There’s a lot of sterotypes in the greater gearhead global community about Prius drivers, many of which are unfair. The vast majority of Prius drivers are, I’m sure, fine, upstanding people. But not all, and this is the percentage that gives them a bad name. Drivers like an Olympia, Washington woman who refused to pull over for a cop, telling the officer “I drive a Prius.”
Now, to be fair, there was a little more to the quote. She said
“I drive a Prius. I am not pulling over there.”
Much better.
The incident happened last Sunday in Marysville, Washington, when a Washington State Patrol trooper noticed the white Prius driving on expired license plate tags. The trooper turned on his lights, but, according to the arrest report, 42-year old Jamie Petrozzi “made no reasonable attempt to pull over.”
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About a mile later, Petrozzi left the highway and stopped at an intersection, prompting the trooper to use his loudspeaker to tell her to get out of the road. Petrozzi remained in the intersection, so the trooper approached the driver’s window, and told her again to pull off the road.
This is when she said “I will not. I drive a Prius. I am not pulling over there.” While it’s not clear why owning a Prius would keep someone from pulling over anywhere, the report suggested that she wouldn’t pull over onto the shoulder because her “tires kept popping,” which I’m pretty sure isn’t a thing about Priuses.
Petrozzi stated she would pull into a bank parking lot, presumably nearby. After the fourth request to pull off the road was refused, she was forced out of the car, which prompted her to tell the trooper
“I will own your bank account. I will own your house.”
Just in case that didn’t endear Petrozzi enough to the cop, when asked for her name she said “None of your business.”
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She seems nice.
Petrozzi was arrested for investigation of failing to obey instructions, failing to identify herself, and for obstruction, which are misdemeanors.
Thanks for keeping the stereotype going!
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