Why Hybrid Car Drivers Need Thick Skin
Author: Rick Hendershot

Buying a hybrid car is more than a calculated decision to save
fuel. It is a statement about "saving the planet".

Even if the chances are pretty slim that hybrid technology will
actually make much difference, it gives hybrid owners the right
to feel superior. After all, they care about the planet. And
the rest of the world obviously doesn't.

But if you're one of those hybrid owners you'd better be ready
to lose some friends. Here's why...

1. You're Driving Way Too Slow

In theory at least, hybrid owners are the antithesis of those
guys who just ache to get in that passing lane and leave the
rest of us behind. You know the type...you're minding your own
business coming out onto the expressway and the otherwise
ordinary guy in the vehicle behind you swings out and passes
even before you've hit the highway.

Hybrid owners seem to do just the opposite. You've known for
years that driving slow saves fuel. So you're likely to be
driving under the speed limit rather than over like the rest of
the world.

The fact that you're driving a hybrid just makes it worse,
since you know that all the potential savings are squandered if
you try to go fast.

Especially when you're accelerating. That guy in the high
powered vehicle who pulls out and passes... the thought of
saving gas has never crossed his mind. But hydrid owners know
better. For you it's a moral duty to save fuel. The fate of the
planet depends on it. So there's no way you're going to try any
of that fast acceleration stuff.

2. What's with the Pulse and Glide Stuff

You've been told that "pulse and glide" can make a serious
difference to your gas milage. That's where you accelerate
(conservatively) to the speed limit, and then let the car
"glide" to 10 or more miles per hour below the speed limit.
Repeat this procedure. Repeat this procedure. Repeat this
procedure...

I once had a friend who drove like this. I thought he was
dozing off between pulses, but now I know differently. He was
actually doing the environmentally responsible thing.

My friend's driving habits aside, this practice is not going to
endear you to all the rest of the drivers who can't figure out
why you keep slowing down. It's probably smart to speed up just
a little when you find yourself in anything other than the
"slow" lane.

All bets are off when they let you use the carpool lane.

3. You Just Won't Inch Forward Will You!

Everybody else in the world knows that you must "inch" forward
during stop and go traffic. How else are you going to keep up
with the driver in front. Besides, if you leave more than about
a 15' gap between you and the guy ahead somebody's going to jump
into the gap and slow you down even more.

Hybrid drivers have been told this "inching forward" stuff is
pointless and wastes fuel. And the way they build hybrids these
days they've got a point. When you take your foot off the brake
pedal the auto-stop turns off and the gasoline engine restarts
-- like one of those gasoline engine golf carts. And there goes
most of your gas savings. All those stops and starts just eat up
the gas.

But don't expect your mono-drive cousins to understand. They've
only got one thing in mind: to get wherever they're going just
as fast as possible. And everybody knows that racing up behind
the guy in front is the only way to make that happen.

4. Do you really think you should be drafting me like that?

The responsible hybrid owner will make use of every advantage
to save gas. And drafting larger vehicles is one technique that
the more aggressive will try. That's where you pull right up
behind a semi, a van, or an SUV and try to stay in the pocket
of air they are pulling along behind them.

I remember doing this with an old '65 Beetle a few years back.
We were travelling along the New York Thruway drafting semis.
We were making great time and saving lots of gas... until we
blew a rod.

Of course, sticking on someone's bumper will not endear you to
too many of your fellow drivers. And as I discovered, it's a
bit dangerous too. You'll find yourself going quite a bit
faster than you otherwise would go. And whipping along in that
back-draft does not do a lot for your stability.

Just try to remember, when you're out there on the highway
trying to save the planet, the rest of the world could care
less about your morally superiour driving habits. All they want
to do is get where they're going as fast as they can.


About The Author: Rick Hendershot publishes Linknet News --
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