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High gas price = strange driver behaviors?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by usbseawolf2000, Apr 7, 2011.

  1. usbseawolf2000

    usbseawolf2000 HSD PhD

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    Now that the gas prices are near $4 (probably over that amount in CA), I am finding people driving slowly. Those are mostly gas guzzlers.

    I noticed the same thing the last time gas price spiked. I get the overall impression of the traffic is less aggressive.

    Do you notice the same in your area?
     
  2. billnchristy

    billnchristy Active Member

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    Nope...people are as dumb as ever here. Had a guy in an F-250 change lanes and gun it so he could slam on his brakes for the light I was coasting to twice, he then accelerated quickly, slammed on his brakes and got in the turn lane on the third light.

    Typical around here, the funny thing was on the way back I passed a lowered civic hatchback and the dude was just cruisin'
     
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  3. Papagoose

    Papagoose New Member

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    I second that - no change in Georgia drivers that I can see, except maybe even more hostility towards me as a Prius driver. It's speeding pickup trucks and SUVs as far as the eye can see out here in the sticks.
     
  4. Mark57

    Mark57 2021 Tesla Model 3 LR AWD

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    Some seem to have slowed down. Problem is most seem to be in a perpetual hurry and drive like it. Mindset is hard to change. I think it's going to take $5/gallon to get their attention.
     
  5. billinmd

    billinmd Member

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    Here in Maryland, people are still driving like idiots. I was passed by 2 people this morning so they could slam on the brakes at a stop sign.
     
  6. richard schumacher

    richard schumacher shortbus driver

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    Maybe them hunnert-dollar fillups are gettin' on thet boy's nerves.
     
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  7. Ninjawife

    Ninjawife Junior Member

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    Very sad but true here also. No one has slowed down it seems. :eek:
    Some people love their monster trucks and typical driving habits are hard to break...unless you down size.
    I always smile a little when I go to fuel up and the person before me spent BIG MONEY $$.
     
  8. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

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    Not me. As long as we're breathing the same air, fighting the same wars, and getting ripped off by the same system, it's pretty small consolation.
     
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  9. burritos

    burritos Senior Member

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    I filled up recently after an infinity fx(don't know if that's a suv or crossover). Their bill on the pump $98 bucks. Wonder what that bill is going to be after some more quantitative easing.
     
  10. DavidA

    DavidA Prius owner since July 2009

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    $4.05 ATM here in the suburbs. Have noticed no change in the idiot drivers.
     
  11. J5A

    J5A Active Member

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    I noticed it more a couple years ago.
    This time around, not so much. Not yet.
     
  12. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    no change here yet that i have seen, but i would certainly welcome it. entered the highway today, breakdown lane is used for driving during rush hour. the people in the breakdown lane look like their bumpers are glued together so people coming off the ramp cannot get into traffic and either have to stop or risk an accident. the people on the ramp also look like they are glued together and do not want to yield to the people in the breakdown lane. arghhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
     
  13. Troyroy

    Troyroy Member

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    Here in the Capital District of New York......it's always hurry up......they drive as if gas was free. Where is the logic in this ???
     
  14. mikewithaprius

    mikewithaprius New Member

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    By and large, I still almost get killed daily by dangerous drivers, but just today there were a couple pickups that I had to pass, it was mind-blowing, and I thought of the same thing as you. It's a rare day when I'm the one doing the passing.
     
  15. 05hybrid

    05hybrid New Member

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    No changes here...

    People in the mornings and 5 o'clock still drive 75-80mph
     
  16. patsparks

    patsparks An Aussie perspective

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    People slow a little here if it spikes but forget the price is high after a while and revert to the norm.

    Even though the Aussie dolar is outshining the US dollar for the first time in history our petrol prices keep climbing. About $1.45 a litre right now, that's nearly $6.00 a US gallon.
    Cheap compared to the UK and Europe though.
     
  17. F8L

    F8L Protecting Habitat & AG Lands

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    Not here in the Sacramento area. The fastest cars are generally Honda tuner kids and giant SUVs/Trucks. The gas prices have not affected their driving at all.
     
  18. zenMachine

    zenMachine Just another Onionhead

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    The only strange behavior here in North Texas is no change in behavior.
     
  19. stevemcelroy

    stevemcelroy Active Member

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    Not here in Philly. The local highways are have posted limits of 55 or 65 and when I'm going the posted limit I am far and away the slowest car on the road - I figure that just about everyone else is going close to 70.

    As others have mentioned there seems to be little or no change in behavior. My daughter figure skates and the parking lot at the rink has at least 50% big suv's and pickups with a few minivans and very few cars - The concentration of Suburbans and Expeditions is way higher than any other lot that I have parked in. People are complaining about gas prices, but they are the same folks driving 70 in a 55 in huge vehicles so behavior has not caught up.

    I'm not originally from Philly and think the drivers are pretty bad - worse than any other place that I have lived - the same folks who drive 70 most of the time will drive 50 in the left lane if there is even a sprinkling of rain.
     
  20. skilbovia

    skilbovia Member

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    I don't commute any more but I assume that just one driver can't change commuting speed. He would be run over or otherwise be forced to conform. Most people will just carpool with the driver driving at the same speed as always.
    One thing I have noticed is that the kids are the real lead foots and their unsuspecting parents are paying for the gas. The 2 kids that are driving in my neighberhood were just bought big jacked up pick-ups by their dumbass parents. One of them smashed his up already after about 2 weeks on the road. The kid didn't get hurt but still one less we have to worry about.