Most liked posts in thread: FOTD - Fail of the Dragon

I'm trained on police cruisers on the track and these folks in the pics above are just plain lazy. Even with sloppy handling you can still stay between the lines. It just takes more work than in a MINI. Which begs the question... Why can't we all stay inside the lines given our handling?

 

I once heard MINI's new power fold mirrors were the idea of a Dragon Vet....

 

I have trained 2 newbies on the Dragon both of which were students of mine back here in Pittsburgh. Each of them therefore had track experience before the Dragon. Driving the Dragon was relatively easy for each of them because of the pure driving line they had been taught. Never with this line would you be caught with wheels over the line because of the flat exit line (exiting in a near straight line from the apex) as vs still turning near the center line. I am using a right turn example here.

If you want positive feedback on the Dragon area and the facilities there, I can say that Fontana Village is fantastic and a great location for a getaway. Cellphones don't work so nobody at work can reach you. The climate is fantastic. The views are breathtaking. The mountain air is exhiliarating. What more could you want?

OK when at the Dragon area, everyone is friendly and will help you. This is a remote area. Flat tire? Everyone wants to help. The spirit amongst enthusiast drivers is addictive, bikers wave at you and share their special signals which you can learn and save a LEO visit at your car window.

Overall, camaraderie is what I would say makes for a great Dragon.

 

That maybe came from the idea that we needed to use our xenons to see better during the midnight Dragon run. That meant that the car ahead needed to fold in the side mirrors and dim the interior mirror.

I drove that way and it worked pretty well with full xenons behind me.

 

lol, I heard it was to protect the mirrors from motorcyclists....

I grew up driving on the Saw Mill River Park Way in New Jersey...door handle to door handle- 60 mph, almost as twisty at the dragon in spots, no break down lane and huge metal guard rail in the middle....

I can't wait till next year.

I put in JCW Brake Kit when you guys were down there, and the JCW Sport Suspension goes in next week

 

Enjoy the brake and suspension changes!

 

I am witness to multiple LE moving violations every day. And I don't get all excited over it.....

Yes, a double line is a double line no matter where it is, BuT, You drive the Dragon at your own risk. It is not a closed course and the hazzards are well known.

I just would not call the Dragon a "failure" as this thread is titled. Especially when that is based upon merely a few photos from the thousands taken.

Take a look at the Flickr thread here and view the some 500 photos. I spent the better part of an hour doing just that. And found no other evidence of moving violations.....

Look, embarrasing our members to make a point is not a good leadership skill, and never a good teaching tool.

 

It is a failure for OUR community. We have earned respect there as the ones who arent annoying and disrespectful as many other communities are to the locals, riders and other communities.

You know the old saying:

It takes years to earn respect and only seconds to loose it.


Allot of us are embarrassed by what happen. We are better than that.

So, as we should. We are putting things in check.

I really dont care about other idiots doing that. (trucks, cars, bikes, etc) I mean I do but they are not my community. I say things when I can to them. However, As someone who is in a MINI and looked at as a MINI ima make sure we arent the ones causing the issues if I can.

As far as embarrassing not being a good tool, maybe not the best. But, it will work. People need to be aware. Take responsibility for their actions. Period. It will make the community better as a whole.

I have said it before, I say it again. So you screwed up. Ok, take your slap on the wrist and dont do it again. There is nothing anyone can say other than sorry it wont happen again. No excuse short of a bear or an obstacle they were avoiding being in the road.

 

As a "noob" I was very apprehensive about driving the dragon. I think Cabriopilot, MINIBee and Snooter did an excellent job both during the orientation talk, warning us to stay in our lanes and telling us why (complete with pictures) and during the actual orientation drive, when we drove it at a good, controlled speed. It helped me to have more of a healthy respect for the Dragon rather than the borderline fear I had.

However, I was still very concerned that I would go over the yellow line on some of the turns while out there simply because we don't have roads like that in Florida and I'm not used to driving them. I wish someone had mentioned this advice about an imaginary impassable boundary....like a concrete wall! I think if we all thought like that there would be very few people even getting close to the line. I suggest that be added to next years orientation talk.

I've always wanted to take a driving class and after listening to some of the track instructors and drivers on here I am more convinced than ever that I need to do this. I want to become a better driver so I can really enjoy these kind of roads.

 

I was lucky that my first pass down the Dragon was on a relatively busy weekend where I was stuck behind a group of slow moving Harleys for most of it's length. I did have a few people cross into my lane which was pretty scary but I got to appreciate the nature of the road at a very relaxed pace. This was before I was familiar with the standards of etiquette the locals and regulars expect on the road but when I finally did learn them it was like a breath of fresh air. Prior to that I'd been under the impression that the road was a 15mph traffic jam with a few crazy people risking your like all the time and was prepared to never go back again. I'm glad I went back later for MOTD since it was a much more relaxed experience and much more disciplined people on the road.

 

Ya, what he said.

 

Like Tuls has said several times, the MINI community has had the appreciation of the locals and bikers for being one of the groups who had it "together", who were conscious of the dangers on the road and who mostly drove in a safe manner. Over the last few years, that reputation seems to be slipping. As this thread and a similar one on NAM have shown, the possible reasons vary from more noobies/overconfident veterans, inattention, and numerous other reasons. There has been debate over whether the video shown in this thread is the way to handle this. However, we all seem to agree something needs to be done to fix the problem.

I would like to propose taking this discussion in a slightly different direction: let's hear some ideas for addressing this subject for future MOTDs/Dragon events to get the word out about the dangers of crossing the double yellows, and in the process maybe address excessive speed/overdriving your abilities/inattenton/etc.

As someone with a background in public safety and presenting safety programs, I want to say up front that no one method will work for everyone. Unfortunately, some people will ignore the info no matter what, and some people will not hear/read it even if you give it to them personally. However using "some people won't listen" or "we can't get the message across to everyone" statements are just condoning this dangerous behavior and I don't believe any of us really wants to do that.

The more ways we present the information, the greater the chances it will be noticed and accepted.

Some things already mentioned (I admit I've probably missed some so if you notice one missed, please mention it again):

> A noobie orientation as done this year
> Some type of instruction for the less experienced ie AutoX-type event
> A reminder at any driving event whether on the Dragon or not. I know it was mentioned that some people heard this repeatedly, but I was on a couple of events where absolutely nothing was said.
> A friendly reminder to drivers seen crossing the lines

One thing I would like to propose is more discussion on the forums like MA, NAM, and each of the Club forums during the time leading up to the event. In previous years, I noticed lots of discussion about this subject prior to MOTD. The last two years there was less discussion. Prior to this year's event it was almost nonexistant on the forums I frequent.

Another suggestion: mention safe driving tips closer to the front of the Welcome Guide instead of further back.

As I said before, no one method is going to work. We will need several ways to present the information in order to reach the most people.

So, any other suggestions out there?

 

I haven't been there... yet... so just speculating, but what if some type of Dragon Etiquette brochure or pamphlet was made up, and given to the hotels and restaurants in the area with the request that they be handed out when rooms are booked or become occupied?

It would stand a good chance of hitting a decent percentage of the event attendees, and would let the community know that the MINI community is committed to the event being run safely and responsibly.

D

 

Before the event this year, I had offered, on another forum, to write up an etiquette of the Dragon and was promptly shot down being told it was already mentioned in the MOTD 2009 "Manual". It's hard to help people who don't want to, or think they need to, be helped.

 

I would say that regardless of the people who want to whine and make excuses and say "this isnt the best way"

It's working. It will spread because people will either respect it and let friends know, or someone will "rant" and say "dont do it or they'll make a video about you making you look like an idiot"

Well, then so be it.

Dont cross or dont go.

 

It's very hard to help those who don't want or think they need to be helped, but that doesn't mean we can't try. Maybe this discussion will open the door for an etiquette guide for next year.

 

How about a promotional vehicle? A black MINI with two Yellow stripes close together down its center with the wording "Don't Cross Me" on it? It could be provided by MINI USA or a dealership and displayed prominently in Fontana and then the lettering removed and the car sold afterward.
Brochures only work if people read them (although having the etiquette written out somewhere where they can is never a bad thing) and classes will only be attended by those that are conscientious enough to "mind the Gap" so to speak. A bold prominent reminder with a simple message would be a great way to get people who might not notice otherwise to wake up a bit.

 

The more I think about this idea, the more I like it.

 

I like the promotional car idea, too. Maybe some dealership could have a raffle for a free lease of the car. Gets people to sign up for the raffle, and you hand them some literature right there on the spot. Being a male, I like the idea of using some promotional models (preferably red heads) too. :devil:

But buried in a manual is not a way to get a message out there. Yes, it will be available, to those who look. Yes, in honesty, you can say it was provided.

I still think an etiquette page is the way to go, assuming no red heads are available. People are away from their TVs, getting settled into their rooms, and might just take the time to go over something handed to them that has a MINI on it and some useful info. They might have an hour to kill before meeting with friends, and might just read it!

Another idea would be a stack of complimentary place mats that the local restaurants could use during this time? While you're BSing and waiting for your food you might just read a message there.

I imagine for either of these, some vendor would be willing to pony the printing cost for some exclusive ad space on them. Nothing too distracting to take away from the important message, but maybe 20% of the print area available for ads.

D