Prius Guy

I went to a lunch meeting today where there was a Prius Guy. I thought Prius Guys, you know the annoying, nosy busybodies from three years, were extinct. I guess not. Prius Guy talked about his Prius the whole meeting, which had nothing to do with his Prius.

I could have talked about the toxic nickel in his Prius's battery that is shipped from Canada to Europe to China to Japan to the US. I could have thrown out my favorite somewhat dubious Prius fact ever--that after factoring in the environmental damage in making the Prius, you're better off with a Hummer. I was even ready to argue about the assumptions in the study. But I did not. I kept my mouth shut.

When we got out to the valet, I was hoping the Prius would come first. It did not. Instead, my flashy sports convertible's V8, Car #2 rolled up. Makes sense. Valets like it because it is a very rare car, so they park it closer. He sneered at me.

Prius Guy: "What kind of milage does that thing get?"
Dog: "I drive 3 miles a day, 5 if I'm going to lunch like this. So, I don't really care."

I didn't even turn to see his response. Prius Guys make assumptions about me and my driving that just aren't true. Given my driving habits, Car #2 is downright green.

Sometimes, in a valet lot, it pays to just fit in. A Prius in a sea of Land Rover and BMW and Mercedes is a message. Granted, it's one that Prius Guy feels makes him superior or something, but it's a message. Car #2, as an older but very flashy luxury car, fits right in. It will continue to do so for years. I don't want to be Prius Guy when I come out of a meeting. I also don't want to be Ford Guy or something like that. So, I just fit in with one of the cheaper, but sexier cars in the lot.