No Respect On The Freeway

Take your choice of these two:

 

Happens all the time in Atlanta no matter what you drive. I usually just keep slowing down till they eventually pass. I had a guy come up behind me in my Odyssee van doing about 100mph in a Jaguar. I was in the left lane entering one highway off of another. He thought he could pass me ON THE LEFT!!! between me and the concrete wall on my left coming up. I eased over left just enough so there wasn't any room then sped up and had just enough time to move back to the right lane. He yanked it to the left right up against the wall and slid down it about 100 feet with sparks flying!!! He wasn't injured at all buy wasted that Jag!!! I was actually trying to keep him from smashing into me because there is no way he would have been able to pass with out scraping me with the passenger side of his car.

 

I live in a suburb of Chicago. The drivers here are nuts. I went to Atlanta for a one week seminar a few years ago. The drivers there are much much worse than Chicago. I have never seen high speed traffic like that anywhere. Out of this world.

 

Drove tru indy during the indy one year recently, pulling horses, the drivers were "competitive" but polite, drive to Fl twice a year, have a strategy for Charlotte, pull in at night and out in the am, avoid during daylight hours, same same with Atlanta, wow, not to be disrespectful but the term rebel comes to mind, don't mind close driving, do mind 1/2" passes and lane blocks.

 

I take it you've never driven in Europe lol

 

Yes, I am seeing it in just the first week of ownership. People are just ridiculous. "If I'm in your way, then pass me!"

Ironically, I also own a 2010 Corvette GS that's faster than 99% of anything else on the road. Typically, I can go around someone inside of two seconds if they're in my way. Otherwise, I just drive respectfully, which is why I choose to drive my Prius 95% of the time.

 

When I left Xerox, I moved to Atlanta to help start a third party service organization. My job involved driving in Atlanta all day long. The stress if it got so much that I had I start wearing a mouth guard due to grinding my teeth. If I only had a dash cam those first 5 years. Not many actually live in Atlanta. But everyone works there.

 

No, never driven in Europe. I couldn't handle it.

 

I just got my Prius 2 days ago and already I felt that feeling that people hate being behind a Prius, especially on the fwy. I think that they think that the Prius can't keep up or is just slow. Its a big misconception. The Prius is not fast but when you step on it, it goes! I say middle finger to the tailgaters, they hate because we get great MPG and they don't!

 

The secret to driving the prius ANYWHERE is to stay out of the left lane, always be aware of your surroundings, and never get emotionally involved with any other cars on the road. I.E. do not ever play any "games" with anyone (you know what I'm talking about). Let them pass and play their racing games all they want, just keep your pace. Anything else is just wasting gas.

 

LOL. My wife and I have both been driving Prius' since 2009 and have noted this phenomenon. We dubbed it "Prius Fever". Everyone behind a Prius feels they must be going incredibly slow even when it is clearly going with the flow of traffic and it drives them absolutely bonkers. I've seen people practically kill themselves just to get in front of me, just to go the exact speed I was going. It's a mental defect.

 

Agreed!

 

I always drive in the left lane, because around here, it is the faster lane, most of the time. Unless you get someone of a certain age bracket that upon pulling out into traffic, immediately pulls into the left lane and sits there doing exactly the speed limit - they will turn left eventually in about 10 miles. I think they do so because they have difficultly changing lanes in traffic - can't turn their head far enough or see well enough in their mirrors. (should they even be driving at this point?) What irritates me is when I'm following someone I can't see around to judge traffic ahead of me. That driver, obviously sitting higher and can see further down the road, drives as if they can't. It's always gas on, brake on. A pet peeve of mine is when I have to go directly from gas pedal to brake pedal, especially when I have use the friction brakes and not regen to slow down or stop. I just can't understand why people intentionally drive thru life clueless.

 

That would appear to be a following distance error. You're too close to the vehicle ahead.

 

Yep, you're right. That's why I get angry at myself for doing it!

 

I think I may buy an aftermarket winshield washer kit, install it in the back so the spray goes straight back from under the rear bumper, then put SKUNK cover sent in it. Then if someone rides my bumper I will give them a shot of skunk. they will think they run over a skunk. But I will know the diff. Also If pulled over by the police, I can give it a spray just before comming to a stop and the cop will likely not want to spend the time to write a ticket.

 

Yep, been there (frequently), done that. It's so aggravating, you know you've done it and just shake your head. Oh well, next time LOL

 

The other night I had a tinted out Infiniti G35 stopped at a stop light to the left of me, light turns green we get through the intersection, he cuts in front of me slows down to almost a stop and gives me the finger thru the side window! I was like what the heck did I do to set him off, only thing I can think of is that I was driving a Prius!

 

Brilliant idea.