Yesterday, on the way home from work, some old bag pulled out of a parking lot in front of me and crossed the lane, all the time totally oblivious to my and other people's blaring horns. She just stared straight ahead as she crept her way across the road. Of course, I doubt this had anything to do with me being in a MINI.

 

A friend of mine was written a well-earned ticket pulling a stunt like that (specifically, cutting across several lanes).

 

When I first bought my BMW in 2005, I thought everyone was out to get me. In fact, I think they were; my temp tags on a black on black bmw 3 series convertible makes some people jeaolous, mad, envious, and crazy drivers. People cut me off left and right, people accelerated really fast behind me and stopped within inches of my bumper to scare the crap out of me, people yelled obscenities at me for apparently no reason, people drove by giving me the middle finger, etc.

Ever since then I don't notice anyone driving rudely or crazily around me. It doesn't have much to do with your mini, I don't think people feel envious, jealous, angry, or anything towards a mini other than "oh, that's a cute car".

Being low in a convertible, I still get cut off maybe once or twice a year (in a way that could caues an accident if I didn't brake or floor it). That's why you'll learn to vary your speed and not drive "next" to another car for more than a few seconds.

I call what you're sensing as "new car ownership fear" or NCOF for short. I know that term won't catch on.
-ELmO

 

Discussed a lot https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...ad.php?t=51070

 

I just love the people that want to make a left turn pulling out form a side street to a main road even though there is traffic going in both directions they just pull out into the middle of the road, blocking the traffic going the opposite way and wait until the other side clears so they can go. It's always someone in an SUV too.

 

As I posted before your above post:


Yea, to see someone sitting there just grinning would be frustrating. I just give a simple wave of go ahead so that the other driver KNOWS I am not just sitting there daydreaming. And, honestly, I don't do it EVERY time, just when there is that bit of hesitation about who really arrived first. I should have been more clear on that point.

My point is really that getting in a Zen mode takes away stress.

We have all experienced those moments of "Who the heck was at the stop sign first?" I think it's easier to give a little than drive aggressively. My students turn my hair grey, I need all the stress prevention I can get on the road

 

Great to hear that. Do you have Xenon or standard headlamps, out of curiousity?

 

Some MINI's can look cute. What color is the OP's MINI?
My red MINI has Black stripes and hood scoop and it could be mean...just don't make me mad.
Also, if you are smiling because you're just happy to be in a MINI, people might take you as a spineless nice person. Wipe that smile off your face. If you can't, tint the windows. Dark.

 

Most true, there is nothing like waiting until everyone is stopped and staring at each other to go from a four way stop. Lots of people seem to think they have to wait for a full house before they can pull through. If it's your turn GO. Not only is it safer, it's a lot faster too.

 

Sorry but my patience for nasty a******s is strictly limited. He was driving very aggressively, cut me off a few times and then flipped me the bird while I was driving responsibly in my 6,000 lb pickup truck. The little SOB got what was coming to him. Rude, dangerous and irresponsible behavior should have consequences. In this case it did. Slap the bull on the butt enough times and you’re going to get gored. A lesson on the consequences of yahoo driving was offered, I hope he took it. Better with me and the 3 ton rustbucket than with some woman in a Nissan Sentra with three kids.

 

will remember this when ordering mine.

 

Indeed! I think I suprised a overly confident Porsche Cayene S driver yesterday with how quick the '07 MCS is.

 

A Cayenne S is 0 - 60 in 6.4. You should be quicker.

 

I was. But we weren't doing 0-60.

 

Then if it was on a winding road, what's to be proud about being quicker than a Cayenne?

 

he said you should be quicker. I think you thought he said you shouldn't be because the published 0-60 for MCS is 6.7. But a lot of us have read that MCS can do better than 6.7 easily.

Cayenne is not a everyday SUV. It is a P-SUV. Its handling I am sure is very good as well. but i like my MCS better.

 

Correct. I keep reading 6.3 Now if it were the Cayenne Turbo ... then No contest.

 

Then we pull out the price card. $93000 base. And we pull out the gas mileage card. 19 mpg highway. In the end, we are comparing a popcorn with a hotdog. No one should drive a SUV on a track, IMO.

 

I have been a driver of a 1979 triumph spitfire for 22 years. It never ceases to amaze me the number of people who quickly make the judgement call that, their car is bigger than yours, so they have the right of way.

Numerous close calls make me drive very defensively.

 

No, but they would run the TransSiberia rally.

See http://www.porsche.com/all/Transsyberia2007/usa.aspx

Try that in your MINI

 

Bottom line its not you or your mini. The world has a high number of poor drivers who thanks to modern technology are very preoccupied. Lets see, take one SUV fileed with 5 kids under 10 add in a navigation system, a killer stereo with sattilite, throw in a phone or pager, add an ipod that just slide off the center consoul, and what do you get? Very distracted drivers. If you live in a large town feel lucky we dont get wacked everyday. This is not a bleak picture, but it is reality. Drive like you are riding a motorcycle and you will be out in front of many of these opportunities.chuck

 

Let's not make too much of my simple original post. I just said I suprised the P-SUV driver.

 

Fair enough

 

I cannot count the times that I have caught the glance of a driver in another lane who begins their lane change, pauses upon seeing that a car (me!) is there, does a second take (over their shoulder or in their side-view mirror), sees that I am in a very small car and then proceeds to move over anyway.

Like another poster says, drive like you are a motorcycle and they can't see you...