Dodge Dually VS My Prius

Well, it finally happened... only my Prius is not quite 3 mos. old. I've heard about the tail-gating, and attribute that to small cars vs dummy big truck bullying. well tonight I was hit by a dodge dually quad cab pick-up at a stop sign. There is more...
I've been formally trained in offensive and deffensive driving many years ago in the millitary. It came in handy tonight and was an instinctual reaction. So much so that I will be running my daughter now 13, through a similar type civilian course when she turns 16. Basically imminent rear end collision calls for off the brake immediately, then back on while controlling the car after being hit if you can't avoid accident. This is the reason, I am sure, that the Prius received such minimal damage. I'm talking a couple of paint scratches. The dodge truck, thankfully, was a two wheel drive, and didn't completely over-ride the Prius bumper.
When I got out I thoght I would see more damage as the impact felt hard enough to cause it.

Here are some pics... Yes the driver, and worse his girlfriend/wife? were complete rednecks, even in front of the officer...

 

Thanks, yes I'm glad i was ok, and the Prius seems ok. I did get under there when I got home, and everything looks good under there. It's going for a check up on Tuesday. Just talked to the insurance agent. Really stinks though that it happened. Both cars one with less than 5 miles, and now mine with 7000 miles on it have been damaged. My wife hasn't been in an accident in over 16 yrs, and well with the amount of driving I do for work, I get bumped often. People are nuts in the city.

 

Some of the funny things I remember the passenger chick saying to me, and police on the phone were;

"What kind of a piece of $&!? Is that?"
Telling the police on the phone;
"It's a Beaman "... That's the dealership name...
"Well it says pRIus, or prissy,,, yea that's what the f$&@ it is a prissy white gay car...."

Then she told them what her man was driving....
" It's a red dodge diesel dually pick-up...."
She left out some of the dodges most interesting features; with lots of chrome, a pair of chrome nuts hanging off the rear hitch, those irritating faux too bright, ebay HIDs, and a huge coffee can ricer exhaust with, the programer to dump black smoke at will....

At this point I made the comment that my prissy car seemed to cause more damage to his dodge. Then I couldn't help myself, my gay car beat up your manly truck.... At which point the driver insisted that he was coming over to beat me up... I told him he might want to rethink that, and walk to the back of his truck.... "I have a very specific set of skills... " i said, he replied, "but Im a redneck" to which I replied back, "I'm a redneck too... With a very specific set of millitary taught skills" He changed his mind... And went to the back of his truck and stayed there.

The women continued with a barrage of foul language, I finally just got back into my car to wait for the police.

 

You know, it does say 4x4. Sits lower than my Fords did in the front.
Really lucky after looking at my car today. He hit my Prius on the left corner at it"s strongest point. The dodge took the force right in the middle of the bumper between the frame rails, it's weakest point.

We have a bunch of stupid country boys out here that like to intimidate and smoke everybody. I'm a road biker and fear is stricken in my heart every time I hear a diesel truck comming. If they don't smoke ya when they go by, they love to get those mirrors as close to you as possible. Since I've moved out into the country, I've taken up mountain biking again. I still road ride, but early on Sunday mornings when the idiots are still drunk, and in their bed... hows that for stereo typing...

Oh well, the car gets checked out on Tuesday. I'll let y'all know what they find.

 

Actually, the passenger said most of these things on the phone directly to dispatch. I think they record all incomming calls? The officer that came to the scene, witnessed her barrage of colorful lanuage. Not to mention that she was in his face, so was the driver of the dodge. No report was necessary as it was in a private parking lot, But dispatch said that it sounded like fight was imminent. Public safety issue.

After they left, officer told me Christmas week was the only week he was nice. He said that she was about to take a ride in the back of the cruiser, and would have if he wasn't trying his hardest to be so nice.

This was intimidation. I ended up behind his truck because he kept hitting his programer to smoke the people behind him. They would move a lane over. I just unfortunately ended up behind him at the light. When he pulled slowly through the intersection, smoking me, I just used the second lane to get around him. That's why he chased me into the parking lot, and the reason I was keeping an eye on him. He just carried too much speed into parking lot to stop in time for the 4 way stop.


Yes, these idiots do kill people... we've had a few killed here on bikes in TN. There is no reason for this type of intimidation other than the fact that people that do this feel so out of control in their own lives. They feel that driving a Ton diesel makes them powerful, and in control. Prob. the only time they feel they have power in their lives. This economy will make this situation much worse as more feel out of control and helpless.

Honestly, it goes back to not playing the game with them. This only empowers them, and I should have just kept my mouth shut with the driver after the accident. I didn't feel that a weapon was handy to him, and too many witnesses, so I felt the need to reply to his stupid comments.

Basically, protect your families from these idiots;
don't put stickers on your cars about tailgating, political messages, or really any personal ideals that could cause a fight. These things will, at the very least, get your car vandalized. It just isn't worth it as you can not teach an idiot a lesson. And,,, it's not worth risking your life or your families life.

Some real non confrontational fun to have with our awesome cars is at the pump. If Im on one side of pump, and see a big truck on other side, I'll often say aloud ...to myself... that's all the fuel you want?... really?.. this is just crazy. $26 bucks for over 400 miles of driving? They get the message loud and clear...