I was cut off on the highway and the animals (I will not elaborate) in this car began to throw stuff at my Prius. I never in 30 years ever experienced anything like this. These animals should be put in a cage where they belong. Has anyone ever experienced something like this?
Not sure I understand.. Was there a bunch of monkeys or some other critters in the other car? Or by the term "animals" did you mean punk-nice person kids or something like that?
Have I been cut off before? Yes, multiple times in other cars I drive, but not (yet) in the Prius. Have I ever had people throw stuff back at me as they cut me off? No, that's never happened. But I did have a lady once cut me off in her VW Jetta, and as she passed me from the shoulder she kicked up a bunch of rocks that hit my car window. Pissed the Hell out of me. I used my cell phone to call the state police. The particulars were - I was in the slow lane of a 2 lane divided highway driving a Saab (Turbo)...and she came up from behind me and decided she wasn't going to wait for an open spot in the passing lane, so she drove on the shoulder for several 100 yards - going 65/75 mph - until she swerved back into my lane, kicking up rocks while she did so. That was the worst case of A-hole driving I have ever experienced. But thank God we have cell phones for just such incidents. I reported her (plate number and description of vehicle), and continued to follow her for several miles as she weaved in and out of lanes..until the police finally nabbed her. It felt great! With my Prius, as I mainly drive the speed limit (or less) to get bnetter gas mileage, I'm very aware that I need to be in the slow lane. Nothing worse than to be going 10-20 mph slower than the guy behind you...he will get pissed off, and very likely, will cut you off at some point. If you're going slow, and hanging out in the fast lane, you are asking to be cut off. Doesn't make it right, it's just the way it is in today's society.
I drive a bit slower in the Prius and have noticed that it bothers some people. It seems that our fast paced lives bring out animal-like behavior in some, more than others. My solution is to avoid that kind of behavior when I get frustated.
Most incidents that I have experienced, or have seen are precipitated by speed (or the lack thereof), people not moving over, people thinking they can merge whenever they want, etc...and is irrespective of the car they are driving. Although I do think there is some psychology behind the notion that some people who drive large SUVs/trucks can intimidate those in smaller vehicles. I don't know if it's malicious, or they just feel invincible? If the former, I would like to introduce them to my lawyer.
I haven't had anyone actually throw anything other than the finger at me. That would have been a nice time to have an SUA incident wouldn't it?
I have experienced being cut-off many times, sometimes by lane-changers who never see me. However, I have never experienced people throwing objects directly at me. That action is surely unlawful, not just discourteous. I hope you were able to identify the vehicle and make a report.
Depending on the circumstances, if this incident you mention was, or borders on "road rage", and you report it with enough identifying information (ie plate number and vehicle description)...and they do nothing, or say they can't do anything...then you have a much bigger issue with your local police. That's why you pay taxes. Exactly why i followed (at some distance) this lady in the VW...to let the police know where she was. They eventually intersected her. But I felt strongly that she needed to be arrested, or stopped, because it was not just me she cut off...but was weaving in and out of traffic for miles. Was she drunk? I suspect she was...and if the police chose to ignore my call for help, then I would have filed a complaint against the police. Plane and simple - "they are there to serve and protect". If they're too busy getting donuts, then they need to find another job.
I saw a similar thread several months ago of this happening .... except the throwing stuff adds a new dimension? Fortunately for me, I've never had an issue driving my Prius here in SoCal. It's not new to this world, and has happened to many in other vehicles, but with all the media and communication, we now all hear about it immediately. I actually had an asian casino tourist bus (loaded) try to run me off the major 405fwy here while in my Santa Fe SUV about a year ago! The passangers looked a little shocked - and hopefully reported it. Best to avoid the feeble brained - they have little to lose.
Before seat belts were required in Indiana, I drove a Ford LTD Station wagon. It was a beast of a vehicle. One day I was approaching an intersection and I had the right of way. A relatively nice car, BMW for example, pulled up and stopped. He looked over, saw me coming but started inching. All I could think was that he was going to pull in front of me assuming I was going to stop. Of course I assumed it was because he was driving a nicer car. We had steady eye contact. Without taking my eyes off him I reached over and pulled my seat belt across my chest, snapped it into place and gripped the steering wheel with both hands. He stopped inching.
