After about a month of ownership and almost 2,000 miles, my only complaint is the lack of respect the MINI gets where it comes to drivers pulling out in front of you, cutting you off, etc, etc.

Today, my wife and I were going to stop at Target which requires a left-hand turn off of the street. For people coming out of the same entrance and attempting to make a left-hand turn, it can terriby difficult to get out of the parking lot.

I was about the third car in line to turn left and I can only guess that the driver in his Ford pick-um-up-truck was tired of waiting because as traffic cleared, he decided to pull out.

Mini-be-nimble-Mini-be-quick, Mini-turned-around-the-Ford-pickup-*****.

Guess I could have taken the high road and given way to him but dammit, guess I'm tired of giving way to larger vehicles. If he had kept coming, as my wife always pointed out, the accident would have been his fault but I would be with a damanged Mini. She hates it when I do that and I know she's right....be safe out there!

 

I agree, sometimes YOU MUST Be AGGRESSIVE

 

Here here!!!

I experience the same lack of respect and it's made me irrationally biased and entirely reluctant to EVER let a pick up or SUV pull in front of me in traffic.

But I also get the lack of respect from people who just don't take the car seriously. The whole; "Yeah, you say it handles well and I'm inclined to believe you, however it was affordable and it's rather small so I can't REALLY" attitude is WEARING VERY THIN!!!!

You know what? You spent more than me Mr. 1.8T, 2 wheel drive Audi man, but let's just run it and we'll see who's laughing at whom!

Arg.

 

It's a small car vs big car thing. Here in Texas, land of the big-***-monster-truck-on-a-5-foot-lift-get-in-my-way-and-I'll-mow-you-down, small cars in general get no respect! I've always driven small cars and people cut me off, try to veer into my lane (obviously they don't use the big-*** side view mirrors that come on their big-*** trucks), and just run my little go-kart cars off the road. It's RUDE!

Don't worry, they're all just trying to compensate for deficencies in OTHER aspects of their lives

 

No problem for me on long island, if anything I'm the one cutting the suv,s off on the pkwy.
:smile:

 

I get cut off on the freeway all the time but I never let anyone bully me out of the way! If some jerk cuts me off or something I downshift and cut him off too just to see how he likes it. Yeah its stupid and rude but it gets annoying when idiots with their SUVs and trucks think they own the road!

 

I don't think it's our car. I think it's modern drivers. I've seen people make some pretty moronic in front of large cars. People can't drive any longer and they lack any sense of courtesy.

 

The one good thing about waiting for the Mini to arrive is that I have been able to stop worrying about someone hitting my Passat! I dare them to hit it..(as long as they total it out)

 

Some of these SUV drivers are so stupid! there should be an SUV driving class or special license to drive SUV's so they can weed out these bad drivers...

 

Sorry to disagree but I don't think the MINI brings out the worse in people I think you just notice it more. I travel a lot for my job and drive about 40k a year in either my dodge dakota 4 door or varius rental cars.

Stupid drivers are in all class of cars, all age groups and genders. It does not matter what you are driving you will be cut off, merged into, have people speed up pass you and then slow down to turn, you name it will happen.

I think I just notice it more in my MINI because its my baby, when I am in the truck I think I take it more in stride because I don't have an emotional attachment to it.

Thats my two cents.

 

See, CSasso makes sense-o. I don't get the feeling that my MCS isn't getting repect. I do care about it alot and too, I might be guilty of being a bit more bolder as a driver with it.

 

It seems to me here in California, that many drivers seem very aggressive when they drive. It may be because they spend so much time parked on the freeway because of road construction or a fender bender, that when they do get a chance to drive hard they do.

I do think in the MINI you tend to be more aware of what 's going on around you.

I know when I drive my van or the wife's 5 series, it just seems more of an everyday sort of thing with the other cars.

When I drive the MINI, I get into my former Motorcycle riding mode. I just drive like perhaps the other drivers don't see me. I'm smaller in the MINI but I can out handle almost any car on the streets so that factor gives me alot of advantage. :smile:

 

Yeah, the MINI's quite a bit bigger than my old Honda but I too notice the new lack of respect. Every time I cut off some as.. err.. SUV driver I can see the look of horror in her eyes. As if I am going to slow her down and block her fukin' precious view of the road. Sometimes I can see them waving their little cell phones at me in anger.

 

>>Mini-be-nimble-Mini-be-quick, Mini-turned-around-the-Ford-pickup-*****.


I will have to remember that next time I pass up the "__________" *****. and I will fill in the appropriate model of what I'm passing. One of my passengers commented the MINI moves like a quick mouse, and Zipps all over the place. You don't need to sit back and get hit, nor is braking always the way out of an accident.

Good job!

 

I had this "game" going today were this big 4runner was trying to play cat and mouse with me. Ok, so we're on this 2 lane back road and I see this guy barreling down on me like a freight train until he is so close to my bumper I can't even see the actual person driving the car. All I saw was the toyota emblem in the rearview mirror. As usual I got POed b/c I'm thinking, "What the hell is this guy trying to prove?!?" So the game began when I decided to floor it. I didn't even care if I got a ticket, I just wanted this guy away from me. WELL, low and behold the guy speeds up as well. There were points I was doing 80 and I think he began to give up--but I couldn't keep 80mph up on a 40mph back road, could I? Of course he kept playing the game where he hugged my tail after I slowed up a bit. Next, I gave him a taste of what I can do in the curves. He tried to keep up, but he couldn't. Funny to watch the show behind me in the rearview mirror though. But, when I wasn't I the twisties he was on me. Eventually he turned off somewhere. I see no need for this--it's just plain dangerous.

Why do these (SUV) drivers think they're invinsible? I was on a 2 lane road--pushing my bumper isn't going to get him whereever he's going any faster. I guess I gave into him going fast and all (which was fun), but next time I'll just slow down badly to make him mad. I can see on a 4 lane highway that some people are stupid and will tail you until they realize that they can actually pass me. I hate people sometimes .

 

in souther cali its pretty bad with all these SUVs

then again i ride motorcycles, so maybe i am a bit more careful :smile:

 

The "no respect" from the SUV driver is a daily occurence here in NYC for me. And it is always a guy with some girl next to him that he is trying to impress.

The other day some young kid in his new G35 sedan (probably his dady's) totally steped on it when he saw me pull up next to him on the Boulevard ... I let him go. Half a mile later I was on his *** as he was riding his brakes on a nice and steep curve entrance ramp to the highway.

 

>>in souther cali its pretty bad with all these SUVs
>>
>>then again i ride motorcycles, so maybe i am a bit more careful :smile:

You have to be a defensive driver no matter what you are behind the wheel in. And for the most part people are not. They get in over their heads and let their hearts try to get them out of trouble. I learned to drive in firebirds and motorcycles. I own a big old f250 ford diesel 4x4 truck and drive it more now cause (the fuel is only 1.66 gal compared to 2.10 for reg unleaded.)
It doesnt handle and I can't seem to understand how those that do drive them fast seem to think they do. I drove home tonight through the SF bay area. Its unbelievable the jockeying on the freeway. Realizing that most of the soccer moms are driving the behomst SUV and they have pack of crazed kids inside, I give em all a big berth regardless of what I am in.




:smile:

 

Don't worry everyone, I am designing a H2 style aftermarket grill for our MINI's that will solve this problem!

 

What caliber ammo will your new aftermarket grill need...I'd like to start stocking up...

 

Funny, but my experience in the MINI is the complete opposite.

People are much friendlier, let me pull out in traffic, wave me to go ahead.....ALL THE TIME!!

Maybe it's because my Silk Green is just a pretty little non-threatening vehicle. HARMINI plates don't hurt either.

There have only been 2 rude drivers I can think of. Everyone else has been sweet as pie.

I also think that it's a bit of you-get-what-you-give. I try to be curteous and thoughtful when it comes to other drivers. We all share the road and if I can help to make things flow a little smoother out there, then I have done my part.

Cheers,
Kim

 

>>Don't worry everyone, I am designing a H2 style aftermarket grill for our MINI's that will solve this problem!



donna@dcmetrominis.org

 

I'm usually the one pulling in front and cutting people off. I especially target SUVs because SUV drivers usually think they own the road, but they get real nervous in their "big rigs" while trying to drive, drink coffee and talk on the cell phone at the same time.
You gotta show 'em who's boss!

 

Its dangerous out on the street. Lets be careful out there people!

 

I've driven small cars all my life:
Datsun 310GX
Chevy S-10
Nissan Sentra
Geo Metro
Dodge Neon

I feel that I get more respect in my MINI than I got in any of those other cars. Maybe it's because of the bright yellow color of my MINI. I don't know... I just know I don't have to swerve as much anymore to miss hitting other drivers that aren't paying attention. Sure there's been times I've had to swerve, but definately not as often as in previous vehicles...