April 15, 2008
Prius Owners Target of Schadenfreudic Vandalism
Toyota Prius drivers--eco-friendly drivers who try their damnedest not to leave their carbon footprint on Mother Earth--have become "a prime target for vandals" in Petaluma. And, according to CBS 5, no one has been able to figure out why.
The odd design of the car? The smug self-righteousness of Prius drivers? For fun? Who's to say. About half a dozen Petaluma Prius owners have had their hybrid cars brutally attacked over the last two weeks: most recently, one was ravaged by the heavy end of a hammer in the middle of the night.
Chilling.
CBS 5's video report has more on what will hopefully become a widespread epidemic. (Oh, we're kidding. Sort of.) Sounds like the work of one person, but...who knows. Would you want to hurt a Prius? Why?
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As a Zipcar member, I appreciate that they have one or two $5.85/hr Priuses for rent per neighborhood, as opposed to all the other vehicles that start at $8.75/hr. The Prius drives just like any other car, and it's a bonus that you don't have to fill it with gas as often. Not everyone in a hybrid is smug.
Also, I was a passenger in a Prius in Santa Cruz a couple of years ago, and this SUV of jocks pulls up next to us and gives us mean looks and then cuts us off. Annoying back then, but hilarious now.
An SUV full of jocks in Santa Cruz did that? Girls can be so cruel sometimes.
maybe the prius haters are subconsciously thinking "i just spent nearly $4 on gas...i feel stupid...those prius owners are smart...damn! i hate them now for making me feel less intelligent"
(not a driver of a prius)
Zipcars are $8.75 an hour?!? City CarShare is $5/hr!
Yes, I'm a longtime loyal City CarShare member. :)
Of all places, why would there be a hybrid backlash in the Bay Area?
I drive a hybrid (NOT a Prius) and I pay for private parking, so I'm very fortunate that my vehicle isn't sitting on the street for random assholes to mess with. But if anyone vandalized my car--especially to make some pseudo-political statement--I'd slit their f*cking throat.
This is not my personal point of view and I don't condone eco-terrorism (or grafittism) but some would argue that driving a Prius is only putting a bandaid on a problem. It is not addressing our addiction to cars, and lack of alternative transportation. The SUV hybrids get much more flack. They get worse gas mileage than a regular small car, and get to use carpool lanes because they are "green".
My guess is the vandals simply think Prius owners will care more.
Sissa, I would have loved to join City Car Share but could never swing the $300 deposit... I joined Flexcar last year when the sign-up fee was only $36, and their rates were decent. Then I got sucked in when they merged with Zipcar... Yes, $8.75 is damn high... Might as well just rent a car.
@Leanne: Ah yes, I forgot about the deposit. I've been a member since the beginning, and the deposit was the same back then. Not sure how I managed it, actually. I've often wondered why people go with Zipcar instead. Now I know!
Regardless of the car sharing program, though, I like that it addresses the issue of car addiction (less people owning cars) AND there are hybrids available to share. It's understandable that some people just can't manage without one though. It's easier to manage when living in the city.
Two things about Priuses:
1) They are the worst drivers and fast-lane hoggers, based on my experience commuting down the peninsula.
2) Prius drivers benefit from bad driving. The slower they go, the better mileage they get. Sure, every car is like this, but even moreso for the Prius. They have a conflict of interest when it comes to the flow of traffic.
An important difference between City CarShare and Zipcar/Flexcar is that the latter basically has no insurance (state minimum = no insurance, IMHO). If you get in a serious accident with Zipcar then your life is pretty much over, financially speaking at least. Last I checked they wouldn't even offer a reasonable insurance policy at any cost. I'd look into getting together with several friends and create a "household" plan on CCS to share the deposit and monthly fees.
Here's some blogging on the issue:
http://www.felixsalmon.com/000562.html