Misadventure In Hypermiling: First Encounter With Anti-Hypermile Road Rage

From the other driver's perspective, you were intentionally causing grief by moving well below the speed limit. They probably have no idea what hypermiling is and are just angry because you appear to be taunting them. Return to your very reasonable rule and everyone will be happier.

 

Go you!!!!!:cheer2:

 

I hypermile in secret, it's more fun when you treat it like sex. (do it when no one else is around)

 

On a two lane road and up hill doing 22 in 30, you are just asking for it blocking the traffic. The hypermiling session is over when some one is at your as* and cannot pass you.

 

That makes me laugh

 

I don't 'hypermile' but I do drive efficiently:

• '30 in a 30 on a two-lane' - no problem although with our ZVW30, there is no significant loss of mileage at 35.
• 'crested the hill at 22 mph' - did you turn on the emergency flashers? If you are going to be a rolling roadblock, let the drivers behind you know what is going on. That way they can use maximum throttle to pass you going up the hill and completely wipe out the gas you saved.
• 'long signal to warn of my impending turn' - suggests you needed to turn off sooner. This means mapping alternative routes to your destination that avoids following traffic.

For example, this is my map between work and home:
I have warm-up and cool-down sections that cut through the 25 mph posted, neighborhood or 30-40 mph, multilane segments. In one case, I take a short cut so my total distance is less and I save beaucoups fuel. So all it takes is finding alternate routes on a 'road less travelled.' When it is unavoidable, turn on the emergency flashers and pull on the shoulder and let the traffic pass.​

• 'the trucklet driver blew his horn at me' - only because what he wanted to say was far worse. But you've made another Prius enemy, pissed off another driver by 'hypermiling' in public. Like Pat said, it should be handled like sex, in private.

Efficient driving means accomplishing the same journey but in a way that does not deliberately piss off other drivers or worse, induce them to burn more gas than you have saved. It means spotting 'transparent' opportunities and using these opportunities versus "f*ck the other drivers" and driving like a ... someone who does not drive efficiently.

Bob Wilson

 

Personally, for ME to have sex correctly, there MUST be someone else around! It's just no fun by myself anymore!:cheer2:

 

Let's not forget Woody Allen's observation in Annie Hall: "Don't knock masturbation. At least it is sex with someone you love.

 

Try hyper-miling in a big city and you could be asking for more than a honk. I now break the law on almost every left turn: You're supposed to stay in the leftmost lane after the turn is executed. Now (if I don't see a cop) I immediately turn left into the right-hand lane allowing others turning behind me to instantly pass me on the left.

As far as other surface-street driving, I now stay mostly in far right lane and come up to the speed limit with reasonable albeit slower accelaration. Most other drivers understand, but I get many who zoom past me in the left lane. Ha ha, I catch up to them at the next light!

 

While 22 is below the speed limit of 30, it doesn't seem excessively slow, and certainly not for an uphill section. I don't know where we've gotten this idea that the only acceptable speed is the speed limit or greater.

If there are two lanes and it's available for passing, they can pound sand as far as I'm concerned.

ETA: For some perspective, minimum speed on most highways is 40 mph, and the speed limit is 55 mph (can be as high as 70!). That's 73%, the same disparity we're talking about here.

 

You're not alone. You're with your 2nd wife: your Prius-wife. Just be sure to clean up after your done.

 

I think the expertise in hypermiling, IMO, is being able to do it without disrupting traffic. Utilize hills, stoplights, stop signs, vehicles turning, vehicles braking, etc.

 

22 in a 35 IS escessively slow....
If you drove 40 in a 55 mph zone, it would be down right dangerous. You would just get run over...

I agree, if there are multiple lanes in each direction and as long as traffic will allow passing, drive how you want, but if it is a single lane, or passing is not possible, drive the speed of the traffic

 

Two lane road means one lane going up hill and one lane down. Typical hilly road is winding and very short straight section, it alway have double yellow lines. Who would risk to cross double yellow lines to pass a slow car in front.

 

Smirv got it right: hypermiling is about 360 degree awareness
and no distractions, all the time, and figuring the dynamics
of what's going to happen in the next five, ten, thirty seconds
or whatever the appropriate timeframe is.
.
65 MPH in the right lane of two or three and the truck is *still*
on my nice person -- figure *that* one out. Before his safety manager
does, that is.
.
_H*

 

Bob nailed it on the head. I can get high 40s-low 50s by just driving the car. It's unfortunate perspectives, such as the OP's, which actually gave me the greatest pause when considering the Prius. Instead of the car appearing to be a beacon of efficiency and environmental awareness, actions such as these have turned the car into a rolling stigma.

 

Ehh, let 'em burn. It's your car, and, while I try not to cause problems with hyper-miling, even using POWER to pulse up a hill, I absolutely do not care what they think - I've put up with plenty of slow drivers before, and this car actually gives feedback in real time about what your driving style results in, good or bad. I figure I've had my turns in the barrel before, simmering behind slow drivers and following gravel trucks up mountains. it's my turn to be the one holding THEM up.
But only when they have a chance to pass.
What I'm really waiting for is for gas to hit 4.00/gallon again. Can't wait. That will be sweet, watching those V8 Jeeps and SUVs jockeying for a car length's lead, lol. Ninety percent of the time you catch 'em at the next light.
Actually, I hope we see 6.00/gallon - get some of these yay-hoos off the road so I can enjoy it. I actually plan routes now around avoiding high-speed sections and, most important, avoiding elevation changes where possible. I've found I can get 55-60 just by driving smart, and being prepared to spend an extra 10 per cent of time to get there. It's worth it, usually.