Article: "H is for hellish hypermilers"

[ttoyoda]

The ottowa citizen guy is just a dead-tree troll trying it out online. These articles are written to get people agitated, agitated people then keep buying the paper, because it validates their rage, or going to the website and seeing ads, and the paper can charge advertisers more for space. Advertising money is the bottom line for any paper, and manufacturing outrage is a cheap way of doing it. Yellow journalism is not dead yet.

[zjrog]

I don't get angry on the road anymore... Life's too short, and I've been to anger management anyway. Three times! Really, wanna go faster than me? Get off my bumper and pass. Not that hard is it?

But demand for fuel *IS* down by many different methods of measure. But the price ISN'T coming down anytime soon. Speculation in the oil commodities has screwed up the system. making mandates of corn to fuel and linking it to oil pricing is a disaster of epic proportions. Thre is plenty of oil available. There is plenty of fuel (when all the refineries are working , we DO need new refineries...) most of the time. If the prices come down, sure, people will be wasteful again. Human nature.

Write a rebuttal to that paper...

[SVOboy]

The sad thing about the media is that they mostly do a google search for that they want and look at the first thing they see...A lot of people end up seeing WG and his drafting, flying around corners, extreme P&G, screw everyone else on the road approach and think that's all there is.

[wagonman76]

Who knows, there will probably be laws eventually against hypermiling.

I already know of someone local who got pulled over last year for going 45 in a 55. The aggressive jerks who drive considerably over the speed limit, and pass into oncoming traffic so they can keep it up, rule the road and the police will not touch them with a 10 foot pole. I see it all the time. Around here they are the ritzy tourists from downstate and anything that discourages tourism is prohibited, including making tourists responsible for their actions. This not only goes for the road but for littering, drunk boating and snowmobiling, you name it. Other areas of the country may share similar experiences.

Its easier to pick on the law abider. Similar to laws that keep kids home in the evening, because its easier than actually dealing with the criminals.

[IndyIan]

I just wrote a quick email to Carl Neustaedter, Sunday/Features Editor cneustaedter@thecitizen.canwest.com
Hopefully he's the right guy, anyways I didn't bother to argue the points of the article, I just said that I feel the article was poorly researched and unbalanced.
I was thinking of offering my services to write that column as it seems 10 min on google is all the research you need to do...
I've got time for that at lunch hour

[greenitup]

I hate it when people are behind me because then i can't drive as well. I do like when they get stuck behind me at a light, because then they have to accelerate very slowly, my engine can't accelerate fast even if i wanted to. They should slow down (it kinda sounds like my brother; "i accelerate fast so i can keep my car safe", when asked why he slams on the gas so he can get up to 50 mph and immediately slam on brakes, also why he is going 50 mph on twisty back roads. One perk, driving is faster with him, but i'd rather have the gas savings.

I don't do those insane turns, also i don't pulse and glide insanely, i use it to get me down hills and flats, not changing speed by 30 mph.

"They recommend coasting instead of braking when coming to a traffic light"
makes it sound like we coast through the light or brake at the last second, but it is opposite, i brake far away so that i have momentum to make it through the light without stopping and then starting.

I don't do anything dangerous or stupid, also i have tailgaters because then it is harder on hills, my truck can't make it up big hills anyways without slowing down substantially. I think the people that brake on hills are way more dangerous.

[whokilledthejams]

Wow, what an ignorant load of crap.

I am so sick of people complaining how expensive driving is, while doing absolutely nothing to change their habits. It's such an "American" way of thinking, that "everyone has to change except me."

The worst part is, isn't gas around $5.50/gallon in Canada? I was in Niagara Falls, Ontario a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't see any gas stations while I was there (in the touristy bits), so I am not certain offhand.

[ajax_6531]

Like everyone says, safety first. Do what you can, but don't put yourself or others at risk - common sense plays a major part here.

I drive about 5 miles to work on flat ground. There isn't much room for anything special here. People routinely drive over the speed limit, but I try to stay at the speed limit with no problems.

[Big Dave]

My rule of thumb is to drive the posted limit. Driving 20 under will get you pulled over and searched for drugs or somebody will throw a chair at you. (In Indiana everyone thinks they are Bobby Knight). Funny thing, at the posted limit (55 or 60 on rural roads 70 on the slab) I'm still passing 40% of the traffic.

There are people driving way too slow. Taken to its logical extreme slowing downto the max means stopping. At zero MPH, you aren't burning any fuel at all. That's why I latch onto the limit. Driving that speed cannot be logically attacked from either side.

P&G doesn't work well for me so I only do it occasionally when I can't see anything in the mirrors. Wild speed variuations in traffic is rude IMO. Coasting down to a stop sign or a light from a mile off at the limit is just good safe driving, however.

I have Firestone tires. You cannot over-inflate them, despite what the canadian meathead says. At 105 psi the tread doesn't even crown.