Are people out to get us

I live in Los Angeles and have had my white Prius for over 14 months now and where I live I must park on the street. I've had no negative responses to the car. Just the garden variety freeway madness. I have never felt the need to own or carry a gun, so I can't say it has anything to do with "my persona". FYI, I do NOT live or work in a great part of town.

I've had some very nice conversations with strangers in parking lots and on the street. In fact, after I parked on the street one day the LAPD pulled over, lights a'blazing and the officers started asking me how I liked the car, etc. Their conclusion was that they wanted one, too. The Prius replaced a Ford Explorer.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(addlepated\";p=\"84792)</div>

:lolup:
I kept my old Ford Explorer for towing and off road (well logging roads I don't really forge off in to unchartered wilderness) and I was thinking of the same thing! The one on the Ford should say "My other car is a Prius at 51 mpg" and the other would say "My other car is an Explorer at 17 mpg" no one could hate me then right?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Canuck\";p=\"84548)</div>

Being law enforcement I would have taken it to the CID office to see if prints could be lifted. THen I would just hand it over to the insurance and let them deal with it.

 

Re: Are people out to get us?

Not a whole lot of experience to call on here, but I have never had a negative comment after someone has a had a chance to experience the Prius.

Most folks locally (Central Maine) don't even know what it is. "Prius? What's that? Never heard of it.". That from my insurance agent. Of course some folks do know what it is; that happened just last night with an acquiantance and ended in a short 5 minute familiarization ride.

Locally I'm starting to see Prii more frequently, didn't before, and I was in tune even back then. It may take time for the locals to realize their dinosaur vehicles are their own fault. I think that's what you all are seeing. Folks realizing they don't have what they want (need?) and transferring that to the obvious hybrid vehicle. The Prius does stand out. Obviously the Prius doesn't contribute in a significant way to their high fuel price, their truck and SUV does.

It's a shame neanderthals are that way, but they are. FWIW, it's a fairly dangerous undertaking in Maine with our permit to carry law. I do carry (always), and I'm VERY VERY good. That doesn't protect the vehicle, just the humans. Only one reason for lethal force... Savings ones life or the life of another. Scumbags don't know that though, so the law has a tendency to create a climate of gentility even for them. One can never tell if one is picking on someone walking heavy, that could be disastrous. Makes for good manners.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KCPrius\";p=\"84497)</div>

You're living in Kansas, man! Your neighbors see a Prius and, if they know what it is, probably assume you're an ecoterrorist with a George Bush dartboard in your living room and portrait of Osama bin Laden on the dining room wall. [This has been a test of the Stereotyping Red Staters System. End test.]

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Sufferin' Prius Envy\";p=\"84666)</div>

15 months of ownership of a 2004 Tideland Pearl in Central Florida and, more recently, in Albuquerque, NM and not so much as a sideways look from anyone, much less a threat or a snide comment.

No, the only contact initiated by others has been curious/positive. (BTW, I do not consider comments and questions that are simply mis-informed to be "anti-hybrid").

 

In MN, No problems.
I have not had any kind of anti Prius encounter, other than tailgaiting, which is somewhat my fault as a result of the MPG game.
It could be Minnesota nice, or it could be that we are a blue state, although rural MN is more red state like. Maybe I'll find bigots at the hick bar up at my cabin. Although they are pretty nice up there too.

Even people I know, who are neo-con minded, have shown interest in the Prius and not contempt.

But I am still shocked by how many people ask me where you plug it in.

 

Re: Are people out to get us?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Brian K\";p=\"85123)</div>

Brian:

Having lived in Utah, I've noticed that as well. Although in places like Utah and Idaho, you're generally allowed to use your sidearm under more circumstances eg protection of property.

The way I see it, the person breaking into your home obviously doesn't belong in your home and has obvious criminal intent. If you just happen to have your Glock 22 filled with Black Talons and give the B&E guy an instant transformation to the Afterlife, TFB.

When I compare the Per Capita rates for homicide, violent assault, property crimes, even car theft, between Winnipeg Manitoba and SLC, UT, it is *far* safer to live in SLC than in Winnipeg.

Of course, here in Winnipeg, if a person happens to commit a Home Invasion robbery (Depressingly common event here) and you happen to clobber him with something like a baseball bat, then you are in DEEP s***.

The cops arrest YOU and the courts charge YOU with a crime. That's probably how the RCMP claim to "always get their man."

Jay

 

Been driving my 2005 on the island of Oahu for almost five months. I get a lot of attention. Several shouting matches, but they've all began with something like, "HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?" and accompanied with a smile. ALL have been positive.

Gas prices are killer-high in Hawaii, Honolulu traffic is choke during each day's approximate 12 hour "rush hour" and I couldn't have made a better choice for the daily commute!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hdrygas\";p=\"85001)</div>

:lolup:
I kept my old Ford Explorer for towing and off road (well logging roads I don't really forge off in to unchartered wilderness) and I was thinking of the same thing! The one on the Ford should say "My other car is a Prius at 51 mpg" and the other would say "My other car is an Explorer at 17 mpg" no one could hate me then right?
[/b][/quote]

I've been thinking about making a CafePress license plate frame for my Isuzu Rodeo SUV that says: "My Other Car is a Prius Hybid". Think I'd have many takers? :?:

 

All the questions I've been asked about my Prius have been positive. Mainly, I get questions from women in parking lots about mileage, comfort, etc. They are not asking for themselves but for their husband/SO who is driving some dino-SUV. Typically, he just shruggs his shoulders as they climb into their gas guzzling land yacht.
The one comment I always make is that since I'm saving so much money on gas and insurance I can afford to go out to dinner with my girlfriend more often. One woman actually stuck her elbow in the side of her boyfriend after I said that.

 

No problems to report here in SW Ontario. Every single comment/question I have ever gotten has been positive. No vandalism yet either. No cut-offs on the highway or overt acts of hostility, I am happy to report.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Bill60546\";p=\"85302)</div>

:lolup:

Now that would be a great & effective advertisement...

 

It seems to me there's plenty of hate here for people that drive SUVs (or pretty much anything other than a Prius). Personally, I could care less what someone is driving as long as they're not risking other's lives while they're driving (I do, at times, wonder if BMWs come with turn signals, but that's another story).

Personally, I've had more comments about my Prius than any other car I've owned (I've owned at least 18 in my 30 years of driving)...and they have all been positive.

There is no excuse for damaging someone else's car...but I wonder if with some of these stories there wasn't some instigation on the part of Prius owner.

There's absolutely nothing about driving any make/model of car that should give anyone the right to act self rightgeous.

If you bought a car that can climb up a building...cool...enjoy it.
If you bought a car that cost more than a small apartment building...wow!
If you bought a car that can shatter the sound barrier and pull 17Gs through a turn...oh my!
If you bought a car that gets 500 MPG that's great!

Yes, the world will run out of oil...and every one of us that drives a car or uses anything that requires oil will have contributed to that disaster. I'd venture a guess there's not a single Prius owner that hasn't wasted petroleum products in some way during their lives...and maybe for their own personal pleasure.

For the record, I own three cars right now:

1. Toyota Prius 2005
2. Mercedes Benz E300D 1999
3. Isuzu Trooper 1990

So, let's see...I'm great because I conserve oil with the Prius...sort of okay because the Diesel Benz gets pretty good mpg...but of course uses filthy diesel. The Trooper brands me as some kind of neanderthal and I suck in general because they were all foreign made.

I'll probably still sleep tonight.

 

Wow, scary stuff. Makes me wonder if I wasn't being paranoid enough in my first post to this forum way back when... *does an "egosearch"* Ah yes, here: http://priuschat.com/forums/in-car-video-s...nce-vt4167.html

Maybe a project like that could work, with the right hardware. I don't know.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(KCPrius\";p=\"84656)</div>

Yeah...but why would they do that to my WIFE's car?

I didn't see it this morning, but I saw it at lunch - and it mashed the drivers rear corner of the bumper all the way back to the hatch AND slightly bent the hatch itself...My wife notice a BMW SUV with a large black mark on the rear bumper in her parking lot...she took a tape measure and the length of this mark is oddly enough the SAME width as the mark on the BMW bumper. She had them make an announcement at work that if anyone saw anything in the parking lot yesterday afternoon to contact the receptionist - the guy who owned the BMW made it a point to go over to her car and smypathize with her and tell her how HE had an incident over at a car wash and backed into a concrete pole. It's odd, because most concrete poles here in KC are NOT painted black. I think his "concrete pole" was a 2005 Black Prius.[/b][/quote]

Have a cop come in and take a sample of the black paint. Then they can take a paint sample from the damaged area of the car. If the paint matches, you have your guilty party caught, and they get a hit and run offense.

 

I do get cut off more in the Prius than the truck, and even the motorcycle. However, I attribute this to the color of the car - white. I got cut off just as often when I used to drive a white Daewoo Lanos.

 

Another answer to your question about where they get their information that could embolden some of these borderline psychotics . . . Looks like Fox is going to have one of their 'fair and balanced' reports about why we should blame liberals for high gas prices:
http://mediamatters.org/items/200504280007

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(jayman\";p=\"84941)</div>

From scary borderline psychotic people who have somehow figured out how to use a computer.

Actually, that's where a lot of Urban Legends come from.

Without fail, if I ask the nut to *prove* it, they run away screaming.

:roll:
[/b][/quote]