Journalism student inquiring about vandalism and road rage targeted at Prius drivers

[journalismstudent]

Greetings. I am a science journalism graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz and am investigating a story on rates and incidences of road rage and vandalism on Toyota Priuses. If you feel as though you've been targeted since you started driving a Prius (compared with before you had it), I'd love to hear about it and the details of the situation. Please also tell me where you are from and when and where the incident occurred.

Thanks so much!

[jayman]

I'm not entirely convinced the Prius itself attracts nutjobs. There are plenty of nuts out there, with tiny wee-wee's and big egos, who drive giant pick em up trucks, and are generally a menace to everybody on the road.

Over the past 5 years I've been purposely cut off perhaps 5 times. In all but one case, I was able to wait for them to pull off somewhere, and then beat the living dog crap out of them. I'm a big strong guy with a temper

I used to have a 2000 GMC Sierra. On a curve along one of our SE Manitoba highways, I had to take to the gentle ditch as an empty transport truck driver was passing on the curve. I got back on the highway, turned around, quickly caught up to the tool, and forced him to stop

The other motorists who were behind him actually cheered me when I worked him over. Which was all the thanks I needed

[San_Carlos_Jeff]

How are you going to investigate rates if you're only soliciting responses from people who feel that they have been targeted?

FWIW I've been treated no differently in this car than any other. Location: SF Bay Area.

[yardman 49]

I agree with Jeff's statements above.

If all you want is "one-sided evidence", then don't refer to it as "science journalism". Instead, call it "tabloid journalism".

[bwilson4web]

Originally Posted by journalismstudent

Greetings. I am a science journalism graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz and am investigating a story on rates and incidences of road rage and vandalism on Toyota Priuses. . . .

Say no more, say no more! Get your pen ready, here they are:

• Runaway Rage - Paul Knight who apparently shares living quarters with a woman who is suing for an alleged run-away Prius incident without revealing this unusual relationship. Paul also stalks PriusChat members who post here.
• Genicidal Blind Killers - National Federation of the Blind claims in the absence of any accident data that hybrids like our Prius are dangerous. Not only are their claims inaccurate but they've managed to get legislation for a fake study that is a cover for forcing noise makers on all hybrid electric vehicles. Literally, the blind are leading the blind and forcing the least effective solution, noise makers, to address the blood of 4,700 dead pedestrians each year that their legislation will continue.
• Toxic batteries - George Will, Chris Demoro, Martin Delgado have all written perfect nonsense about the toxic nature of nickel metal hydride batteries. It would be charitable to say they were lazy and never checked upon the either the toxicity or gone to the local Radio Shack and bought a pack to use with their digital devices. In fact, they remain pathological with an ax to Gore. For reasons I can't explain, they remain idiots who insist on telling tall tales and seem to lose it around the Prius.
• Stealing - CNW Marketing simply made up stuff about the life-cycle cost of the Prius and claimed the now defunct Hummer had a lower cost per mile. Their notorious "Dust-to-Dust" report is still available (Google it) and you'll find plenty of sources. For example, CNW Marketing claims the Chevy Aero is a Prius equivalent.

Yes, we have a lot of road rage by self-proclaimed 'journalists.' We don't know why but facts and data, ethics and just plain common sense seem to fly out of their heads when a Prius shows up. For example, "Top Gear" claims a BMW gets better mileage than a Prius and VW continues to support Jetta TDI driving stunts. They actually go out of their way, they work hard, to destroy their credibility and spout their nonsense.

So if you really want to study road rage, start with the 'ragers', the authors already cited. Go and find out how their brains work. See if you can figure out why they would rather lie than do the hard work, research and report the truth. That is where your story resides.

Bob Wilson

[Frayadjacent]

I removed the factory installed 'Obama' and 'coexist' stickers, and put a 'Who Is John Galt?" sticker on, and have found that no one bugs me.

[tom1l21]

Originally Posted by Frayadjacent

I removed the factory installed 'Obama' and 'coexist' stickers, and put a 'Who Is John Galt?" sticker on, and have found that no one bugs me.

LOL, thats gonna be flame bait. I commute to Amherst, MA everyday for school (5 college town including Amherst College, UMass, Hampshire College, Mt. Holyoke, and Smith) and I see about 10 prii a day in this town of about 35,000. About 1/3 have those stickers on them.

[john1701a]

8.5 years of Prius ownership.

176,623 miles of Prius driving.

No such incidents here.

It's not journalism if you seek out only data to fit a specific writing idea. You must collect experiences of many before drawing a conclusion.
.

[dhancock]

I agree with the comments of those who do not feel they have suffered any more from targeted road rage. I haven't found it any worse with the Prius than with other cars.

What MAY be an issue are those "hypermilers" who are trying to wring the last MPG from their Prius and do so in a manner that inflames overly-agressive drivers. THEN there may be some road rage - but it is targeted at the hypermiling driver (who happens to be driving a Prius).

[Stefx]

Originally Posted by journalismstudent

Greetings. I am a science journalism graduate student at the University of California, Santa Cruz and am investigating a story on rates and incidences of road rage and vandalism on Toyota Priuses. If you feel as though you've been targeted since you started driving a Prius (compared with before you had it), I'd love to hear about it and the details of the situation. Please also tell me where you are from and when and where the incident occurred.

Thanks so much!

As previously said, how do you establish a rate if you only count one part?

I've never been treated differently that in my previous cars, and I don't know anyone who would treat Prius drivers differently.
The Prius isn't a very special car (anymore). Hybrids are pretty mainstream nowadays.