Saturday, April 14, 2007

Solving the Prius Problem

There's a problem with our Prius, but not with its performance. It gives us just what we expected in that department: great gas mileage, good fit and finish, Toyota reliability.

The problem is what people think of you if you drive one. Everyone assumes you're a pious, self-righteous eco-puritan Democrat, which I am not (even though Al Gore can kiss my carbon footprint). We bought our Prius more for foreign policy reasons than environmental ones.

It didn't help when one of Sam's mischievous school friends painted Democrat and Feminist on the back window. Filling up at the Wal-Mart gas pump that day was a little uncomfortable.

But anyhow, I think we've solved the problem. (Note: the problem-solver is a little hard to read, so I enlarged it and inset it in the lower left corner).


27 comments:

jw said...

I'm so glad you support the right to arm bears. It's terrible that people go out in the woods and shoot poor little animals. It's only fair that bears have a fighting chance.

Oh, and you shouldn't be ashamed to have a Prius. A lot of people where I work have them.

Anonymous said...

I just bought a Prius and am having the same problem. Maybe we need a larger and more specific bumper sticker, which someone on the 'net will be sure to sell us. Something like "Not a Democrat, not an environmentalist" or "Give your money to the Japanese, not the Arabs" or "Don't give money to people who hate us." Or maybe we should just go ahead and bare our arms.

Chip Ahoy said...

You completely misunderstand the 2nd Ammedment. It's the right to bear arms. Those are those winter coats with the furry arms. They go great with the furry boots. You have the right to wear them even if they make you lookk uncool.

Gun Trash said...

Now just take it to the next level and sign on with these folks. You'll not only be supporting the 2nd Amendment in a tangible way but you'll also get yourself a manly decal to slap alongside that one. :-)

Life Member

Anonymous said...

I saw someone driving a prius, parking at a Whole Foods, and sporting a W sticker recently. That blows a few stereotypes right there.

Anonymous said...

I looked at the Prius but ended up buying the Honda Civic hybrid because it has a back seat that you can stuff a deer carcass into.

Bruce Rheinstein said...

That must be a regional thing. In northern Virginia people assume you bought a Prius so you can drive in the HOV lanes.

Anonymous said...

The other day, I got behind a fellow who thought his Prius didn't make him look smug and self-righteous enough. His license plate: "UWSTGAS" ("You Waste Gas.")

I was going to flip him off, but I would have passed the train station exit

Anonymous said...

This is the bumper sticker your looking for:

Bin Laden Hates This Car

from Set America Free.

Kevin L. Connors said...

Car and Driver magazine's Patrick Bedard, no eco-nut, has driven the Prius extensively - and loves it.

Anonymous said...

I've got that problem too. Used to drive by the smelly hippies protesting in front of the WAR memorial building in my little electric GEM car and they thought I was one of them collectivists. But the BUSH 04, NRA and PEACE THROUGH SUPERIOR FIREPOWER stickers usually set them straight. Going to have to get a NO OIL FOR HIPPIES sticker too. As for Prius', we in the e-car world look on them as the wannabe-mobiles, especially if they're thinking they are oh so eco and carbon-friendly. I'll route my exhaust into my passenger compartment, they can route their's in their compartment, then let's see who is REALLY more carbon-footie-politically correct.

Anonymous said...

I drive a Highlander, my husband a Camery, both hybrids. The "W" bumber stickers usually do the job.

Anonymous said...

Actually, it's pronounced "Pious".

Anonymous said...

If you could only find a way to mount a gun rack in the back window.

Anonymous said...

I've heard it said that Priuses (Prii?) emit their very own form of pollution: they leave behind themselves little clouds of smug...

Anonymous said...

I'm gonna get me one of them Penises to drive!

Anonymous said...

Look at the demographics of Prius buyers. About half "early adopter" gadget freaks-who are largely Republican. Subarus Audis and BMWs are the liberal cars of choice.
I blame trial lawyers for the seemingly counter-intuitive BMW placement. Volvo is trending right as the cost goes up and up.

tim in vermont said...

I was driving my Suburban in the mountains of Vermont a couple weeks back. I had a couple of snowmobiles in tow of course. I came up on a speed bumb on the interstate. It had a bumber sticker that said "Stope Global Warming, Drive 55" This was in a 65 zone. Didn't hear any screams, but there was an awful bump when the trailer hit the obstruction.

Just doing my part to eliminate smug emissions.

Anonymous said...

Bumper sticker:

Seriously, I bought this so I could go to Wa Mart!


Just seems like it might kill a few birds.

jimcaserta said...

Redefining Green

Anonymous said...

A bumper sticker with "AL GORE CAN EAT MY TAILPIPE EMISIONS" should do it

Anonymous said...

Suggestion for bumper sticker: Not Green, just cheap.

Rob Alan said...

Go Dave!

Amlohdi said...

Why do you care what people think about what kind of car you drive?

David Wharton said...

Because I'm vain and shallow.

justin smith said...

I was looking for a MPG spreadsheet and ran across this guy's website (http://john1701a.com/index.html). This is you within 12 months.

p.s. - You could get a bumper sticker that says, "I'm not a Democrat, but my car is."

David Wharton said...

We seem to be getting 45-49 mpg consistently this spring, which is about what we expected.