Brake lights and stopping at junctions

I'd learned to drive on Dad's '67 Holden (GM) with non-synchro 1st on a 3 spd column shift. My first car, a '56 6 cyl 2.2 litre Holden also had a 3 spd column with synchro only on 2 and 3. I also taught myself to double de-clutch, as 2nd gear synchro was getting dodgy, and was handy to get into 1st while moving if was running out of steam on a hill. It wasn't till I got my '69 Corolla (1077cc) when I first had all synchro - except that 3rd wasn't always quick enough for an 18-19 yr old.

 

I usually have my foot on the brake with a manual, because there is at least a small amount of slope, and I'd roll. Also, if I don't have my foot on the brake, I tend to tap the pedal when cars come up behind me, to remind them I'm stopped. I always leave the Prius in drive when stopped at a light.

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The best Prius brake lights.

 

I'm not sure what generation that Prius is. But there is one that has even more LED's back there. Rows of 3 bulbs, rather than 2 in each row. I like my Gen4, but I wish it had bigger tail lights/brake lights like that one. .

 

That cultural difference is very interesting. But if we tried that around here and it took more that a second or two longer to get moving, I'm afraid the driver following would get very angry and at a minimum probably blow his horn at you in anger. There's a lot of stop and go driving here around rush hour and people don't seem to have much tolerance for anything that gets in their way.

 

That's a fact, Jack! People here on the crazy Left Coast have the patience of a Gnat!

 

I hope this never becomes a "thing" in the SE US. Burning up a manual clutch to protect the delicate eyes of the poor person behind me? Don't think so. Sometimes when stopped at a long light in my wife's (ICE) car, I'll shift from D to N to disengage the auto transmission (but not in my Prius), and my foot remains on the brake.

 

I was in Scotland in the U.S. Navy in 1970, and I remember that it was customary to use only parking lights in town.

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What's a car wash?

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I'm hitting unwatch.

 

I think we should go over to the thread: "Where do you put your trash?" Only in a PRIUS FORUM would somebody ask a dumb question like THAT! GET out of TOWN!!

Some of these threads turn into the silliest and dumbest arguments. DOES ANYBODY REALLY CARE IF SOMEBODY KEEPS THEIR FOOT ON THE BRAKE FOR 2 HOURS, OR NOT!?!? You can pitch a tent out there for all I care!

As long as I never get stuck behind a Prius C crawling along in ECO... I'm good!

PWR Mode.... Drive it like you mean it. Feel the Power.

 

I bought a couple of nice trash containers from Japan that fit into the door pockets that take my trash. They are just precious!

 

I use the 'handbrake' and leave in drive.

 

Left turn blinkers -thats the one that irritates really me.. waiting for minutes at a signaled intersection behind a big vehicle with left turn signal on... blinking blinking blinking. OK! I know you will be turning left We all know you will be turning left soon. Please spare us from your annoying yellow light for the next 2 minutes. Thank you so much.

 

Hey this morning I was behind a gen 4 prius and I noticed lower half of one side of the tail light was not working. It was really apparent because the ‘zorro’ taillights on this prius are so unusual. So 2 comments - first I thought the led lamps on the gen 4 are going to last forever. Surprising to see one already burnt out (also saw a gen 4 with a headlamp out) And second I think the tail end of the car actually looks better without that ridiculous distracting double Z tail light. Anyone thought about just disconnecting the lower part of the Zs?

 

Maybe you get sick of watching it for several minutes, but newcomers from behind you, and oncoming traffic from ahead, still need to see it. So despite the annoyance to you, it shouldn't be turned off until the turn is actually made.

 

I had a girlfriend many years ago who would reach over and turn off my blinker if I left it on while sitting in a left turn lane. Now a former girlfriend obviously although I can sort of understand as that was an older Chrysler with a pretty noisy turn signal relay.

If I'm the first one in the turn lane I leave my turn signal running as I figure it's good for people on the other side of the intersection to know that I will be turning, since it's difficult to see the lane markings from the other side of the intersection, especially at night. And if I am the last one in the lane I leave it on so that approaching cars will know that I am turning but also it gives them an additional indication besides the brake lights that I am stopped, again especially at night.

But if I am in the middle I usually turn it off.

 

If it's a light I know will be l-o-n-g , I do too - but when I see the light about to change, I flick it back on.

[EDIT] - But then, our Right turn is your LEFT turn (across traffic) - and with that, I would leave it on.

 

I don't since everyone ahead of me will already be turning once we start moving so by then everyone in the intersection can see what's going on, and realistically no one is going to be noticing turn signals anyway at that point. Now that's daytime, at night I have the signals on while turning because they are more likely to be visible to other cars. Also in a lane that can either go straight or turn, in that case when we start moving I turn on the blinkers so that the car behind me knows whether I will be turning or going straight.

And of course when doing an unprotected turn where oncoming cars have the right of way, even if I'm not the first car I could wind up having to stop when I reach the intersection so for those turns I start the blinker when we start moving.

Sounds complex when you write it all out but it isn't really, just a matter of signaling when it might make a difference, but not bothering when it won't. Not that it's a huge bother but I just don't see the need to listen to my blinker for two minutes when it doesn't have any purpose. Unless the radio is on then I am less likely to notice.