Pirus Rage Gives Rise to Hybrid Haters

Hybrid or no hybrid, carpool lane or no carpool lane I do notice some people get on your butt if you don't maximize your 0-60 time when the light turns green. I prefer to come out of green lights now a bit more slower (use the electric motor get me up to speed) but geeze, seen the grill of one of the big 3s 10000 pound behemoths occupy my entire rearview mirror is starting to cheese me off, I used to carry a hammer in my car as a mock for of protection, but I can see hybrid road rage becoming a more literal term if those SOBs keep hugging my nice person!

 

I put about 3,000-4,000 miles driving around LA every month and rarely do i get backslash. Even if i'm driving 70mph on the carpool people tail gate me, but i believe its the nature of people.

What i am most afraid is of having my car egged or axed by a Hybrid hater. Other than that, most of my neighbors and friends actually envy the prius and want one. As a matter of fact, on certain weekends my prius becomes a 'test vehicle' among mates.

I have seen many prius doing the right thing (driving 65mph) and getting cut-off or high-beamed. Not daily, but maybe 2-3 times per month.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(MikeSF @ Apr 22 2006, 03:52 PM) [snapback]243718[/snapback]</div>

You know the old saying "misery loves company". It drives them nuts that you're not unhappy so if you're driving the speed limit and not acting like an out-of-control idiot as they are, then you must be happy and they can't have that! So they try as hard as they can to get you to join them in their misery.

 

I saw the CNN video of this, and I just can't help thinking about the South Park episode - how smug Prius drivers are. Of all people driving a Prius, they had to get this bitch who has a "holier than thou" attitude about her car. I drive a Prius, and when I drive the HOV, I go no slower than the average HOV occupant.

I think it's more important to be a considerate and defensive driver, instead of focusing on why that other person feel they need 2 tons of steel to lug them around.

Here's the video.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mixoso @ Apr 21 2006, 08:41 AM) [snapback]243138[/snapback]</div>

I also do not believe that all the rage is associated with Hybrids. Some people are angry in general. Some people are rude in general. Prius Envy, Prius Smugness, Gas Guzzler.....it is easier to label each other, de-personalize the situation in order to justify our selfishness.

I was on the 5 south after 3p, being courteous and letting a car merge in front of me but the driver was going so slow that I had to actually stop even though there was space for 2-3 cars in front of us. She flipped me off. So many people on the road right now DON"T KNOW HOW TO DRIVE (Period)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ Apr 26 2006, 02:17 PM) [snapback]245646[/snapback]</div>

JackDodge
Right on. The best way to promote conservation and the Prius is to drive happy, be kind, share the road, and wash your car every week. It drives some people crazy, they minimalize us, they get angry at us, they want to fight us, they call us names and then we win. B)
...not that there must be loosers in all of this.