Hate the driver not the...

Was in many discussions on hybrids in HOV lanes.

What I do is go 5-10mph under the speed limit in the rightmost freeway lane, yielding when I think someone wants to exit.

What hisses me off is some go out of their way to pass me on the right (shoulder, access ramp) and other rude behavior even when I've done everything to stay out of their way.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Jmadison @ Nov 14 2006, 11:01 AM) [snapback]348867[/snapback]</div>

One exception, that I can think of, is those old VW microbusses or whatever those were called. I think they topped out at 60 MPH on a level road. Up hill they were/are pathetic. Hated the car. They were popular with the hippies when I was a kid but there were still plenty around when I started driving.

 

Going under the speed limit seems dangerous to me, unless you're alone on the road.

Since I got my Prius, I've been driving in the rightmost lane with the cruise control set exactly AT the speed limit, and as long as the road isn't crowded and people who want to speed can get around me, it doesn't seem to cause animosity. On a single-lane road, if I see people piling up behind me, I'll bump it up to 5mph over the limit.

On some roads it feels really dangerous to travel at or under the speed limit--the Capital Beltway, for instance, where most of the traffic is traveling at 10mph over the speed limit at least. I usually keep up with traffic there, even if I am speeding.

 

This is a current thread from 914club.com website (I have a project car)
Actual a really good community, but letting off some steam..I thought it was funny. B)

======================
WOT: Cars you hate to get stuck behind?, My personal favorite: Prius

So, I discovered the nice long twisty, curvy road way to the office every morning. What happens? About once a week I get caught behind the same ole granny driving her damn Prius. Speed limit is 30 and she goes about 20, but brakes before every curve and drops down to about 15. Drives me nuts as there is absolutely no place to pass on this road for about 10 miles. Noticed the gray haired grannies around here are all driving a Prius - must get about 50 miles to the gallon.
======================
I got stuck behind a Prius a couple of days ago, are they really that slow? or is it the driver? It's almost as bad as an old VW Bus.
======================
The problem with the Prius is that the drivers are hypnotized by the mpg and power gauges on the dash.
======================
Old people and Prius's are the worst, in my area any way. Try going up hill and the person in front of you decides to baby the accelerator just to squeeze every ounce of mileage from those damn prius's, and then seeing them hit their brakes when the road gently curves. Mind you this is all up hill so you don't really need to hit the brakes when their already going 25mph. Wth is up with that.
======================
...many more

 

The only car slower than my Prius in hypermileage mode is an old VW Beetle with an 'automatic stickshift' badge on the engine hood...
[laughing]

Also, it might be noted that confrontation only further scares timid drivers (and slows them further).

Besides, we're saving gas so that others may waste it.

 

I've heard the absurd arguement that not speeding with the pack wastes gas for everybody behind.

Again, it amazes me that even when allowed a way to easily pass, some agressive drivers choose to run over/rage at a hybrid driver.

Anyone realize that no one is required to go the speed limit? Going more than 10mph under is another matter - police suspect drunk drivers. I usually go within 5mph of the limit.

 

This is interesting discussion -- having come from a little Convertible (Audi TT) and moving to a Prius due to the long commute (40 miles each way) I've tried both -- driving at or below the speed limit (even in the TT) and with traffic zipping along at 75-80 MPH.

It IS distracting with the MFD on the Energy or Consumption screens -- at least for me. The best advice was in the unofficial Prius FAQ which said just drive the car -- don't obsess about the mileage readouts.

That said I am happy with my 45 MPG on my last tank. Not hypermiling, but a lot better than the 26 MPG I averaged with the TT. I am also happy I can put up the DICE screen in lieu of the mileage screens.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Nov 14 2006, 02:58 PM) [snapback]348935[/snapback]</div>

Man, that happened to me this morning for the first time ever, and I was going 65 in a 65. What an nice person, driving his big ol' Hemi. He passed me on the right shoulder going about 85,and almost forced me into a left lane car. Not my fault that the people in the left lane were only doing 75.

And of course, the minute we got off of the highway, we ended up being side-by-side a stop light. And he refused to look over at me...good thing, too.

Of course, my pissed-offedness made for a great early morning workout!

 

Texas probably has twice as many per capita of the types that drive a Hemi like that just described. One of them has a licence plate "MOFO" {sigh}

Really - is it them or us that needs to back off?

 

HOV lanes aside, I feel it makes everyone happier if, for the most part, one just follows the flow of traffic. Put yourself in the lane that is going at the speed you want to drive. Insisting to be in the passing lane and going the speed limit of 65 when most other drivers are going 70+ just causes frustration for everyone and probably also "causes" more lane changing... which increases the probability of accidents.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Delta Flyer @ Nov 14 2006, 02:58 PM) [snapback]348935[/snapback]</div>

Because you're an obstacle...

If you really want to "do everything to stay out of their way", be a responsible motorist and drive at the flow of traffic like everybody else. This "lets drive 10MPH less than the limit to save a few pennies on gas nevermind the fact that I increase the potential for accidents exponentially while people have to get around me" BS is stupid. You are as much a danger on the roadway as the guy going 90 in the fast lane trying to force everybody else to go the speed he wants to go.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Nov 14 2006, 06:07 PM) [snapback]349108[/snapback]</div>

Yep.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cobra9 @ Nov 14 2006, 06:26 PM) [snapback]349023[/snapback]</div>

Hi Cobra,

You have that wrong. Those granies doing 20 are the ones that complain to the media that they are only getting 35 mpg.....Why?....Because they are driving well of the engine efficiency range both in accelleration and cruise ! Accelerating very slow will not get you good mileage in a Prius. All the energy in a Prius comes from the Engine! If you run it in an ineffiecient manner, you will get average Corrolla mileage.

I tend to see how fast I can go in electric from a stop behind other traffic, as that is about how fast they accellerate. In the lead at a stop I put about 2 or 3 car lengths on other traffic during accelleration. But then as I time into the next stop light they are crawling up my tail. If they do get ahead, they are there at the red light dead stopped, when I could have glided through as the light changed. I am not getting 60 + mpg like some people on here with good Pulse and Glide roads, but I am getting 50 + , in freezing morning weather, and with 3/4 's of the trip at 65 mph on the highway in the right lane (but not any slower end to end than the left lane due to traffic backups), in the suburbs.

This really isn't a Prius thing with me though. I beat my brother's best man to his wedding church by about 2 miles doing the same thing an Opel. This was in a smaller town where I could slide through in an unoccupied lane. It was about a 15 mile trip, and the best man in a Porshe would do about 10 mph over the light timed speed. So each light I put about 1/2 mile on them. Eventually, they got caught by a light that was not timed for the previous light being red but green. Out of sinc they never caught up.

This is why Rally Drivers are taught TSD (Time Speed Distance) rallying first. In a race rally, knowing where one is and whats next is how fast you can go. Without TSD discipline, you do not know where you are and cannot go fast, or can go fast and slide off the road.

As far as the braking on curves....this may be due the the Prius back end wiggle. I resolved that in my car, but it was quite unstable in the turn-in transistions on curves before that. An older person with less core strength might have some issues with that wiggle.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Nov 14 2006, 06:07 PM) [snapback]349108[/snapback]</div>

If one is in the right lane, though, isn't following the LAW acceptable? I usually drive over the speed limit myself, but on days when I just want to cruise and enjoy the scenery, I go the speed limit. And stay in the right lane.

Being from Gaithersburg, I'm sure you've driven on I-95 at times. When it's not trafficky, the average speed seems to be 85-90 mph. I will NOT drive at that flow of traffic...especially seeing that I've had to slam on brakes because of some weird traffic situation that happens that no one is aware of until "traffic flow" gets up on it.

 

They hate is because we maximize our mpg by driving at the speed limit (or even +5mph) and it's considered a 'small' car. I could care less. I cruise control at 70mph on the carpool and 65mph off-carpool. Now... what ticks me off is that when i'm on the regular lanes i try to be on the third lane (far away from the speedsters) and yet people will cut me off or tail gate me.

I usually continue my commute at 65mph on cruise or tap on my brake a few times. Afterall, the Prius will probably outbrake bullies out there and it will ultimately be their fault for tailgating.

I think that those with guzzlers hate the 50mpg fact so much that they straight up don't care about their mpg for that moment and want to punk a Prius.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(silentak1 @ Nov 14 2006, 08:29 PM) [snapback]349226[/snapback]</div>

ok, seriously, do you guys all think youre some kind of "special breed" of humans or something. not everyone else on the road is some gun-toting texan with a 600 c.i. v8 under the hood. not all cars get as bad of gas milage as you think. my old 93 mustang gt with aftermarket heads, cam and intake got 25mpg, and my supercharged 91 trans am got 21mpg, which isn't all that bad for 300+ hp v8 muscle cars. lol honestly, prius' aren't nearly as special as you guys make them out to be

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(livelychick @ Nov 14 2006, 08:16 PM) [snapback]349216[/snapback]</div>

But the aforementioned poster is NOT following the law. Driving on the highway at such a speed below the speed limit so it creates a traffic obstacle (and if people are passing him on the right on the shoulder etc, he's an obstacle.) is just as illegal as driving 40mph over the limit, and police DO give out tickets for it too.

95 is insane, but even when its at its peak of traffic speed (which does flow in the leftmost lanes at 85-90 at times) speeds in the rightmost lanes still stay at the limit. So I say just drive the limit, just stay in the right most lanes.

Now, on 270 or the beltway for instance you often can't drive the limit (55) and be safe. In that instance I think the law is obviously wrong, since citizens are putting themselves at risk obeying it.

No, they hate you because you're in their way. They don't care about your Prius, or your 50MPG.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SW03ES @ Nov 14 2006, 08:55 PM) [snapback]349272[/snapback]</div>

There's no end to road madness huh? Even when i'm driving another car (non-Prius) and pushing 70, 75, or 80mph people seem to want to pass me or drive faster than me. It's almost a race every time I hop on the freeway.

They can hate me all they want, but the last thing we need in LA freeways is another accident/pile-up that will cause a major gridlock for 50+ miles through multiple freeways. Optimistically, I'm saving them from speeding tickets, gas, and possibly their lives at the cost of a few minutes of their commute.

I should correct myself and aim this at not only guzzlers, but everyone. I even had Geo metros and Civics ride my tail on the 3rd lanes.

Edit: The Prius has urged me to become a much more defensive driver and no...we're not a special breed.