Another MINI related article from The New York Times (free registration required). Here's a snippet:
Alexandre Klabin is a mild-mannered, polite young man, the kind of fellow who opens doors for strangers. But, once a day, he allows himself a measure of wickedness.
He pulls out of a parking spot, peers into the rearview mirror and watches as a normal-size car, say, a Honda Civic, tries five times to fit in the same spot.
Invariably, the driver gives up and the car pulls away. That's because Mr. Klabin has vacated a “Mini spot”, a 12-foot-long parking space on New York streets that now conveniently holds the shortest car in America, the new Mini Cooper, with more than an inch to spare.
“I feel guilty when I take big spots,” Mr. Klabin, 25, said sheepishly. But his Mini-guilt is quickly displaced by Mini-anger: “Nobody respects you in the street. They just cross over you because you're small.”
…Delivery trucks and cantankerous cabs did not deter Mr. Klabin and more than 500 other drivers from buying Mini Coopers in Manhattan since March of last year, when BMW's revamped version of the British classic made a debut in New York.
In fact, the New York market ranks first in sales among the 48 markets in the United States. So New York Mini sightings are increasingly common, even outside the early Mini enclaves of the West Village and Park Slope.
<p>Oh, so in NEW YORK they give the thumbs-up? I'm unable to get a wave or even eye contact from other MINI drivers around here these days. Harumph. Am very much looking forward to this week's meetings!</p>
<p>I'm averaging about a 50% wave back these days. Certainly not like the early days of last spring.</p>
<p>The NYT has run a good number of articles on the MINI, 3 or 4 in last few days, and pretty much all favorable. The official Paper Of Record likes the MINI. Yeah!</p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>But Rob, how can you be sure they're original stories? Could just be copying other people's postings from message boards and the like 😉 AND I got a nice wave and drive-along tonight from a couple in a DS/W MCS southbound on the Edens. Lost them after the junction. Very nice to have the encounter.</p>
<p>Cynical! I know they're real – I wrote 'em myself!!<br />
HeHe! Selling my life story to the tabloids tomorrow!</p>
<p>Saw an all Red Cooper today with the window down, I honked and Chris waved, and the guy just stared at us. Ah well, a certain amount of owners are just spuds – ya know – vegetables. </p>
<pre><code> BCNU,
Rob in Dago
</code></pre>
<p>I still wave at every MINI I see.. It's OK if they don't wave back, the karma has been spread</p>
<p>I seem to be doing a lot more waving than I am receiving, but I too will continue to spread the karma.</p>
<p>had my 1st 2 great experiences on sat. this weekend. pulled up to lights in carol stream and oak park, alongside a cr/w mc and ly/b mc respectively. my girlfriend and i rolled down our windows, waved, and said hi enthusiastically. after pulling away, i told her how there seems to be a general perception of mcs owners being a bit snooty towards mc owners…she was taken aback! “they obviously haven't run into us yet!”, was her response.</p>
<p>i will admit that the 1st few weeks that i had my mcs, i was so focused and careful about being in a new driving environment, that i may have missed a couple waves…but i'm making up for it every chance i get!</p>
<p>cheers,
S-</p>
<p>Hello S-
Is it you that we both are on a stoplight in Oak Park last Saturday? Mine is MC ly/b.
Is your MCS ds/b? We did say
“hi”.</p>
<p>yes!
you were turning north on harlem from lake, and i was continuing east?</p>
<p>it was great to see you, and nice to meet you. i hope to get to talk to you at some upcoming events!</p>
<p>cheers!</p>
<p>Hi S-
Glad to see you too & your MCS last Sat. I was heading home to the corner of Harlem & Ontario.My wife said your
color comb. is “sharp”.Hope to meet you again. :)</p>
<p>ARGH! I missed all of you in Oak Park. I did see a DS/B on Harrison and Ridgeland, and a CR/B just south of South Blvd. I was the IB/W with Rally lights.</p>
<p>there are 2 ds/b's in oak park i know of, mine has black stripes and the rally lights…the other has neither.</p>
<p>i hope it wasn't me, and i missed a greeting!</p>
<p>I normally see the MCS ds/b park sometimes either in Madison & at Holey Court parking in Oak Park.</p>
<p>make that 3 in O.P.!</p>
<p>i hope they/you are all coming to patrick mini on thu. for the italian job…</p>
<p>Wow, I see there's a number of us in Oak Park. Drive down and visit me in Berwyn sometime! I keep getting the <em>dirtiest</em> looks from the bling bling pickup trucks 😉 Have seen an SG/W and a CR/W in OP recently, but was too far away for a wave to register. On the other hand, I was totally dissed by a couple in a CR/W on Lake. Oh, the agony!</p>
<p>Sure.Where are you in Berwyn?
I forgot to ad that 3 more I normally see in O.P.–one MC IB/W,SG/W & another S/W in Aerokit who hangs at OPRF H.S.</p>