[Luna]

I was going through the drivethru at McDonald's today when a three-year-old boy and his father walked out of the restaurant. Instantly, the little boy perked up and fixed his gaze on my car.

"Look at the car!" he announced.

His father nodded and mumbled something absentmindedly as I parked next to an SUV to eat my salad. Moments later, the little boy and his family gathered round the SUV and slowly began to pile in. The little boy promply began to make a scene.

"Look at the tiny tires!" he yelped, checking out the wheel skirts.

Suddenly, he lunged toward my car, trying to grab it. Luckily, his grandmother snatched him away before he could get at the skirt.

"You get in this car, not that car," his grandmother corrected him.

"Tiny tires!" he protested, squirming as his grandmother lifted him and stuffed him in the back seat of the SUV.

All the while, I giggled at the kid's antics. He was probably confused, never having seen wheel skirts on a car before. Or perhaps even kids recognize the coolness of Insights. Anyway, it was one of the funniest experiences I've had with my Insight so far. It's amusing to see such young children making a fuss over hybrid cars. :lol:

Luna

 

[Guest]

Hi Luna:

___That has to be the youngest Hybrid convert I could imagine

___Adding insult to injury, I bet his dad was ticked off too

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:5e3i8ix9][email protected][/email:5e3i8ix9]

 

[Holicow]

Cool...

I had an interesting Insight Moment involving older kids right after I got mine.

I was sitting at a light and a big American sedan stops behing me. I couldn't tell from the mirror what it was, except that it was square. There was a middle-aged guy driving, and 3 early teen boys in the car.

I look back a bit later, and the driver/dad is pointing at the back of my car and saying something. The kids in back were leaned up and in, and the one in front was leaned over, and all were listening intently, nodding, looking at my car.

He was evidently pointing out my car, explaining what "hybrid" was( or at least what he thought it was). And instead of lauging or whatever kids do, they were interested!

Cool....

 

[Luna]

The day I drove my Insight home from the Honda dealer, I noticed two teenage boys standing on the sidewalk, pointing and gaping like a couple of fish. Kids can be so funny. Then again, many adults who happen to glimpse an Insight have similar reactions.

Luna

 

[Guest]

Hi Luna:

___Besides the “what kind of mileage are you getting” and at the gas station, the guards at a checkpoint I have to go through are always mentioning “is that car running?” as I coast in to stop while under Autostop. The other day I was about 3 blocks from work heading down a lengthy slow drive through a neighborhood and 2 teenagers were working on a 4WD Chevy truck w/ some monster meats and jacked up about 12” above that. They stopped what they were doing under the hood and stared as I drove by. They turned around, moved away from the truck, and apparently didn’t speak for as long as I could see them in the rear view mirror. They simply stared for the longest time. I see more Vipers around here then Insight’s …

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:e0fya2en][email protected][/email:e0fya2en]

 

[ecogrl]

I get a ton of interested gazes and questions, too. While parking the other day a security office came up to the window. He had been chasing me a while in the parking lot. I got really scared and hesitated to roll my window down. Finally, he just asked how I liked a hybrid and said he had been interested in buying one.

Then a few days later I went out to dinner with my sister and her friend. In the parking lot the friend pointed out my car and said, "look at that car!" She didn't know it was mine. Then when she learned, she just replied, "figures, you're always into any new gadgets."

Mostly though, it's just funny looks that I get. The Insight is quite a head-turner.

 

[Luna]

People are always reacting in odd ways to hybrids.

The guy who works at the toll booth for a parking lot I often use has a similar reaction to xcel's guards whenever I roll up in autostop.

"It's the sneaky car!" he always announces, grinning.

I've also found I have to be very careful around pedestrians. Many times people can't hear the Insight and leap out into the street unaware there is a car approaching.

Once I coasted to a stop in a parking lot to wait for some people to cross in front of me. Autostop kicked in while several people were directly in front of me. This one guy standing by a truck must have noticed my engine had stopped, for he stared with a bewildered look on his face. He probably thought the car had stalled. Just as he began mouthing some question at me, the way cleared and I drove off without a glitch. Insights are great practical jokers, if unintentional.

Luna

 

[slideways]

Going back to the top of this thread I wonder if S.U.V. Daddy took junior aside once they got home and started in with the "Hemi... Can you say hemi?"

 

[Aaron Cake]

His father nodded and mumbled something absentmindedly as I parked next to an SUV to eat my salad.

Not to drag this off topic, but am I the only one totally annoyed by people who use the drive through/take out and then hog up a parking spot by eating in their cars? Back when I actually ate that stuff, I would pull into a completely full Wendy's parking lot, hunt for 5 minutes for a parking spot, only to pass 6 people sitting in their cars eating (normally idling with the heater/AC on)....There's a reason that there's a large building surrounding the kitchen.

Anyway....

 

[Electric CO]

...

 

[Tim Maddux]

the guards at a checkpoint I have to go through are always mentioning “is that car running?” as I coast in to stop while under Autostop.

You should tell them it is nucular. On second thought, maybe you shouldn't.

 

[Guest]

Hi Tim:

___That is where we work. Instead of Nuclear, I should say Solar and then I might get a rise out of them

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:aa2dsukd][email protected][/email:aa2dsukd]

 

[No. 166]

The guards on duty at the gate always greet me with a smile each and every morning. I remember when I started work on camp (I work for the British Forces in Germany) last year, each morning when someone else was on duty I had to answer all the same questions over and over (how expensive, what's the mileage......)

It is just a pleasurable feeling to see those astonished faces. Doesn't matter if young or old.
:wink:

 

[Rick]

I had an interesting one this week. It was nice and warm that day so I was driving alone with the windows down enjoying it and there was an explorer driving next to me. I wasn't paying atteniton when I heard "Dude, is your car.. Electric?" I looked over and there's this guy probalby a few years younger than me half way hanging out of the window of the explorer. I reply "it's a hybrid". He got the confused look "Whats that?" me "Gas and Electric." Him "Gas and Electric! Thats Insane Wooooooo!"

I was going to mention 70mpg, but he'd already climbed back in the explorer and rolled the window up. It was wierd, but funny at the same time.

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

The good news from the posts above and from my own experiences, is that it is the children that are most interested. Alternative fuel vehicles will have a future with this generation; perhaps attitudes will go full circle and they will prefer environmentally friendly vehicles (partly as a rebellion against their parent's SUV choices?).

 

[Guest]

Hi Silver Streaker:

___Or they might be driving more environmentally friendly SUV’s like the Escape, Highlander, or RX400h HEV’s … Don’t forget that the Acura MDX has an even better EPA emission rating for smog effluent’s then our own 5-speeds already. I have to assume that this can only improve as time goes by.

___Good Luck

___Wayne R. Gerdes
___Hunt Club Farms Landscaping Ltd.
___[email:2n0s8mol][email protected][/email:2n0s8mol]

 

[The Citrus Smoothie]

Strangely enough I had the following conversation with a scruffy urchin this morning, parking my Insight. A few schoolkids went past on the pavement on their bikes and Schoolkid 1 said to Schoolkid 2:

SK1: "Wot's it say on the back of that car?" (Probably an illiterate little toe rag)

SK2: (Misreading the logo) "My car sips petrol, you suckers!"

I was out of the car by this time and walking up the pavement, SK1 came up behind me and said:

SK1: "Scuse me - but my bike doesn't use petrol" (Obviously has some intelligence).

ME: "Yes, that means your bike is better than my car"

SK1: "Damn right it is" and he was away. Bravado or environmental awareness? And should we all be on bikes? :wink:

 

[Holicow]

SK1: "Damn right it is" and he was away. Bravado or environmental awareness? And should we all be on bikes? :wink:

Good story, and he's right. If my office weren't 35 miles from my house, I might be doing the same.

I ride enough for training purposes, though 70 mi/day is a little more than I could handle, unless I plan to try the TDF next time around. :wink:

 

[Holicow]

A new addition to the collection:

Arriving home from work, there is a ganglet of pre-teens in the street doing whatever it is they do, mostly mischief.

After parking in my garage, I start toward the mailbox and I hear one of the boys say to another one, "That guy drives a hybrid. A HYBRID!" (louder, like that would make the other understand).

"I want one!"

I guess his mom or dad has filled him in on the unusual new car in the neighborhood....

:wink:

 

[dan]

Hi Silver Streaker;
I suspect the younger generation realizes that “cheap” petroleum will not last though their lifetime, and it is to their advantage to do something to make it last. I would like to agree with you about environmentally friendly attitudes. Unfortunately in my culture it is the bottom line that seems to make by far the biggest differences in purchasing choices. People that make personal choices based on “altruistic” reasons like global survival are derided as “suckers”.