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What's the deal with Prius Hate

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Dweezil, Feb 17, 2011.

  1. Dweezil

    Dweezil Cat Juggler

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    I've been driving for 30 years...wow, I never thought about it, that really makes me feel old! Anyway, I've gotten the occasional "one finger salute" or a cuss word from another agitated driver in my many years of driving, just like anyone else. However, since I've had the Prius, I seem to catch flack from other drivers all the time.

    Today, a man (I'm guessing in his mid-50's) in a pickup truck drove up next to me, red faced, cussing me out like I was a satan loving baby eater because I put my blinker on and proceeded into his lane...with plenty of space, moving with the flow of traffic. I didn't cut him off, I didn't get in his lane and slow down. I just got in his lane so I could make an eventual left turn that was coming up. I've done this maneuver for 30 years, and never got anything more than a glance or a nod. I'm not a tree-hugging hippie, I'm not an uber Republican, an uber Liberal, or an uber anything. I don't have any offensive bumper stickers...I'm just an ordinary biped driving from point "a" to point "b" in a car...just like the rest of the driving population. What is it about the Prius that enrages people so much? It's just a friggin car. This was one of my main fears of purchasing a Prius...People hating them just for the sake of having something to hate. It really is crazy. I guess people just gotta have something to hate.
     
  2. ItsNotAboutTheMoney

    ItsNotAboutTheMoney EditProfOptInfoCustomUser Title

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    What happens is the following sequence of events:
    1) Reasonable person does something completely reasonable
    2) Unreasonable person gets unreasonably aggrieved
    3) Unreasonable person focuses on reasonable person
    4) Unreasonable person adds negative associations of group of which reasonable person is a member
    5) Unreasonable person gets more unreasonably aggrieved
    6) Reasonable person wonders why unreasonable people are so unreasonably aggrieved
    7) Reasonable person considers it must be because of their group
    8) Reasonable person complains to Internet that people are unreasonable to their group
     
  3. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    Just remember, it's not you Dweezil, it's him that is whacked out. He's probably on serious drugs or full of hate not just about your Prius, but many other things as well.

    But then there are the 'be American, buy American' types. I guess there are not too many Priuses in your area.
     
  4. Dweezil

    Dweezil Cat Juggler

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    ...actually, you can't swing a dead cat without hitting a Prius around here. Now that I have one, I notice them EVERYwhere.

    I remember a couple of years ago when I went to our local auto show, wearing my Miata/SCCA racing jacket, and getting bombarded with hate from all of the "buy 'muhrican" people handing out Japanese hate pamphlets in front of the arena. Hate only breeds more hate. Some folks just have a perpetual case of the Monday's I guess.
     
  5. cycledrum

    cycledrum PSOCSOASP

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    They can take it too far though. My Accord was built in Marysville Ohio. I know Honda employs many Americans, here. I don't know how many thousands, but it's a lot.
     
  6. Stormtrooper1

    Stormtrooper1 New Member

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    I <3 knowing little facts like that.

    I used to work at a Rental Car place at a Major airport and we had just gotten a large shipment of Sonatas. they were our nicest/newest full size cars at the time (we had others, juust not in the under 1000 miles category) I offered a customer one one day and the guy started FREAKING OUT that he was in america, was an American and Needed an American car. he then proceded to demand a Chevy Impala (which i had none at the time) I looked at him straight in the eye and said actually sir, the Sonata is built in Alabama, where as the Chevy Impala is Built in Canada. The guy stuttered and stumbled a bit and then proceed to tell me he needed an American Named car. Alright. Mercury Grand Marquise it is. which was of course to big and "old person" of a car. but the guy did take that in the end.
     
  7. macmaster05

    macmaster05 Senor Member

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    "...whatchu talkin' bout Cleetus?!?"
     
  8. Stormtrooper1

    Stormtrooper1 New Member

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    You know.. the typical response when you poke a glaring hole in someone elses Idea "Wel Wel we Well well.... I just NEED a car with an American Name" Was kind of how it went.
     
  9. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    I guess if he had watched Wild Kingdom while growing up he would have known the word "impala" is Zulu in origin and the antelope is found in Africa. :rolleyes:
     
  10. TonyPSchaefer

    TonyPSchaefer Your Friendly Moderator
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    This is true. A while back I told someone that once while traveling for business I had the opportunity to tour a Toyota plant in some free time.
    Was I in Nagoya, Japan?
    Hardly.
    Lafayette, IN.
    I saw a bunch of happily employed fellow Hoosiers.
     
    2 people like this.
  11. Texas911

    Texas911 Member

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    Maybe you did cut him off. I hate it when people do a quick glance and see there is space for them to get in my lane without judging that I'm going faster than they are. Then get in my lane and don't speed up just go the same speed as their previous lane. I then come up on them and have to brake. They give me a confused look like I'm the jerk!
     
  12. Dweezil

    Dweezil Cat Juggler

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    Meh...he was just a moron who needed to thump his chest to boost his ego. I'm sure he wouldn't have been so brave had he not been in the safety of his pickup. Whatever. I'm guessing he's one of those people who b1tches and moans at all the other drivers on the road any chance he gets. He'll be the one having the heart attack over all the stress, not me. More power to him.
     
  13. tumbleweed

    tumbleweed Senior Member

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    Maybe I,m lucky or maybe it's because of where I live but I have never had anyone say anything derogatory about either of my Prius(es), or give me the one finger salute or anything like that.

    People have approached me with honest questions such as, "does it really get as much mileage as they claim" or "is it true you can be electrocuted by these cars".

    I have noticed that when I drove sports cars or BMWs I could wave at people in the same kind of cars and they would usually wave back. That even happened occasionally with my Gen2 Prius back a few years ago before they became popular. Now when I wave at other Prius drivers they usually look at me like I'm from a different planet, so I have given up waving at Prius drivers.
     
  14. Jolly Paul

    Jolly Paul Member

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    Bad day on the job, no job, domestic disputes, erectile malfunction, etc.
    These things can build up only to be released on the road. When it happens, there is no way to reason with it.

    If anything, I've noticed a decrease in road conflict since I started driving my Prius. My guess is the Prius is perceived as less of a threat to others' road dominance, for those who think that way, so they simply ignore me.
     
  15. ETC(SS)

    ETC(SS) The OTHER One Percenter.....

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    I've noticed the same thing!
    I ride a lot. Even a tattoo festooned, bearded Harley rider will usually wave at a Ninja rider---even though they hate %$#!@ rice-burners, since there's a bond between MC riders. :cool:
    Same thing with boaters.

    Prius drivers look at me like I'm trying to sell them life insurance when I wave at them.
    In fact, the last time I was tailgated by an idiotic driver, and I was going speed limit +9 at the time---in a school zone!--- it was a G2 Prius!!!:eek:

    Interesting buncha folks---that's for sure! :rolleyes:

    EDIT: We've gone the long way around the bush on numerous occasions discussing Prius hate in this forum. I still haven't encountered it (4 months, 6200 miles in type), since I try to avoid driving in such a manner as to attract the ire of idiots who are in a hurry to go nowhere fast. I live in what you would call a fairly conservative part of the country, and I still haven't been harassed.
    It's possible that some folks just drive around with a chip on their shoulder.
     
  16. GSW

    GSW PRIUS POWER

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    ITS YOUR OWN FAULT! What did you expect? He's driving a pickup truck getting 14 miles to the gallon and gas is over $3.00 a gallon. He has to drive 40 miles to work. He's still has a *@#load of truck payments AND it won't be paid off until he's 61. Then you have the nerve to be driving a PRIUS. SHEESH!!Some people never learn. :mad: ;)
     
  17. Dweezil

    Dweezil Cat Juggler

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    :D The funny thing is, I WAS that guy (minus the anger) about a month ago. I had an 08 Ford Sport Trac that was chugging along at 14-16 mpg, and I had a boatload of payments left. I loved that truck. However, I'm enjoying the Prius too. Even with being upside down trading in my truck for the Prius, I'm still saving money.

    ...maybe he hates Steve Jobs and was angry with my Apple sticker. :unsure:
     
  18. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Well that explains your avatar.


    :p
     
  19. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    Glad he was content with the Americaniciousnessocity of "Grand Marquis". Would you like a baguette and fromage with that? I mean, really, how much more monarchist can you get? :D
     
  20. Stormtrooper1

    Stormtrooper1 New Member

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    Ha ha ha ha!