Month: September 2008

Off Out For a Bit

It’s been a quiet time for MINI related postings here, and that is set to continue as I’m off traveling for a bit. Starting tomorrow I am off to New York city for a few days with Teri. She has never been so we will see the tourist sights as well as visit some of my old haunts from when I lived there.

After that I am back in CA for a few days before going to Europe for a week to visit our London office, and a side trip to Guerrilla Games in Amsterdam to do some work with them. I should get a good look at the upcoming Killzone 2 for PS3 while I am there.

The MINI just turned 68,000 miles and is going strong. A few months before the Inspection 2 so I am sure I will have something to say about that nearer the time. Until then, happy motoring!

Driving Peeve of the Week

I’m driving in the inside lane (good British lane disciplined boy that I am) coming up to an on-ramp where, as usual, the traffic has about 10 yards in which to pull out onto the freeway. It looks like a vehicle is going to get there about the same time as me so I pull out to the avoid the hassle of speeding up or slowing down (people seem to have forgotten they are supposed to yield, not me).

I pull out, he comes over and now we’re side by side. I wait for him to accelerate past but he doesn’t so now I have to drive crazy to get by him (knowing full well that he will also accelerate) or slow the hell down to come in behind him. It’s a nice ‘reward’ for being courteous.

I’m sure most of the time the other driver just isn’t even thinking about the situation, and there are other times when they are just being a jerk, but it winds me up.

Coopers S vs Acura MDX – who’s quickest?

Yeah, we know the answer to that but the woman driving her MDX didn’t seem to know. I don’t know what it is with people wanting to beat me off the line at traffic lights. Surely after all this time, people know that the MINI is, well, a bit quick. And I’m used to WRX’s, 911’s etc making their intentions clear but not often an SUV.

So tonight I’m in the left lane of two at the traffic light, next light is a left turn for me. I see the Acura come up behind, pause, and then come out around me to the right. My first thought is that she wants to go straight on at the next light. Light changes and she’s off, engine squealing. I don’t usually bother but I’ve been pissy all week and I’m frankly disgusted that someone thinks an MDX is faster than a MINI.

I catch her during the change from 2nd to 3rd gear (I bet most of you would still be in first!), cruise by her and am at the light 10-15 seconds before her; she pulls up behind me.

I don’t get it. I drive very conservatively, no crazy quick starts, no challenging other vehicles, and yet time and time again a car will pull this crap. Frankly I’m getting tired of it.