Anybody tried to kill you?

I don't think that's unique to a Prius. I've had it happen driving other cars as well.

I generally stay out of the carpool lane. They don't have them in my area of the state and when I go down to Los Angeles I try hard to do so when I don't need the carpool lane. Some of them down there are claustrophobic; you're driving inches from a concrete barrier on your left and not that much further from traffic in the fast lane on your right. Ugh. Hate it.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(FILExt @ Jan 9 2007, 10:36 PM) [snapback]373496[/snapback]</div>

Yep, I agree. Happens to everyone in every type of car.

Wildkow

 

One day in november...

I get off work early because I had to go to the dentist. On my way home I almost hit a deer (I think it just brushed my bumper). After a short nap I head off to the dentist. On my way back some idiot in a truck tries to flee from too patrol cars, about hitting me as he cut across four lanes of traffic to go off road (he got stuck as soon as he left the pavement).

Then as I'm going back to work that night, a SUV cut's me off causing me to lock up my brakes (as much as the anti-lock would let me). A mile later I go to exit the highway and the same SUV cuts across two lanes to cut me off again, again I lock up the brakes. As soon as I finally let off the brakes, the SUV that was in front of me one lane over decides to get behind the SUV that just cut me off. This time I had to fully drive off the road to keep from hitting them.

The sad thing is, stuff like this seems to happen all the time here, even when I was driving my Firebird.

 

Unfortunately, severly overly populated areas lead to severely congested traffic all of the time. The SF Bay Area in CA is just one such place. Consequently, there are rude, agressive, speeding drivers all over the place. All one can do is stay to the right and let these "accidents looking for a place to happen" go by. Not to surprisingly, these same idiots are on their phones, smoking, eating, doing make-up, reading, etc., and typically not wearing a seatbelt either. Whenever I drive passed a bad accident, usually a couple times per week, I just attribute them to those rude, inconsiderate drivers. Be safe.

 

I was whining about aggressive drivers yesterday on another forum. The route I take to work is mostly narrow back roads with 35mph limits. I stick to those 35mph limits a) because it's appropriate for the road and B ) because there tend to be kids waiting for school busses or being dropped off at the times that I commute. Unfortunately not all see things the way I do.

The past two days I have been tailgated and passed by at least a half dozen vehicles. Two pickups, two large SUVs, one rice rocket, and one M3 IIRC. I think there was an old Monte Carlo in there, too. On the one hand I would rather have them ahead of me than riding my bumper, but on the other hand their impatience is going to end badly if this keeps up at the rate it's going. It drives me insane. It was roughly the same in my "sporty" Accord coupe because I was driving the same way. I want to go 35 in the 35, they want to go 45.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Debra Barbre @ Jan 10 2007, 02:22 AM) [snapback]373494[/snapback]</div>

It may just be you notice it in the Prius. Kind of like dropping the toast ... the jelly side ALWAYS lands face down? Seems that way, because you remember the tragic stuff more easily, but statisticly it's 50/50

 

Hi Debra,

I grew up and (and learned to drive) in the L.A. area. (I moved to the San Francisco bay area after I graduated from Cal Poly many years ago.) From my own personal experience after driving in many parts of the U.S., I can testify that L.A. drivers are generally the most aggressive of anywhere in the U.S.

I have found that the European style of driving works very well here in the U.S. That is, drive in the right hand lanes and Only use the left lanes for passing.

Regards,

Keith

 

Too bad there were not more arrests for such aggressive driving. My fantasy remedy would be a week of throwing the jerk in the midst of linebackers in training camp, felons, some situation they would be trampled on constantly, just like they were doing on the highway. When the sentence was complete, the judge would promise him it would not be as nice the next time.

 

Wow... i'm sorry to hear about your instances.

The only thing tha kills me is the SUVs in the fast lane.. or the old people... i'm usually leading the pack when it comes to speeding.

Slow people.. move to the right!

at this rate, we'll have to expand our highways 5x fold in order to accomidate to the cruisers..... h34r:

To answer your question a little more direct.. i'm the one cutting them off! move it or lose it buddy!

 

Having made several "driving" trips in the U.K. [England], we noted the courtesy of the British in driving the Motorways - "inside lanes for passing." We also learned to negotiate their "roundabouts" [which work very well due to the Britishers driving habits]. I might add that we also appreciated the same courtesy in queuing up for tickets, banking, postal services, etc. Interesting that the only time we experienced someone breaking in line it was an American in a bank - *SIGH*

In the Dallas area and on Texas freeways, it's difficult to have a "cushion" of safety - space behind and in front of you - due to the tailgaters. I have to smile on city streets when someone speeds past and 90 seconds later I pull up aside them waiting for a traffic light - GEEZ, they got to wait for the green light longer than I did.

Some of you older drivers may remember the Burma Shave roadside signs:

SPEED ON, BROTHER - HELL AIN'T HALF FULL

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(V8Cobrakid @ Jan 10 2007, 01:15 PM) [snapback]373716[/snapback]</div>

I do use the right lane and allow people behind me to pass one way or another, but there a few that insist on assine epitets like passing me on the right shoulder. If I'm out of their way and someone does something like the abrupt FU swerve, they need to have their licenses suspended until they decide to drive civilized.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Jan 10 2007, 02:23 PM) [snapback]373722[/snapback]</div>

I've already been called a tree hugger by a rather mean looking fella. If he only knew that I designed and built a saw mill.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tech_Guy @ Jan 10 2007, 02:10 PM) [snapback]373657[/snapback]</div>

Here's my take on the localities I've driven in extensively:

NYC: Very fast, very aggressive, especially for the narrow lanes and lots of construction zones with concrete barriers inches from your side mirror. But for the most part people know what they're doing on the roads and aren't terribly mean about how they drive.

LA: Not the most aggressive, but the most seriously stupid and insane drivers I've ever seen. They're not out to get you or anything, they're just in a rush to go no where, and they seem to never have taken driver's ed, or understand what happens to a person's body when it goes from 75mph to 0mph in less than half a second.

Boston: Fairly poor driving skills as a whole, and a very angry lot to boot. The aggressive ones are not just trying to get ahead, they're trying to make others suffer as much as possible.

No matter where you are though, it's easy to spot the crazy ones, and just stay out of their way as much as possible. Usually in heavy traffic the crazies only gain a few car lengths every couple miles for all their stomping on the gas and brakes and swerving around.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Debra Barbre @ Jan 10 2007, 01:22 AM) [snapback]373494[/snapback]</div>

I havnt experienced any of the hate from the SUV'rs but I do get grief from friends and family about bein' a tree huggin liberal <_< ......... As for the people in the carpool lane tailgaiting you, how's about getting out and letting them pass? :blink: I know theres a core group of drivers out ther that like to drive the speed they dictate is "appropriate" and expect everyone else to travel at the same "appropriate" speed, but courtesy is a two way street. Im thinking maybe youre the type that enters the freeway on the right and makes a beeline for the HOV lane regardless of whether or not the traffic is heavy ........finally, I wouldnt say my Prius is slow but so FAST? I must have gotten the model with the 4 cylinder motor .

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tech_Guy @ Jan 10 2007, 01:10 PM) [snapback]373657[/snapback]</div>

I disagree Keith. Its a great system but people here are too lazy to make that work effectively. You and I are the only ones that adhere to the "slower traffic keep right" motto. Everyone else gets tired of passing the slow people , then getting back over to the right, so they just stay to the left.... When I find myself on the freeway in the middle of the night with no traffic, Im in the right hand lane. Unfortunately, I'd say most people get on the freeway and head as far left as they can get.....I dont know for sure but I think that in Europe you have to demonstrate a higher level of competance to get a license, whereas here all you need is $10.

 

ANY time people start tailgating or coming up on me, I move over and let them by. I move over as soon as I notice them coming up behind me. I like to ride in the slower lanes anyway. It is most definitely not my job to set the flow of traffice. As far as I can see, my job is to get out of the way of the faster traffic. IMHO it is extremely rude to sit in a faster lane and block people from passing you. If I am in the HOV lane and someone comes flying up behind me, I move over. If I don't move over I am a rolling roadblock, a traffic hazard, a roadhog.

 

The 'stay right except to pass' rule seems to work fine when there's two or three lanes, but not so great with more. It's easier to go around a slowpoke than wait for them to do the right thing and get out of the way. I've seen many slower drivers used as slalom cones.

 

I live in Los Angeles and people tend to tailgate no matter what lane you are in.

Just an FYI..... If you drive a prius and have an HOV sticker, please try to adhere to the speed limit. Nothing bothers me more than someone driving at 50 mph in the carpool lane holding up the whole lane (maximum speed is 65 to 75 depending where in CA you live). If you are going to drive that slowly, stay in the slow lane.