Time to start tipping

mroyal - thanks. Same site I gave to Dick Boyd when he asked my reference, except I gave him the exact page and the source quoted by the author (VA Highway Bulletin July '74).

Sponge, you are likely correct. It begs the question, though, about the rest of the cost of the trip, and if the new economic picture will include that as well.

DicK Boyd, once upon a time you asked me my source for pre-1974 use of Shirley Highway. Other than your awesome memory, do you have a source for your assertations?

quote:

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Originally posted by AveMaria
[br]Why would a person pick up slugs AND pay HOT fee?

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They wouldn't.

quote:

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Originally posted by 122582
[br]

Slugging was founded by drivers pulling up to the bus and train stops, stealing business from the bus companies and AMTRAK so they could use the HOV. Since drivers pioneered the system, it's only right that drivers should make the "rules".

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Slugging founded by drivers pulling up to bus and train stops? Not in my recollection. The concept prior to slugging was known as hitchiking. Slugging started by drivers? Not as I remember. Riders were the ones that pushed for incentives to encourage ride sharing.

Construction of the Pentagon was probably the motivator for the existing form of slugging. Picking up passengers at bus stops was hardly considered "stealing" passengers until WMATA took over bus operations circa 1975. Private bus companies prior to that did not want to operate peaking systems.

Commuter buses were "bait". Get enough people to the business district without cars and you have a captive mid day ridership. In addition, the new people that moved to northern Virginia were more like one another then than now. Build up for the war effort brought a lot of career military officers together for the first time since the military acadamies. More of the people were the same age. Many shared lodging. There were even some labor pools in dormitories.

There was slugging long before the reversible lanes of Shirley Highway. Carpooling, be it casual or planned represented 35% of people commuting. I don't remember any commuter trains in that era. Buses and street cars represented maybe 10% of commuter traffic.

There was also gas rationing. There was also the attitude of driving alone was like driving with Hitler.

VRE got its passengers from ridesharing (carpool, vanpool, slug), not from the drive alones. In my opinion VRE made congestion worse, not better. In a certain aspect, VRE redirected the focus of making transportation decisions. Rather than have people decide to share the ride, the political message was that government would get someone else to ride VRE so every one else would be free to drive alone.

As to the cost of the automobile? What about the cost of the road?

Slugging founded by thieves? Hardly.

Patronize the advertisers at slug-lines.com

dickboyd@aol.com

All this tipping nonsense is just that, NONSENSE!
GLACIER, your post was "PRICELESS". I'm still laughing after reading it.