The thing that wastes the most gas: The need for respect

Yes, and car manufacturers are the enablers because it is a profitable role.

I might strike out 'need' as its meaning is closer to 'requirement'. Substitute personal insecurity, is that too harsh? Too Prius-pious?

 

TV programmes also share the blame for their emphasis on speed, acceleration and burning tyres! I do wonder, if enough people started driving hybrids, whether the fashion trend might change?

I have a little Daihatsu 5 speed manual, which is very light-weight and has excellent throttle-response. Driving it is fun because it feels fast, and makes you want to put your foot down and stir the gears. However - it has an almost identical 0-60mph time as my Hybrid - but the Hybrid ' Feels' sluggish in comparison, and I naturally tend to drive in a much more relaxed style. That's even before I start trying to maximise economy by driving slower and hypermiling etc..

 

The beauty of freedom is one's ability to choose. If someone's choice is to "only" walk, ride a bike and use public transportation because they want to "save the planet"...more power to them. If someone's choice is to drive a HellScat because they enjoy playing Speed Racer and all the attention...more power to them.

 

I don't have the financial resources to afford to maintain more than 1 vehicle at a time.
So my approach to vehicle ownership has always been dominated by "right tool for the job" .

Prius or Fit, that means for me the priority is basic urban transportation, with perhaps flexibility enough for occasional moderate road trips.

I bought a Prius, because of participation here, and a respect for the efficiency a Hybrid creates.
I bought my Fit, for many of the same reasons, for an ICE vehicle it is pretty efficient, although not anywhere near Hybrid or Plug In Hybrid standards.

I don't think for me it's about "respect". Given some neanderthals reaction to Prius, if I was at all insecure about respect in relationship to owning a vehicle I'd of never bought a Prius. For that matter, The Fit is a small sub-compact, it's not garnering a lot of awe inspiring street cred.

I like efficiency. I like flexibility.

I like being in a crowded parking lot, and watching someone white knuckling the parking of their massive, boat like Truck, backing up, going forward, and trying desperately to fit it in the parking space, while my "respectless" Fit can dart into nearly any open space, with room to spare.

I recently saw a woman backing a big truck out of a parking space, and she accidentally hit the vehicle parked behind her on the opposite side. All I can say?
"Respect" created by the size, shape, height of the vehicle goes out the window pretty fast when you are exchanging insurance information in a grocery store parking lot because your near Monster Truck, being used as a "grocery getter" is just too big for the situation.

It's not going to happen because there is personal ego projection involved. But I do wish more people simply applied, best tool for the job to their vehicle ownership choices.
I feel most people own vehicles that are larger, bigger, and faster, than they most ever need.

But I think automakers have long dealt in selling us projected image, along with that vehicle we drive off the lot.

 

Dimensions of parking lots, underground parking, all seem to be shrinking: everybody sticking to mininums for stall dimensions, lane widths.

 

http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2017/09/toyota-building-souped-prius/

 

Is there any minimum for parking stall dimensions?

Judging from the repeated parking lot re-stripings I've seen over the past couple decades (old stripes from wider stalls still detectable under black paint), I'm not sure there is any regulated minimum. There seems to be a continual push to shrink the spaces even more.

 

I'm sure there are minimums, it's like building codes. But yeah, the sense I get is they're adhering to the absolute minimums these days.

Parking design by-laws, policies & guidelines | City of Vancouver

 

Hah! Try parking or driving in England!!! Not only are the bays about a third narrower than you might expect, angle-parking is very rare, and roads are also very narrow and congested. I reckon our country roads are what I can 'Saxon Cart Tracks' from 800 years ago - if the roads are at all straight then they are almost certainly roads that were laid out by the Romans 2000 years ago, Then, just occasionally, you'll find a highway or road that was actually intended to be used by motor-cars!

 

Seems like a lot of single lane country roads too, judging from the Brit. shows we watch, lined with hedges half the time.

 

Yup, 70% of collisions happen on the (admittedly quaint and pretty) country lanes, and in town. Highways are safer - despite being very crowded. But then, congestion means we have to drive slower most of the time!

There's a joke amongst us driving instructors, that people would drive a lot more carefully if there was no ABS, airbags or seat-belts - just a nice big sharp spike in the middle of the steering wheel! Most folk are hugely over-confident and drive way too fast for their abilities.

Roundabouts (which are everywhere) in particular are where fools rush in.... We teach 'slow in, fast out' - just like the racing and rally guys do it,. But the average driver does just the opposite, and just hopes for the best! We have a slightly more difficult driving test than some countries - but 75% of UK driver wouyld fail the test if they took it again tomorrow. Yet they all think they are great drivers!!

 

That would be narrower than the cars themselves ....

 

Those in the UK are not as overweight as Americans,

 

I live in a new town called Great Cambourne. many of the larger original houses (newer ones get smaller as time goes by) had a a single garage. Imagine you own a car like a VW Passat or a Mazda 626. You find can drive it into the garage, but might not be able to get out of the car door door because the garage is too narrow!!!!

 

Parking at our local Mc Donalds. Note the cars that don't fit into a space...

 

And the back rows, when the lot is full: looks like it takes a 10-point turn to get out of your spot and rolling along.

 

Legal parking in one of the 'newer' streets in Cambridge (ie only 200 years old!)

But, at least you only have to walk a single pace from the front door, if its raining...