Is it me, or is the Prius a moron magnet?

There is nothing worst than a left lane huger in the car community, at least in our part of the country. I really have a hard time understanding the concept of people not moving over to a slower moving if you can't keep up with the flow of the traffic. Kind of like if you can't stand the heat get out of the kitchen. Yes, it's public road shared by everyone, if one wants to take the legal risk of getting a speeding ticket that's their choice. There are many common "International" driving courtesy rules, one of them being the left lane is used for passing and faster vehicles. And if anytime anyone passes you on the right you need to love over one lane. But unfortunately for many drivers in the United States we are very ignorant of the driving rules.

Thus this gave the Prius owners suck a bad name for left lane hugers, and associated of being bad drivers.

My mission now is to change that stigma one driver at a time. Not all Prius drivers can't drive.

 

Almost all California Highway Patrol don't pull people over for over the speed limit if you are going with the flow of traffic. In case you guys forgot the national speed limit law was implemented after the oil crisis, and slowly many States are raising the speed limit again. It was not there for a safety issue, it was strictly a fuel saving law. To give you guys an idea how much over the speed limit I got away with. Awhile back I was cruising at around 80 mph on a 65 mph limit freeway going with the flow of traffic, CHP was behind me for about 3 miles just keeping pace with the traffic. He didn't have his radar on (I have a V1), and I was curious to know at what speed he would pull me over. So I down shifted and took my car up to 95 mph and that did it. After he pulled me over he was laughing really hard, and thought I was crazy for pulling away from a CHP when he was right behind me. I smiled and said I just wanted to see how fast I can get away without being pulled over. He wrote me up for 75 mph and said "Nice car". I was in the 911 that day.

He didn't use his radar so the ticket was dismissed in court.

 

On the flip side I kind of understand what you are saying too. (The content of your initial post). After owning the Prius for 1 month I found myself driving my daily (X5M) the same Prius way. Feather the gas pedal and keeping the engine RPM low. On my recent highway only tank I ended up getting 24 mpg!!! This is amazing on a normal average 14 mpg car. However I never blocked anyone in the fast lane.

 

We have a local newspaper q&a column concerning traffic. I read one question being asked about what the person can do about tail gaiters and speeders. He drives in the left lane at 65 mph to ENFORCE the speed limit. He's a traffic vigilante concerned about safety and speeding. The columnist told him to move over and he's making the situation even more dangerous. Trouble is, if there's one person who thinks like this. There's probably more.

 

See that's the exact problem, people who drive 65 mph in the left lane thinking that they are "Enforcing the speeding limit by keep everyone safe". That's because they are ignorant about the speed limit law in the first place. National Maximum Speed Law - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

In response to the original subject, people will tailgate you regardless of the kind of car you drive. I also drive my Acura Integra (or my Jeep Cherokee once in a while) and people will tailgate me while I'm driving in the right lane with five other lanes open. I ignore them.

In my opinion (as an observer from the right lane), I-5 in the Seattle area doesn't really have a "flow". Cars in the left lane will travel anywhere between 5-20 over the speed limit. The right lane is pretty much speed limit. The two lanes in between run ... in between.

For the record, I am a reformed speeder (10-15 over) thanks to my Prius. As a speeder, I never expected the folks in the far right lane to go fast (over the speed limit). That's what the lane is for. As far as the left lane, I don't care if you are doing 5,10, or 30 mph over the speed limit...please don't camp in the left lane.

The biggest thing is don't let the idots ruin your day. Just ignore them.

 

Well said!

 

What gets me is on surface streets where the speed limit should really be followed because of all the intersections and pedestrians, people get upset if you are doing the speed limit in the left hand lane. Uh hellooooo the speed limit is 35-45 not whatever you can get away with! I also get in the left hand lane and stay there simply because if I get over to the right or center lane I more than likely will not be let over into the left lane to turn! Most of my route is anywhere from 4 lanes in each direction down to two in each direction. The vast majority of my drive has three lanes in each direction. Many times with the center lane having very few cars in it. Usually that lane doesn't have to stop as much for people turning off the road so I would think people in a hurry would rather use that lane.

What really upsets me though, are the a-holes who get all upset about you driving the speed limit then zoom past you in the center lane and then swerve back in the left lane barely missing you. I drive the same speeds as I did with my Camry but I swear, just because of the Prius badges people just being D***s!

I really like the ones that go all driving from lane to lane and then end up at the same stop light I do either just in front of me, or several cars behind in another. I usually say something to myself like "All that fancy driving didn't get you any further ahead did it?"

Just because I'm doing the speed limit and you decide you want to go faster and ride my nice person does NOT require me to pull over into another lane.

 

My typical thought is "congratulations! all that gas and hazardous driving bought you an extra 20 feet at the light!".

 

"He didn't use his radar so the ticket was dismissed in court."[/quote]

Mrpcar,
Did the officer show up in court? He is not required to use radar (they are mostly using lidar now, for which they have to be stationary) and all he has to do is pace you to get your speed. Sorry, but something doesn't sound right about your story. He gave you a break citing you for only 75 when you admitted to 95. I'm surprised you even went to court. He could have told the judge/commissioner what he actually clocked you at and that he gave you that break. My son is in law enforcement, and he calls what you did "contempt of cop."

 

Mrpcar,
Did the officer show up in court? He is not required to use radar (they are mostly using lidar now, for which they have to be stationary) and all he has to do is pace you to get your speed. Sorry, but something doesn't sound right about your story. He gave you a break citing you for only 75 when you admitted to 95. I'm surprised you even went to court. He could have told the judge/commissioner what he actually clocked you at and that he gave you that break. My son is in law enforcement, and he calls what you did "contempt of cop."[/quote]

Ever hear of Trial by declaration? He can't legally proof that I was traveling the speed I was going at given the distance he judge me by. Visual speed calculation require stationary objects for calculation, he was also moving. There is no way in the world he could properly calculate my speed given the circumstances. I knew that, so I speed up just for the fun of it. There are only very few places that I know of that uses lidar, police department can't afford to upgrade, so everything is still on Ka band.

Also if you have DRL with LED you are very likely to fool the lidar and cause an error message, as the LED gives out the same 902 nM spectrum the lidar is on. At least that's the only possible explanation I have after getting nailed by lidar in my X5M 3 times over 90 mph and got away.

I speed not because I need to get somewhere quick, I just do it for the joy of it. Speed junkie as you would call it. Can't help it, I am a gear head and spent too much time on a race track.

 

Rogerv. Tell your son I am part of the 11-99 foundation group. He should know what that is, CHP blocks freeway for us once a year for pretty much 3 digit runs on public road. It just takes money. The fun start at the 3:00 minute mark, yes, I am one of them. (Red Ferrari) doing 90 mph? That's nothing, I often do 175 just to burn off the carbon for fun. But I am glad I am a Prius owner now. Well, heck I might even bring my Prius to the next run!

 

Uh-huh, keep right except to pass. There are signs in places on the Interstate here to remind people of that. Of course, except at the rare busy times (holiday weekend Fridays and fairly-hurried hour) it doesn't get very busy in central Maine. A 4 lane Interstate is quite sufficient. So, usually you can Drive With Load and just keep an eye on the rearview and adjust speed if you'd be caught by a car just as it's being passed.

Oh it's not unknown for me to be doing a 60 on a Saturday evening and have somebody sit behind me way too closebecause they want the next exit. Now, I can understand waiting because you want the exit, but not with 3 miles to go on an Interstate with exits numbered by mile!

 

It's really fairly simple; he matches your speed and looks at his officially calibrated speedometer. If he decides to give you a break and lower the speed at which he clocked you when he writes the citation, you pay a lesser fine if convicted. No radar or lidar is necessary, they are just tools to aid the officer.
Every now and then we see pictures in the paper and on television of Ferraris, etc. after an accident, where there is hardly anything left of the car. Sometimes lives are lost. And quite often, the CHP says something along the lines of "speed was most likely a factor." I take that to mean someone was driving way over the limit, or way too fast for conditions, or beyond their abilities. On a track you have a reasonable expectation of other drivers being competent and alert; that's the place for exercising your need for speed, not on public roads, where the drivers range from newly licensed to those who should no longer be licensed. I've spent a considerable amount of time on tracks and on skidpads, learning accident avoidance techniques, emergency handling and evasive driving, etc. That doesn't give me the right to endanger others on public roads "for fun."

 

I think I am giving away all the secrets here, but what the hec

The idiots that crash and killed themselves never had any professional training. Which most people wouldn't have any idea what that's like. $500 / day, most are too cheap to pay for that kind of training.