"Forgive me..." MINI owners for I have passed other cars in a no passing zone. I hope I haven't besmirched the fair reputation of our group. I just got back from a wonderful drive up into the mountainous area east of Phoenix. Going east up to the lakes is a fantastic road that has many things we all love to drive on. Curves, corners, hairpins, scenic overlooks(that get quickly passed by), some decent straightaways that are like slaloms and a few souls driving minivans and Mercury Marquis. I just called my wife to let her know I have returned home safe and that if in the next few weeks a minivan or three pull up next to us and shake their fist, they may be the people I passed. Having a rather unique looking vehicle makes me pause to wonder if perhaps a disguise next time might be in order. I actually put no-one in danger, I simply took the opportunity to pass when it was presented. What a fun way to help start a rare three day weekend. Happy Easter.
You are forgiven and I understand. :yesnod: I tell my wife that those people are members of the anti-destination league. When I find them I pass them when safe to do so. Fast MINIs FTW....
There is something to be said for driving a non-descript car. Before the MINI, I drove a '97 Nissan Altima in metallic tan. Every 10th car in Dallas looked exactly like mine. I was cruising down the left hand lane of the highway, probably going 7-10 MPG over the limit (but was going with traffic) when I crested over a hill. Suddenly the guy in front of me and the guy behind me pulled 1 lane to the right and I knew what was gonna happen. 1 second later, I saw the cop with his radar gun pointed right at me. I saw him turn on the lights and merge into traffic and I knew I was a gonner... until I looked one car to the right of me and spotted the exact same make/model car in the same color! I pulled over one lane and tucked in right behind him. The cop came flying up the left hand lane and I could see him looking back and forth between the 2 cars, trying to figure out who the speeder was. I was doing my best not to look back at him... trying to keep an 'innocent' look on my face. After 10-15 seconds, he gave up, turned off the lights and pulled over to fish for his next speeder. Unfortunately, I'm not gonna get that lucky again in a fully modded MINI.
You are forgiven. I must also confess to practicing rev matching while turning and blowing the doors off of cars during my morning commute, not because I was late for work but because I could. I actually had a co-worker say, "I saw you driving on the Beltline, you were speeding." To which I said, "Yeah, I generally do.":devil: Yes, fast MINIs FTW!!!!! And they do get nailed by the cops.
I tend to be aggressive when I drive (or so my wife says) I will admit I kinda have a short fuse when it comes to people driving stupid or talking on their cell phone, I used to display the California hello quite a bit. I have since toned it down quite dramatically because there are only 5 or 6 MINI's in town and only one that looks like mine. I am afraid someone that I have given a piece of my mind while driving will see my car sitting somewhere around town and take revenge out on her. But on the highway or out of town all is fair....
abbreviation question Someone clue me in on what FTW means. My years in the cabinetshop tells me its a term I wouldn't want my students using. What is it?
"Have you ever noticed that anybody driving slower than you is an idiot, and anyone going faster than you is a maniac?" Identify the source of that quotation and win a free look of astonishment from someone who doesn't know.
Missed fame & fortune by 2 minutes.... DOH!!! Nathan you have fast fingers. My new opposable thumbs screwed me up again.
Driving a MINI has actually made me a more polite driver because I can be easily identified. I worked in the clinic at the local elementary school when I first got El Kabong and he was always parked front and center at the school, plus I had a big picture on the wall in the clinic from a Road Atlanta DE. All the kids and parents knew El Kabong, so I had to be very polite driving around town, kind of a buzz kill . Now I have Mozart, the blacked out stealth MINI, and I don't work at the school anymore so all bets are off :sosp:. (jk) Annette
I live in a small town, with one stop light and two resident Sheriff Deputies on duty all the time. I have the ONLY MINI, so I have no choice but to be law abiding. Jim
:cornut: Better yet, let them take your Mini for a spin. They'll then be fully infected by the virus. Jasonopcorn:
Glad some of you had fun with the challenge. The coveted look of astonishment goes to Nathan. I hope it doesn't keep him awake nights. Some looks can be disturbing.
In the George Carlin theme... How about his bit about the suction cup darts and idiot drivers. ...to paraphrase: If everyone was armed with a dart shooter and kindly tagged the offending drivers, then it would be easy to spot the ones "we" should stay away from and then of course, the police would pull over and ticket anyone that had earned 3 or 4 "stupidity" darts. Sadly, a MINI just wouldn't hold enough ammo to keep me stocked. :wink: I do live in a California college town with a very heavy tourist industry, so there are plenty of those type of drivers! :frown2:
I was on my way home one day (autobahn) when a convoy of BMWs with blue lights flossing jumped on behind me. I get over and let them pass ( polizei special Comandos) in each car was 4 guys wearing ski masks to conceal their identities. I then realized they were cursing along at a speed UNDER the speed o wanted to drive. I jumped back into the left lane behind them and they finally moved out of my way. I slowly creeped up to the lead car, looked the dude in the eyes, sport button, gone.. No one else dared to pass them lol. I lost site of them in about 2 minutes. It is nice sometimes not having a speed limit.