What's the deal with Prius Hate

Same here ! If the road's clear of traffic I'll typically run right about the speed limit, but I'm constantly aware of my surroundings, especially BEHIND me, so if I see someone close behind me and I'm not doing the limit for whatever reason, I pick it up. If I'm doing the limit or a little above ... tough. They wait.

I just drove home from OC MD a few days ago, and travelled on the Blue Route around Philly, and that road is a race track. Dangerous as hell and very high speed. I reverted back to my old agressive driving method just to stay alive on that stretch of road. Killed my MPG, but I STILL got right about 45 MPG (the Prius hung in there like a champ at 75-80 MPH), rather than the 55 MPG on the way down to OC, when there was no traffic and it was just a nice leisurely pace.

I kinda like just cruising at or a little above the limit, you never have to worry about a cop hassling you .... , which is a new feeling for me.

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I keep up w/traffic and move over if people are piling up behind. I don't see that people driving too slow specific to Priuses at all. Most of the time it's not a Prius. Problem is that the Prius' shape stands out and thus, I feel many people wrongly associate it w/slow driving.

It's too bad that the column I cited at http://priuschat.com/forums/prius-h...how-prius-owners-drive-too-slow-too-fast.html is gone. It was pretty funny that it was a compilation of drivers complaining Prius drivers go too slow and another set saying they go way too fast.

Much of the cause of the rolling blackouts during California's "energy crisis" was due to Enron's manipulation of the electricity market.

Since many EV folks will charge at night, if one has a smartphone handy, show graphs like California ISO: System Status to the person spouting the myth about the grid.

 

Yes and no. Since I've been trying to get good mileage and have slowed down a lot from my old ways I have been amazed at the number of people who, on a two-lane road with no traffic impediments in the left lane, will drive straight up behind me in the right lane, slow way down, and sit on my tail. Ten seconds go by. Twenty seconds go by. Then they pull over into the left lane and pass.

When I see there are potential blockages in both lanes I'll speed up, but I've discovered much to my surprise that most people will come up behind you and then slam on their brakes even with clear sailing possible in the left lane. I've started using my hazards when I see this situation developing, for my safety, but also to wake up the one other person on the road behind me.

 

About 20-25 years ago, I had an 18-wheeler "blow" a front-left tire about a second or two after I'd passed it -- going the same direction -- on a four-lane divided highway. My rear bumper was less than 10 feet in front of his front bumper when I heard the "explosion" and immediately noticed he was about two-thirds into the passing lane ... my lane. If I'd been 30 feet farther back at the time, I wouldn't be here typing this right now.

That's the "history" and here's the "point":

To this day, I really punch it whenever passing an 18-wheeler in order to minimize the time spent alongside; and, yes ... I do so even in my '08 Prius! Several months ago, I was at about 65mph and got into the left lane to pass one -- four lane divided highway again -- and suddenly saw there was a string of three or four of the things! By the time I was safely ahead of the one in the lead and started easing back into the right lane and easing down on the speed, I glanced down and saw 104 mph indicated. I don't know if that qualifies as a "terminal velocity run" or not, but three digits that is!

 

I've tried and failed.

A couple of days ago, I was driving home from work early, it's 55mph, 1 lane each way. Traffic was pretty light and I'd have loved to P&G. But a car came up behind so I was going 55mph, admittedly not on CC so occasionally I dropped an mph or two. The car was a bit too close, typically 1 second behind, but didn't seem interested in overtaking. I reached a good passing place. Nothing coming behind the other car or in the opposite direction. It had snowed an inch overnight so I didn't want to go over to the shoulder, so I moved into the other lane to execute a reverse pass.

I moved over, took my foot off the gas, let my speed drop ... and the other car slowed down as well. Maybe they thought I was road-raging and was going to sideswipe them as they passed. I actually had to hit my brake and slow down to 35mph to get them to undertake me.

 

Most of these Prius haters have "Prius envy". They are peer pressured into buying a big truck to compensate for their small p****.

 

So, what caused these density waves before hypermilers existed?

 

Corollas/Camrys/Civics drivers?

Why can't people just drive normal? I understand you are trying to save gas, but please dont try to get 65mpg when there are 20 cars behind you.

 

I have a rule. I don't P&G when people are behind me. But I go speed limit +/- 2. If you don't like it. Pass me. If you don't want to, suck it up. If you won't, then we can step out of our cars and I can put my boot in your nice person. I guarantee you won't like that.

 

I hate that behavior of pulling up and riding my a55 when there are no cars around. I get that hypermiling or other approaches can severely impede traffic, though. I think the main thing I do that annoys or potentially annoys people is brake early because the regen on our cars is pretty weak so requires very early braking, particularly in certain conditions like down a hill.

Just as long as you realize that 99% of people go above the speed limit. it's expected and is safe (speed limits put in place with that anticipation) and when you create a long line of cars due to your desire to go 46 in a 45 you're potentially causing a huge delay of people behind you. I know it can be difficult to think of others but some of us do have better things to do with our time.

 

I know what you mean...

Just last night I was driving home. Picture this scene: almost home, and literally not a single person on the road that I can see in either direction besides myself, so obviously pulse and glide to the max. A truck pulls out onto this road, and unfortunately at this point in my glide I'm going 25 mph (in a 35 zone), but again, not a soul on the horizon in either direction. I'd say he's a good 30 seconds behind me. Knowing what's bound to happen, I put on my hazard lights right then and there so that he can just pass.

Instead, I see the headlights getting closer and closer. I hear the horn honking when he's not anywhere near me yet (imagine a car far enough behind you that you can barely make out the horn from within your car - that's how far back he was and angry/unwilling to move a couple feet to the left).

There were still no cars on the road and here's a driver blowing their horn at another driver with hazards on. How did he know I wasn't broken down or in trouble? As he gets closer with no apparent change in trajectory, I just move into the left lane - and he zooms past me in the right.

In Rhode Island the law for minimum speed limit is that you can't impede traffic. I take this seriously, and my mileage takes a hit when I have cars behind me, period. This case was absolutely ridiculous, though, and it's not something I would apologize for.

 

What about if there is a multi-lane highway and you're just in la-la land going slowly (sometimes I do that) in the right lane and people who are going to go off the next exit wait forever right up your butt because they lack the basic intelligence to pass to your left and get in front? My wife always tells me I'm holding people up and I say hey this guy has a million miles to pass me if it's really bothering him that much!

 

You put your hazard lights on, in a perfectly functional vehicle, just to avoid speeding up to normal traffic limit speed, ALL TO SAVE what amounts to a tenth of a gallon temporarily on your CONS display ? That is simply ridiculous, and dangerous. I predict that you WILL be rear-ended some day, and will certainly regularly be the object of road rage incidents throughout your driving career if you continue with these silly practices. Is it THAT important to get TWO TENTHS of a mile better mileage over the course of a tank of gas ?

Given your driving practices, it's not hard to see why there is hate for some Prius drivers that bleeds over to the rest of us. I would hate that too, and I drive a Prius. You are being a traffic obstructionist, and it doesn't matter that all the rest of the traffic in the world can simply 'go around you'.

I respect you for driving a Prius and trying to maximize your mileage ... I do it too ... but your behaviour borders on obnoxiousness and it seems like you're willing to give the finger to the rest of the normal driving public in your quest for that extra tenth of a mile per gallon. Step on the gas for God's sake ... the damn car gets 50 MPG even when you drive like a normal person.

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All great points of view, Dweezil !! About the same way I think as well. Went to OC MD the other day ... drove right at or 5 over the speed limit of 55 and 65 in the right lane, passed others when needed, got 56MPG, and didn't impact ONE OTHER PERSON ON THE ROAD. Nobody honked at me, nobody gave me the finger, and nobody drove by shaking their head. That's the way it should be .... an extra MPG or two over the course of a tank of gas in the Prius is probably about 25 cents worth of money, and countless seconds of stress, concentration, and potential obnoxiousness to others.

As can be seen by my Fuelly below ... that is for a brand new engine in the absolute dead of winter. Hell .... isn't 46 MPG good enough for the worst conditions of the year, as well as on a brand new engine ?? It is for me. Anybody who can't get mid 40's with a Prius isn't driving it properly, because I barely even try and I get the mileage below. Sure ... it's fun to watch the numbers go up ... but not to the detriment of safe and respectful driving.

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Are you saying the police EXPECT you to exceed the speed limit? Sorry, but a limit of 45 is not an invitation to go 55. That's just completely illogical.

 

It is written in most state statue that you can't get tickets for going less than 10mph over the speed limit. So why not? They take advantage of the everyday citizen, we might as well take advantage of it.

 

Really??? I was unaware of this. Can you point to the vehicle code for a couple states that mentions this?

I've only ever lived in CA and WA but have visited plenty of other states.

 

99% of the time (yes a illustrated statistic and not real) police aren't going to pull you over going 5 over the speed limit. Personally, if everyone around me is moving a 5 over, I see no reason why not to drive 5 over. I was always taught that the safest speed is the average speed of those around you.

 

Sorry, cossie1600, but I cannot believe that without seeing some proof. Here's my anecdote: about 20 years ago a friend of mine received a speeding ticket in Illinois for going 1 mph over the limit. Ridiculous, right? I mean, surely any reasonable person would realize 1 mph is within the error of a speedometer reading, and maybe even a radar gun reading. But, it happened, and it stuck -- he had to pay the fine. I would never assume that exceeding the posted limit is legally acceptable.