Despite the mounting evidence that more or less proves that current hybrids are less about energy efficiency and more about conspicuous consumerism, I have to admit I normally have a soft spot for hybrid cars. Not because I have any remaining delusions about their being good for the environment, or good for my wallet, but because… well, they’re nifty gadgets. That CVT is pretty damn cool, and the electric-gas motor linkage isn’t too shabby either. But this was all before I visited the Bay Area. Now the sight of a Prius fills me with a desire to go out and club some snooty hippies.
The Bay Area, being in California, sucks. One of the major ways it sucks is the serious traffic problems. If the highways and freeways are the arteries of the San Francisco Metropolitan Area, I’m surprised it hasn’t had a heart attack yet. You would think that California, being the home of supposed greenies and environmentally friendly folks, would have decent public transit, but no, you would be wrong. California has a huge car culture, the people out here love to drive (poorly), and can’t be asked to take a train or bus. This means all 7.2 million people are on the roads during rush hour, creating a problem of unimaginable proportions.
Much like the rest of the country, the Bay Area tries to alleviate the congestion using dedicated HOV lanes, and much like the rest of the country they allow hybrids to drive in these car pool lanes. The one big difference between the Bay Area and the rest of America is the level of conspicuous “green” consumption going on out here. All of the hippies, and their flower children have a Prius out here, and given the abnormal concentration of hippies, this means there are a lot of Prius’ on the road, and since these folks all want their “independence” it means all of these Prius’ are single occupancy vehicles. I guess it must make Gaia cry when you car pool, almost as much as when you shower.
Let’s get this straight people, your Prius is NOT a car pool. Those HOV lanes are there to reduce traffic, and since all of you nancy boys are driving single occupancy hybrids you’re not helping the problem in the slightest. Furthermore, you’re not helping the environment. Your Prius get’s a lousy 44 person miles per gallon [pmpg] (and that’s if we’re being generous), my Saturn SL1 get’s 32 pmpg if I drive it alone too (actual performance), but given that I regularly carpool my performance is much closer to 64-128 pmpg, and is a SULEV to boot. This means when I carpool, I do a hell of a lot more to reduce traffic, pollution, and gas consumption than you do. Not to mention the fact that, when I send my car off to die it won’t leave a lot of nasty reactive battery waste behind, just clean readily recyclable metals and plastic.
Please folks, think of the commute time, the environment, or just our plain good old energy dependence, and get your Prius out of the damn car pool lane. It’s for High Occupancy Vehicles, not Keeping Up with the Joneses.
-Angry Midwesterner
July 17, 2008 at 6:23 am
I’m from Toronto where we too have HOV lanes. I am stunned that *ANY* kind of single occupant vehicle is allowed in a HOV lane. There was a debate up here about this in the context of motorcycles which are also a lot more fuel efficient.
See http://highlydistractible.blogspot.com/2007/05/hov-math.html
and http://highlydistractible.blogspot.com/2007/05/hov-hogs.html
I can certainly believe that some drivers might feel entitled to drive in HOV lanes. But are you telling me the local laws allow this?!
BTW. The main highway across the top of Toronto the “401″ is the busiest in North America. It passed California years ago.
July 17, 2008 at 7:43 am
Link back: http://highlydistractible.blogspot.com/2008/07/hovlier-than-thou.html
July 18, 2008 at 12:19 pm
Yeah, this is legal and encouraged by laws all over the USA.
July 18, 2008 at 6:56 pm
In fact, California, in the one area where it doesn’t treat its citizens like children, allows motorcycles to drive suicidally between lanes of traffic (along the divider lines), zipping through traffic jams and jumping to the head of lines at stop lights.
You would almost think the state wanted to encourage motorcycling.
But then its nanny reflex kicks in and it makes helmets mandatory, as though sanity wouldn’t already demand that you’d wear one…
I don’t know about SF, but in LA any car with a high enough MPG can get an HOV lane pass for a single occupant. Of course, they have to put huge ugly stickers on three sides of their car.
January 21, 2009 at 10:53 pm
I own a Prius, and I have to admit, we would actually be better if hybrids were not allowed in HOV lanes. Or at least follow the same rules as other vehicles to use the HOV lanes. The sucker gets better gas mileage in bumper to bumper traffic. Though I could not resist getting an HOV exemption for $5 in Florida.