Yeah...People like that video are the reason there is hate. I get a lot of flak because people ask me if it's a political statement. "No, it's a wallet statement. I can't afford to spend gas money driving an SUV to work 70+ miles every day." As far as that woman? I would have called the cops while tazing her. Approaching my car with my kids in it is no joke. There are too many crazies out there!
Might qualify as a verbal assault on a child, which is actionable as abuse. Toss that in someone's face the next time your kid is around someone swearing and watch them get quiet quick. Usually people get angry (as with Prius owners) because someone has what they don't, and when they perceive themselves as no longer "having the best out there", that anger finds a target. An affordable car that doubles (or triples gas mileage) and has power under the hood when needed?! What an obscene thought, they must be jerks and know-it-alls by definition for purchasing such a car.
lol a lot of narcissism and self righteousness in this thread. Think others get upset because of envy? lol get a clue people. i think you're closer to understanding why people hate prius owners a lot more than you realize.
You are right on. Those people who accuse others of being motivated by jealousy are often projecting.
There is no doubt, there is huge Prius hate on blogs/forums. Look at the Jalopnic piece on Which cars do the worst drivers drive? He said Nissan Maxima. Not so, multiple people responded in the discussion and pointed only to one car, Prius. Which cars do the worst drivers drive? I'm active on BITOG and one can see one Prius bashing thread a week on average. BTW, no one dares to bash any other car or brand. Even an old Yugo thread was very civil with some jokes but little hatred. I'm thinking these days it's not politically correct to pick on Polish, Jews, or Blacks, and Prius drivers became the new target online.
I don't know that I find it very humorous when this lady just goes off in front of children. Her behavior is inappropriate in any setting and goes a long way to explain why Prius drivers can get a bad rep. Who knows how this thing started. Perhaps she approached the family asking them, very politely, to move to that she didn't have to inhale diesel fumes. Still, a better approach would be to inform, not to accuse. I found out that a great number of people waiting to pick up their children after school kept their cars running simply because they wanted to listen to the radio. They weren't being intentional and careless energy wasters (per se), but instead were uninformed. A polite reminder from the PTO has some of the same people understanding they can save fuel AND listen to the radio at the same time. For those who arrive an hour early and have souped-up stereos, well . . . they may have trouble. The video is getting me angry at Prius drivers. And I've been one for six years plus.
Not envy of the vehicle (Tesla they might envy), more envy of the behavior in buying a high mileage car and driving it the speed limit. Prius is a reminder that if they REALLY supported the troops, they'd be driving a high mileage hybrid and driving safely to minimize oil use.
Very good point. I could never understand why the people why are otherwise patriots are actually driving gas guzzlers. Somehow they don't see the connection or don't want to see one. And then there is the "What would Jesus drive?" I'm atheist myself, but I find that phrase very convincing. Coming back to the online Prius bashing I mentioned above, I would not be surprised if some entity connected to big oil is astroturfing and creating a false online "grass roots" movement. Now, it sounds like crazy conspiracy, but it has been done before, and nothing surprises me anymore after learning that big oil paid pseudoscientists to publish articles smearing global warming.
They are not really patriots, just lazy thoughtless people who think buying a bumper sticker somehow absolves them of responsibility to really do what is right for US troops and get them out of the Middle East and get all the troops everywhere home by eliminating the only real need for them to be anywhere but home...the need to secure oil supplies for gas guzzlers.
Lets enjoy our cars, tell our friends even let them drive our new car. That way they can see that it may be a good car for them also. I try to tell people how well it drives, and what great mpg it gets. I think people tailgate us because we are often driving a little under speed limit and they usually drive over the speed limit. I think the future of cars is in plug in hybrid cars. and the more FE cars we have the less we depend on forien oil and that is very important.
I think people dislike prius owners for a couple reasons one of which is telling or recommending people make changes to their life style because they seem like a good idea to you. Aka trying to push your ideals off on someone else. " You shouldn't waste so much fuel" "Think about the environment" "You could be saving money". Not everyone cares about the environment the same as you and some people might care more about it they just don't see driving a prius as the only way to do good, and some people couldn't care less about the money. Right or wrong not everyone has the same values as you so keep it to yourself, you aren't the ethics police (Just my 2 cents).
Who says that stuff? To me the modern day Prius owner seems like a regular person just liking the car. Many people out there driving 3rd Gen's running with the flow of traffic and then some. I even seen a few 2nd Gen's hauling nice person around Chicago early this week Mike
Well, I am hated when I drive faster (in a fitting vehicle) than "they" like and progress ahead more than "they" think I should, and I am hated when I am taking it Zen and cruising to save some gas (in a Prius) and end up slower than "they" think I should drive. It just brings me to the conclusion that "they" have no consistent set of ethics for right-and-wrong to back up their judgments, and it's all about their feelings of either feeling disadvantaged (for being passed by a faster driver) or having the opportunity to pick on a car well-known for being less-able to drop-the-hammer, and somehow justifying it even when the rest of the road is perfectly clear to simply progress beyond (pass with adequate clearance) the slower vehicle. But instead they choose to tailgate aggressively, as if to "correct" and punish you for your "wrong". And to that I say they can eat an airbag for all I care.
In traffic, there will be a distribution of speeds: faster - often type A drivers or those late for an appointment average - folks just trying to get where they are going slower - delivery and trailer towing or those with a 'driving challenge' or handicap tag The clever Prius driver looks for slower traffic and use them as a 'pacing' vehicle . . . the lead. Following, faster traffic will 'cleverly' pass the slow traffic and not see the Prius as 'leading the slow cars' but following. Their angst directed at the leading vehicle. Bob Wilson
But, then again: Like what you drive and drive what you like - Freedom of Choice. Is that not what America is all about? DBCassidy
People make decisions based on emotions, then subsequently justify their choices by stretching logic to fit.
