Attention {Everyone}

My name is Terry and my wife's name is Cathy. I mention these names here just to make sure "Everyone" realizes we are the ones in that Article. I own the 2006 HCHII and my wife along with the Writer "Dennis" were in the HCH II the Article was written about.

Now the reason for me taking my time here to let you know who I am is simply this: If anyone really, honestly, truthfully wants to know about "Wayne G." "Xcel" the Person and then His Driving Style I might just take the time to "Enlighten-You". So just think to yourselves do "You" want the Honest Truth concerning Wayne or just someone saying what they think they should to either "Defend-Him" or to "Belittle-Him". It is your choice and I will respond in a "Truthful-Matter-Of-Fact" way". So does anyone really want the {Facts} or just more personal opinions ???


I will be waiting for your "Replies".


Terry (tiger)

BTW, think before you reply to this Post:

 

I find this just insane. Wayne works harder at the little things than most do at turning there cars on. I know him. Hes driven my car. A 80 mpg segment in a 06 Honda Civic Sedan 5MT. First time he had ever been in one of the cars. Slow speeds, No drafting. Delt Flyer has driven my car and ripped a 40 plus mpg segment out of it. First time ever in a new Civic.

As for twice the speed limit on freeway off ramps and turning a car. I do it all the time. If the off ramp warning is 25 mph. You bet I'm scrubbing speed off at 50 mph or better. With the engine off. I have my full anti lock brakes under foot and the ability to DRIVE my car at speed. If you cant corner a Civic with no power steering. You really don't need to be doing it and better get to a doctor.... Cause your a wimp. A Accord turns easy compared to a Civic if your the weak type cause the steering wheel is bigger.

I don't do alot of close in drafting. I do some distance drafting. and I also will hug up when I know a semi is going to slow way down pulling a hill. Yep I slip shot it for energy to use pulling the hill so I can FAs down the other side. I just dont like getting my car beat up. But close in drafting with a willing semi driver is fun and mpg goes thru the roof when your out on the open road say in the southwestern USA. But seeing new Hondas are painted with what amounts to wal-mart class water colors. They rock chip way to easy. Just driving in daily traffic can make a new honda lok like a 10 year old chevy in short order.

I use FAS, Coasting, Load Driving, Ridge Riding. Shut the engine off at lights. Stay in the slow lane. Dont use the brakes unless I have to, corner hard. Ive not had a ticket in twenty years. And not a wreck one since I was 17. So to you poo poo sayers. Your the ones that need to learn to drive. Buy a hybrid and not polishing your driving skillz is a waste.

Jason there was no call for your statement. Tell the truth or say nothing.

psy

 

I agree with what you said for the most part. I do think you were a little harsh in how you said it . Try not to say incitefull things if you can avoid them though.

 

I'm not trying to take sides or call for anyone's head...I'm not even interested in whether it is more or less dangerous than what other drivers may be doing.....but some of the comments made are just so irrelevant that I felt I had to address them...

How does what he tells people to do have to do with whether his techniques are dangerous? I assume this article wasn't made up and he actually takes ramps at 50mph screeching tires and drafts semi's at 1 car length? I also assume that during this drive was not the only time he does these things? If so, these things are dangerous no matter how often he does them, how "good" he is at doing them, or whether he encourages others to do them or not. Can many cars "handle" an offramp at 50mph....sure....does that make it safe, smart, or legal? No....not even if it saves lots of gas.

What does his average MPG or his hypermiler status have to do with whether these techniques are safe or not? I'd love to have his average, but not at the expense of my or anyone's safety or even the convenience of the people behind me in traffic. I don't see what his "fuel saving ability" has to do with his driving methods being acceptable.

 

I've supported a low-cost vet clinic that is staffed by volunteers so pets that otherwise would not get neutered will. Saves taxpayser money for Animal Control, disease outbreaks, needless suffering from homeless pets.

One day, that clinic sent a thank you e-mail to their customers. Someone asked "Is this the clinic that had a volunteer that was the vet charged with animal abuse?". While it was true there was such a vet that did that crime, they let him go as soon as it was known. I imediately made a group reply that I've had good experiences with that clinic. Someone was knowingly or unknowninly trying to unjustly associate good people with that bad vet.

Suffice to say, I have other such net stories - figuratively taking a picture like a grade schooler and drawing horns, a pitchfork, and tail.

This happens so often that some of the flamethrowers may experience the receiving end of a misinformation effort (and I don't wish that on others).

TimK, at HybridFest, Wayne has a seminar on hypermiling, but he discussing drafting on the lane beside the big rig, three cars behind - i.e. a safe distance. He does not discuss taking turns at high speeds either.

It seems from the last post disagreeing with this attack is "irrelevant" - eliminate the hypermilers and hold a very blind eye to the aggressive/distracted drivers. I'm sure that will improve road safety a lot more than vice versa...

Maybe psyshack was harsh, but look what he was responding to - a witch trial. Many other long-standing and respected members have issues with this attack, but dismissed anyway - incredible.

In the past, quite a few are defending going over the speed limit on a number of threads - it's starting to look like that is more acceptable over here. {sigh}

 

As I recall it was a BUMP draft that pushed Kevin Harvick past Mark Martin at the "finish" to win Daytona this year.

There may be other advantages to drafting.... I wasn't being an ***, I was asking an honest question.... I THOUGHT the advantage was because they if done right they can BUMP and push the guy in front sometimes. Is there more? I was looking for a constructive response.

And clearly.... I'm not suggesting its something Wayne or anyone else is doing with their FEH.

 

Look, I get it...he doesn't discuss or promote this behavior. Great. But if he himself is actually drafting 1 car length behind a semi or taking turns at 50mph, that is still dangerous behavior. Is that not a fact?

I also understand that there are alot of dangerous behaviors out there like speeding, weaving, talking on your cellphone, etc.....and if there was an article posted about a guy who routinely drove 95mph and ran redlights to get somewhere faster, I'm sure people would be calling for his head too. But here it seems like we are expected to overlook the dangers of close drafting and taking turns at high speed because it saves gas? Seems to me that some people here are saying we should give a guy a free pass on his dangerous activity simply because it is fuel efficient.

 

I'm not saying things like drafting within 10 feet of an 18-wheeler is OK - no free pass. But lets hit him harder while ignoring the gearheads. Thtt may seem like an exaggeration, but two or so years ago, nobody at this forum would be putting Wayne on trial.

 

I have met Wayne. I have ridden in the car with him behind the wheel.
He did show me a few tricks.
He also scared the bejesus out of me.
We almost got into 3 or 4 accidents in 1 day, and he pissed off a couple dozen drivers ( that we're aware of ) in a short period of time.

He is an extreemist. Period.
He is a danger to others. Period.
He drives too fast at times. Period.
He drives too slow at times ( a lot of times ) Period.

"Ridge Riding" is stupid. Period.
Drafting 1 car length ( or 1 second ) behind a semi is stupid. Period.
How much gas do you need to save to pay for a broken windshield???
And how much petroleum was used to manufacture and deliver the second (or third, or fouth... ) windshield? Stupid. This man gets good ( ok, top notch ) MPG, but he is penny wise and dollar stupid. Period.
He can't see the forrest through the trees.

Take the good tips, and use them. Like park where you can always "head out". We can all agree that running any car in reverse to back out of a parking stall wastes gas. That is a good tip. Ignore the bad ( and often dangerous) tips... as they are not tips at all.

I come to this site and post to learn about and to discuss how hybrid cars work. Lately, things have digressed into some very dangerous practices to save a penny. But you can't spend the money you save if you are in the Hospital... and there is no car that can save you enough $ to pay for that Hospital stay! Use common sense folks! That's all I ask.

DO put more air in your tires.
DO NOT take 25 MPH curves at 52.

Peace.... and let's talk more about CARS!
-John

 

It's a miracle then while Wayne was driving the writer of the article some are inquistioning, he did not total my car on that two-hour trip from Chicago to Madison. Same can be said when he demonstrated hypermiling over ten miles with me in the car on backroads.

I'm sure you were man enough to tell Wayne what you just posted. If I agreed his risks were so grave, I'd absolutely confronted him.

Bedtime - seems like it's time to move on.