Swallowing Pride to Quit Guzzling Gas

I pulled into the 7-11 to get some coffee yesterday morning and heard someone yell at me as I headed for the front door.

"Get to work!"  It was Jason, a landscaper buddy of mine, and that's how we landscapers always greet each other.  I walked over and bent down to the passenger side window of Jason's recently purchased Toyota Prius.

I had to bend down pretty far.

"How do you like the Prius?" I asked.

"I love it," Jason said.  "I get 46 miles to the gallon."

He then showed me the car's display screen, which coaches the driver on driving to get better gas mileage.  He said the Prius, which he bought for work (Jason owns his company and is primarily a designer,) has become his family car and that he and his wife and son take it to Richmond for soccer tournaments.

"Some of the other soccer dads give me sh*# about it, but I don't care," he said.

I nodded in agreement, but what I was really thinking was: If you think you catch hell at a soccer game, try rolling into hunting camp in that thing.

Later though, I got to thinking about how outdoorsmen could take advantage of the great mileage offered by cars like the Prius while still maintaining their image.  Here's a couple things I thought of:

• Paint it camouflage;
• Mount antlers on the hood;
• Put one of those 'They can have my gun when they pry it out of my cold dead hands' bumper stickers on it; or
• Just wow your friends with all the new hunting gear you bought with the money you saved on gas when you got rid of the old F-250.

And that got me to thinking even more.  I do a lot of things, both professionally and recreationally, that tend to dirty up my vehicle.  I get behind the wheel with mud on my boots, sweat rolling off my body and occasionally a little blood on my hands and/or clothes.  Who wants to abuse a big beautiful American truck with all that stuff?  Not me.

But I wouldn't feel as bad about doing it to a not so beautiful little Toyota!

Comments

[JEC]

Hey! Nothing wrong with a
Toyota--I've been saving on gas for years now. That's why I'm so rich.

[Blessed]

You have a good point there why mess up a truck when you can do it to a tuna can instead! The bumper sticker would be great for confusing people... a gun owner driving a Prius, that would confuse a few anti's

[Arthur]

I think the bumper sticker would be hilarious.

I sold my truck last year and bought a car and I hunt out of it just fine, and was able to afford a new bow because of it.

When guys give me crap I just let them know that it makes me much happier to be able to afford new things and have money in savings then to have a big gas guzzling truck.

I'm telling ya that the savings is well worth it.

I put my boots in the trunk so that I dont dirty up the car. It works out great. I just switch footwear when I'm getting the rest of my gear on and around.

[Kristine Shreve]

That's a pretty good rationalization you've got going there. I drive an 8 year old Saturn and it gets pretty good gas mileage. Saving on gas does let me buy other things.

[Kevin]

Happy Fathers Day. I love my Toyota Tacoma 4 door and the 20 plus MPG I get and as soon as Toyota comes out with a truck that is a hybrid, I am in!!!!!

[Tom Sorenson]

That's hilarious! Although, I'm fairly certain the little prius would get high centered trying to crawl into the mountains. Gonna have to put a nice big lift on it - then throw the bumper sticker on it. Wonder if they make a gun rack for the Prius?