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

Are Prius Owners A 'Special' Breed?

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Arroyo, Nov 30, 2005.

  1. Arroyo

    Arroyo Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2004
    217
    45
    0
    Location:
    Los Angeles area
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    LACB - November 30, 2005

    In one of the more memorable episodes of Larry David's HBO series, "Curb Your Enthusiasm," David proclaims, "We're Prius drivers. We're a special breed."

    According to the Los Angeles Times, that's part of the problem. In a tongue-in-cheek editorial last September, the LA Times suggests, "While SUV drivers can be irritating behind the wheel, Prius owners can be irritating once they get out of the car."

    The irritation centered around the new yellow decals being issued by the California Department of Motor Vehicles that allows certain hybrid vehicles (the Prius included) to travel in the carpool lane without a carpool. Rather than whole-heartedly embracing the stickers, many Prius owners complained that they were too big and ugly.

    "You'd think they were being required to affix 'Global warming is a myth' bumper stickers," exclaims the Times in half-serious disbelief. "Some owners have called their representatives in Sacramento in protest. Others have gone online to vent. A few have tried using Velcro (or, with less success because the bumper is not metal, magnets) to attach the stickers so they can be easily removed when the Prius is not on the freeway."

    The Times had opposed the law that allows single-occupant hybrids into the carpool lanes. "We are now considering reconsidering our position in view of the reaction of Prius owners," says the newspaper in its most recent editorial on the subject. "Anything that annoys them this much can't be all bad."

    However, on the popular Internet forums devoted to Prius owners (e.g., PriusChat.com, PriusOnline.com), there were a number of owners taking the vocal protesters to task for whining about the decals. "I agree with the Times editorial," proclaimed one owner.

    A closer look at the demographics of the owners who frequent the Prius forums reveals a wide spectrum of beliefs and backgrounds. True, a lot of Prius owners favor a cleaner environment, energy independence, world peace and other causes often pegged as being left-of-center. Yet, there's a number of self-proclaimed conservatives who own the car and frequent the forums. A handful of Republican Prius owners with 'Support Our Troops' magnets affixed next to their HOV lane decals can always be counted on to keep the discussions lively...

    Full article: http://www.lacar.com/modules.php?name=News...article&sid=562

    [​IMG]
    Larry David
     
    #1 Arroyo, Nov 30, 2005
  2. QED

    QED New Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2005
    267
    0
    0
    Location:
    Sunny Hawaii
    Hey, some of my best friends are Prius owners.
    But, I'm not sure I would want one of them to marry my daughter. :lol: ;)
     
    #2 QED, Nov 30, 2005
  3. Jack 06

    Jack 06 New Member

    Joined:
    Oct 13, 2005
    2,556
    0
    0
    Location:
    Winters, CA: Prius capital of US. 30 miles W of S
    Is the question you posit tongue-in-cheek?

    No, we're not. I think many Hollywood folks think THEY're a special breed, no matter what they drive or wear, or what causes they support. The nature of artistes, I suppose.

    If you follow posts in PC forums, you see the demographic diversity, although it IS skewed toward the more educated, affluent, liberal and technical-minded sides of those spectra.

    Even at that, the few hundreds who have participated in groups like PC may or may not be representative of the thousands who own the car in the US and who've never heard of PriusChat. We'll never know.

    Re: the HOV stickers, of one thing you can be sure with Californians. Whatever action any bureaucracy takes, a vocal minority will gripe about it.

    Know what would be fun? Identify all those in possession of HOV stickers who have griped about them, and require them to submit their own design, including color and size. Then, by a series on online elimination votes, have THEM choose the best design. Sure would let them see how little they have in common with each other for a couple of months, I suspect.
     
    #3 Jack 06, Nov 30, 2005
  4. floydenheimer

    floydenheimer Junior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    28
    0
    0
    Why not use one of those suction cup thingies with the hook on it? Just punch a little hole in your decal and hook it on there when you're going to use the carpool lane. Problem solved!
     
    #4 floydenheimer, Nov 30, 2005
  5. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

    Joined:
    Oct 3, 2005
    4,067
    688
    0
    Location:
    Eastern Oregon
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    V
    I'm sure there is no such thing as a typical Prius owner. Were just as different from each other as we can be. About the only things we have in common are that we either own or would like to own Prii and that we are all opinionated.
     
    #5 tumbleweed, Nov 30, 2005
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)