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Hello, I'm new to this board.. and new to hypermiling.

I was just curious if others on here are the subject of road rage in their quest to save gas.

On average, I get honked at once every 2 days.

Once or twice every three months. Usualy when I am coasting to a red light or won't fill a gap at a red light.

Welcome aboard, AustinYaris! I recognize you from YarisWorld.

I get honked at or flipped off about once every two weeks right now, but I fully expect that to increase to at least once per week as temperatures get warmer and more tourists come around.

It usually happens on my way up Mount Rose where I do the exact speed limit of 50 MPH. Some folks feel this is too slow and get really aggressive and eventually burn a half gallon of gasoline to pass me on a steep grade. The funny thing is that 90% of the time I catch right back up to them on the downhill side of the mountain after maintaining 50 MPH the whole time.

I always make sure to give them a big s**t-eating grin and a wave when I get close enough.

BailOut,

Thanks... I actually found out about this site from your signature on YarisWorld.

Glad to hear I'm not alone in getting honked at.

it used to be almost everyday when i was driving the civic, but now that i drive a hybrid i'm much more curturetous... lathough I shouldn't sometimes I try to stand my ground when I'm coasting... after all I did shell out extra bucks for the hybrid... hybrid doesn't come for free you know...

welcome.

Maybe once or twice a month on average I have a problem with somebody, and it's usually for some incredibly stupid reason that has more to do with being safe than efficient. I drive through mostly small neighborhoods on the way to work and don't like to exceed the 35mph limit by more than 5mph. Most would be happier going 45+ regardless of the kids playing or waiting for the school bus. Sometimes they pass illegally, and about 30% of those people will honk or flip me off. I'd like to say they'll get busted some day but it never happens.

Hi Austin Yaris:

___First off, welcome to CleanMPG! If you want to push up your Yaris’ numbers, I think you are among friends ;)

___I get honked at about 3X’s per week. Sometime a little more, sometimes a little less. If I am following the limits or its bumper to bumper and crawling … Let us take a page from Clarke Gable in “Gone with the Wind”. "My dear, I don't give a ****!"

___Good Luck

___Wayne

Welcome, AustinYaris!

200 miles north of I35 - I deal with tailgaters, and other rude behaviors - not much honking. I've come to the conclusion aggressive driving/road rage is epidemic as there is not shortage of people defending it even on hybrid forums. :( I understand feral cats and dogs (definition: domestic gone wild), but we have feral humans. :eek:

Hi all, I'm new.

Not as much as you would think, but that's most likely b/c traffic never seems to go anywhere anyway in the northern Chicago suburbs. Getting waved at with four broken fingers tends to happen more often on the freeway, of course.

Good to have a fellow Austinite around.

I don't get honked at much, maybe once a week. Maybe it's my route, maybe it's my reluctance to go "extreme" in heavy traffic, who knows. Lots of passing, often with irritation. But the folks in South Austin seem to say "if you let me get by, no hard feelings."

If I do get a honk, it almost always is during a slow glide to a red light. While I may be fairly accomodating from time to time, I simply refuse to gas to a red light no matter how slow I'm going. In that scenario, I do not relent. When I do get the honk, I simply hold up my "light is red, moron" sign*.

* not a real sign, just the imaginary one in my head

glad to see a fellow Austinite as well. :woot:

I'm in North Austin... and although Austin relatively has mostly very friendly drivers, I do get honked at pretty frequently. It doesn't really bother me though. Just a month ago, before I started hypermiling, I would've done the same thing. :D

In fact, I've done a total 180 degrees, from driving super aggressively (think New York taxi driver) to driving like a granny these days. Having lots of fun either way... :D

DeltaFlyer - I'll actually be up in Dallas this weekend. I do notice Dallas drivers are definitely more aggressive than Austin drivers.

Good to have a fellow Austinite around.
... "light is red, moron" sign*.
* not a real sign, just the imaginary one in my head
I have one of those too. I also have another that states "The speed limit is not a lower limit."

To answer the question, I get honked at rarely enough that it's hard to keep track.

I rarely get a horn, or flashed from behind. What I usually get is “the look” when they pass.
And a thought bubble over their car saying "I knew it, it’s a woman"

Of course the thought bubble part's imaginary, but I’ve seen my husband give that look while saying it enough times that I think it’s a pretty good guess. :D :D :D

And a thought bubble over their car saying "I knew it, it’s a woman"

hahah even my wife says, "Honey don't make me drive! You know we are terrible drivers!"

Don't think I've ever been honked at for going slow. I have however quickly tapped the horn once today and twice yesturday to wake people up at traffic lights. Sometimes people seem to forget that they are driving and the light turns green I turn on the ICE and then they sit there asleep at the wheel or digging through their bag or day dreaming what it would be like to get good gas mileage.
It's always just a polite tap of the horn though, just to wake em up. I always get a polite wave like "thanks for waking me up"

Dose it seem like the road has more spoiled brats that never grew up?

Dose it seem like the road has more spoiled brats that never grew up?

YEP! As for getting honked at, I think I'm like tarabell; it rarely happens but I do get "the look" when they blast by and use up a half gallon of gas doing it.:rolleyes:

Well, I actually honked at someone the other day (more of a nudge since the light turned and they were fumbling with the floorboard). Seems Karma has come back and hit me.

My usual honk rate is about one a month. I've gotten 2 honks, 1 brights flashed, and 1 full engage of ABS all in the last 2 days. Most of them seem to be high school / college kids. Bar none, the worst drivers I encounter are younger (sorry guys).

Need to find that Student Driver sign...

11011011

Well, I actually honked at someone the other day (more of a nudge since the light turned and they were fumbling with the floorboard). Seems Karma has come back and hit me.

My usual honk rate is about one a month. I've gotten 2 honks, 1 brights flashed, and 1 full engage of ABS all in the last 2 days. Most of them seem to be high school / college kids. Bar none, the worst drivers I encounter are younger (sorry guys).

Need to find that Student Driver sign...

11011011
Is that sign for you or them? :p

NEVER. Only once has someone even flashed their lights at me (while we were both in the RIGHT lane, go figure). Was just up in Boston and nobody honked at me there, which is amazing considering that in Boston the horn is considered as essential as the gas pedal and brake and is used as frequently. Last summer I stayed near a major intersection on Memorial Drive and had to wear earplugs to block out the car horns so I could sleep.

My theory is that the Insight is so tiny and different-looking that they assume it just can't go any faster. Works for me!!

In NJ I get the L@@K or the finger. I always reply with my finger or my horn.

The only honks I have gotten are polite honks from people sitting next to me at a red light who want me to roll down my wintdow so they can ask me if my car is an electric car (or hybrid car). I haven't had any cases of road rage since I gave my car the full aero treatment.

Is that sign for you or them? :pMe actually. Kinda like cannonball run in reverse.

What car are people to be most to blow by without a second look? I figure student drivers. Since I'm in the school of CleanMPG, figured it's not far off the mark.

11011011

Hello, I'm new to this board.. and new to hypermiling.

I was just curious if others on here are the subject of road rage in their quest to save gas.

On average, I get honked at once every 2 days.

:D Here is an "Honest-Reply" to your question. Yes you will get Honked at and some "Very-Hard-Looks" from other drivers. I think some of this goes with where one Lives and Drives.

Most people are in a Hurry all the time. They try to make up for being Late to Work or other Appointments by Flying in their Vehicles. So if one is driving in a more Calm Fashion, get ready for those Looks, Horns Etc. from the ones around you.

If you live in a Remote Region of the USA or your Country then one could drive in any manner they choose to increase their FE. However most of us just are not afforded that Luxury and have to deal with ever increasing traffic and the public in a Hurry.

Terry (tiger)

A little more about me:

I tend to leave for work at about 6am to avoid rush hour. Probably a higher than usual percentage of drivers are pickups - many of them in construction or some kind of business. Many of these drivers tend to be blue collar and guys in their 20s or 30s, more likely to be aggresiver drivers. I did not get honked at much, but certainly got tailgating and/or the left "FU" pass, or worse the right shoulder pass.

For awhile I got notoriety talking about them and really hissed some when I posted pictures of some of these guys tooling around. Of course not all pickup truck drivers are like that, but in Dallas they are 1 out of 4 - double the national average. Early morning, it was probably more like 1 out of 3, and quite a few waking up on the wrong side of the bed.

There are many other flavors, including tricked out Civics, but that's what I was venting.

I might mention that I live in chicago so I don't live in a rural area. I find that being courteous for the most part eliminates most hostility. There are the occasional people that have to honk to get you to the red light faster, but that realy isn't because of my driving, but rather there aggression. If it wasn't me that got honked at it would be someone else.

I get a lot more courteous waves when people can actually enter a road because they have time to accelerate on to the street or because I left a gap for them to pull into. I'd say 4 or 5 waves or smiles for every 1 honk or finger.

Maybe that should be its own poll. "Do you get more waves or smiles now that you hypermile?"

The "student driver" sign is a good idea. The only problem is that it doesn't really get out the word like an official CleanMPG sticker (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3766) (or sign) would.

Here (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/biodiesel+sticker/-/pv_design_prod/p_2212034.121237186/pNo_121237186/id_18557917/fpt_________F______P___b7_a2/opt_/c_360/pg_4) is a "hypermiler" sticker, but it doesn't have "CleanMPG.com" on it.

The "student driver" sign is a good idea. The only problem is that it doesn't really get out the word like an official CleanMPG sticker (http://www.cleanmpg.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3766) (or sign) would.

Here (http://www.cafepress.com/buy/biodiesel+sticker/-/pv_design_prod/p_2212034.121237186/pNo_121237186/id_18557917/fpt_________F______P___b7_a2/opt_/c_360/pg_4) is a "hypermiler" sticker, but it doesn't have "CleanMPG.com" on it.

http://fastxtc.homeip.net/misc/deltaflyer.jpg
While hardly anyone honks, there is no shortage of tailgaters. Not the cars on the right are from New Jersey - that SUV front and beside me looks like it could have been the Govenor's - too bad I was not there to maybe keeping things from flying too fast. :D

The thing with bumper stickers are that they can cause the reader to become defensive. I think there were a few people that put a bumper sticker on their car that mentioned their mileage or whatever and it caused more honking.

NEVER.

My theory is that the Insight is so tiny and different-looking that they assume it just can't go any faster. Works for me!!

Well, apparently I spoke too soon. Today I got can't-see-the-headlights tailgated and a 30 second honk. In the right lane. In pouring rain. By a Taurus wagon of all things.

Got out my cell and acted as if I was giving the cops his license number and he went away.

Guess I need a new theory.

I have a sticker from terra pass- it applies to the window. I wouldn't mind a cleanmpg.com just like that. If I get a chance ill take a pic and show what I mean

The thing with bumper stickers are that they can cause the reader to become defensive. I think there were a few people that put a bumper sticker on their car that mentioned their mileage or whatever and it caused more honking.

This is the sad truth about our roads becoming more like the Old Wild West.

This could be someone clubbing Sat. night and they take it out on someone dressed in cleical garb. Twisted when some people choose to act worse when they feel guilty. :(

I get honked at maybe once every 2 weeks for accelerating slowly, but I often get "dusters" -- those passes that leave inches to spare after being tailgated and include whipping in front of me in what the driver hopes looks like an attempt to take my front bumper off. If they tailgate me too long I just start slowing down a couple of miles every 5 seconds or so. ;-)

For quite a while I seriously considered getting a nice big sign to attach at the top edge of my trunk lid that asked, "Does this LOOK like a sports car?"

I'm trying to imagine this scenerio:

co-worker does that tailgate/FU left pass
co-worker is on the clock
someone follows him closely than angerily whips around him in the hallway
he then realizes it was an impersonation of his horrendous driving and word gets aroundI'd like to think is would shame him out of ever doing it again....at least in the past it very likely would.