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I learned about eco-driving from this forum and its helped, probably even made me a safer driver in some areas. I do however like to be efficient and drive the speed limit when weather/road conditions permit but, there has to be a balance. I feel the other guy has had some bad experiences with the infamous prious drivers with an ipad attached to their steering wheel. Seen it more than a few times esp in san fran. Some younger fella or lady driving a prius 15mph under the speed limit in one lane with traffic cramming up behind them and they wont pull over to let others pass. So the other drivers rage behind them till two lanes open up. I'll admit I've been the quietly angry driver stuck in the pack before but I have improved over time etc. There is a proper and improper time and place to try extreme eco modding etc.
Some new research shows that slow cars in the fast lanes or one laners can actually be just as if not more dangerous than speeding. The great majority would like to drive the speed limit or the infamous 5mph over rule and one person drives 15mph under it makes everyone mad. Yes it does not make it right or justify the road rage you see on the news today but one car can cause a great number of people to drive even more dangerously, rather than pull over to let them pass or just drive the posted limit for a few till more lanes open up? Its why more and more states are enforcing these "slow driver" laws because it can create unneeded danger. when they already have to worry about speeders, drunks, drugs and flat out driving dangerously and not paying the needed attention.
Regarding the racist undertones it could have been said in a much better way. Driving overseas and temporarily (8 yrs) in California taught me one thing. Americans are sub-OK drivers at the very best and drivers from other countries are worse and on a whole different level. Tailgating is not even a word in their culture many times at least the ones where average citizens can afford cars. One example that is kind of personal to me is with CA when they implemented a policy of giving drivers licenses to immigrants without requiring citizenship proof it backfired (not already counting the current bad drivers who were already born there). I could not count the number of times I was tailgated beyond comfort, cut off, cursed at (in Spanish), ran off the road, and one case of road rage to the point of me just driving to the police station with the dude behind me then he speeds off when he realizes where I was heading... (later reports stolen car, mixed plates etc) and witnessed accidents where the police's hands were tied because one party involved was an illegal immigrant but in a sanctuary zone.
I'm not some build the wall zealot by any means, and im all for saving a buck on my daily commute but where does the line really begin and end? If your eco driving is making everyone else around you furious its a two way street. You know its upsetting them yet you persist on doing it in the name of whatever cause, reducing oil import/export, meeting your budget, breaking your mpg record etc. In return you give ammo to all the idiots already all oer the road and you become that car that gave all the true ecomodders a bad name.
Im not defending any politician, demeaning anyone from another country but its just experience through observation and interaction. Eco driving is great but there needs to be some balance to counter all the other bad drivers out there.
"unorganized, poor grammar/spelling, poor writing in general rant over lol"
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