I took a friend on his first ride in a Prius the other day, he was pretty impressed with it cruising silently on the electric motor and the nearly seamless transition from electric to gas. He started saying how it's going to be the future of cars, then I just about died with laughter when we stopped at an intersection as he looked around at all the other cars burning gas away and snobbishly said "oh, look, there's one of those 'regular gasoline' cars..." I replied with "I know, that's so 20th century..." It's fun to see different reactions from people, but this was certainly one of the most hilarious.
I've had some fun while parked. I have a parking guide made out of an antenna bolted to the front license plate. When asked what it is I say it's a wireless charger; that every time I drive under high voltage electrical cables the car sucks in electricity wirelessly and recharges. I watch their eyes for the right moment to tell them it's a parking guide. Gets them every time. :lol:
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Godiva @ Dec 31 2006, 04:08 AM) [snapback]368889[/snapback]</div> When ever I let somebody drive my Prius for the first time, I change the speed readout to KM/hour. The are so confused by the starting procedure, they then actually believe the speed readout!!!! I let them go for a few minutes before changing it. It's hilarious!!!!!
I fooled my roomie and her dad that the car identifies me and that's how it opens the doors for me. :lol: That confused them so much. Side question to Godiva's post, so it's not just me who has trouble seeing the front end of the car. I used to park few feet (sometimes more than a few) away from the curb because I cannot see where it ends. I suck at parking with this car. I am so afraid to park between two cars that I will hit one of them while trying to get in.... Didn't have this problem when I drove two Camry's belonging to my friends. Any sugessions?
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Dec 31 2006, 08:37 AM) [snapback]368897[/snapback]</div> During the break at University, get a friend and find a parking lot with one car parked off by itself. Practice pulling in next to that car - sometimes to the left of it, sometimes to the right of it. Your friend's role is to provide you the assurance you are not "too close" as you pull in; ie, she/he gets to stand outside in the cold as you practice. After a dozen tries, let them inside the car to warm up - and you keep on practicing andother four pulls in on each side of the parked car. Then off to a nice cup of hot chocolate, coffee or tea for both of you!
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Dec 31 2006, 08:37 AM) [snapback]368897[/snapback]</div> The DMV has parking poles that I practice at sometimes just to keep my skills honed.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Dec 31 2006, 07:37 AM) [snapback]368897[/snapback]</div> I back into the garage and I have a 2x4 on the ground that the back tires bump when I'm far enough (plus the backup camera) and I get so nervous with the garage door going down, it looks like it's coming down right on the hood! But it clears it with a few inches to spare every time... I've seen other "antennas" on Sigma, you might try those as well (they even have powered retracting ones).
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(walt @ Dec 31 2006, 11:18 AM) [snapback]368931[/snapback]</div> Will try that. Thanks.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(ilusnforc @ Dec 31 2006, 12:56 PM) [snapback]368944[/snapback]</div> Yes, but if youi want / need 'em for front & back? Over $500 ! ! !
While not exactly in a Prius, I've long irritated my wife and kids by saying "open sesame" when grabbing the door handle.
I have a friend, the first time I took her for a ride in my Prius, I said, "Now watch - notice I'm not using the key" as I opened the door. "That's because you forgot to lock the door, you idiot!" she said. "No, look." Then I closed and locked the door and stepped back and said, "OK, you try it." She did, with predictible results. "OK, now watch again." and opened the door with no key. "I wasn't trying to open hard enough." she explained. So I shut, locked, and stepped back again, inviting her to open it. Of course she couldn't. Of course I could. "Your car is HAUNTED!" she exclaimed. The second time I took her for a ride, she tried to open the door and couldn't. So I walked up to the door and said, "She's a friend. You can open the door for her." She then opened the door with no problem. She said "Your car is STILL haunted! Next time you pick me up, we're taking the bus, OK?"
After parking in my garage and fearing I would put a dent into a freezer in front of the car, I spoted a seam in the sheet rock on my drivers side. Now I pull in and stop at the same line up spot everytime with no fear of hitting the freezer or the garage door not closing. I also have a line up spot on my left at work so I don't hit the parking lot barriers with the front spoiler. This has worked very well for me.
Funniest reaction to my Prius: I'd parked in an underground parking garage in Seattle. On leaving I turned on the EV-only switch (as I always do in parking garages). There was a steep ramp up to the ticket both. But the guy in the booth was asleep. I had to knock on the window to wake him up, and scared the hell out of him. He was completely puzzled that he didn't hear me coming - he was tuned to wake up on hearing the roar of a car engine as it come up the ramp and couldn't understand how I'd snuck up on him. I didn't have time to explain hybrids and ev's to him, so I just left him scratching his head...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Michgal007 @ Dec 31 2006, 08:37 AM) [snapback]368897[/snapback]</div> Well, the parking guide antenna sticks up above the hood just enough in the front for me to see the front end. The nose is a lot shorter than my previous car so hitting something wasn't really a problem. The turning radius is a lot smaller too. So parallel parking is actually easier. I'd get some traffic cones or something similar and practice in a parking lot. Do a search and there are directions somewhere (I think Arizona Charlie) on how to make your own parking guide. <div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mrg @ Dec 31 2006, 02:23 PM) [snapback]369002[/snapback]</div> My Mother has the same problem in their garage. My Dad hung a yellow tennis ball down and she stops when the hood ornament lines up with the ball. I back into my garage so I use the front parking guide to make sure I clear the door. If I back up too far, I pull forward.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Stev0 @ Dec 31 2006, 11:04 AM) [snapback]368995[/snapback]</div> My wife thinks the car doesn't like her (shades of Christine) because I use the button on the fob to unlock and she doesn't open the door until 30 seconds are up and the doors relock (generally when she's just about to grab the handle).
Someone on the Yahoo group once said that he told people he had given Toyota a DNA sample and that's how the car recognized him and unlocked the doors. And he said everyone believed him!!! BTW I use a tennis ball in my garage to park as well, but I have it hung so it hits the windshield when I'm far enough forward.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(mcbrunnhilde @ Dec 31 2006, 07:20 PM) [snapback]369093[/snapback]</div> What idiots. Don't they know it's really fingerprint biometrics?
Funny things to say in a Prius... "Crap. It is burning gasoline again, like all the other cars." Or, my personal favorite.. "This is our gas guzzler." Funny as they are, I typically end up sobbing.
