Poll: Why are we hated?

I just purchased my first Prius and am loving it. But why are we (Prius drivers) hated so much?

Exactly what "hate" are you referring to? All people in all cars get some form of hate in one way or another. Gas guzzlers, douch bags, hot rods, monster trucks, hybrids, iq's/smart cars, too big, too small, too loud, too expensive, too cheap, too flashy, too ugly, too hi-brow or too elite. Whatever it is everyone gets some. Don't worry about it and just enjoy the car you have chosen.

I hate people who drive without insurance and run away from the scene of accidents. Happening more and more here.

Other than that, just don't get into my way and all is good.

Prius drivers tend to be allergic to the gas pedal (I say this from expierience as I am always playing the MPG game)

I can see how that can piss people off. I stick to the right lane and still can't make people happy. I go at least 5mph over the speed limit and still have people trying to steal my license plate.

It is what it is.

PS: where is the poll?

If there is one I try to stay in a middle lane so my coasting doesn't block the impatient people around me from getting over or taking a left or right. Most of my morning commute is city traffic and I find most people are tolerant of everyone else. We go with the flow around here.

When I coast to lights I can imagine I initially tick some people off, but I assume some probably realize why I did when we end up exactly in the same spot anyways just having used less gas. I may even be teaching some other drivers how to drive with less stress... Who knows.

Agreed that everyone hates someone when they get in the car. Was it George Carlin that said - everyone going faster than you is an assh*le and everyone going slower than you is an idiot! - ?

tks RaZa for the Carlin

Can't speak about the Prius drivers in other parts of the U.S. or the world but at least here in SoCal, it's because you all (Prius drivers) have this sense of entitlement / cockiness. It probably stemmed from being able to drive in the HOV lanes as a single driver the past few years. For those of you not in SoCal, these idiots would jump in the HOV lanes and do 55 MPH holding up traffic. So if any of you newer Prius drivers feel hatred or annomosity from other drivers, blame it on the Prius drivers that has the (now outdated) 'HOV' stickers on their Prius.

There is no single cause and John1701a had written a telling review of his dealings with the hybrid skeptics. But near as I can tell:

• Traditional Automotive Industry - unable to understand efficiency by anything other than what they've always used, are confused and hostile to a new approach they don't understand. This explains why GM has had so many false starts: (1) BAS hybrids, (2) two-mode transmissions, and (3) 'piece of sh*t' Aveo. In the extreme case, GM insisted all two-mode hybrids had the word "Hybrid" incorporated in their paint scheme as if that would make up for their poor performance. (aka., GM and the European car companies.)
• Association of efficiency regulations with owners of cars that meet those regulations - so their thinking is if we can just get rid of these Prius owners, we'll get rid of the people insisting cars be efficient and we can go back to building cr*p cars. (Various 'trade' associations.)
• 'All cars should be just like mine!' - the hubris of those who can not imagine anything but the one car they own . . . until their lives change and they find their next 'one answer.' Conformists who seem to live in a world of 'style' and 'popular' versus what any individual might need. In their world, 'You're requirements don't matter.' (aka., Consumer Reports automotive section.)

As for individuals on the road, 'road rage' is so much worse. We had two women down in Birmingham get so mad at each other that one shot and killed the other by the side of the road. Seriously, any angst we might face from hybrid skeptics pales compared to a murderous rage.

Bob Wilson

Anyone that drives without courtesy for the people behind them is going to piss people off.

Drivers need to comply with the flow of traffic. In So Cal, that is typically 70-80. Slower than that, and you are causing traffic. I set cruise at 72 and stick to a middle lane and am constantly passed, but I am not going slow enough to piss people off.

If you are doing 55 in the right lane, you are causing a problem for the people trying to merge on and off the freeway.

If you are doing 55 in the HOV lane, you deserve what you get.

If you are doing 25 on a deserted road and no-one sees you, then enjoy the 100MPG and no one cares how slow you go.

Everyone is responsible for their actions. If your actions piss off other people you have two options, deal with them being pissed off, or adjust your actions.

I don't experience much Prius hate, but there is a natural tendency in humans to want people to pay for any advantage - sort of a cosmic karma. The Prius gets such good mileage that it seems like cheating, and others resent it. To be fair, we should have to buy expensive replacement batteries, or otherwise suffer for the great mileage. If we don't, it just goes to show that other people have made poor choices in what car to drive, and that makes us smug.

You really can't win at this sort of issue. You can only be kind and truthful, and let it run it's course.

Tom

Back in the late 90's I bought a '91 Mercedes 420 SEL (best car ever made) used with low miles. The car was $59k (msrp) new in 1991. The last generation of the classic Benz look. It was in tremendous shape and I kept it that way. Don't get me wrong, when I drove it I thought I was the cat's ass. It didn't change how I drove though. I lived in a semi-rural area of acreage and horse ranches. The people in the region would spend $35k on a diesel pickup then would jack it up and mod it with another $5-10k, and pull their $25k horse trailer by me at breakneck speeds as I drove limit +5 enjoying the cruise. I always got the typical look of "some guy in his Mercedes thinks he owns the place" and doing all I could to stay out of everyone's way.
I bought that car for under $15k but they don't know that.
They're STILL paying off those toys and wondering why their houses aren't worth all the mortgage they leveraged into them.
Oh well.
In general: people are ignorant.
I've done it myself, that's how I know.
Just tryin' to move on.

Isn't it funny how nobody seems concerned about pissing off the people in front of them?

Isn't it also funny how everybody thinks traffic in their area is the most aggressive imaginable? I've read the same thing about LA, DC, NYC, NJ, Boston, Houston, Atlanta....

Isn't funny how people who don't hypermile and have zero experience doing it are happy to lecture the rest of us about how dangerous it is?

This explains a lot of it.
Smug Alert (Season 10, Episode 2) - Full Episode Player - South Park Studios

About a week ago I think I caught some lady trying to emulate me. I decided to take the leisurely way through town (45-50 mph, lots of stop lights, hills, etc). I was in the middle and I maybe came to a full stop 2 or 3 times out of the 40+ lights on the way just by timing and not speeding up and stopping. The first 10 or so lights this lady on my right in an older SUV was accelerating with the crowd then jamming on brakes and stopping. I would then roll past her as she was still stopped waiting for other drivers to start again. Eventually she started mimicking me (or so my personal universe meter would tell me) and we both arrived at the next light as it was green and barely lost any speed overall and was with the same pack of drivers. This new behaviour lasted another 10 or so lights before she turned.

Sort of cool.

And proves that timing lights and not being stupid, can actually increase traffic density and improve traffic flow.

I like that. I've been wondering how journalists and other drivers know how we are "smug" and that explains it!

If you really want to upset some drivers out there just pass
them, you can bet someone in that car said "look mom a Prius
just passed us".....

Waitaminute.....it's not Thursday!

Actually....I live in the deep South. The only "hate" I usually encounter stems from the fact that I'm a #*%&!! Yankee. I've got almost 30,000 miles in type, and I've encountered ZERO Prius hate, IIRC.
What I have encountered is puckemuptruck hate....mostly on this site from my "brothers and sisters" who are fellow Prius drivers. In fact (and you regulars will pardon the repeat of the story) I actually had a lady in a G3 make a snide comment to me whilst I was filling up my truck at a local gas-n-go.

Bottom line: We have some (*er...*) "ambassadors" out there that are struggling furiously to perpetuate some very unfortunate stereotypes. DON'T BE THEM, and you'll probably be OK.
It's a freekin CAR!!!
If it gets you from point "A" to place "next", then your car is holding up it's end of the stick.

Similarly there are people with other vehicles that quite loudly pronounce why it is the best and only choice.