Misadventure In Hypermiling: First Encounter With Anti-Hypermile Road Rage

Many! I have had people pass me right and left in a constuction zone posted at 25 mph, with a electronic warning sign announcing, "Strictly Enforced" during daytime work hours or otherwise. Methinks a strange new generation is developing.

 

A note: This section of road has been worked on for the past year. Location: Citrus Heights, CA, OAK AVE. sometimes there are workers present, most times there are not, or, sometimes unseen, underground and they are replacing large sewer pipe. This laxsadaisical method of controlling speed and traffic by use of a electronic sign just produces a group of drivers who will flaunt other driving rules. The City of Citrus Hts is actually responsible for developement of these drivers. Any other PC'ers note this? Incidently, almost no Police enforcement!

 

One of the few things I remember from drivers education 38 years ago was this goal: A driver should never do anything intentionally that causes another driver to react. Examples would be driving too slowly, pulling out in front of someone, slamming on your brakes, not using turn signals - blah dee blah dee blah.

I still believe that if all of us just followed that one recommendation driving would be all the more pleasant for everyone. Coach Floyd was a pretty smart fellow after all.

 

Even as a prius owner i have big issues with hypermiling in public, honestly like posted above your disrupting the flow of traffic by constant changes in your speed.

Are there other things drivers do intentionally that causes disruption? yes Loud exhaust stereo's etc.

To me it almost seems like its a I drive a Prius im better then you look at my MPG kind of deal, wouldnt keeping a constant speed not causing non hybrid owners to constantly brake and speed up be better for the environment and there gas mileage?

 

I have been employing the "hypermiling" techniques for a week or so after learning the ins and outs here in the forum. I have made it a point to do it when it makes sense. I do when I can stay with the flow without being in anyones way, when there is no one behind me to be bothered or when I can get over to the right lane and maintain in the "slower lane". Back roads have become my friend in my daily commute and getting to speed and then using techniques to stay there as much as possible is my goal otherwise. I refuse to be obsessive enough to block the roadway so I can enter my driveway ahead by 1/10 of gallon average. I simply want to get over 50mpg or better while driving with the traffic ..not obstructing it. I was flying around Prius owners a few short weeks ago and if held up by one ...would have thought ....what's wrong you a--hole ....use the big pedal on the right. I just want to stay out of the way and not give Prius nation a bad name.

 

Here is a classic choice for an efficient driver:

[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=embed&hl=en&geocode=&q=Huntsville+AL&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.094886,59.326172&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama&ll=34.730369,-86.586104&spn=0.004577,0.007242&t=k&z=14&layer=c&cbll=34.712653,-86.590673&panoid=KS6pQiP2LNv-uwKEPWnmig&cbp=13,5.76,,0,4.67"]View Larger Map[/ame]

The left two lanes are posted 50 mph and taking the exit puts you on two, one-way, lanes posted at 40 mph. Our Prius excel at 38-40 mph because they can run in hybrid mode and turn the engine off. More importantly, the access roads often have slower drivers so cruising at 35 mph is perfectly acceptable.

In contrast, the left two lanes are usually running 55+ mph with a lot of traffic anxious to get home. You can find the occasional truck to follow but even they are often busting the posted limit. The efficient driver takes the exit and parallels the freeway at 50+ MPG.

You also learn to spot opportunities:
[ame="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Huntsville+AL&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=36.094886,59.326172&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Huntsville,+Madison,+Alabama&ll=34.71665,-86.591599&spn=0.004577,0.007242&t=k&z=17&layer=c&cbll=34.716565,-86.591573&panoid=B2VE2IUoLt1FpFdjfJpEhw&cbp=13,208.62,,0,-2.03"]Huntsville AL - Google Maps[/ame]

The two trucks on the other side of the divider are perfect, especially the lawn car truck with the trailer. You don't tailgate them because stuff falls off trucks and you want to avoid nicks and cracked windshields. But use them as a pace vehicle knowing over taking traffic will see them a long way off and smoothly merge into the passing lane.

Now there will occur times on the access road where an insecure driver will tailgate me in the slow lane. If there is no other traffic, I move to the left, they pass me on the wrong side, and I slide back to where I was before. No big deal and no EGO!

Efficient driving means not making waves, especially from other drivers with the middle finger extended. But rather, observing traffic with new eyes and finding a moderate paced, often less stressful path on the highway. Playing selected podcasts makes it a lot more enjoyable.

Bob Wilson

 

Interestingly, this electronic speed enforcement sign was shut OFF within a day or two of this posting. This was after being on for 6 monthe or more in a extremely unsupervised manner. Is Priuschat that powerful???

 

So should we NEVER rock the boat? Imagine if nobody rocked the boat in 1776, Rosa Parks just went to the back of the bus anyway...would the Clean Air Acts of 1970 or 1990 happened if there were no protests?

Hypermiling is NOT civil disobediance. Heck, road rage happens even if you are speeding! It's been months since I've gotten much flak hypermiling.

I'd just say, keep on getting to know your Prius until it's 2nd nature. Then when possible drive at times and routes more conducive to hypermiling, giving tailgaters every opportunity to pass. At some point you have to conclude the road rage is their problem.

 

I'll admit to getting a small piece of revenge at these raging gearheads.

Dude 25yrs or less in a TDI was high beaming me in bumper-to-bumper traffic on a 6-lane interstate one evening because I was not going faster than the crawl. He peeled off, but as happens often, I caught up with him a mile later without using extra gas. I honked and made sure he saw me LOL at him.

He's the lowest common demoninator - why appease these idiots?

And this is not really a hypermiling incident

 

Well, we're all human and I'd be lying if I said I've never done anything like what you just described that you did. But I try to remind myself, whenever the temptation arises, whatever any of us can do--or not do--to lessen the stress and anger on the road makes it less likely that the a*hole you just described will peel off and plow into someone else. Especially as a cyclist but even when not, this matters to me.

If someone needs to merge, I'll let 'em in if I can. When someone lets me in, I wave (with all five fingers). I figure it makes the road safer for us all. And I can definitively attest that the thank-you-wave will in all likelihood make that driver back off and give you more room than otherwise. Often they smile and wave back, surprised someone would actually be nice.

(Totally opinionated aside: The guy high-beaming you was definitely not only rude but also rather, uh, cerebrally challenged--what did he expect you to do, levitate the traffic?)

 

I generally don't rub it in, but once in awhile I break down.

I also realize I was tormenting the TDI because if anything he's more bent on his A$$CAR antics to get ahead next time.

 

When I was a young man, I was taught not to drag my stuff into the street.
You can do what you want when you are alone, but when you are out in traffic, do not make life difficult for other people.

 

Maybe we should try not to distinguish the way we drive from the way we do anything else while among others: with consideration and care. Why should we behave differently?

 

I really don't believe it is totally related to driving a prius. There are those driving right up to my bumper when driving my nsx too. usually a young man in a big truck. I just let them pass... and try to get out of their way ahead of time. I wonder if they have somewhere to go in a hurry or are just being reckless.

On the other hand.... once in a while, I am called to the hospital for an emergency....Life may really hang in the balance.... and then it would be nice for people to pull off the side of the road (a lot of two lane roads around here...) on one of the many turnouts. But sadly... most often, they just will not.... despite honking or highbeam flashing.

So you never know whay someone is in a hurry, if its me.... I rushing to help someone... usually!

 

I really believe there is something about the Prius that brings out this intolerance to any reduced speed or perception of it. I say this because I drive behind large BMWs, Mercedes and like vehicles who drive below the speed limit frequently, in town and on the highway. Having experienced these rude road ragers (RRR) myself, I have made an effort to observe any reactions these doddlers receive. At this point I have never observed any tailgating or obvious intolerance to these people. People just back off or go around when they can. From my observations, this is a different response then that given the Prius drivers. I acknowledge the limit of my little study. I think this difference has to do with how the Prius is perceived by the RRR.

 

Do you realize that people like you give the rest of us a bad name? 22 in a 30 is ridiculous and makes people, not surprisingly, very pissed off. Have some consideration for others. If you want to get 51.5 go find an industrial park on Sunday morning and have a party. Otherwise people have other things to do and by holding up multiple people behind you your selfishness is being put ahead of others.

On second thoughts, I think you may be trolling expecting answers like mine.

You didn't come back to your thread. Troll confirmed!

 

Yes, for goodness sakes! Don't ever get in the way of the crowd of lemmings as we hurtle down Oblivion Road towards the Olduvai Gorge!

 

While I agree that 22 in a 30 on a two lane road is rude, I don't know that proclaiming the OP a troll because he didn't come back to the thread is anything less.

There is plenty of rude behavior on the road. I've been guilty of it myself at times and I regret that. Most rude behavior I see appears related to just getting somewhere a few seconds sooner. At least the OP had the better cause of conservation in mind, though he probably caused more carbon production in the end because I bet most of those frustrated drivers behind him overcompensated by increasing their speed for a few miles after his turn.

 

Good for you...but remember if in our quest for better mileage we are impeding the flow of traffic we are also wrong...sometimes we need find that balance. I have had to move to the slow lane at times and don't mind. I have also been passed on roads where there is no passing allowed and I am doing the speed limit or more. At times no matter how fast you are going someone is going to believe it is not quite fast enough....

 

51.5MPG tank average is hardly hypermiling. I have to admit that hypermiling in a prius is harder than other vehicles. My 97 Tacoma with V6 auto is rated at 17 city and 21 hwy I'm able to get 22-24 city and 30-34 hwy hypermiling without causing clogged traffic. using the same driving style as my Tacoma on my Prius yield 48MPG in 60 mile trip local. Just today I was able to get 72mpg for the first 25 miles. Then weather got to 105F and i had to turn up the AC and it brought the average down to 60MPG in 50 miles trip. I dont know what my tank average is because I havent fill up the tank yet. So far I've driven 180 miles and my fuel guage has dropped only 1 bar.