Prius hate, or am I just being paranoid?

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ May 18 2006, 11:38 AM) [snapback]257500[/snapback]</div>

no, no, no. don't think of yourself as the victim. the drivers who are in a hurry (maybe they need to get to an emergency) are not victimizing you. they are just trying to get to their destination fast. be the big man and drive friendly by letting them through.

 

My wife and I just got back from a trip to Disney World. We did some real world testing along the way. Even though we knew that high speed kills MPG we decided to test it. Lo and behold the MPG got killed at 70 mph. We decided to go no more than 65mph on any highway after that point.

But a by-product of this was we just cruised in the right lane and watched everyone whiz by. IT WAS THE MOST RELAXING TRIP EVER!! We didn't have to worry about hitting the brakes because everyone.....well almost everyone.....was going faster than we were. It meant we could enjoy not having to be so vigilent to hit those breaks so much. But the MPG gain was worth the decision we made. And in construction zones when the speed limits go down to around 55mph made it an excuse to save even more gas and less stress in driving too.

Some cars and trucks did tailgate us but I believe it was because they were trying to read our license plate and license plate holder. The holder ways "This is my war on terrorism" and the License plate says "NOFUELN". So read together it says "This is my war on terrorism, no fooling". After they got done reading it the merely went to the middle or left lane and past me up. I think it gives them something to think about. And no, I have not had any fingers thrown my way. hehe

So, continue to drive smart and enjoy those additional dollars in your pocket. My fillups were between $18 and $22 along the trip. That ain't bad at all considering.

Cheers

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(electricity_guzzler @ May 18 2006, 11:40 AM) [snapback]257559[/snapback]</div>

I agree that this is what should be done when driving on a two lane mountain road; however, I disagree if you are driving on any other sort of two lane road unless you are going way below the posted speed limit (example are tractors, etc.).

What is your definition of "the slow car?" To many folks who tailgate, the definition of "the slow car" is the one who is not driving as fast as they want to drive. To those of us who regularly drive two lane roads and drive the speed limit there is no reason for us to turn on our hazards and pull over for tailgaiters. I am a defensive driver, I do watch the road and I am constantly aware of all the impending obstacles ahead, and behind me. If I can see that the aggressive tailgaiter will cause an accident, I will pull over into the emergency lane and slow down. Otherwise, if you are going the speed limit, the tailgaiter should (as we all wish) wait until they can pass when it is clear and appropriate.

Now, I have to admit, I have pulled over once, by using my turn signal, so the tailgaiter could tailgait the Sheriff in front of me. I figured why shouldn't I give him the opportunity to obtain a ticket?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(electricity_guzzler @ May 18 2006, 01:45 PM) [snapback]257566[/snapback]</div>

Substitute 'victim' for 'person behaving themselves' then. Anyway, they're not just trying to get where they're going, their belligerent most of the time and angry like spoiled children throwing a tantrum.

 

I think the majority of SUV drivers just drive like that in general, regardless of what kind of vehicle(s) are near them. I live in South Texas and currently drive a mid-size SUV (a Range Rover Classic). There are probably more SUVs in this state than anywhere else. I observe the kind of behavior you speak of all the time from other SUV drivers, and more so from the ones in extremely large SUVs and pickups. Many of the times, they are also holding a cell phone while driving unresponsibly. I don't understand why so many people are still actually "holding" their cell phones when basically everyone now has bluetooth capability. But, that's another matter itself. Just keep in mind that not all SUV drivers are like this.

You may be wondering what I'm doing here if I drive an SUV... Well, I've been very interested in the Prius for quite some time now. I recently convinced my folks that they should look into a Prius. Basically all the Toyota dealers around here had told them that there was a 2 - 6 month waiting list. They were never able to even see a new one around here at any of the Toyota dealers. I did manage to track down a used '05 for them to test drive. As suspected, they were pretty impressed by it, but not by the overly inflated price being asked for this year old model with 33K miles on it... They wanted nearly 27K for it, and it was the standard model! They had two that were identical. And apparently they both sold in no time, even at that price.

Anyways, to make a long story short, I tracked down one out of state that was specifically what they were interested in. My Dad was in SC at the time, and the Prius was at a Toyota dealer 5 miles from where he was. I told him that it had just arrived the previous night, and that it wouldn't last long, which it didn't. It was sold that day, just prior to several people showing up to check it out. My Dad bought it. My Mother then flew out to meet him, and they drove it home. They put a total of 2000 miles on it. Their average MPG was right around 50.

I joined this site to learn more about them, and to be able to answer any questions they may have about their new Prius. I've had a chance to drive it a fair bit, and I am very impressed by the car. My next car will definitely be a Prius. I'll probably just keep the SUV as a weekend vehicle to satisfy my off pavement urges.

Edit: I also wanted to mention that we had test driven a Ford Escape Hybrid. For our 8 mile test-drive, the average MPG was 19.4. I realize that being a short trip didn't help the mileage, but it was still a bit shocking. The other turn off was the old-school A/C system that required the ICE to be running at all times, which also helped to lower the MPG significantly. The final deciding factor was the price. Nicely loaded, it was 34k, and the standard 4x4 model was still over 30k. They saved over 7k by going with the Prius. Not to mention that they got a much nicer vehicle for their money, IMHO.


<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(busyrosy @ May 17 2006, 01:54 AM) [snapback]256723[/snapback]</div>

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(electricity_guzzler @ May 17 2006, 07:04 AM) [snapback]256830[/snapback]</div>

It is one thing to be blocking the passage of other faster vehicles. It is entirely another when you are following the flow of traffic in front of you, but leaving space in front of you so that you don't hit the car in front of you, should they break suddenly, and get tailgated, as if you can make the car in front of you go faster. Moving over to the right to allow some jerk in so he can go the same speed he/she was going before will not make the car that was in front of you go faster. It just won't. If you are driving 100 mph and someone is tailgating you, I'm sorry, but the tailgater is in the wrong.

There is absolutely no need to tailgate. It's rude and its dangerous. Period.

However, I do agree that if you are driving slower than the traffic in front of you that you should get over to your right. There is also no reason to be a lane hog. Nuff said.

 

hello there,

i asked the same question when i got my car just over a month ago.

at first, i too thought that maybe it was my paranoid delusions--since i've been known to have those--getting the best of me. but no, there's some big time hating going on.

like my mom always used to tell me, "it's because they're jealous."

it's prius envy in the truest most freudian form. the hybrid hater honk is the pitiful manifestation of displaced anger.

and yes, the condition is overwhelmingly apparent in SUV drivers since they probably feel silly spending so much money on gas.



christine

 

SUV drivers do seem more a holish than others in my humble opinion.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(JackDodge @ May 18 2006, 11:38 AM) [snapback]257500[/snapback]</div>

Sure it's not your ego or insecurity talking? How am I a 'victim' for letting someone use a public road? I fail to see where the war is? And I'm not even sure it's bad behavior to use an empty space in front of me to merge a lane, I know I use empty space when I change lanes.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(cattail722 @ May 18 2006, 04:44 PM) [snapback]257680[/snapback]</div>

c'mon. we all know nobody tailgates at 100mph. so we know this example is not real.

and why would you be driving 100mph with a prius anyway?

 

In my opinion, the speed used in the example is irrelevant to the point. Following at an unsafe following distance defies both logic and law. Driving is not about taking risks. You simply don't know what the other driver may do.

Here's a question for all to ponder: What does it mean when a car's left turn signal is blinking?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ May 18 2006, 10:22 PM) [snapback]257820[/snapback]</div>

Doesn't it depend on if the Prius is in a forest and nobody sees the blinking left turn signal?

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(roverguy78 @ May 18 2006, 04:15 PM) [snapback]257661[/snapback]</div>

I once owned a Range Rover as well. Not only will you find, obviously, that your gas mileage improves dramatically in the Prius, but you also will no longer have to take your car to the dealer every month for repairs to the power windows, door locks, etc. (the 4WD and drivetrain always worked like a champ, though.)

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ May 18 2006, 10:22 PM) [snapback]257820[/snapback]</div>

Wholeheartedly agreed. This is what I call "driving defensively."

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ May 18 2006, 10:22 PM) [snapback]257820[/snapback]</div>

From my experience, when you are behind someone in a left turn only lane it means, "in a minute, I'm going to put my right turn signal on because I decided I really want to go straight." :lol:

Incidentally, when I left my house this morning, I noticed that the neighbor three houses down on the other side of the street had a shiny, new H3 in their driveway. Its a good thing I'm getting the glass breakage sensor. I'll certainly be majorly upset if this causes any contention when my nice, shiny, new seaside 06' #5 is parked in my driveway.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(larkinmj @ May 19 2006, 07:32 AM) [snapback]257972[/snapback]</div>

The dealer was always a massive rip-off. I just learned to fix everything myself instead. And some of the Rovers were definitely borderline lemons. This one (a '92) has been a very good one. Luckily, I currently don't have to log many miles a week, so using a lot of gas isn't really an issue. But, like I said, my next car will definitely be a Prius. I'm already getting a bit jealous of the one my parents just bought... It also doesn't help that it's exactly the color combo that I'd be after too... seaside pearl with gray interior.

 

Couldn't agree more. That's why when I drive slow, I do drive in the right hand lane. Last night, though, I was driving on the 405 Freeway in the right hand lane when an SUV got behind me, and rode my bumper with his brights on. I was wondering where he wanted me to drive, on the shoulder? Needless to say he zipped around me, and then cut in and continued to cut in and out on other drivers for awhile. However, when traffic slowed down (as I knew it would) I took joy in seeing that he wound up about five feet in front of me on the next lane.

Ted

 

Ever notice that a lot of the butthead drivers are the ones with one
fist at the top center of the steering wheel [with the other hand
holding the phone]? The most unstable possible position, of course.
.
_H*

 

QUOTED: "...the ones with one fist at the top center of the steering wheel..."

They need to update on safety... If, perchance, the airbag deploys, that hand position could well result in a broken arm. And... with the cellphone in the other hand, the probability of the airbag deploying goes way up.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(electricity_guzzler @ May 17 2006, 10:04 AM) [snapback]256830[/snapback]</div>

I don't believe that being tailgated means that I'm driving too slow. It means I'm driving too slow for the person that's tailgating me. If the vehicle behind me is closer to me than I am to the vehicle in front of me, that just means that I'm interested in maintaining a safe distance and the car behind me is not.

If I'm driving 40 in a 35 on a two lane road and someone's on my tail, I don't speed up. In fact, I may slow down to the speed limit.

On the highway, I generally keep it at around 60 - 65 mph in a 55 and try to stay all the way to the right. If someone has an entire 6 lanes to work with but chooses to zoom up to my bumper and try to "intimidate" me into another lane, I just stay put and wait for them to go around.

In the interest of safety I believe in going with the flow but most people are driving 70 - 75. I think 10 mph over the speed limit is fast enough for the "slow lane". One thing I'm certain of is I'm not going to jockey around so someone can reach their destination 3 minutes earlier.

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(brandon @ May 18 2006, 10:22 PM) [snapback]257820[/snapback]</div>

It means that the car's left turn signal is blinking.

That's one of the first things my dad taught me when teaching me how to drive. You know, the older I get, the smarter my dad gets.

 

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(SomervillePrius @ May 18 2006, 07:12 PM) [snapback]257740[/snapback]</div>

Great, just what we need, another amateur psychologist.