Prius Envy / Prius Rage

This is where the 'Reverse Pass' is sometimes useful. Move left, watch tailgater zoom by, them move back to the right lane. It works in non-hybrids too.

 

You are not in charge of others, just you. Do not let them affect your driving.

 

where do you live/drive?

MOVE!!

 

I have experienced this phenomena too. Someone will come up from behind you, not pass, and "push" you to go the speed they want to travel. You will be the one to draw the ticket too on the other side of that hill. Happened maybe twice in 70K miles. A Prius shield. Hmm. I never take notice of the occupants of other vehicles on the road. I see cars and trucks. And they do the stupidest things.

 

I have driven my car now since it was new in 05. I have never experienced this because of my car And I live in LA.
Some people are idiots and it's no reflection on you. Go with the flow of traffic, move over if needed and smile on.

 

I've had similar experiences BUT it has taught me improved, defensive driving techniques:

• cover - try to find existing slow traffic, say a slow moving truck and get 'stuck' behind it. The aggressive drivers see the rolling road block in front and steer to go around. For example, a pickup towing yard keeping mowers or other, obviously slow traffic.
• rear view mirror driving - often you'll see the 'problem' drivers well in advance so relax and deal with it. If you can, change lanes so they can pass in whatever lane they can handle. They truly are unskilled so help them maximize their distance away from you on the way to their next accident.
• help them pass - if you have a tailgater, set the cruise control down 2-3 mph and shift to the right side of the lane. If they don't take the hint, slow down another 2-3 mph. Your lower limit is the posted, minimum speed limit. Hit the "emergency blinkers" if it goes on for more than a mile.
• master lane changing - always be willing to change lane and let them pass illegally and then shift back into the original lane. Let them maximize the separation distance.

You have a life and things you want to do. Don't let someone else's 'issues' rain on your day. Just keep focused on efficient, defensive driving and let the nut cases go. But you didn't ask about Prius road-tricks so let's save that for another day. <grins>

Bob Wilson

 

Turn on the oil slicks! That will teach em!

 

Keep slowing down till he passes.

 

Fill out your online profile so we know where you live.

My guess is you live south of the MasonD line. Rednecks.

Rednecks hate the Prius. Because its gay. Because it pollutes more to build it than a Hummer. Because its a piece of junk car and the battery needs to be replaced every 2 weeks. And there's big pile of dead batteries everywhere now. Because its all a lefty liberal scam as there really is no such thing as Global warming. Its a villainous car. Just go on Youtube and look up any prius video. They'll tell you. We've all been duped.

God Bless.

 

On the highway I find a semi that is going a speed I like and form a convoy. As far as someone actually becoming aggressive, hand gestures following way too close after I have made reasonable effort to let them get around, I let them know I have just gone to DEFCON 4 by holding my cell phone up so they can see it. This works very well on trucks as the LAST thing they want is the law or their boss becoming aware of their aggressive driving habits.

RAL

 

Thanks for the great tips. I especially liked,

"He was so far up on my butt I felt like I had been sent to prison and I just dropped the soap", and "

I let them know I have just gone to DEFCON 4 by holding my cell phone up so they can see it".​

​

As new Prius owner and now reformed "conservative" driver, I've seen much of this behavior in only two months. I just hope they're listening to the radio and the song "Slow Ride", by Foghat is playing. ​

​

 

Whoaa Hoss!

You can only put about five bails of hay in a Prius and it is too low to reliably deal with muddy, unpaved roads and cow pastures. Worse, the rear springs are too low to handle anything but the lightest trailer.

Now if we could take a torch and cut the rear of the back half of the hatch off and grind off the sides to be even with the rear windows. Then put a rear wall behind the front seats and a liner in the back . . . we're starting to move towards a Prius-pickup. The weight loss means the original springs will probably handle more payload but I'd still like to have air-adjustable rear shocks. There are a few other mods to complete the Prius-pickup:

• rear-wheel drive motors - improve traction in marginal conditions
• air-shocks with a 4" rise - improve ground clearance
• 2.4L engine option - for a medium Prius-pickup
  • needs to carry enough livestock to make a Prius payment
• flat-bed with optional rears - for medium Prius-pickup
  • carry two small steers or six-eight hogs or 1,000 lbs of feed or hay
  • small camper, sleeps two
  • van shell for plumber, windows, e.t.c.

As for 'Rednecks' and 'hate' . . . you misunderstand 'em, my neighbors. They live in a "bubble" . . . a constant state of fear. They pretty much hate everything except those who teach them to be afraid and resentful. Their motivations and behavior pretty much shadow those who fear . . . Rednecks.

Bob Wilson

 

Probably the most dangerous thing you can do driving in a small car is draft a semi. So much fun to get hit by a huge piece of blown re-tread. Not to mention other road debris guaranteed to kick up into your car.
Plus its so much fun for a trucker to have a Prius on its nice person.

 

I just ignore folks like that for the most part. I make sure that I am not cutting off any passing opportunities and the rest is up to them. Let them gesture at you. All they really want is be able to brag to their buddies about how “I pushed this Prius all the way to East Podunk, you should a seen the fear in his eyes!” It’s no fun if all you do is slow them down; they will get the hint eventually. Just drive safe, let the idiots be idiots.

 

Did I say draft? I follow no closer than a 3 second gap usually a bit farther. I follow a truck that is going a speed I like BECAUSE it allows me to go a bit slower than the posted speed limit without causing undo angst for the Prius haters. I usually find one going 65 as that seems to be a good compromise speed (time vs mpg) for me and the way their speed falls off on grades allows me to do the same helping my mileage even more.

RAL

 

One doesn't necessarily need to be drafting to be hit by a huge piece of blown retread. One can be hit simply by being overtaken and having the truck pull in front of her/him.

I guess we'll need to see a few more people get decapitated before they outlaw retreads on trailers.


Salix,
Went recap debris dodging the day after he bought is new car

 

One doesn't need to draft a semi in order to use it as a screen against fast drivers. Most of them can see the truck 5-10 seconds ahead and decide to go around to beat the Prius to the truck.

 

I guess I could be few of the rare Prius owners that intentionally piss off other car owners by driving fast, not slow.
A typical confrontation would be me driving in the left lane (way above speed limit already, 85 in 65) and when I see a car come up fast from behind I would move over to let them pass but I would also increase my speed. I can see the struggle of the fast approaching car (mostly Hondas, for whatever reason they are always trying to pass a Prius) trying to pass me, at this point I am usually close to 100. It really drives them nuts, and often I will get these "think they are fast cars" to stay behind me to check out my badge... "Prius Hybrid" and really makes them scratch their head.

Why do I do this? Trying to change the negative stigma associated with Priuses being slow cars one driver at a time. I can just hear their conversation afterwards. "Honey, you wouldn't believe this I couldn't pass a Prius on the freeway today. Maybe we need to go test drive one, they are not slow cars after all."

Disclaimer:
I only do this in the same route I drive everyday, so I know all the speed traps. In addition I have a Valentine V1. I also have been professionally trained on a race track.

 

I lived in CA for 16 yrs and this sounds like a typical day of driving in CA.