Just Griping

[Dog]

Like many of you I planned and prepared for ER. Part of that plan was to purchase a vehicle that would allow me to participate in my hobbies (kayaking, hiking, cycling, golf, etc.).
So, I researched and purchased a Subaru Outback before I retired. It has been great and gets me where I want to go in all kinds of weather and can carry my gear.
I have a couple of friends that drive a Prius and love to talk about their gas mileage, smaller carbon footprint, being kinder to the environment and on and on...
However, when it comes time for a hike, biking, or backpack trip up in the mountains requiring driving on unmaintained forest roads or in ice and snow....guess who is expected to drive?

- Your Outback has room for all our gear.
- We can all fit in your Outback.
- Your Outback has the clearance for the rugged forest roads.
- Your Outback is safer in the snow.
- Your Outback is more comfortable.
- You have a bike rack on your Outback.

Most of the time I don't mind driving and they typically contribute towards gas money. It just irks me that they are so smug about how they are saving the world by owning a Prius and look down on those who drive combustible engines, but don't hesitate to ask me to use my gas burning, polluting engine to get them where they want to be.

Okay...,I feel better getting that off my chest!






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[MichaelB]

You could always print this and leave a copy on the floor in the back seat next time you drive. See if anyone notices.

You have a point, hope you feel better now that you got it off your chest.

 

[W2R]

If they do a lot of these activities, I agree with you! If they don't, then maybe their Priuses were not a bad choice, assuming that they put a lot of mileage on their cars.

Seems like when they start bragging about their Priuses, you could probably brag about your Outback and how much cargo it carries. But then I sometimes tend to be a little insensitive so use your own judgment.

 

[Texas Proud]

The question is do they talk down to your decision or just talk about how good they feel for being green...

IOW, they are green if they use a Prius most of the time and an Outback once in awhile... since yours is there, no reason to rent one....


But, if they were throwing it in my face, say I will see you at the top of the mountain and go with someone else....

 

[panhead]

I don't know who said it first, but someone said that the problem with Prius owners isn't air pollution, it's 'smug' pollution!

 

[ERD50]

...
- Your Outback has room for all our gear.
- We can all fit in your Outback. ...
- Your Outback is more comfortable.
...

At least for those issues, you could point out that they can be solved by taking two or three of their cars. Then point out that we would use more gas with their 2-3 cars than your larger Suburu. So now you can be smug about your passenger-miles-per-gallon (which is what really matters).

Of course, you are probably above that kind of petty smugness.

I've also found that when confronted with facts, smug people like that just shut down, They can't process it. They love their smugness, and they won't let facts get in the way.


BTW, do not infer that I think all Prius owners are smug. This is just to the ones like the OP mentions, the smug ones. Sometimes, I might prefer a little smog to all this smug! (not really, clean air is a good thing). ooops, panhead beat me to that one!

-ERD50

 

[ERD50]

...

But, if they were throwing it in my face, say I will see you at the top of the mountain and go with someone else....

If they were throwing it in my face on the way up, I might leave them at the top! Go thumb a ride back with another Prius owner, if you can find one with room for you all!

-ERD50

 

[Dog]

Heh heh....I might use a couple of your suggestions.

Actually we participate in these activities several times a month. Most of the milage on my car is from our outings. So it's not just a once in a while thing.

Thanks for letting me rant



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[brewer12345]

This sort of thing is why if I am ever in a situation where I will have to hit someone in a crowd of cars (freeway pileup or whatever) my F150 will be plowing into a prius, hopefully unoccupied.

 

[frayne]

Charge them a carbon tax on top of gas money and donate it to some environmental group.

 

[Nodak]

The mining of hazardous material for making the batteries and then tansporting it around the world pretty much takes away any of the other earth friendly Prius advantages.

 

[RenoJay]

I have an Outback but frankly can't stand it. The nav system is essentially worthless and frustrates me to no end. I traded in a barely 2 year old Acura MDX for the Subaru when I bought a house a year ago and realized the Acura wouldn't fit in the garage. This has nothing to do with your smug Prius friends, but it's fun to jump into a gripe session. BTW...did you ever see the episode of South Park where everyone was driving a "Pius" and instead of emitting "smog" their cars emitted "smug" which was represented by the sound of George Clooney's voice? He he.


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[target2019]

There's a joke by Tim Seidel something like this:
Why do I wear cargo pants? Because I have a lot of cargo!

It seems to me that your friends have a lot of cargo, and need to use your pants.

 

[bingybear]

As a owner of an outback... I commend you on your choice of car. I was looking up the tale that making the hybrid causes more pollution... well it does but from the article I saw, it looks like after 160k on both cars, the hybrid will have a lower total carbon footprint. ok, maybe long before.
Just tell them to go get a subaru crosstrek hybrid.

 

[ivinsfan]

Heh heh....I might use a couple of your suggestions.

Actually we participate in these activities several times a month. Most of the milage on my car is from our outings. So it's not just a once in a while thing.

Thanks for letting me rant



Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

Under those conditions, I think I would collect more then a "little gas money" I'd say the cost per mile to me is X so I'll need X divided by everyone in the car. or at least say, I'll do the driving for this month someone else will need to stepup next month....do they all drive to your house or do you pick them all up at their homes?

 

[growing_older]

It just irks me that they are so smug about how they are saving the world by owning a Prius and look down on those who drive combustible engines, but don't hesitate to ask me to use my gas burning, polluting engine to get them where they want to be.

Wait. Not only do they smugly tout cars that use less gas, but most of the time, they don't drive at all - costing you, but saving themselves even more gas. That's extremely eco-nomic.

 

[audreyh1]

Like many of you I planned and prepared for ER. Part of that plan was to purchase a vehicle that would allow me to participate in my hobbies (kayaking, hiking, cycling, golf, etc.).
So, I researched and purchased a Subaru Outback before I retired. It has been great and gets me where I want to go in all kinds of weather and can carry my gear.
I have a couple of friends that drive a Prius and love to talk about their gas mileage, smaller carbon footprint, being kinder to the environment and on and on...
However, when it comes time for a hike, biking, or backpack trip up in the mountains requiring driving on unmaintained forest roads or in ice and snow....guess who is expected to drive?

- Your Outback has room for all our gear.
- We can all fit in your Outback.
- Your Outback has the clearance for the rugged forest roads.
- Your Outback is safer in the snow.
- Your Outback is more comfortable.
- You have a bike rack on your Outback.

Most of the time I don't mind driving and they typically contribute towards gas money. It just irks me that they are so smug about how they are saving the world by owning a Prius and look down on those who drive combustible engines, but don't hesitate to ask me to use my gas burning, polluting engine to get them where they want to be.

Okay...,I feel better getting that off my chest!






Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

That's exactly why we don't own a Prius. I think of them as "commuter" cars - for folks who have a lot of work commuting plus in-city driving for errands. Once you are ready to head off into the mountains for hiking or whatever, or packing the gear for that wildlife phot shoot - not so practical.

 

[easysurfer]

... It just irks me that they are so smug about how they are saving the world by owning a Prius and look down on those who drive combustible engines, but don't hesitate to ask me to use my gas burning, polluting engine to get them where they want to be.

Okay...,I feel better getting that off my chest!






Sent from my iPhone using Early Retirement Forum

Dog...sounds like you might have a case of Prius envy? I should go on record and say that I don't own a Prius, but know some nice people that do.


Now...about the smug iPhone owners....

 

[W2R]

Dog...sounds like you might have a case of Prius envy? I should go on record and say that I don't own a Prius, but know some nice people that do.


Now...about the smug iPhone owners....

I have an iPhone 5s, and I'd gladly trade it for a cheap flip phone if people could actually hear me on it! I am so tired of having to YELL into the phone, and spell out words, "C as in Charlie" and so on. So I'm far from smug and kind of down on iPhones now, although I have had them for a long time.

My contract isn't up until spring, though.

 

[easysurfer]

I have an iPhone 5s, and I'd gladly trade it for a cheap flip phone if people could actually hear me on it! I am so tired of having to YELL into the phone, and spell out words, "C as in Charlie" and so on. So I'm far from smug and kind of down on iPhones now, although I have had them for a long time.

My contract isn't up until spring, though.

I'm hanging onto my old trusty flip phone. Was talking to my sister who has an android phone and I had to say several times that she was fading out. Then she goes "oops, didn't have the phone next to my mouth"). But in her case, I think more human error than faulty phone.

 

[W2R]

I'm hanging onto my old trusty flip phone. Was talking to my sister who has an android phone and I had to say several times that she was fading out. Then she goes "oops, didn't have the phone next to my mouth"). But in her case, I think more human error than faulty phone.

It might be for me, too. I need to experiment with this extensively when I'm talking to F and we both have the time for it. But gosh, I never had so many complaints about it before this year. So far, F says that how I point the phone doesn't seem to help (but I only tried a few changes).

Meanwhile, I am still down on iPhones and far from being smug about owning one!

 

[ERD50]

Heh heh....I might use a couple of your suggestions.

Actually we participate in these activities several times a month. ...

Wow, I thought this was just a once or twice a year thing, so just let it go. But several times a month? Time for a lesson!

-ERD50

 

[38Chevy454]

Prius is a glorified golf cart, tell them to get a real car that can do what they want to do. Also charge them extra for "wear and tear" on your car besides gas cost.

 

[Rothman]

If you buy a Chevy Suburban you'll find your Outback friends will want to ride with you, more comfortable, even better in snow, can put stuff in back without disassembly, maybe even their Prius.


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[RunningBum]

Dog...sounds like you might have a case of Prius envy? I should go on record and say that I don't own a Prius, but know some nice people that do.


Now...about the smug iPhone owners....

Not getting that Prius envy at all. I know some nice Prius owners too, but it sounds like Dog's friends are kind of jerks about it except for when they need something else.