True or False: Prius = Left Lane Hugger

Upon further examination, in particular the Arizona Driver License Manual 99-0117, it isn't unlawful to pass on the right on open highway when it is safe and there is a lane in which to do so. So no worries then.

 

i see mostly suv's and german cars in the left lane.

 

Exactly. The point of this thread escapes me.

 

Yes, that "dance" sounds very familiar! Typically such drivers start out ahead of you in the acceleration lane, already moving at about the same speed, but then instead of smoothly merging in ahead of you, they inexplicably slow down so they can force you into the left lane. About that time, the speeding 40-ton truck coming up from behind in the left lane leans on the horn ...

 

rolling coal in the left lane by any shance?

 

Honestly, your determination that Prius drivers stay in the left lane is about as legitiment as the various threads about tailgating, it's your perception, it will change, but...do you drive the speed limit?

 

The Prius drivers who are blocking the left lane are setting themselves up as potential targets of road rage and gunfire. Move right! Prius drivers who persist shouldn't be surprised when other drivers ram them, run them off the road, shoot at them, etc.

In Oklahoma, I've rarely seen a Prius blocking the left lane. No, the left lane hogs are almost always some OTHER type of car or truck. Ha, I've certainly witnessed the other extreme: Prius drivers going 20-30 mph over the speed limit and passing everyone.

Turnabout is fair play. My complaint is the drivers who tailgate me in the right lane when I'm going 5 mph over the speed limit -- and the left lane is empty. No, I'd never "brake check" them, but instead try to maintain the same speed. If they still refuse to pass me and start to move closer, I will lift off the gas pedal. Drivers trying to force a Prius in the right lane to speed up? Total waste of time.

 

I like to move along at least 5-10 mph over the limit, and left lane hogs are constantly in my way. I'm passing all makes/models of cars on the right and left when in my Prius. Maybe I should start making a list of them. In general though, I notice no trend, Prius or otherwise.

 

I stay in the left lane to avoid having to constantly change lanes for people going slower in the right lane, but I watch who's coming up behind me and pull over to let them pass.

Biggest issue some have with me is that I won't bump up to 10-15 over the limit to pass someone faster who's going slower in the right lane.

 

I'm rarely if ever in the left lane because I rarely drive faster than 65. Funny, I seem to get where I'm going in plenty of time, and save wear on my car and gas. Recently MA passed a new law that states you cannot drive so slow as to hold up traffic. Primarily aimed at those in left lanes. Then again, when people want to drive 75-85 mpg in the left lane I figure it's their right. My observation is that most of those "hogging" the left lane are beefy SUVs going 75-85 mph. Must be nice to afford a vehicle that gives you about 9 mpg at 80 mph.

 

For the most part, stereotypes exist for a reason!

I've seen members of this very forum defend themselves as left lane bandits, so yes.

There's a REASON that Priuses are thusly branded.
Me?
My Prius has a tracking device that will alert my chain-of-command if I go PSL+x, and it's not my car, so I usually hang out in the right hand lane.
One time my boss got hate mail from somebody pretty high up in the head-shed demanding diciplinary action be taken against the driver of a certain company car that was observed to be driving at XX(X) speeds.
Fortunately......the driver of that car wasn't driving that car. It had been turned it over to "Three Guys and a Hammer" for servicing.

Of course.....all of this doesn't matter.....because there's a law in all civilized portions of the globe that states that passing lanes are used for......................(wait for it!).........passing.
In the US this means that if you're in the leftmost lane and you're not passing somebody then you're the jerk that everybody is fussing about!

Are Prius drivers more susceptible to being left lamers?

Like I said before......stereotypes exist for a reason!

 

I'd really like to see a defense of driving slowly in the left lane, on a highway. Seems like the only reason is that that person is passive aggressive... or just a plain nice person.

 

ETC joined Prius Chat about the same time I did, in 2010. I, too, recall a lot of left lane huggers in this forum, especially back then. I think I can say a good 20-30% of those responding to the various posts said they'd drive the speed limit in the left lane and didn't care if others had to pass them on the right. That started a lot of "that's why people hate us" statements (I was one of those). This got into a bit of a shouting match and I think many people left this forum because of it. That's not good. But I think the general idea of being courteous to other drivers has permeated through this forum, for the better.

Mike

 

left lane tree huggers?

 

Giving credit to everyone above, they could be a militant environmentalist, cheapskate, rude jerk, passive aggressive (aggressive drivers are only half of the problem), oblivious and unaware of other vehicles, selfish and uncaring narcissist, rigid and inflexible stickler about obeying the law, judgmental self-appointed traffic cop, etc. Regardless of their motivation, it's exactly this kind of bad behavior that gives other Prius drivers a bad name. They are painting a big target on the back of all Prius drivers. Cut it out! Stop it!

 

I see lots of cars camping in the left lane.
Sometimes its a Prius but I notice if it is and my impression is that Prius drivers are significantly less likely to do it than average.

 

This may be true but the reason often has nothing to do with the validity of the stereotype. eg Media or politician saying something to appeal to a particular demographic without caring or without checking whether it is true, false, or only sometimes true.

 

Trolling was the point.

 

Perhaps...but the Prius is a little long in the tooth to be the go-to buggy for the eco-chic.
Most of the "real" bunny-huggers are rolling a BEV these days...or a PHEV.

I'm glad that's the case up in B.C!
Priuses have been around for 15 years now.
Maybe by year 20 or 25 people will stop cracking jokes and making Facebook pages about them, but probably not before Prius drivers grow a thicker hide.

People only poke fun at we Prius drivers because so many of us flop and twitch when they do.

Me?
I don't give other people that much power over me, so I don't give a rats how many cartoons they draw, or what my coworkers say about my work car.
Even at $2.04 (this AM) I'm just not interested in paying $30 to drive 500 miles.....