Cloaking Device

This happens to me, especially when the dilithium crystals are at full charge.

I park in an underground garage. I have to put my lights on full beam, wind down the window and crank up the music. Thank fully, I have a 500W 12" JL speaker in the trunk with the 350W MTX amp under the drivers seat. Insert the Orb CD and problem solved. If you are blind, you hear me. If you are deaf, you see me. If you are both.... your guide dog will hopefully hear or see me.

I live in Seattle. People generally have a latte in their hand more than a cell phone. As with all places, the traffic lights are decorative, pedestrians are a moving target and the speed limit signs reflect the average IQ of the person tail gating you.

Could be worse, you could be driving in Spain.

 

I have a suspicion that cell phones cause their users to become blind to the frequency of light that the Prius reflects. My experience is that this condition is amplified if the cell phone user is driving an SUV. This is doubly so if you're a motorcycle rider like me.

 

I don't think its you. I think it's them.

Cellphone Chick and SUVhole probably just think they own the road, the world revolves around them and everyone else should just get out of their way and let them have whatever they want. And how dare you expect them to wait their turn for you.

When I learned to drive (in High School) we were taught "defensive" driving. Boy has it saved me a lot of grief (and damage).

 

I've tried to limit the miles I put on my Prius since my roadtrip. Of course, the one trip I make in it downtown has to be eventful.

I almost got tagged by an Explorer who decided it was more important that he be in my lane than me. One hand on the steering wheel and one holding a cigarette leaves no hands for the turn signal.

I hate Alaska and its drivers. California wasn't even this bad.

 

Ahh.. yes... I guess you haven't driven on Long Island. The land where 50% of the people don't signal. Definitely have to drive defensive here!!

 

I too have had more problems with other drivers. I don't know if they are just getting more stupid or what. I am actually driving faster than I did in my Mustang GT (it rattled and felt like it was going faster than it was). But seems like I am getting many more tailgaters than before. I was doing 40 in a 35 mph zone yesterday and a bimbo in a big SUV was soooo close to me, I couldn't even pull over to let her by. She was looking at her phone and dialing numbers the whole stretch of the road.

Somehow I think when people saw me driving the Mustang slowly they had some warped respect for the car but with the Prius they seem to just have contempt because they know I am getting such good mileage.

On the other hand, they are probably too dumb to even know the car is a hybrid, although they're certainly close enough to read the tiny badge.

 

The concientious drivers will see your Prius, the distracted and selfish ones will miss seeing a Hummer :roll:
I was driving a minivan, stopped at a traffic light in the right lane (not a turning lane) the driver to my left in a full size van decided to make a right turn when the light changed, he turned directly into me. Of course he said he didn't see me.
Moron drivers come in all genders, ages, and nationalities.

 

On post I have to slow down to 10-15 mph when passing groups of runners. Sometimes they will suddenly notice the Prius passing them and I see then startle a bit (to go into stealth I shut off all A/C or fans and turn off radio also). lol

 

That question was answered in a driving course video I had to watch.
True that pedestrians have the right of way, but they also have a responsibility too. If a pedestrian walks right out into the road unexpectedly and gets killed, it is an unchargable vehicular fatality.

 

Ditto on that! And why is using a turn signal so tough? Do they think it's no one else's business which way they're turning ? It's not like a person has to roll down the window and stick their arm out to signal, for cryin' out loud!

 

One of my favorite forum sig's (not from Priuschat) is:

"Using your turn signal is not giving information to the enemy."

It still makes me laugh.

Karl B.

 

BTW be careful when approaching animals. I've driven up to a couple of dogs that didn't hear me until I was very close.
Sneaking up on punky kids in the parking lot is OK.
Just slow down to about 2mph, don't honk or anything. One kid in the group will tell them to watch out and when the rest of them turn around expecting a car to be about 300 feet away they almost pee in their baggy pants when you are right behind them. LOL- I gotta start carrying a camera.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HeyKB\";p=\"115309)</div>

The bumper sticker on the back of my Prius says:

[align=center:4a0863a128]
I bet Jesus would have used his turn signals

 

hahaha that is too funny. I think people in El Paso have an aversion to using their turn signals. Or they will use it two feet in front of you and swerve into your lane after about 2 sec.

 

I think its mostly due to people's being inconsiderate of other but also from a lack of respect for our cars.

People will cut you off in no matter what kind of car you have. For some reason or another I get cut off more in my Prius though. I think they see our cars and automatically think its a small POS car and it would be beneath them to move. I mean Ive had everything from escorts, focus, KIAs look down on my car. :roll:

I guess from the outside they do look small but they are better quality (and more expensive) than the vehicles I stated above.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(HeyKB\";p=\"115309)</div>

I totally disagree with that statement. Funny, yes . . . but not always true.

For many drivers out there on busy highways, a turn signal in front of them is a warning to speed up and block the adversary vehicle, or fall back one car further from the lead race car.

It’s the same reaction many drivers have when they see a traffic light turn yellow.

 

:mrgreen:

What you said is so true...I am the last person on the planet to have a regular cell phone. I do have one of those 'card phones' (the kind you get the pre-paid card for), so I hardly use it...and I would never use it while driving.

One thing this 'newbie' to the PRIUS has observed, is that I am slightly distracted by the screen. It's almost too tempting to keep watching it...
So I can only imagine using the phone at the same time...

'Shut up and Drive' is a bumper sticker I like, or 'Hang up and drive'

 

It wasn't until I got to Alaska that I started noticing what the stupid people were actually doing when they drove so bad.

For one thing, if they're on the phone, forget about a turn signal....both hands are occupied, not to mention their attention! Even those who smoke often have both hands busy.

Stealth mode is great for me. I can cruise the neighborhood toward my apartment almost silently, but I have to keep an eye out for kiddies and other peds.