Well I never thought my prius made them jealous...

This person sound emotionaly unstable rather than jealous? People are realy odd... <sigh>

Even though I do not yet have my Prius I look for hybrids and am happy to see them no matter who produced them.

 

when i see people like that i smile as widely as possible and wave as hard as i can

 

She sounds like a Chicago-style prototypical driver. Flipping the bird to the hosts. Which is why this cheesehead will drive an extra 100 miles to avoid transiting thru the windy city. I-39 S to I-74 to Indy, fer example. So stress free. :blink:

 

As an expat native Cheesehead I recall the rule of the road as "stay out of the far left lane except while passing". Pacing traffic notwithstanding, I expect he was trying to pass you in the left lane and was pissed because he couldn't. In future let his ilk find reasons to shoot someone else.

 

Drivers like that have been known to shoot other drivers for sport here in California. It is best not to reason with a crazy person. I would have decellerated and let the nut drive past.

Be careful out there, prius or no prius

 

As a freeway driver, I agree. Get out of the far left lane, lane 1. It's only for passing, not pacing!

I have friends with European driver's licenses. They are the most fun "back seat drivers" while on the freeway. They are quick to point out, that especially in Germany you could be arrested for purposely "pacing" in lane 1, the far left passing lane.

As a fellow Pruis owner, I'd hate for you to give the rest of us a bad reputation as being bad drivers!

 

I've never been flipped off here and you'd think that I would given that this is the so-called home of the big 3. The left lane thing is more probable. I've heard of these morons following some one who wouldn't get out of their way in the left lane and then damaging the person's vehicle when they went in to the store or wherever. Their pathetic excuse for reasoning seems to be that it's not ok to get in the way of someone who's speeding and therefore breaking the law, even if you're obeying all of the laws but it is ok to cause damage to that person's car in retaliation. It's ok to break the speed limit and ok to cause destruction of property (both illlegal) but not ok to drive the speed limit in the left lane. People aren't just strange...they're stupid.

 

I'm a bit confused as to which HUGE SUV Ford Hybrid you are talking about?

Is it the HUGE escape? which is by most accounts, barely bigger than a prius...

Or was it one of the other Ford hybrids such as the explorer, expedition or excursion?

Interesting premise to your initial story....

 

My daughter and her husband are in Italy. He used to have near panic attacks on some of the freeways here because of the rudeness of drivers (SUVs or any other car). In Italy they too have the distinct rule of the left lane for passing and staying right at other times. Funny how well it works in those countries, apparently not every driver believes they OWN THE ROAD!

Not only that but they use their turn signals there too....can you imagine?!?!?!!?

 

I hate to be a jerk but if you are going the speed limit in the left lane you are just as bad as the person flipping the other poster off. Like others have said the left lane is for passing, and in maany states it is in fact illegal to sit in the left lane while not passing.

 

gas_hater:

You did read what parrot_lady said, right? It went like this:

"Dude... he couldn't pass anyway. Traffic was too heavy and I was Pacing off of the guy ahead of me-- passing other traffic"

So, what about it? What was she to do? Go into the emergency lane? I won't call you a jerk. You already did that.

 

There are no traffic rules in Italy. If there are no one pays them any mind. I've been to several of the major Italian cities and I've never seen such disregard for traffic laws. Now, that was back in the mid '80's and maybe things have changed... but I doubt it.

 

yeah but not if you can't get over because of all of the impatient drivers who jump in to the next lane as soon as there's even the smallest amount of space and don't wait for you to get over. Or if you're passing traffic that is going slower than the speed limit, or if you are going to be taking the exit that is on the left side of the road instead of the right. See, it's not so black and white, is it? Besides, presuming that the speeder has more rights than the person obeying the law is stupid. I've been in the right lane many times and practically had my front bumper taken off by the twit who's so afraid of offending the speeders behind them that they forget about endangering the safety of the people in the right lane that they just cut off.

 

You did read who I quoted right?

What I am talking about is the people, not saying anyone on here is one of them, who intentionally sit in the left land and never move "because I am going the speed limit" It's that type of self righteousness that drives me crazy.

Oh, and I drive the 405 about 65 miles daily (why I am getting a Prius) so my persepctive is a bit skewed. :blink:

 

People who drive slower than the lane traffic speed in the left lane can only see the posted signs that say 65mph, or 55mph...

Somehow blindness hits them every time they are going by a sign that says "Slower traffic Keep to the RIGHT"

Yet, they are still correct... in their own tiny little brains..