[quote=svelte] Interesting phenomenon that you point out with Prius drivers, as has also been noted at this link I posted previously:

“Ever been cut off by a prius with an Obama sticker? It happens more often than it should. The tipping point for the One Less Prius sticker was nearly being hit by one such vehicle IN THE BIKE LANE on Sunset Blvd. The guy gave me the finger when I threw my hands up.” [/quote]

Okay, I’m not getting it. What does the Obama sticker have to do with the fact that the guy’s driving a Prius? I mean, the “One More Prius” blogger makes some very good points, but what the hell??!! The ownership of a Prius automatically confers the title of “environmentalist” on the driver, and the Obama endorsement amps him/her up to Executive Level membership in the Treehugger Club??

I’m not sure why most people buy Priuses. I’ve done no studies, nor am I planning on doing so in the future. However, I do know why I, and eleven people who happen to be friends or acquaintances have. All of us, without exception, made the purchase based on one thing only: We don’t want to have to pay any more for gas than we have to. Not a particularly altruistic motive, and glaring in its lack of environmental concern, but there you have it. I’ve had the car for two years, and I still smile when I see that little screen indicating that she’s getting an average of 50 mpg or more. If drivers of other vehicles ask me what kind of mileage I get, I tell them. If they don’t, I keep my trap shut.

I’m way overdue for a trip to Cali. Based on the anti-Prius comments that are left here on Piggs, I have to believe that California Prius drivers are a truly obnoxious breed. They’re everywhere. As I mentioned in an earlier post, people choose cars not as transportation, but as a way of communicating what they perceive as enviable personality traits to others. “I drive, therefore, I am.” Of course, we know that these people are, in actuality, achieving the opposite.

[quote=svelte] I don’t ever see this because I don’t ride a bicycle. I might if they had dedicated separate paths where I need to ride, but sharing the roadway with autos is too dangerous for my blood. [/quote]

Svelte, even if dedicated bike paths were created alongside highways, there’d be safety issues. Again, not because of the vehicles themselves, but because of the self-centered arrogance of a few. Several years ago, I and my bicycle were driven into the streets by the dangerous riding habits of some Lance Armstrong wannabes on some of Philly’s great dedicated bike trails (sluggish cerebral blood circulation caused by extremely tight bike shorts made them imagine they were at the Tour de France). However, chances are you’ll come out of a bike-on-bike collision better than you will from a Prius-on-bike incident.

[quote=svelte] But why you cyclists notice an increased danger from Prius owners is very interesting. Three possible reasons I can think of:

(1) Maybe they are generally less attentive drivers? I sometimes think that many Prius owners don’t like visiting gas stations because they just don’t like cars. Since they don’t like cars, I wonder if that gives them poorer than average driving skills – maybe they don’t take the time to hone those skills…
[/quote]

No, that’s not it. They just have more things competing for their attention. All of those things that tempt drivers of other vehicles (cell phones, satellite radio, changing CDs, putting on makeup, reading the paper, picking their noses, etc.) into shifting their attention from the road, PLUS the incomparable Prius fuel management system. Some people really, REALLY get into this feature. In fact, if Navydoc’s assailant was following him on a downgrade, chances are strong he was focusing his attention on the “99 mpg” that was flashing on his screeen, or determining if coasting had boosted his battery life to 100 percent. If this sounds far-fetched, do a Google search on “better Prius gas mileage”.

BTW, I DO like cars. Very much. But visiting gas stations is not high on my list of places to visit, a sentiment that I am willing to bet is shared by many owners of a wide variety of vehicles. I think your logic may be a bit flawed on that one. But you could start a new thread to find out for sure.

[quote=svelte] (2) Maybe they are envious of someone greener than they are? [/quote]

I think this could be a winner. Seriously. In my own (admittedly limited) experience: When I first took up motorcycling in the mid-70s, there was a serious cultural bias against female bikers…at least in the eastern US. I was forced off the road so many times that I stopped riding alone to avoid being an unwilling participant in games of “Chicken”. Males were quite demonstrative in their views.

I gave up motorcycling for over 20 years. When I went back to riding, I was gratified to find that attitudes had changed, and no one seemed to have an issue with females on bikes. Then I bought a new bike: a 1500 cc cruiser with a longer wheelbase than my previous bike, with a raked out front end and straight pipes. My other bike had a very powerful engine, killer torque, great performance, but the fact that it had a smaller wheelbase, more conventional appearance, and standard exhaust made it appear more innocuous, I’m guessing.

All of a sudden, drivers started to get aggressive with me. What was really disturbing was that is seemed to be primarily petite females in 6000 lb. SUVs. I had no problem with males, aside from the occasional “race” where a guy would prove the mettle of his F-350. But I’d have these soccer/lacrosse moms riding my tail (unnecessarily), riding the lane markings, and cutting into my lane before they had passed me. This was not accidental; they were well aware of what they were doing. Here I am, just trying to get from Point A to Point B, and I’m having to deal with crazed suburban moms who were apparently getting testosterone injections instead of Botox. Because they were all driving Expeditions and Hummers and Sequoias and Tahoes, I had to wonder whether they were pissed that I was on something that they perceived to be more badass then their vehicles.

Whatever. I finally decided that I no longer wanted to take the risk of offending their sensibilities, and I sold the bike two years later. Hey, when I assumed the risks of motorcycling, that didn’t include ending up as the hood ornament/hunting trophy on a frustrated housewife’s Armada.

[quote=svelte] (3) (thought I had a third possibility but have forgotten)
[/quote]

Because they’re dicks?

[quote=svelte] This would make an interesting case study…if one every gets done, let me know because I’d love to find out the psychology behind this behavior![/quote]

Chances are strong that research exists, svelte. Automobile manufacturers pay for huge amounts of market research, from the moment they even think about building a particular model until after they’ve discontinued selling it. One needs only to look back at the Edsel fiasco to understand why.

While I’m not aware of any specific studies on personality traits and driving habits of Prius drivers that are available to the general public, I can recommend other reading material on automotive market research. “High and Mighty” by Keith Bradsher is a fascinating look at the marketing of SUVs. Bradsher was the NYT’s Detroit bureau chief during the years of the SUV’s meteoric rise, and whether you’re a fan of SUVs or not, it can’t be argued that this was Ford’s greatest exhibition of ingenuity except, perhaps, for the Model T.

In the case of SUVs, what’s really striking is that the Ford conducted/ commissioned research allowed them to identify a potential target market and then create a marketing strategy that featured a lifestyle at the complete opposite end of the spectrum from their target market. This is an impressive accomplishment when a car company creates a new model, but, in this case, Ford was creating a market for an entire class of automobile. In fact, this marketing concept was so hugely successful that it is still being used today, virtually unchanged for the past 20 years. That it is being employed successfully today (as evidenced by what is, consistently, the best-selling vehicle) is even more incredible when you take into consideration that the price of gasoline has risen by over 300% in that time.

If, like me, you are compelled by tales of how companies persuade us to repeatedly buy their crap, you will not regret reading this book. I’m sure you can get it through your local public library system.