Et tu Brute? In L.A. drivers cutting each other off is a way of life. But isn't there usually such a thing as brotherly love? A last salvation? Anyways I was on the Freeway in the lane that splits off into the onramp to another freeway. Traffic is stop and go but at least rolling a bit. As good practice in defensive driving I allow the car in front of me to pull away about 1.5 car lengths before I even step off the brake. As the car in front of me brakes again and I close into them, suddenly a black 2nd gen Prius damn near sideswipes me and wedges into my lane. Traffic stops again and the other Prius is halfway into my lane and half still in their departed lane. I am literally millimeters away from its rear bumper. I am fuming pissed. Traffic eventually gets moving again we all make it onto the next freeway. I am just itching to give the black G-II Prius driver a piece of my mind. I then pulled up next to them looked over and saw two babies in the back seat and a young mother behind the wheel. Much of my anger fizzes away faster than Alka Seltzer. I pass them and drive away... In hindsight obviously I am most upset at the fact that we were so close to colliding. A car full of precious cargo such as babies shouldn't be braking so hard to squeeze into a lane. The second thing that bugged me the most was that of all cars out there that would do such a thing, why another Prius? If anything, subconsciously or not, I would probably go out of my way to be more accommodating to another Prius than I would normally be with any other car on the road. Like I said in the beginning, where's the brotherly love? I'll get off my soapbox now, thanks for letting me vent a little...
It is good to vent out in a constructive way, and it is healthy too. Getting cutoff and pissing over it is a global urban phenomena. Sometimes, I myself is the guilty party, usually due to my lack of SA. A quick apologetic wave or gesture is usually suffice to diffuse the UCS (unintended cutoff situation).
Don't come in Europe. The word 'respect' has there no more meaning ! It's today world but however there are still many respectful people.
In which case side body moldings would actually make sense. Oh yes, Prius people will still fling doors open so no love here either.
Sadly there are idiot drivers in every make and model of vehicle on the road. Most of them seem too self absorbed to notice or care what the person next to them are driving.
Are you sure she wasn't driving a pickup truck? I have heard somewhere that truck drivers are buttheads. And that Prius drivers are really nice. I am sure you are mistaken.
Unfortunately, a lot of young women drive very aggressively especially in a SUV thinking they have the best protection. I have seen many young mothers ran red lights with the babies and young children in the car, logical thinking mothers will not endanger their young children, but this is no longer true, very sad.
Brotherly love? ..... that started disappearing when people began isolating themselves from each other in steel cocoons on 4 wheels. My advice, since no damage occurred to person or property is to forget it. Doesn't matter that she was driving a Prius. Another day will bring other problems to face. Time heals everything.
My (female) cousin fits that description. It's not that she thinks she is protected, it's that she is insane. She once kicked me in the face over a box of crayons. Sometimes you just need to let annoyances slide in order to avoid larger annoyances.
It could have been inadvertent. Rear visibility in the Prius isn't great - it's easy to cut people off without meaning to if you don't have your mirrors adjusted precisely and don't look to both the side and the rear before changing lanes. I wish there was less blind space between the side and rear windows.
When I got my first Prius in March '04, they were a fairly rare breed. When you sighted another one, it was a big deal. Drivers would flash their lights and wave. Sort of like drivers of British sports cars did back in the '50's. It made you feel like you were fraternal member of an exclusive club. My, but how times have changed. Prius are now 'a dime a dozen'. So that may be one factor in not recognizing a 'member of the club' any longer. Nothing to do with being a poor driver, however.
Some people are jerks, some people are distracted, pretty much anyone can and occasionally does do something stupid, some are truly self-absorbed, and absolutely *none* of us are perfect--not to excuse what she did, especially endangering the kids. I use my signal, let people in when they use theirs (or I can otherwise discern their intentions--around here, a lot of people roll the window down and point in front of your car...odd), and wave thanks to those who let me in. My guess might be one of the kids (or maybe she, metaphorically) had a full diaper, and she wasn't fully concentrating on the most important task at hand. But hey, we're all human and sometimes screw up, for whatever reason(s). I for one hope I'm not judged in entirety by the stupidest of my individual actions. <Insert blanket apology here to anyone I've inadvertently cut off due to (a) my car's extremely lousy rearward visibility, (b) said visibility being further compromised by self-replenishing layers of road salt and grime, and (c), last but not least, my mistake.>
