Defensive driving saved me tonight (and giving thanks to the Prius's abilities)

Had to head back to town after work for an appointment... on a dark, winding rural road with side streets with well-marked stop signs, I can add (from experience). Don't they make horror movies about roads like this?!

Someone in a good sized sedan (translation=something to send my car to the body shop if it didn't seriously injure her) was running the stop sign on one side street at a higher speed than stop right as I was there on the main road... I hit the brakes and stopped (saw my car's version of "Wait, what?!" with a brief triangle flash, coupled with my version of loud, colorful language), hit the horn (as in, "You did see the stop sign, right?"), they stopped abruptly, turned in behind me and proceeded to tailgate me and tried to pass all the way they were behind me (two lane, dark, winding, deer laden rural road and I am going a "few points" above the speed limit myself but had the brights on). They failed in passing and turned into the local grocery store/McDonalds that I passed... tell me there must have been something on sale or on special that I missed that was worth running stop signs for?! And tailgaiting? Sadly, does "Prius" mean "OK to tailgate" in another language?! I thought it was a loose adverbial translation of Latin "to come before"?!

Had good mileage this evening even with the heat - 52.3 on finish but turned the heat down to get there after a dismal 44.6 to my appointment... and an hour cool down at 36 F for the car...

My Prius and I are both intact although I don't enjoy surprises like that - it is bad enough with the **** deer on my ride! The car performed well - a quick, abrupt (but definitely not liked) stop and I got a light to warn me. She drove the rest of the way without any other odd lights or tailgaters or stop sign runners. Thankful to be home safe. Not sure my truck could have stopped like that...although hitting that sedan would have done some serious damage to it with my truck....

Going to introduce an old friend to my new ride this weekend - it is going to be a lot of fun! It will be her first Prius ride...

Where's that Kool Aid?!

 

I never knew about the "ride my nice person" sign! That "explains" it....it seems lots of truck drivers and big sedan drivers are the only ones who see it... luckily I am blind to it behind the wheel of my truck... but then again, my vision has never been quite right...

Road trip tomorrow... can't wait!

 

Until the salt comes out I am trying to enjoy every trip I can. Having got through Sandy and one tiny bit of snow action, I will be glad when spring arrives myself.

 

Yeah, a guy in a big pickup truck ran the same stop sign on my way home from work but he did not hit anyone nor did oncoming traffic have to come in my lane as I was in the opposite side of the two lane, dark, windy, deer-laden road.... Agreed, the safety features keep the morons safe but also kept my late mom safe in her Rav4 when a Yukon Denali T-boned her last September on my birthday - the same day I brought my Prius home. Totalled the very trustworthy and loyal Rav4 but mom survived until cancer took her unexpectedly this past January - she had no cancer post accident but something happened around the holidays and in January she passed.

I was supposed to get my Prius on 9/25/12 but a delay happened and I got it on my birthday - I like to think Mom in her angelic state caused the delay so that I don't always associate my birthday with the accident that led to her decline in health... I now think of it as the day I purchased and brought home my first ever new car that I wanted, with the features I wanted.

 

I am always vigilant...

 

Thanks - stay safe on your bicycle!

 

Funny, my ex used to say I drove like ****. Maybe that is why he is my ex?!!!