Alternate Route

Oct 3, 2007 - Dangerous Crossing

Some may have thought I was being a bit paranoid when I thought that Toyota Prius drivers were out to get me last time I was in Santa Monica.

Well it turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks that the very quiet nature of the Prius and other hybrids while operating in electric mode can create an unexpected situation at times.

According to the story, Blind People: Hybrid Cars Pose Hazard, blind people say because hybrids make virtually no noise at slower speeds when they run solely on electric power, they pose a hazard to those who rely on their ears to determine whether it's safe to cross the street or walk through a parking lot.

My experience was much the same. You don't get the same "audio signal" that you normally expect to hear when  faced with traffic and a wayward hybrid can sneak up and surprise you.

National Federation of the Blind President Marc Maurer said he received an e-mail from an environmentalist who suggested that the members of his group should be the first to drown when sea levels rise from global warming.

Now there's someone who's truly blind.

Stop, look, and listen
But what if there isn't sound?
Dangerous crossing

3:37 am | Categories: car safety, hybrids, pedestrians Comments (2) | Permalink | Alert Administrator

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Aug 15, 2007 - Speed Bump Day

Halfway to Friday! Let's hope I don't tear out the suspension so I can make it to the weekend.

One other item  to mention about my recent visit to the Edmunds offices...

I'm basically an East Coast guy. That means I grew up with the understanding that the streets are for the cars, and you watch out for yourself when venturing into their domain. Where this California notion comes from that you can just step out in front of traffic and they're going to stop is beyond me.

One of my college roomies at Penn State came from Long Island. We grew up under the same basic rules of survival. But after living in LA for over 20 years, he'll walk out in the middle of the block without even taking the slightest peek at the traffic. While the screeching tires are impressive to hear, I fear that if he visits the East Coast and spends any time as a pedestrian, we may not hear from him again.

So I'm wandering the streets of Santa Monica, trying to fit in. And I finally get the hang of stepping out in front of cars in the crosswalk and not giving away my amazement that cars are actually stopping while I continue on my tour of local watering holes, except for...

The Prius Hordes of Wilshire Boulevard.

Not once, or twice, but three time times in about as many days, some anonymous hypermiler in a Toyota Prius tried to pulse and glide over me while making a turn onto the street I was crossing because he couldn't wait or didn't see me crossing the street. The really bad part is that in electric mode, they make very little noise, which is why I'm highly suspicious of their motives and their aim, sneaking up on me like that! As host of the Hybrid Vehicles Forum, I'm interested in the technology. I don't think it's anywhere near mature just yet and the current crop of hybrids isn't the final solution, but is that reason enough for a hybrid proponent to attempt to run me down?

You want to keep the planet green? Try not to spill my blood, please!

Five Oh M P G
At any price, get mileage
Hypermiling bliss

3:21 am | Categories: automotive haiku, hybrids, hypermiling, pedestrians, penn state, toyota prius Comments (4) | Permalink | Alert Administrator

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