Got into a bad discussion about FE

[Project84]

So on another car forum, a car club dedicated to muscle Camaro's and Firebirds, I put up in the general discussion a link someone here posted a while back regarding GM's plans to spend $500M on a 45mpg car called the Cruze. I basically just said, look what GM is doing... and asked, How does everyone feel about this? Think in terms of the Metro, Saturns, Cavaliers that have been proven w/ little and sometime NO modification, can exceed 45mpg, relate your input to the cars available in the 80's and 90's from GM that could achieve 45mpg.

Everyone knows I try to hypermile, and they think I'm one of "those crazy gas guys" because I'd rather drive my Saturn every day than my Camaro. So I guess I was asking for it, but EVERYONE took offense and basically flamed the hell out of me. Next thing I know they're all DEMANDING I TELL THEM what I've done to my Saturn to get good mileage.

In true stubbornness, I denied their requests and said, if you want to know how to get better MPG, do a google search for "mpg forum" and do as I did, read, learn, form your own opinions and experiments. Well, that didn't go over so well, basically they told me if I was going to have the attitude I did and tell everyone to "piss off" then I wasn't welcomed anymore. I've been an active member there, attending cruise-ins and races, since 2002. Just because I wouldn't give away all these "hypermiling secrets" they think I have, they all want me gone.

Don't you think it's lame of them to act that way? I mean, sure, one part of saving gas is helping other people save gas too, but I wasn't about to be put on trial and harassed into telling them what can easily be found with a google search. So just like most people, these people are the type to piss and moan, continue driving their 15mpg trucks and Camaro's and NOT try to learn how to improve mileage.

It just frustrates me that things happened the way they did... so am I the jerk, or are they?

[GasSavers_BEEF]

you have to think though, you were the odd one at that site. every so often we will get someone here that goes against the grain and talks about how WE impede traffic and how gas consumption isn't that important.

If I had to assume, they just wanted to know what you did to ridicule you more. I am also a member of dodgetruckworld.com (inactive member) I wouldn't go over there and tell them about this site. they are all about power, huge dyno numbers, and low qtr mile times. there are probably a few that care a little but most are as described.

I think that neither are really at fault. you were trying to tell them about something relatively new that they could possibly use and they wanted none of it because it goes against their reason for the forum.

at least you gave it a try. I wouldn't have even posted it on another forum. kudos to you for trying though.

[Jay2TheRescue]

They were jerks, but you could have left the Google part out, and said something like "If you want to know more, visit www.GasSavers.ORG like I did. They have all the information you need." Then if they read and have questions you can go ahead and spill the beans on exactly what mods are on your car, and what driving techniques you use. I met someone last night that drove a Jeep Wrangler and made a comment that my mileage must be really bad driving a full size 4wd truck. I told him everything I did, showed him my gaslog on my laptop, and that I was hitting the EPA highway rating driving in city traffic. I then showed him the mods done to the truck (most were stealth and had to be pointed out) , and he said "Gassavers.ORG, I'll check that out tomorrow." So if we see a new member from Maryland driving a white Jeep in the next few days make him feel welcome...

-Jay

[theholycow]

Originally Posted by Jay2TheRescue

They were jerks, but you could have left the Google part out, and said something like "If you want to know more, visit www.GasSavers.ORG like I did. They have all the information you need."

If he did that, then folks on that forum would come here, see what modifications and driving techniques he's using, and then use that information as ammunition on their forum. Additionally, if they're as jerky as they sound, they'd probably invade this forum and start trolling.

I've seen it before and I'll see it again.

Project84, can you paste the text of your post there? I can't tell (from your post above) what you posted there. The way you phrase it above, it doesn't sound like you said anything that should have blown up like that, even on a Camaro forum.

[Project84]

No, but for about a year now I've been singled out and ridiculed for just about anything I post over there because I'm just not fitting their "member mold" like I used to... mostly because I don't come to the weekly group outtings, and I stopped being active on the forum and helping other members personally (helping w/ car problems, helping people move, promoting their sale items, etc.).

I could copy/paste but it went on for 40+ posts w/ my final post announcing my pull out of the forum, and telling them all basically what I thought about them... I wonder if I've been banned? Things got ugly.

Point here is, I was wanting to discuss GM being these people are GM nuts, and instead, they all took the post talking about a 45mpg car and used it to relate to my MPG and aimed the cross hairs at me being a gas miser and insisted I "tell them my MPG secrets" to help the community or just be gone.

So basically, I'm gone. I still feel a bit guilty though because of how things happened, although, I do not think I was in the wrong.

I more/less wanted to focus on the 45mpg number and discuss how it related to old models that are no longer in production.

Also, I have my gas savers signature display thing in use on that forum, so they all knew where to go looking for MPG posts and yet, still insisted I tell them "all the details of my car and how I'm getting good mileage."

LAME.

[Jay2TheRescue]

I haven't encountered any of that. Most people I talk to (if FE comes up in discussion) end up saying wow when they see my mileage figures and knowing that most of my driving is stop & go city. Most are even further impressed when they see how stock the truck looks. Everyone here knows I take special care in trying to maintain a stock appearance. Only one thinks I'm crazy - My brother in law that is the service manager in a Ford dealer. He especially thought the grille block was not a good idea.

Then again, I'm 18% over the EPA combined rating (EPA combined figures 55% city and 45% highway) and my actual driving is more like 80% - 90% city.

-Jay

[99metro]

I'm the only whacko in the parking lot at work also. I even have some yellow window writing on the car "HYPERMILER! 60+MPG". They all believe cruise control gets the best economy and you get what you get. I'm just commuting to/from work, no need to haul stuff or tout my man card and caca. All the something-teen mpg vehicles pretty much stay home except for the occasional mama-needs-go-to-town-for-something-important runs, or I take the truck to work if I am also stopping to get a load of hay on the way home.

They have asked how to do it, and they get that glazed over look like I need some REAL professional help! I got my thing, they got theirs.

[theholycow]

Project84, it sounds like that's a particularly jerky group when it comes to people who don't fit in. They want everybody to be exactly the same.

[dkjones96]

Careful, they find this forum then read this thread they'll link to it over there and call you a whiny bi**h.

[Project84]

I've been a whiney ***** for some time in their eyes, even more so, I have complained about being "singled out" and "preyed on" to the moderators and club president and they all pretty much gloat and disregard it.

I've been fed up w/ them for some time, and basically just sticking around giving them the benefit of the doubt, hoping they'd eventually tire of always nagging me, but it never happened, and it led to the most recent event, me leaving the forum/group.

I just feel like, even though I was trying to direct a thread in a certain way, to focus on a topic they all know I'm interested in, MPG... they used it against me and singled me out, demanded I tell them all what I've invested time/effort/money into learning about. That's just wrong. I related it to the same principle as competitive drag racing. You aren't going to show up at a race and ask all the competitors, hey man, I own this same car and I can't break the 12's, what's done to your engine?? You'd get laughed at and sure as hell wouldn't get a definitive answer. Believe me, it's happened to me. So I employed the same principle in my response that if they wanted to learn the "secrets" they'd have to do their own legwork, but it was all out here on the WWW for anyone to find.

Perhaps I'm the jerk? I'm still trying to figure out who was in the wrong.