Having been a previous long time Jeep owner ... I know the wave. You wave if your hands are full and you are on a divided highway, you just do. Saw two earlier than mine models yesterday, a rare sighting in Medina County Texas, and neither waved. (I'm in an F55) Having recently bought my Mini, BMW sends me about an email a week, one early on mentioned "the Wave." So, BMW reminds the new owners to wave, who's gonna remind the long time owners to do the same? :beer
I always wave if I see a MINI. Heck, if HDs can do it, why can't MINIs? Come to OH...I'll be the MINI waving at YOU! Or, if you are going Dragon-slaying in May, I'll wave atcha then, as well! :cornut:
I wave. Now a days most don't wave back. But long ago all Mini drivers waved at each other. I think now that they are cheep used cars people buy them just because. Just remember if they don't wave you can hold up one finger it show them their number ONE! You can pick the finger.
What's odd that is in South Texas everyone waves anyway, normally, if you wave, but I noticed many in Prius' and MINIs seem not too, while I do acknowledge that in some cars you can't see in so well because of the angle of the window. Oh well, I'll keep saying MINI! when I see one and flashing the peace sign. ;-)
The wave is just stupid. Wave at me and you are getting a one finger wave back if your lucky. :devil:
Dave, I'd wave at you just to see could you remember how to count to one. Seven minutes to post this or else it become a serious threat.
PS: I always wave anyway. A hold over from my British roadster days back in the '60s when all the sports car folk waved.
For once, I agree with Dave. Are you supposed to feel a special connection with some random person who happened to buy a car from the same manufacturer?
Yes!:biggrin5: Perhaps The Wave was big a few years ago because back then everyone had to have a SUV or a 4 wheel drive. The bigger the better. Remember the Ford Excursion and the Hummer. You were looked down on if you bought a small car. When you saw another Mini there was a sort of shared spirit of the road. Its was a acknowledgment of being different then the brain dead zombies in their moving fortresses. Now they have made mini attractive to the zombies that want to be discounted from everything around them, so the wave is only returned by those that get it, the connection to the road. If you wave or show up hear I don't care what Gen you have, you still have a mini! Not everyone has the skills or the money to buy a first or second Gen mini and fix it up the only choice they have is the F cars. And that is better than choosing a prius!
The fact that these forums exist shows there are Mini enthusiasts ... in fact, those that advocate the single finger salute are the biggest contributors to this forum. So if I every see a glass like finish on a red mini and get the one finger salute, I'll feel honored. I'll also say, the Jeep wave has never gone away, and happens to people who never even take their Jeeps off road. For the Mini, it is just a way of acknowledging a still pretty rare car. Where I work, there are about 1,800 cars in the parking lot, two MINIs. I'll wave if I wanna.
In San Francisco, there are 4 MINIs parked on every block. If you wave, you'll get a confused look back, "Do I know you?".
Kind of the same here in NOVA/DC. I notice when I go to visit folks in Virginia Beach, there are a LOT more wavers.
I had to leave mine in the shop overnight one time so a rental was needed. It turned out to be a Jeep something or other (never again) and danged if I didn't get a Jeep wave. Took me a couple weeks to shake off the cooties.
There is something to that. I still give a two finger wave*. I'd say a quarter of the time I get a wave back. On rare occasions does someone else wave first. *With one hand. Not a one finger salute from both hands.