1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Getting Flipped Off Is A Badge of Honor

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019.

Page 1 of 12
  1. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Was hypermiling out to Highfalls Food Co-op the other weekend with an old beat up Honda Civic tight on my bumper. Clearly irate at my rate of driving but I had a great score going on my route. When I pulled into the parking lot I could see a middle finger pressed against the passenger window. I parked and when I shutdown the car it showed that I got 70+mpg for over 10 miles. Seeing that score made my day.
     
    #1 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
    Clark_Kent, chinarut, chronon and 5 others like this.
  2. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Soo.......provide us with an unbiased description of your "hypermiling"............posted speed limit, your speed, your variations of speed, how many lanes, what kind of traffic, time of day...no detail is too much....I'm sure plenty of members can provide honest feedback to honest input...
     
    #2 TMR-JWAP, Jun 12, 2019
    Montgomery, RMB, PriusMPGenius and 3 others like this.
  3. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I try to drive as close to the posted speed limit as possible. Going up hill I fall under it. Was on 45MPH road and there was one straight away where people like to get up to 55MPH. I kept it at 45MPH.
     
    #3 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
    Pluggo likes this.
  4. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2016
    1,023
    767
    2
    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    So, you are on US-209 and NY-213, both of which are two-lane roads pretty much without passing zones and you are hypermiling (varying speeds), plus slowing down on hills to under the speed limit.

    You prioritized your desire for MPG over the Honda's desire to at least go the speed limit -- if not drive at speeds that (as you point out) are normal for the conditions.

    You seem proud of the fact that you delayed the Honda from getting where he was going. The title of this thread is not, "I got 70 MPH!" but rather focuses on making the Honda upset as a good thing ("Badge of Honor"). Plus you admit you knew you were upsetting him at the time, but you had a "great score" so you continued.

    What you did was probably legal, but that doesn't make it right. Many states have laws for bikes indicating that they make take the whole lane. How would you feel if a bike wouldn't move over, you couldn't pass due to oncoming traffic, and so you were limited to 10 MPH following the bike?

    The Golden Rule comes to mind.......
     
    #4 Johnny Cakes, Jun 12, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2019
    Clark_Kent, Threej, Data Daedalus and 6 others like this.
  5. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Not sure I get your point about me keeping the Honda from driving at least the speed limit. I was going the speed limit at least 98% of the trip so they should be able to as well.

    I'd counter with I was doing my best to keep at the speed limit. I was within 2-3 miles of it at all times. Also, I should add going down hill I was well over the speed limit a few points which should balance out the times I was going under. No?
     
    #5 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
  6. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2018
    2,233
    1,596
    0
    Location:
    Nebraska
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    Here's my strategy when I'm going slower than the rest of the traffic and especially if I am below the speed limit, for whatever reason. If cars line up behind me for more than a minute or so, I find a spot to move over toward the shoulder and let them by, or a pull-off if there is one. In the mountains I'm frequently the slowest car going up the hills and I take full advantage of the pull-out areas. I go my speed, and everybody else goes their speed. Everybody wins and nobody gets the finger.

    If I were that guy stuck behind you for as much as 10 miles on a 2 lane road, I'd be pissed too.

    I would contend that getting flipped off is not a badge of honor, it is a sign that you were not considerate of those with whom you share the road.
     
    #6 jb in NE, Jun 12, 2019
    Last edited: Jun 12, 2019
    kc5dlo, bengreen, VFerdman and 7 others like this.
  7. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I just looked it up. Technically 8.7 miles. He turned behind me on Dewitt Mills Road. I don't know I think at best I slowed him down about a minute tops and I find flipping people off so uncivilized. When I was going down the hill right after Rosendale I was about 3-4 car lengths ahead of him going about 57mph for about 400 yards. I'd say my average speed the whole trip was about 45mph. I think going down the straight away I was up to 50mph. You have to be careful on that stretch there are a ton of deer and it's pretty dangerous. The road is flanked with tall grass and they come darting out suddenly with little time to react.
     
    #7 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
    Data Daedalus likes this.
  8. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2018
    2,233
    1,596
    0
    Location:
    Nebraska
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    You may have come across a random jerk, but we'll never hear his side of the story to get his perspective. Maybe he posted his story on the "beater Honda Civic" forum...
     
    #8 jb in NE, Jun 12, 2019
    Data Daedalus, kc5dlo and Mendel Leisk like this.
  9. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Also, I'm all for sharing the road where I can. I make it as easy as possible to be passed and use the pull out lanes when available. Just wasn't an option on this route.
     
    #9 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
    jb in NE likes this.
  10. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    You are wise. It may just come down to this old Dave Mason song -



    "So let's leave it alone 'cause we can't see eye to eye
    There ain't no good guy, there ain't no bad guy
    There's only you and me and we just disagree
    Ooh ooh ooh, oh oh oh"
     
    #10 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
  11. farmecologist

    farmecologist Senior Member

    Joined:
    Jun 25, 2015
    1,953
    1,797
    0
    Location:
    Southern MN
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius v wagon
    Model:
    II
    What you do is your prerogative...but I only 'hypermile' when the coast is clear behind me. As soon as anyone appears, I speed up. I hate to say it, but you are asking for trouble if you hold people up. (y) Also remember that 99% of people these days drive at least 5 MPH over any posted speed limit. Driving slower than the speed limit also feeds into the 'slow Prius driver' stereotype...which I'm not so sure is good for any of us. :whistle:
     
    #11 farmecologist, Jun 12, 2019
    Montgomery, kc5dlo, VFerdman and 6 others like this.
  12. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,174
    4,079
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Where’s this in the gen 3?
     
    #12 Grit, Jun 12, 2019
    PriusMPGenius likes this.
  13. Johnny Cakes

    Johnny Cakes Senior Member

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2016
    1,023
    767
    2
    Location:
    Virginia, USA
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Five
    That's what I was trying to say -- you said it so much better.
    The key phrase being that we all SHARE the road.
     
    #13 Johnny Cakes, Jun 12, 2019
    Montgomery, kc5dlo and PriusMPGenius like this.
  14. Grit

    Grit Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2017
    6,174
    4,079
    1
    Location:
    Wilkes Land
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Then HSI readout is +1 to +2 mph higher than actual OBD2 speed or driving speed. If you have 15” tires w/HSI readout going 55mph, you’re really going roughly 53 mph.[/QUOTE]
     
    #14 Grit, Jun 12, 2019
    m.wynn, PriusMPGenius and RMB like this.
  15. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    [/QUOTE]

    This route actually has 2 of those speed limit signs that tell you what speed you are going and they will alert you to slow down if you are going 5mph over. The radar on the signs were matching up to what my speedometer was reading.
     
    #15 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
  16. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

    Joined:
    Aug 12, 2016
    6,404
    6,062
    0
    Location:
    Columbia, SC
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    There's a point in life and in driving, where one needs to realize that even though we may consider other people to be jerks, it's actually US that is making the road a more dangerous place. We should all be doing what needs to be done to make it less dangerous. If that means a few more MPH to maintain flow, then so be it. It would benefit everyone, if we kept that in mind when driving and other traffic is around I think we'd all be better off.
     
    #16 TMR-JWAP, Jun 12, 2019
    Montgomery, kc5dlo, VFerdman and 6 others like this.
  17. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    I'm going to push back a little bit. We are all referees, the person that was driving the Civic was a referee on that day and now I'm going to make my call.

    I thought the guy behind me was a road bully.

    I think flipping people off on the road is boorish behavior and I was unimpressed but it let me know I was doing something right. I was driving safely and by the letter of the law.

    I think I have the right to stay the course if I'm abiding by and respecting the laws. 45MPH is the limit not a suggestion.

    It's a winding 2 lane country road where they have signs saying you should take the curve at 25mph or 35mph. I find it a little weird that I'm supposed to accommodate someones desire to drive dangerously by putting mine and my wifes life at risk Again this is a winding hilly road with blind driveways, deer and I've even saved a few snakes lives that are sunning out on the black top on this road because I have 20/20 vision and I'm paying attention to detail. Driving is statistically the most dangerous thing we do every day and I want everyone to be safe.
     
    #17 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
    Pluggo likes this.
  18. PriusMPGenius

    PriusMPGenius Junior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 15, 2019
    85
    82
    0
    Location:
    Kingston
    Vehicle:
    2014 Prius
    Model:
    Three
    Also, one more point my friend Royce rides a Harley and he saw a bear cross the same road so there is definitely a wild life element to this route.
     
    #18 PriusMPGenius, Jun 12, 2019
  19. frodoz737

    frodoz737 Top Wrench

    Joined:
    Aug 26, 2010
    4,297
    2,348
    33
    Location:
    Texas
    Vehicle:
    2015 Prius
    Model:
    Four
    Getting Flipped Off Is A Badge of Honor? :rolleyes:
     
    #19 frodoz737, Jun 12, 2019
  20. jb in NE

    jb in NE Senior Member

    Joined:
    Apr 13, 2018
    2,233
    1,596
    0
    Location:
    Nebraska
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    I'm not sure how this lets you know you are "doing something right." First, you post that getting flipped off is a badge of honor. Then it's boorish behavior. Now it's that you are driving safely and your speed frustrates them.

    Finding a place to pull to the side and let faster traffic pass puts your life at risk? I'm not following.

    It sounds like you are acting as a self-appointed traffic speed controller. If you feel your speed is safe, then everybody should drive that speed? Wouldn't it be easier and safer for all if you make it possible for people to pass you on a safe section of road and be done with it?
     
    #20 jb in NE, Jun 12, 2019
    Johnny Cakes likes this.
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)
Page 1 of 12