Yup.
"Driving economically" has gotten me into a couple of exchanges. One guy gave me the finger. The worst was a semi trailer driver who kept riding my rear bumper and beeping his horn. I tolerated that for five or six miles until we got into slow red light to red light traffic. And then I did something I'm not totally proud of, but at that point I was REALLY getting pissed. I let him pull his childish stunt one more time and then I pulled my childish stunt; I SLAMMED on the brakes. He let out a tirade of horn honking, but then backed off and left me alone.

I heard of a Prius with a Darwin Fish sticker getting keyed a few years ago down South. I haven't put my Darwin Fish on my Prius, but only because the rear of my '06 is all compound curves and there isn't a really good place anywhere to affix it.

 

O.K. Spinner;
I was actually thinking along the lines of what medicmike said!!
Guess that makes me a%$#@ as well!
At the college I attend, I have actually had 2 people leave me notes asking for info on my FE, etc. And if somebody was to vandalize my baby??? Well, may their big ole' Suburban run over their toes at the gas pumps!!! lol

 

Jill, let's put your law education to good use, seeing as the "presumption of innocence" hasn't resonated with you yet: Can you explain to everyone why Whiterook (Fred) would be at fault if the semi trailer rear-ended his car when he pulled his childish stunt?

 

Spinner;
The presumption of innocence resonates just fine with me, I was joking.
Although in the case of Fred; it wouldn't matter who is at fault; Fred would be messed up,
his car would be totalled, and the semi driver would be in the clear. I would rather be wrong, than dead right, as my father used to say. THanks for calling me on that.
Jill

 

Spinner;
P.S. I would never slam on my brakes in front of a semi. I know they can't slow down that fast, and I don't have a death wish!
Jill

 

I saw the south park smugness episode re-run the other night. I wonder if someone watched it in Petaluma and went out to smash hybrids before watching the end of the program? Maybe they were trying to stave off a smug storm from brewing.

 

No, no.
Listen guys. I may be a little bit crazy, but not totally crazy.
Point #1) As I mentioned, I waited until I got into slow traffic, around 25mph.
Point #2) In PA, presumption of guilt in a rear end collision is always with the party who failed to maintain safe following distance.
Point #3) "Yes indeed officer, I was sure I saw someone's house cat run out in front of my car. Hitting my brakes was just automatic."
Point #4) It would be the semi truck driver who would lose his job after explaining to his boss how he got into a rear end collision. I'd simply go buy another car.

 

Fred;
LOVED the house cat comment. You won me over right there!!!
Jill

 

True, just as there is no one (yet) to accuse for the Prius vandalism. Of course, one can assume it's the same kind of people who are rude on the road toward hybrid drivers. Not to offend anyone, but patting myself (and other hybrid drivers) on the back for having a the foresight to buy a fuel efficient vehicle isn't really an asinine statements now, is it? Sorry if I sound a little self righteous, as the SUV driver behind me yesterday at the pump was all hot and bothered about his $100 fill-up.

 

But remember, it's "asinine" to assume anyone would be angry at us for being responsible and fuel efficient.