Being a 7-year Prius owner, I know all about the Stealth and the surprise people get when an "off" vehicle starts moving all of a sudden. But I've never been on the receiving end, until last week. I was in a parking lot, loading some equipment into the back of my 09. To the left of me was an SUV with a woman in the driver's seat. At one point she put her foot on the brake, and the brake light stayed on for about 30 seconds. I didn't think anything of it. The G2 has trained me to put my foot on the brake for just about anything, and I tend to find myself putting my foot on the brake when I adjust the radio in a parked car. Anyway, after about 30 seconds, the SUV started moving backward, and it honestly scared me momentarily. Did she lose her brakes? Then I saw the Toyota "HYBRID" logo on the fender and realized it was a Highlander hybrid.
I once was sitting in a parking lot waiting for my wife to get out of a store and when I saw her come out of the store I reversed out of the parking space to go get her. While reversing there was a woman between my car and hers and she let out the loudest scream I ever heard. She said she didn't know I was in it and didn't even hear it running.
I almost ran someone down in a parking lot last night when I was in EV mode. He was walking backwards, to get a better look at something, and had no idea I was coming. We all have to be especially alert because everybody is accustomed to multiple clues that a car is moving nearby.
