Prius.hybrid drivers vs rednecks

[stainlessguy1]

As i said before, yeah i do care because i think cyclists tend to see things the way they have been conditioned to think off the bike. Reality is different. The reality i have found is actually Prius a much over hyped vehicle tends to be, in my experience, a little more of a danger to cyclist and pedestrians than the much maligned pickup truck. Yes it is the driver partially. But when a car is as quiet as this one your usually defenses are less than adequate. And we have a difference of opinion on the lack of courtesy all the way around. I am very aware of my behaviour on a bike and as i usually train alone i tend not to conform to most cyclists habits. When i am at a red light i continually keep an eye out behind me for a right turning vehicle i move over to give them plenty of room, if they hang back i motion them forward. Usually as a result the driver rolls down the window and thanks me. Once they are past i move the bike back to the right to give the car to my left plenty of room to go by.
So i would really like to hear an example from you when i have been less than courteous.

Hey Runninboy , it does matter , I agree too .
I also ride alone and you are right , these new products render our usual defenses useless when we cant hear the car comming , especially in other traffic and windy days , you hear trucks and cars go by and then you assume its clear behind you and all of the sudden this little stealthmobile comes flying past just as you relax your 2 inches of pavement on the right . Same as all the dark window tints where you cant see the other drivers face . Two very important points to note regarding highway safety . Maybe someone should bring this up at a ministry of traffic safety board hearing or whatever everyone has in their respective states , etc .

 

[Boeing]

I saw a ford broken down on the side of the road. therefor all fords are bad

 

[ustabe]

They seem to be super-multitaskers and know it all . Their tenacity to be on the cell phone and check their GPS at the same time they take a whack at a kid in the van while turning a corner without stopping and then yell at you to inform you that you are not wearing a helmet and looking backwards while driving forwards to see your reaction . ????? oh well .

Just beautiful.

 

[Hugh Januss]

This might be off topic, but I heard an ad for a BMW that comes with a "mobile office" which enables the driver to receive and send emails from the car. This just doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

 

[Archibald]

If you compare prius drivers to truck drivers in the same area, LA for example, there's no real difference IMHO.

My bias is against luxury car drivers (audi, BMW, etc.), but I've been surprised by the courtesy of drivers of all car types.

I'll tick this box. I find here in London that the richer the car, the more arrogant the driver.

I used to live in north-east london, a verified sh*thole, yet riding north of london I rarely had an issue - occasionally some young chav in his dinky-toy hatchback or a taxi would cut you off...
I'm now in west london, a far more affluent area, and ride down the south east which is a beautiful area, but full of the well-to-do and millionnaires. The way they drive their oversized porsche and landrover 4WDs is amazing...

I've also ridden through the countryside of Suffolk with small thin lanes and narrower roads than the city. Never had an issue with any driver out there...

 

[runninboy]

This might be off topic, but I heard an ad for a BMW that comes with a "mobile office" which enables the driver to receive and send emails from the car. This just doesn't sound like a good idea to me.

I totally agree. Remember when u first learned to drive it was like juggling,
"watch the road, check you rear view, back to the front, check your side view, back to the front, check your blindspot to make sure someone isn't there now, back to the front , check your speed,back to the front, etc etc etc"
You just wanted to scream. Now after years of practice you realize that you just continually do all this without having to make a conscious decision, You keep your eyes moving and know where you are at all times. You mind is actively engaged in driving.
Put a cell phone conversation, texting or EMAILinto the mix you are no longer actively engaged in driving.
I don't care if it is hands free or what, people need their brain to be engaged in the primary activity of driving. There is alot we take for granted, that is one reason kids have a hard time, we forget it takes time to be able to train yourself to coordinate everything you need to do to drive safely.

 

[biokemguy]

I'll tick this box. I find here in London that the richer the car, the more arrogant the driver.

I used to live in north-east london, a verified sh*thole, yet riding north of london I rarely had an issue - occasionally some young chav in his dinky-toy hatchback or a taxi would cut you off...
I'm now in west london, a far more affluent area, and ride down the south east which is a beautiful area, but full of the well-to-do and millionnaires. The way they drive their oversized porsche and landrover 4WDs is amazing...

I've also ridden through the countryside of Suffolk with small thin lanes and narrower roads than the city. Never had an issue with any driver out there...

I have another hypothesis about these cars.

I think luxury cars do drive better (don't know never drove one) than cheaper cars and so the drivers have this sense of invincibility where they can always maneuver wherever they want with ease. Couple that with the sense of entitlement most drivers seem to have and it's an obnoxious/dangerous combination.

 

[biokemguy]

Irony much

Any one see the irony of cyclists complaining about cars that are too quiet?

How many times have you been riding and made other cyclists jump because your bike is so quiet? I know I've done that, even to the ones with mirrors on their helmets/handle bars.

 

[Archibald]

I have another hypothesis about these cars.

I think luxury cars do drive better (don't know never drove one) than cheaper cars and so the drivers have this sense of invincibility where they can always maneuver wherever they want with ease. Couple that with the sense of entitlement most drivers seem to have and it's an obnoxious/dangerous combination.

actually, I think they're just up themselves...

 

[Yeahright]

Firstly Prius drivers are not drivers per se, they are merely the operators of mobile whiteware. an appliance on wheels.

Secondly, following a Prius driver for any length of time will make a redneck out of anyone.

Lastly, they are not too much of a hazard unless they happen to pull out in front of you. Most Prius operators do not go over 20 mph so if you ride fast you can keep ahead of them..

 

[9000ft]

I guess I'm pretty lucky in that bikes are pretty much as part of the culture where I live and we have very few problems, even where there isn't much of a shoulder. I would say that if any particular type of vehicle/driver combination gives less room than another it's the redneck, loud, jacked up pickup, but even that is pretty rare. I have no problem with Priuses any more than any other passenger vehicle. I have no issues hearing a hybrid either, since most cars are already pretty quiet and the tire noise is plenty enough for you to know someone is coming.

I think most people here are just looking for an excuse to advance and justify their prejudice and ignorance.

 

[redtreviso]

I think most people here are just looking for an excuse to advance and justify their prejudice and ignorance.

Certainly the OP of this thread.

 

[Hugh Januss]

Certainly the OP of this thread.

Said the kettle to the pot.

 

[Hugh Januss]

I totally agree. Remember when u first learned to drive it was like juggling,
"watch the road, check you rear view, back to the front, check your side view, back to the front, check your blindspot to make sure someone isn't there now, back to the front , check your speed,back to the front, etc etc etc"
You just wanted to scream. Now after years of practice you realize that you just continually do all this without having to make a conscious decision, You keep your eyes moving and know where you are at all times. You mind is actively engaged in driving.
Put a cell phone conversation, texting or EMAILinto the mix you are no longer actively engaged in driving.
I don't care if it is hands free or what, people need their brain to be engaged in the primary activity of driving. There is alot we take for granted, that is one reason kids have a hard time, we forget it takes time to be able to train yourself to coordinate everything you need to do to drive safely.

Everything about modern automobiles seems designed to insulate the driver from actual contact with the job of driving. Cushy suspension, automatic transmissions, seats like a sofa, entertainment devices, devices to help you get some of your work done while on the way to work. Our way of life has made it so that the average person spends a mind numbing amount of time behind the wheel, and the auto makers are cashing in on this by selling more and more things that one can pay attention to while driving instead of the act of driving itself. Dangerous? Well not if we make the car as stout as a tank, you can hit something and not be killed. You might kill some pedestrians or bicyclists who were unfortunate enough to have been occupying the space adjacent to the roadway that you strayed into, but car makers are not marketing to them.

 

[usedtobefast]

Everything about modern automobiles seems designed to insulate the driver from actual contact with the job of driving. Cushy suspension, automatic transmissions, seats like a sofa, entertainment devices, devices to help you get some of your work done while on the way to work. Our way of life has made it so that the average person spends a mind numbing amount of time behind the wheel, and the auto makers are cashing in on this by selling more and more things that one can pay attention to while driving instead of the act of driving itself. Dangerous? Well not if we make the car as stout as a tank, you can hit something and not be killed. You might kill some pedestrians or bicyclists who were unfortunate enough to have been occupying the space adjacent to the roadway that you strayed into, but car makers are not marketing to them.

i got taken out by a car turning right into me. i put my hand on the car and the power of the vehicle just launched me and bike off the street into the adjacent parking lot. the force i felt in my hand was tremendous and pretty amazing really. i was banged up pretty good as was my Tommasini, but we
both lived to ride again.

 

[Finbouy]

In Florence there are a fleet of Prius's as Taxi's... When manoeuvring they emit a small, but beautifully formed, "Bong" a sort of pulse like tone as they drive in electric mode.. Once in normal drive mode (petrol) the "Bong" turns off.. I think that's kinda cool. So around town you get to hear a very low "Bong" whilst doing say <20kph then when out on the open road it's just a normal car with a normal engine noise.

I've been looking at buying the Auris version, 4 seater with a decent boot and has the same engine layout as the Prius, but without the Prius look about it.

 

[spaceboy]

Not had many issues with Prius drivers, but Chrysler 300s. It's like it is in the friggin manual how to crowd out cyclists.

 

[ustabe]

When I drove city buses we drivers used to make generalizations about the drivers of different kinds of cars. Our taxonomy went something like this--

Range Rovers--always trying to get in front of you. If there's a gap somewhere, a Range Rover will try to fill it.

Luxury SUVs--most likely to start rummaging under the seat the moment before the light turns green, especially a left-turn arrow.

BMWs--the good and the bad. It's like the good try to compensate for the ones responsible for the reputation.

Cyclists--most likely to dart out of your blind spot as you're trying to pull out into traffic.

Subarus--most likely to do something patently supid. Includes U-turns on one-way streets, turns from the wrong lane (especially without signals), pulling half way into an intersection before yielding right of way, drifting out of lane. You get the idea.

The reason for the bad rap on Subarus might be that they're so popular around here. You could get half the shoppers in Whole Foods to drop their cell phones by having the service desk announce, "A set of Subaru keys has been found."

 

[rhubroma]

C'mon, what difference does it make? Last time I checked, there was no law dictating what types of vehicles a-holes must drive.

Fact is, a-holes drive all types of cars. Crappy cars. Luxury cars. Pick-up trucks. Hybrids.

The only question is the a-hole density of where you are riding. I live in Dallas, TX, where the a-hole density is quite high. Lots of 'em.

Contrast that to when I visit my parents in Oklahoma and ride in the rural areas there...the people, regardless of vehicle, are (on average) a friendlier, more courteous bunch.

I usually think to myself, "wow, what a courteous redneck" when I should be thinking "man, Texas is chock full of a-holes compared to Oklahoma".

I might even be one - but not behind the wheel.

I'm gonna have to beg to differ. In Italy the most reckless and arrogant pr!cks of drivers are those in big, black (yes, the color seems to be of a determining importance here) Mercedes hybrids. They are usually males from the 35-50 year old category, launch their trash out the window on a beautiful country road and happily vote for Berlusconi's PDL party. So there!

 

[krebs303]

Just a pencil necked geek. what a pile of biological waste

Cummins Diesel vs Bicyclist

 

[biokemguy]

sadly he's not alone

Theres a driver of a Ford Excursion Diesel that likes to do that to cyclists on the road up to Mt. Wilson. He's got a whole rehearsed story about why he can't help but smoke out the cyclists when he passes them.

total d-bag

 

[Quixote]

Yep... silent assassins.

They need to have some artificial noise added to them so you can hear them.

Such vitriol!
The solution is staring us in the face...Prius drivers should be forced to take a DMV "behind the wheel" test on a daily basis. PLUS: to solve that dreaded "silent assassin" concern, how about playing cards in the spokes?
PUES:
I've been cut-off by all kinds of cars over the years. Believe me, they all get the same one fingered salute irrespective of the status. However, one has to make a concession...at least when a Prius cuts you off, it's at 45 miles per gallon.

 

[Boeing]

the difference is Prius drivers are oblivious to the fact they just about ran you down and Truck drivers buzz you on purpose

 

[daveinzambia]

Have to say when i was younger, the 3-4pm patch when parents (will not limit to mums) are picking up their kids from school was the most dangerous time to be on the road on a bike. just too much going on and too many distractions mean less attention focused on you. it is not they are bad people just that there is less attention coming my way (and I love attention) so i am in more danger.

now I am never on the roads at that time so no longer see it.

Living in a city (Sydney) I would say the greatest dangers to me are

3. local bogans who think it is funny to throw stuff at bikes
2. BMW style cars on their way home, not willing to wait at junctions or even worse swerving into my lane to undercut someone
1. Taxi's by a factor of 10. They jump lights, they swerve without looking, they stop in random places, they open doors 9or their customers do) in the middle of streets, the list goes on

had a small moment of revenge recently for all those drivers that open doors on bikes without looking. rainy day, very expensive Audi, driver rushing to avoid getting wet, opens door without looking, door ripped off by passing garbage truck. I know it is wrong but made me smile. (yes i checked no one was hurt)