[dinger]

A question for you all

I live near to Royal Tunbridge wells in kent have have seen a fair few MINI flying around lately,as soon as I see one I either wave or flash and the response I get is a complete blank look or there nose goes vertical. WHY????????????

PS. I get a better response from classic owners as they will always flash or wave first and I always flash back.

 

[LMB]

true

it is funny you mentioned that, a guy passed me today in his Mini One. As he passed he was starring at my car, thinking he was trying to get my attention, I waved only for him to give me a completely confused look. Needless to say I felt a bit of an idiot, and won't be doing that again in a hurry

Maybe that is the root of the problem.

LMB

 

[JasonR]

I live in Kensington (the not so posh part) and there are Minis all over. I see upwards of 10-15 per day. Today, I let a new Silver Cooper with black roof turn right in front of me in Earls Court trying to be nice to a fellow Mini driver. The Kensington type blonde didnt even aknowledge my presence. Unfortunately, round my way its just another accessory to go with the Gucci handbag. If anyone sees me in London in my red cooper reg RE51VMV flash me, and I will flash you back, but Im not going to do it first as I hate rejection.

 

[cpaulr]

I expected other owners to wave or flash, but they don't!
All that happens is that I'm left feeling a bit silly.

Should I carry on waving and flashing until other people start responding?

 

[ELISEBOY]

I expected other owners to wave or flash, but they don't!
All that happens is that I'm left feeling a bit silly.

Should I carry on waving and flashing until other people start responding?

ABSOLUTELY carry on waving and flashing!!!!

i cant wait until i get mine

Wen I had the Elise it was great seeing a fellow driver and having a wave, or letting them out etc......

We gotta get this thing started and get the grin back on our faces!

 

[Paul]

Keep flashing and waving, either they'll get the hint and start waving back, or they will go the other way 'to avoid that nutter' and you wont feel rejection either way.

 

[coopercrazy]

You could just wait for them to flash first.
But maybe they can't see your lights because the MINI is faster than the speed of light.

 

[Dom]

I flashed the first MINI I saw on the roads when I had mine, she waved back too. I can sometimes get the odd mini driver to acknowledge me too, but I've given up!

I try and flash other MINI drivers, but I sometimes don't notice them in time...

On another note, I saw a BRG MINI with a yellow and green UJ roof and a yellow number 1 (ala J/C Challenge) on the side a few days ago. A girl I know in London has seen it there too... must've been doing the rounds. Anyone know who's it is?

Dom

 

[Washy]

We flashed the first few we saw but got little or no response felt rejected so don't bother any more, got an interesting gesture from guy in a clssic cooper the other day though!!!

Neil

 

[nwykes]

Hi,

I think the car you describe is one of the 200 that Foxtons (letting agency, www.foxtons.com) run around London in. When they kindly posted a catalogue full of houses that I could never possibly afford into my postbox last week the first two pages are about the "Foxtons Coopers"

Cheers

Neil

 

[Dom]

Might explain it then! but what was one doing in the Swindon area? slight detour eh!

Dom

 

[AndrewP]

rejection

I don't see to many new MINI's but when i do i always wave or flash.

I previously flashed all old MINI's to until I was greeted with a middle finger reply.

This made me stop unless I get flashed first.

 

[JasonR]

As a former employee of Foxtons, (I saw the light and got out) I can tell you that the Minis are driven by trainee negotiators and their in house photographers. They bought 50 in all. They are company cars and as such the employees get personal use of them as well. The one seen in Swindon was probably just visiting. Personally I would hate to drive around in a mobile advert even if it was a Cooper.

 

[Minty]

Well i always flash at othe MINI's, and i expect the same in return. So if you ever see me, make sure you return the gesture (politely!)

S

 

[Apial]

In Lincolnshire EVERY MINI that we have passed has flashed its lights, sometimes simultaneously with ours. So why don't Kensington MINI's or Kent MINI's drivers flash? Why don't people talk to strangers on the tube?

A lot of people from the South East retire to rural Lincolnshire. They always comment on how friendly the locals are compared to what they have been used too. Is this just a difference in North/South social normalities?

G-wagen owners, Fiat Coupe owners, Alfa Sprint Veloce owners, Lancia Monte Carlo owners, and Bond Bug owners all flash each other. I know because I've owned them all at one time or other. Ford and BMW owners don't. Interestingly a relative informs me that Skoda drivers used to flash too, but I'm not so sure if this is still true.

 

[monsta]

Re: Why dont other MINI owners wave or flash

I either wave or flash and the response I get is a complete blank look or there nose goes vertical. WHY????????????

Are you driving your MINI or is it your rep-mobile, dinger?!

Seriously though, I have had a mixed response, all the MINIs in Brighton seem to be up for waving but the ones I have seen in Kent are not. Except this Red MINI one which over took me on the M20 motorway (of course I then chased it) which had a very enthusiastic passenger who was almost jumping out of his seat with excitement, waving and giving the thumbs up!

 

[Jonathan]

Northern report

Last Sunday I drove from Glasgow to Leeds (M6, A65). Saw four MINIS; blue/black Cooper in Glasgow, yellow/black Cooper on the M74, Red/Union Jack/bonnet stripe Cooper on the M6, silver Cooper on the A65.

All of them waved. The yellow and red convoyed on the motorway a little, until turning off (former) or deciding I wasn't going fast enough (latter - and blimey did he shift).

Along the way, I had waves from the two Mini drivers I saw, too. So if you're not getting any recognition, move to the North!

Oh - and if any of you waved at a filthy BRG/white Cooper on Sunday - thanks!

 

[MrCooper]

Flashing (Oh er!)

I haven't got my MINI yet but you can guaranteee when I do I'll keep the Lincolnshire brigade flashing!!!

In my MX-5 I do the same and sometimes get confused or snobby looks but I dont care cause there are always others who will flash and give a big grin too - so it's worth it!

Flashers of the world unite!!!

 

[Amberthecat]

They are pretty friendly in Berkshire and Surrey too

Got flashed and waved at twice on the trip back home when I first picked it up from the showroom.

Most MINIs I see wave back, there are the odd misery guts though. I just ignore the regular ones now.

So.. if you're in the Berkshire or Surrey area and you see a silver cooper then wave away, it might be me

 

[Mickey Gem]

Flashing and waving at other Mini drivers seems to work fine in the North West, only had one chap blank me and I think he was from a dealers (had a BMW jacket on, therefore I didn't expect him to understand the custom!)

Keep at it I'm sure it'll catch on down south too...