Bright Lights, Short Circuit
My Mini Cooper drives me nuts. Most cars have a regular N number of miles before service: my Jetta recommends service every 5,000 miles. The Mini doesn’t. It relies on the computer to tell me when it’s ready. I think it talks to me a Botchie because I don’t know when it signals me to bring her in for service. That’s why I went and did the Mini Cooper service festival this weekend. I knew that it was about time for service plus I went for the recall. Oh, yeah, she’ll catch fire on occasion if you’re not careful. I think I want to get that fixed.
Now, the last time I was in the Mini dealership it was empty. A weekday would do that. But on Saturday, it was busy. There were a few people doing the same thing I was doing, and there were a few people shopping for cars. I also saw a lady picking up her new Mini Countryman trading in a bigger SUV. People actually are buying this car? I can’t believe it, just as I can’t believe that I have one myself.
An hour into the wait, the service manager gives me the first diagnosis of the ills of my Mini Cooper. I already know what he’s going to say. Tires. Mine are bald. I know that. He’s trying to sell me on 3 tires for $1,000+. Come on. I could probably get all four for that much. That price because of the tires being run flats. I didn’t know that they also offered Pirelli run flats. I’m looking for an upgrade and for slightly cheaper than the Goodyears that are currently on her.
From behind me, I hear a lady groan about tires, too. She’s got a 2006 Cooper and she knows about tires. If you have to replace tires every 30,000 miles with $1,000 set of four, you’ll know something about tires.
We start a conversation about the tires. How terrible it is and the cost. It’s one of the worst parts of owning a Mini Cooper. We start discussing how we like the Mini, though. Her’s, as I mentioned, is a 2006 in a blue which they don’t offer any more. She takes hers to the beach with her bike on the back hitch. She’s able to pack a whole hell of a lot into her Mini. She’s put a beach umbrella in there! We both like our Minis but would definitely buy another. She’s got a Benz that she may or may not trade in for another Benz. Her Mini, like mine, is her summer driver.
As we discuss our Minis, we take a stroll through the showroom floor. She tells me of the older Coopers having a chintzy cup holder that is easy to break. We look at the current Cooper S. We discuss how the rolltop cover to the convertible causes visibility problems. We both agree that the white convertible is cute. We stroll over to the Clubman and check out the back barn door. That center pillar has got to cause rearview problems. We agree that the Clubman kind of grows on you after a while. We checkout a Countryman. Then we wander over to the new Coupe in JCW black. I get in and she compliments me that it fits me. Not really as it is really compact in there. The black headliner makes it dark as hell, too. I kind of like it.
I wonder about this interaction I had with this lady. I wonder if she was flirting with me. I wonder if I was competent in my flirting back. Is all of this in my head or was it palpably real? Or am I grasping at straws? Older, upper 40s or 50ish. Not bad looking slightly beautiful in the older white lady way. I am grasping at straws…
Anyhow, the Mini Cooper is ready for another year, and I have to get her tires…
