Hypermiling causes road rage?

There's been a whole lot of back and forth in this thread about who causes the problems. All I can contribute is this. I drive my Prius normally and I get normal reactions from other drivers. No tailgaters, no hand signals, no nasty looks, no drama of any kind.

If you are constantly exposed to such behaviors its not because you drive a Prius, but because of the way you drive a Prius.

 

I generally agree that if you experience much road rage in a Prius, it will happen driving other vehicles. And some will vent at say a Tahoe.

There are still a few instances I suspect different treatment because it's a Prius (or another obvious hybrid like my 2000 Insight). Some will pass me, not for being in the EV mode (don't have one, but bear with me), but because I did not leave the intersection in the turbo mode (don't have that either, but you know what I mean).

 

+1
I've noticed different reactions from drivers too, but nothing approaching road rage. For instance, people are much less likely to pass me when I am driving my Corvette than when I am driving my Prius the same speed under the same conditions.

When I used to ride a motorycle, I also noticed that some of my fellow riders would frequently vent about all the homicidal maniacs in cages (cars). They could ride the same roads at the same times that I id and they normally experienced homicidal maniacs and I normally had a pleasant ride.

There is the occasional nut job out there that will go off over nothing, but when I read about road rage experiences in this forum, the complainer often gives some clues as to why they experience road rage from other motorists.

 

But road rage leads to increased fuel consumption, which leads to increased demand for gasoline, which leads to higher gasoline prices, which leads to reduced demand for SUVs. HYPERMILE AWAY!!!!

(FYI: I don't hypermile anymore, and I actually support (buy from) the gas stations that charge higher prices. True. I think fuel consumption right now is a catch-22. I think we need to do everything we can to drive fuel prices up (including driving fast with the flow and encouraging others to drive fast) SO THAT gas prices will increase SO THAT people will choose fuel efficient cars instead of SUVs when purchasing new vehicles, and SO THAT automakers continue to invest in and develop hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and EVs. If you drive a Prius, this is good, as you are advertising hybrids to the public. But encourage others to drive fast. Tailgate SUVs on uphill slopes, and encourage SUVs to burn rubber. Oh yes, piss those SUV drivers off, make them stomp on the gas and reach into their wallets!!!

 

PAT - I concur with the knuckleheads that drive 60 in the fast lane, very, very, very irritating.

 

Thank you for clarifying your stand of "SCREW YOU, SCREW THEM, SCREW THEM ALL.", and with your name calling and racially stereotyping remarks, I'm sure everybody here will regard your opinions with the highest respect (just in case you're really talented and you're able to zap our computers over the internet during your episode of "Chat Rage").

 

One of the things I find the most irritating on a crowded freeway that is flowing near speed limit ... is a driver that has like 20+ car lengths open space in front of them. Often they are next to the fast lane, and when I go by them, they look the part - clueless and in their own little world.

You can just tell when something's not right ahead. Cars start changing lanes, passing the slowbee, then, you see them, the impeder. They could be driving anything, but often it's a small car.

Best to just go with the flow.

:focus:

 

You know, your right. I apologize! I will amend it to anyone who does 50 in the #1 Lane.

Please accept my apology, I will amend the post!

 

That's good. I met you at the LA Prius club @ griffith park and thought highly of you.

You never appeared to be any less than a nice guy. Glad you will clear it up.

 

Wow, what an extremely aggressive driving culture you have. You must have effectively little or no traffic enforcement.

I can think of nowhere near here (not including British Columbia) where 60, let alone 68, is too slow in lane #3.

 

I do a lot of highway driving (Orange County to San Diego, every day to work). Whenever the traffic in the left lane is going slower than 70mph, I know that it is ONE person's fault. Oh, yes. As I merge to the right and, without wasting gas, determine which lane is traveling slightly faster than the others, or find an opening, I see the trend repeat over and over my entire way to work. A pack of 30 cars behind one person in the left lane that is holding back all of the people behind them. Then a HUGE open space (we're talking 50+ car lengths). Then up the road another pack of 30 cars behind ONE person driving slow, who refuses to move over and let the rest pass. I see it repeat my whole way to work. I don't get frustrated any more. I have to do this every day. I have evolved. My motto is "ignore the system." If you were dropped into the jungle with wild animals, there would be no rules. Survival of the fittest. I have learned that the RIGHT lane is actually the best lane to be in. (open road, along Camp Pendleton) One semi truck, 200 free car lengths, one semi truck 200 free car lengths. Virtually zero passenger cars drive in the right lane because the semi trucks go 65mph in the right lane, and they don't want to get stuck behind one. So, I just drive 80 in the right lane (passing by the 30 cars in the left lane, stuck behind the jack-a), go a good 200-300 car lengths, safely merge and go around the semi-truck, and repeat over and over. Some times, I hit an open stretch of highway and go for 500 car lengths with no other cars on the road (synchronized morons on cell phones creating their own traffic break behind me).

I will not be reviewing this thread again - that's just my two cents. Don't reply unless you agree, because the chances of me visiting this thread again are slim. And by the way, don't spread my technique around. Just be smart. Don't let the dumb-a in the left lane irritate you. Pass around them and leave them in your dust. The easiest way to piss one of those people off is to make them realize that their efforts had no effect on you. I always laugh at the people who give me the brights after I pass them. All they're doing is making me drive faster to get out of their brights (further proving that their efforts to block me were a worthless waste of their energy).

.

.

(in the below image, the person below is in the #2 lane, driving around the bunched-up people in the #1 lane)
:car::car::car::car::car::car::car::car::car::car:
........................................................................................................................
___________________________________________________ :car:

.

.

 

Heh - I5 through Pendleton is particularly "good" at showing that type of behavior (oblivious fast lane campers) because of the lack of on/off ramps.

 

True. In other stretches of the road, just look for the lane that is flowing the fastest. Be patient, and within a minute or two, you'll be in front of the car that was blocking traffic. The trick is to just be calm and analyze which lane is flowing the fastest.

 

You broke your promise in a mere 23 minutes.

 

No matter how you drive the Prius, certain types are gonna give you attitude! The worst being younger drivers in 20 year old Camaro's!

 

Welome to the Wonderful World of SoCal Freeways and the knuckleheads who drive them!
I was amazed 32 years ago when I first moved here, and to this day, I still am!!!

 

About fifteen years ago, I had a light bulb go on concerning aggressive driving/road rage.

Claustrophobia is a huge factor.

Well after rush hour on a street I frequented, it suddenly dawned - "I'm not racing!"

Nobody to "compete" with - no claustrophobia.

Driving friendly is more behavioral/spiritual than many of us care to say.

 

What? Those little numbers on the posts? So that's what they're for. Are they the suggested minimum speed?

 

The "norm" here for left lane is 82+, middle lane is 75, while right lane is 70, mostly 60' container trucks, very scary for passenger cars, you don't want to stay in that lane.

Once a policeman told me they'll not ticket anybody driving @75, and even 80 if they're going with the flow.

 

Many drivers take advantage of mass civil disobedience, where it is simply impossible to enforce limits when 100 or 1000 or 10,000 violators per hour are zipping past any point. Thanks to safety in huge numbers, many regions have been able to thumb their noses at speed limits.

I learned to drive at a time and place without any possibility of this cover of huge numbers. Drivers habitually going 5 mph over limit could expect license revocation in about a year. I still do much of my travel in similar areas, and witness enough others getting nailed to be frequently reminded that some areas still don't tolerate speeds that have become 'normal' elsewhere via non-enforcement. While most of those areas are rural, I live next door to a suburban version.

Many drivers have become so hypnotized by this mass disobedience that they forget its origins and limits, and now regard speeding as an entitlement or birthright everywhere they go. It was very entertaining to hear an out-of-state violator ranting away to a news reporter while being written up during a pre-announced special emphasis patrol (i.e. speed trap) near here. My brother, at one time a prosecutor in another state, related a story of a nearly identical rant from a nailed traveler who stormed into his office with a similar protest.

'Normal' speeds here have definitely crept up over the years, but not to the levels described by many PC participants elsewhere. While blatant get-the-****-out-of-my-way speedballs display all possible license plates, California plates seem to be the most over-represented. Second place is British Columbia.

Everywhere I normally travel, PSL is still within the normal spread of acceptable speeds. Speeders here need to learn to check their road rage at the border.