivan that wanted to see the Mini!

[MiniMan7]

One time I was sitting in my Mini waiting for my girlfriend to finish work when I heard a knock on my window. I rolled down my window for an older man who couldn't believe it was a Mini. He took a look inside and was amazed, he then walked around the front and was looking all around the car all while I was sitting inside!

He said he was going to check them out on the web.
I think he was interested in getting one after he saw one up close!

-MiniMan7