The current hysteria surrounding Toyota in general and the Prius in particular reminds me of the run-up to Y2K. Being a computer and electronics professional, a lot of people asked me about Y2K and whether the world would end. Many people were really scared. One crazy neighbor stockpiled food and hunkered in the basement as the clock ticked toward midnight. When asked, I would patiently explain why Y2K wasn't a big deal, why most computers didn't even know that it *was* Y2K, and that for those that did the only real risk was data corruption. I answered every question with airtight logic, and with as much calm as I could humanly project. It didn't help. The skeptics still hid in the basement. They believed CNN when told that their toasters might kill them. This current runaway Prius situation is a lot like that. Many people have come to PC concerned and asking questions. This is a good thing, as PC is the right place to come for information about Prius. The bad thing is that many of these people choose to ignore the experts and instead fall victim to the fear mongers. There is a core of dedicated technical experts on this site. These people really know the Prius. Mostly they don't work for Toyota, nor do they profit from their knowledge. They come onto PC and answer questions because they like to help, and enjoy talking about the technology. Beating up the experts when they provide real answers is a lot like what happened during Y2K. I wasn't helpful then, and it's not helpful now. Tom
People need something to panic about, whether it's Y2K, swine flu, {insert politician of your choice here}, or whatever. Next week it will be something else, so ride it out (and get ready to shift to neutral).
Some people believe everything they see in the media-particularly on TV. They don't realize that the media is a business--their agenda is to make money. That means advertising and ratings--entertainment, not truth.
Can you imagine the level of hysteria if this had happened ten years ago, at the time of Y2K? Nobody would want to drive a Toyota with a computer in it as the famous date arrives! Ha ha!
i dropped half a mil on new hardware and software. absolutely could not get a guarantee from anyone, including the old tech people and consultants. so, i'm passing on U/A and climate change. can't afford either.
People also think all pit bulls are killers when nothing could be further from the truth. Lovable, obedient, devoted, affectionate babies when raised right but you wouldn't know it from the stories that make the news.
You are so right. I volunteer at an animal shelter and pit bulls are just dogs. They were the most popular breed in the early 1900s. They were called the nanny dogs because they were so good with children. The breed has been hijacked by evil gang banger types and they have suffered terrible abuse. I have an adopted pit bull and she is sweet, sensitive, friendly, playful, and goofy.
