Y Do Prius drivers drive like their 80 years old?

Prius owner for about 2 months,I am 63 years old and stopped the speeding thing a while back. I also have a Dodge cummins 4x4 3/4 ton truck that I use for towing. I always stay right about the speed limit or 1 or 2 MPH above it. My Dodge averages about 22MPG.
On the interstates I keep both on cruise at no more then 68MPH.I try to stay in the right lane,unless I have to pass,or there is rough pavement. I only go to the left lane in that case(rough pavement)if there are no vehicles behind me.
I get a kick out of going 57 in a 55 two lane and cars come up behind and try every trick in the book to pass. I actually try to help them by moving to the right as far as possible. Once they pass I gives me a hoot when I catch them at the next stop. Several times I got an enlarged hoot,when a mile or two down the road the guy that passed me doing about 80 was stopped having a chat with an officer. Those flashing red blue and white lights sure are pretty.
The next biggest hoot I get is whenever I am tail gated in the right lane on the interstate. I think these guys get hypnotized.I do not know exactly why they do this(ma-be the red lights) but they tend to ride your bumper for miles and then a bump or something snaps them out of it. At that time they realize that the left lane is open and they can pass me. Although they could have done that miles before.They pass me speed up go back in the right lane and get hypnotized by the next car they get behind in the right lane. I know they must be hypnotized,because as I pass them they snap out of it to pass that car,then they get behind me again or the car in front of both of us.

 

It's that sexy Prius rear end...makes all the men crazy...

 

How won't they be tolerated? People driving around them crazy like or actual legal enforcement?

2 years ago we finally got a law saying if there are 5 or more cars following you trying to pass, you are required to pull over (even on the shoulder) to let them pass. I've never seen it enforced though.

300k people in the city. Not big, but not rural. It happens here all the time. Most common is the speed limit in the left lane. Not going under limit, just going under-flow. There used to be a 55mph limit with a 45mph minimum speed. People drove 80mph+, enforcement even drove 65-70mph without caring who was matching them. They widened it to 3 lanes each way, increased the speed limit to 65mph, took away the minimum, and speed is now the same. Enforcement drives a little faster now. There have been a few times where I am in a "cop lead pack" at about 75mph through the 65mph zone. Nobody wants to pass, but everybody matches their speed lol.

I am amazed at how many people seem to zone out and do just what you describe. Just follow really closely even though there is ample room to pass. Could be on auto-pilot. I've done that before. I leave to go get something from the grocery, and endup on the interstate... 6 miles from the store and 20 minutes from home and the grocery is within walking distance.

 

Is it necessary for me to spell this out?.....this situation seems to occur most often when there is a strong disagreement.

In urban areas that definitely include Dallas, Boston, LA, anyone poking in the passing/HOV lanes would be extremely uncomfortable and probably provoke road rage...I have not witnessed this in the Dallas area.

Is that clear enough?

 

Not saying the situation described in Dallas happens in your town, but poking in a fast lane in Big D is virtually a death wish.

 

If you mean a "2nd amendment solution" then sort of points back to my original point. Holding someone up who is obviously aggressive will probably make them turn their aggression to you.

Where I come from (not the states) a "strong disagreement" is one where both sides apologize and admit fault from the start...

 

Nowhere did I suggest using firearms or violence - nowhere.

On this thread I just told you I go out of my way to avoid that...if you keep insisting I do - seek therapy.

You identify as a Redneck and not from the states?

 

Well I don't know what you mean other than general road rage which happens everywhere.

I am not talking about "you" as in Chuck. I am saying "you" as in whoever is reading this 2nd person view that does this.

I am most definitely not a redneck. I am however surrounded by them. That's why it is my "location".

If you don't know the phrase:

YouTube - South - Park Mountain town with lyrics

Unfortunately all the good videos have been removed because of copyright issues. But that has the lyrics

 

Back to a few posts back, I stated in Dallas driving slowly in the passing/HOV lanes is virtually a death wish...anyone doing it will feel very uncomfortable. As such, it rarely happens in the Dallas area.

There is nothing unclear in that statement.

 

Wells that assumes they are thinking they are doing something worthy of making them uncomfortable. I drive across the US often, and I have seen it in every state I have driven in. Admittedly, I have not been to Texas. Well I have been to Texas lots, but the airports for connections don't really count.

I am actually driving from Michigan back to Colorado Friday/Saturday so I will keep an extra vigilant eye as I pass through various metro areas.

 

Dallas, NYC, Boston, Miami, LA are often lead the list of rudest US cities to drive in.

 

Not all prius drivers are slow pokes. I love my prius, but it doesn't get 50mpg. And unless I'm stuck behind another car, its not dawdling around at 10mph below the posted speed.

I have averaged 34.5 MPG over the 10,000 miles since I bought it new a year ago. I *do* drive it like a bat out of hell No, I'm not sorry, no, I don't care about squeezing out a few more MPGs, and yes, I do think its funny when you flip me off as I'm passing you on a double yellow.

It's a great car, and it can indeed keep up. It just seems that many drivers make the decision to be far more civil and pleasant to their car and to others. I don't feel such obligations toward others.

Oh yes, and of course, seeing as how we are both in Oregon, you must be very well aware that Oregon drivers are notoriously slow and irritating, regardless of their vehicle.

But I agree, some cars are worse than others, such as Volvo's, Subaru's, and indeed, Prius' cars.

Hehehe ... maybe not, but wouldn't the world be a better place? Oh how blissful it would be to have that jackass slowing up traffic in the left lane scrubbed from the face of the Earth.

You would be happy in the California Bay Area and also in Northern Utah. Impede traffic there and you'll be run off the damned road. You would not be too happy in Oregon. Folks in Oregon consider impeding traffic some sort of moral obligation which they must hoist upon others.

 

Driven in LA and Boston. A couple burrows of NYC, but not Manhattan. I have promised myself I won't drive in "the city"! I take the subway when I am there and it usually just as fast as a cab. Last time I was in LA it was only for about 2 hours total and during rushhour, so nobody was going anywhere.

That's pretty extreme haste, but it seems weird how low your mpg's are. Is your commute short? I punch the accelerator and keep up with traffic netting mid 40's. You running on large non-LRR under-inflated tires?

 

The car is completely stock. Tires are inflated properly.

My commute is about 12 miles, half of it quite civil, with 45mph posted speed limits and steady traffic. This very half is fuel efficient. The other half is through rural farm roads with almost no traffic to be seen. That half is not very civil ... or fuel efficient. But its much more fun, and is rather quick.

EDIT: I am reading that some folks increase their PSI a bit to around 44 or so. I'll have to give that a try.

 

i used to get an enlarged hoot...

 

You know they can fix that now . . .

 

Can I make you my enemy?

 

Lately, on highways, I fall in behind a trucker. They tend to slow down up hills and speed up going down...like hypermilers. Also, they tend to drive the correct speed on the highways, getting as much as they can out of that expensive diesel fuel while trying to make their delivery deadlines. It's like hanging around with your big brother in the schoolyard. Nobody messes with you. And since they are not allowed in the high speed lane, it keeps me away from all the things that go on out there.

 

It's great until you notice the huge increase in paint damage from all the imperceptible road debris that the semis kick up. If you don't care, then go for it.

 

My Uncle used to think that was a prudent strategy, until the day a moose emerged from under the truck in front of him. Amazingly, the damage was only slight, but it could have killed the whole family.