Everyone behind me hates me

[Really, I don't think anyone hates me, they are just annoyed by me. I drive to work on 2 each way roads. People seem annoyed when I hypermile, but they pass with annoyance & then feel good about that.

That said, I often get frustrated/bored by driving my Prius so slow. & Take my Triumph Speed Triple
motorcyle to work 50 mpg). I sem to get home a lot faster, dodging in & out between cars. (note I didn't mention slow Prius's) Still, I know we all need a car for colder & different weather conditions.

 

A few here have basically pointed out that if one drives like a jerk, (a jerk is someone who is driving materially different than the flow of traffic) then people will treat that person like a jerk.

I bought a Prius, because I can drive with the flow of traffic AND get great milage. People are impressed enough with 46-48 MPG at 75mph, I don't have the need to be a jerk to get 52.

 

Actually, I've been amazed at the number of thumbs ups, waves, and grins I get from people riding in -or driving- SUVs, pickups, and the occasional Honda.
I don't get any more negative responses from people than I did when I drove a Buick, or a Malibu... because, I STILL drive the speed limit, and I don't drive aggressively, and I've never done the hard braking/jack rabbit starts at traffic lights.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(TonyPSchaefer @ Sep 7 2007, 12:07 AM) [snapback]508371[/snapback]</div>

Tony - I'm a lot like you. While I LOVE to hypermile, I enjoy even more being considerate. In rush hour traffic, I prefer to go with the flow of the traffic especially if I am on a road that has two lanes or less of traffic going in the same direction. Three lanes or more, I will just go the speed limit in the far right lane.

I have never had anyone give me the finger or shown me any hostilaity on the road, and I drive about 500 miles a week due to my work.

Brad
Tampa Bay

 

On the way to Yosemite I had a big F350 tailgating me because I was going 35 on a 35, single lane road... then I swerved onto the pullout lane and let him pass. A few hours later at the Crane Flat gas station I was behind him on the pumps, gas was $3.30 for the 87 octane (!!) so I just put $10 so I could go the extra 150 miles... just for kicks I sounded off loudly to my wife "$10 dollars, that's it, full tank!!" The F350 dude kinda glanced at me, whatever...

 

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"Why are people in such a rush to get to the red light first?"
- thats a good one. i always say that to people riding shotgun with me. IT makes no sense why they rush to a stoplight. Where are they gonna go? lol rediculous people. i just laugh knowing that they have to put 50 or 60 dollars into their tanks every week.

Haha i would've done the same thing.

 

Just don't try to hypermile in front of people when they're trying to get to work ontime/catch a plane/make it to the hospital.

AND PLEASE!!!!!!!! DON'T ROLL THROUGH STOP SIGNS!

I've had several Prius drivers just glide out in front of me, which I'm assuming was more for mpg reasons than for anything else.

Eyes on the road and off the MFD.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(dhancock @ Sep 8 2007, 10:02 PM) [snapback]509343[/snapback]</div>

You speak so much truth that it makes me weep.

 

I've had my Prius for a few weeks with no 'middle finger action'.

Almost a decade ago I owned a Volvo and got constant abused. Volvo drivers have a really bad reputation in Australia and despite not changing my behaviour I copped a lot of 'middle fingers'. So I guess if Prius drivers were to get a bad reputation it could happen.

I've met a few people here that even know what the Prius is. They're quite a rare car on the roads, I think I've seen about four, and three of them were government owned - the fourth is probably patsparks!

 

Hi All,

It seems funny that we Prius drivers discuss this, when the typical SUV driver wants you to hate him from behind, or ahead. Its a power trip usually. Its the typical SUV driver's goal. I think most SUV drivers are driving to get people to hate them. Its kinda a bad-boy attention getting thing.

Had a large SUV follow me close on the expressway yesterday. Then when the slow lane opened up, I pulled over, and he got to move ahead by 30 yards in the line of traffic, and proceeded to tail gate the next car. At least until he noticed that dark blue large civilian looking car behind him had a driver with a state-trooper uniform on. Then he gave all the traffic in front of him some distance.

This is unorthodox, but one way to shake a tail gater is to wait for the next faster lane to have a gap. If the tail gater does not take advantage of this repeatedly, you pop into the middle lane, which is easy with the Prius torque. Then drive up (or back as traffic dictates) to the next gap in the right hand lane, and move back into right hand lane. This tends to supprise the tail-gater. Who has developed an opinion while following you, which is shattered by the maneuver his vehicle would have a difficult time doing safely. This is kinda the reverse of the brake-tap.

Sounds like the New Jersey / New York City people need to give their cops the right of rolling ticket. That is, an apparent unsafe/illegal action observed by an officer can be documented photographically, and the ticket comes in the mail. Kinda like Bruce Willis got in the movie "The Seventh Element". Its extreme, but the alternative, pulling over every tailgater, would be a huge socially negative impact. The rolling ticket squads would need two officers, one driving, and one observer. Warnings could start of course, but the third infraction within some amount of time would be a fine, and driving record infraction, that would require the standard a bench hearing, or guilty plea. Of course standards for "tailgating" might need to be drawn up. Repeated action in heavy traffic at speed, long duration action in such conditions, for example.

The power trip needs to be taken away to maintain civility.

 

frame2finishny, counting myself you have gotten 50 replies from your single posting. I would like to compliment you on your trolling skills. You can sleep happily under your bridge tonight, confident in the knowledge that you are clearly the reigning hell-king troll of the Priuschat list. Well done sir, well done!

 

Put away your trolling arguments, and see my "truckspotting" suggestion.
Most police cruisers have a dashcam and possibly a few others in
different directions, and remotely nailing these asshat trucks,
SUVs, and even yuppie-earnhardt-wannabe beemers would be trivial.
The only nit to work out would be a supposed defense along the
lines of "the other car had *just* jumped in front of me when the
picture was taken" -- officers would have to supply a sworn
observation that no attempt on the part of the tailgater was made
to re-establish correct distance. Two timestamped pictures or a
short video segment showing unchanged proximity after X seconds
would go a long way towards helping.
.
This *DESPERATELY* needs to be done. NOW. In all states.
.
_H*

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(lefat1 @ Sep 7 2007, 07:38 PM) [snapback]508816[/snapback]</div>

#1 in saving gas. Awright!

~buttster

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(frame2finishny @ Sep 6 2007, 11:06 PM) [snapback]508319[/snapback]</div>

Hmmm,
One post only, over a period of months. Maybe it's the residue from the overhead bridge clinging to you.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Nov 17 2007, 07:44 AM) [snapback]540897[/snapback]</div>

You're really an idiot. I'm not even going to address the rest of your response after reading that.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jasonheng15 @ Nov 17 2007, 01:31 AM) [snapback]540869[/snapback]</div>

This is a common question actually (getting to the red light first). For many of us driving isn't necessarily the destination as much as it's the trip there. Driving for many of us is fun. Coasting to the light isn't fun (unless the fun you're after that day is maximum MPG). Continuing your speed, getting on the brakes and accelerating again can be fun. The same thing goes for when people comment on "he was in such a rush and I just laughed when I slowly pulled up next to him at the next light". Perhaps this guy wasn't running late for work, he just enjoys driving?

I think I can relate to both positions. I have 4 vehicles. I have a rock crawling Jeep with monster tires and cut off sheet metal that I drive on the street. I have a monster dually diesel pickup, I have a limited production Jeep SRT8 that will get to 60 in just over 4 seconds, and I have the Prius. I drive the Prius almost all the time now. I have fun in it achieving high MPG. That's fun to me, just as the other types of driving are fun to me when I'm in my other vehicles. I enjoy rock crawling and taking 5 hours to go 2 miles. I enjoy the monster torque of my dually pickup (usually pulling my trailer or hauling my other toys around), and I love being able to chirp all 4 tires at the stoplight in the SRT8.

To summarize, I'm currently averaging 51.8 MPG in my Prius over 378 miles on my current tank. My last tank I managed 53.5 MPG. I live in Phoenix and commute about 20 miles one way. I started taking surface streets because it raises my MPG. Achieving high MPG is fun to me. However!! Once I get motivated this morning I'll be taking the SRT8 for a spin and I'll be a completely different driver. I'll be that "a$$hat" driver that some of you are describing rushing from light to light in the fast lane. If I pass you on the road you may say to yourself, "look at that guy that's in such a rush to get nowhere I'll laugh at him when I pull up next to him at the pump". Well, like I said, I can see both sides. Oh yeah, after 10 miles or so of fun this weekend in the SRT8 I'll probably find myself trying to stretch the gallon the rest of the day in the Prius.

Mike

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Randy G. @ Sep 8 2007, 01:25 AM) [snapback]508994[/snapback]</div>

I 100% agree with your post.

Mike

 

Could be your squatting in lane number 1. Move over!

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mingoglia @ Nov 17 2007, 12:39 PM) [snapback]540911[/snapback]</div>

Tell me why else somebody would tailgate over and over with a large vehicle, with headlights at 3 1/2 feet above ground level ? They cannot brake as fast. They cannot manuever as well. People know this. Which amplifies the effect, which can only be to threaten. And to be a person who goes down the road threatening one other driver after another is only going to make those other drivers hate the SUV driver. Which from other driver's point of view appears to be the true reason for the SUV and commuter Pickup Truck.

 

heck think you got it bad, try driving around a car that wont go any faster than 36 mph... you got it made

 

I've had some people flash me their lights and one rather persistent driver tailing me a flashing lights for about 5 minutes. Eventually she got in another lane and honked. I guess she thought I didn't see her lights . Funny thing is I was driving in the slow lane on a 3 lane highway, and there was no one in the other lanes. Usually I'll pull over when I get the high beams, but under the circumstances I thought better of it. I tend to drive the speed limit (55 MPH), most people in my area (Chicagoland) drive 20-30 MPH over the speed limit, so I'm used to it.