Before we begin. I don't know if you love or hate NPR, but lets keep the discussion about the article and not about the station. http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102634940 I have to sound off somewhere. I can't take it. If you wanna get 89795834mpg out of your car by driving it 2 mph on the road, they stay the **** out of my way. After reading it I couldn't take it. I used the wife's account (notice the comment from Erin, I was too lazy to make my own) to post my $.02. 45MPH merging in the fast lane?!?!? AHHHHHH! I encourage people to use their horn at people like this. If you want to drive that damn slow they stick to the side streets. /rant
Totally agree. Alot of people I know hate merging because they think it's so hard to find a spot to merge and nobody will let them in...well it's because they aren't up to speed!!! PS: When I first read your last name, I couldn't help but think crotch-ville
i JUST BOUGHT MY FIRST SLOW CAR.... yeah, merging is tough when you aren't in a wrx.... in my 93 1.8l it is like begging, "let me in please, I need to get in your lane" well, I found out when you are ugly and slow.... ain't no one gunna help you son.
They should get tickets for being a danger on the freeway. There is nothing wrong with driving conservatively to save fuel, but it is wrong when disregarding others. Like one of the comments said, they should consider how much fuel everyone else wasted by slwoing down traffic and casuing a slinky. Also, the resulting smug cloud probably impaired everyone else's vision.
granted, even the slowest of subarus would be better for merging the waiting for the electric motor to get you up to speed. I think to say that we are enviromentaly inconsiderate however may be a correct statement. I tend to use my throttle instead of my horn (exhaust is louder) to let people know this driver does not aprove of thier veihicle speed or the mannor in wich they chose to change lanes. If the owners of these cars do as the article sugests by avoiding hills and high speed roads and such more power to them, let them have their eco-snob powertrip, but... If they are on the highway obstructing traffic... I got a mariad of obscene hand gestures for them!
...Eco-snobs make me laugh when they talk about evironmental issues. I can understand wanting to make better gas mileage. That's cool, just don't be a cock. However, IIRC the average Prius will leave a larger carbon footprint just being built than most cars do being ran. Something here about it. And something a little more in-depth. And something a little less bias.
I have no problems with people driving whatever they want, all I ask is that if you're gonna drive slow/hypermilage/whatever, do it in the slow lane, which is the right lane.
Haha, problem is the actual stupid people think they are "safe drivers"! It would be funny to see a stupid people lane with people that actually fessed up to being stupid
These have been throughly debunked. The hummer article asued a Prius will last 100,000 mi (the damn warranty is longer) and the hummer would last over 300,000 miles. Hybrids work if you're doing urban commuting and you're buying a new car anyhow. Owning a Prius is like owning a BMW. You may have bought it for the performance (fuel economy or handling). But everyone assume syou're a douce, because many other people bought it to project an image. Serious hypermiling is just as dangerious as weaving through heavy traffic at 20+ mph over the limit. Want to save fuel? Drive less. Do the speed limit. Turn the A/C off. Carpool. Move closer to work. Don't endager the rest of us.
...Where did you come from? and nm+, I agree with you 100% about the Hummer comparison, but it's good for a joke. I think my point was better illustrated by you, in that a large amount of people buy the thing for image, not for principle. I do not give a Prius owner kudos for being a champion of environmental salvation, even if that is what he was expecting. So carrying that philosophy, I don't care if someone's trying to reduce their smog production. That kind of mentality has no right on a motorway. The highway is supposed to be a high-speed way; using it as your self-righteous soapbox isn't quite what the DOT had in mind when they made them.
I completely agree with Ryan and the majority opinion here. Slowly merging on the freeway and that one guy who goes 55 in the left lane are the things that create traffic jams for miles.
One thing that needs to be mentioned also is, if you have the ability to move over one lane to the left when there is a merging vehicle, DO IT!!! I hate slow mergers myself, but if the lane is clear to the left, use it. Some cars (and alot of larger trucks like cube vans and such) can't get up to highway speeds right away. Do them a favor as well and move over one lane. As I stated above, I absolutely hate slow moving, inconsiderate drivers. But do the right thing and move if you have the opportunity. In Europe if you don't move over a lane to the left when there is a merging vehicle YOU can get ticketed. Not trying to be an a$$, but there are some things that we can all work on to make it easier to commute.
While we're at it... People should also plan ahead for cars that they see on the on ramp. If it looks like you're going to be in the same spot at the same time...slow down or speed up! It's not like it's some huge surprise when someone is all of a sudden next to you trying to get on! Always be looking for what could/will happen!
+1 to the last couple comments. It's the responsibility of BOTH drivers to merge. It is true some cars cannot get up to speed, and both cars need to moderate their speed and leave space to merge. Nothing pisses me off more then the guy on the highway when I'm merging who speeds up and tailgates the guy right infront of him just so he can get ahead of me.
Wait, isn't that what they taught in driver's ed??? Look ahead and behind. Interesting concept, eh? Sometimes I wonder how much info people actually retain from driver's training classes.
Slowly but surely, bad habits take over what was learned in Drivers Ed. After a while, most people do whatever they want on the road regardless of what they're supposed to be doing. These are the people who get mad at other drivers when it's their own fault. There's too many people with the mentality that they're the only one on the roads.
My favorite is when people come to a complete stop at the bottom of the on-ramp. It all comes down to courtesy. Most people are not courteous on the road. Whether it be merging, turning, left-lane bandits, etc. I don't know how many times I've been stuck behind some stupid freshman broad in the left lane, texting away while I drive down here to kato on Sunday nights. Then I try to pass on the right and they speed up. :squint: People just need to wake up and be aware of the world around them. Plain and simple. The two years I spent selling books door-to-door was quite the wake-up call. The vast majority of people in this country cannot see past the end of their driveway.
I'm just glad there's still at least a few sane driver's left in the world, evidenced by the completely accurate bitching about horse-**** mergers. Just this morning I watched for 1/4 mile as I was waiting for this **** on her cell phone to run right into the truck next to her. The lanes change where some construction begins, and I could just tell as I tried to merge in around her incompetently driving ass that she was going to totally miss it and keep going straight as her lane cut to the right. Sure enough. Bam. Right in front of me. I gave her a good solid 4 seconds of hella's, looked right at her (and caught her attention, amazingly - guess the COLLISION woke her up), and gave her the "hang up your ****ing phone" sign. Priceless, and ghastly. **** everyone.
Next one to go slightly political on this thread gets points. Seriously. I said in the first post to not make this political. I don't care what smart ass comment you feel you need to say about one side or the other, keep it to yourself. I'm sick of it.
Sorry, you might want to re-read your first post. You made no mention of "political opinions." You merely said not to bash the station or give your opinion of the station but simply focus on the article. "Before we begin. I don't know if you love or hate NPR, but lets keep the discussion about the article and not about the station" Not trying to nitpick or piss you off, but those were your words you typed. I'm really not sure who you are pointing at with your post there, just thought I would point it out to you.
Matchbx: In our rules on the board it says do not talk politics. Before you joined we had another problem with a member who kept bringing up politics into every thread. He has been banned.
I was merely quoting what you had said. Sorry, must have got in on this one after some peoples posts were deleted. Didn't see that. Didn't realize that the posts that are in this thread are not all that have been posted here.
Having lived in Seattle, I can tell you that the driving out there is actually slightly better. Slightly. However, I have a feeling I know where that particular on ramp is that he was merging off of, and if I were still living out there and that happened he'd likely be my new hood ornament. Going that slow in that particular spot is a safety hazard. What's more expensive, bodywork and a hospital stay or putting that right pedal down that extra inch? Moron.
