It Matters What You Call It

NoSUV,
Folks slug because it is a time saver. If I turn into the lot and there are cars lined up I park and slug. On the other hand if the bodies are lined up I drive. Time is money. Also the new term is EFH. Every F-ing Hybrid stay out of the left lane. Remember, time is money.
If the Commonwealth of Virginia wants to have everyone driving a hybrid, just make them exempt from personal property tax(Please don't tell me they already are).
NoSUV, I hope you are not a manager of sorts. You just don't like dealing with people. I hope you do not find it too much of an effort to pray for people.

NoSUV,

I applaud your resume of commuting options experienced.

I have to bring you back from the sidestep you took though. Please allow me to be more direct:

WHY AREN'T YOU USING A BUS TO COMMUTE TO WORK SINCE IT IS THE "BEST CHOICE" (for commuting, your words, not mine)?

Your sidestep took you right where your motives may actually lie. You don't really care about "saving the world", "promoting hybrid technology", or any number of other claims your arguments have purported to promote.

Your second paragraph seems to reveal more of your rationale for frequenting this site than ALL other arguments combined: "We all know the main reason for people slugging - it's economical for them. Just look at the unwillingness to share the cost of the commute, even if (gasp!) a toll might be required. The driver has all of the risk and cost, with the only benefit being the same as the slugs."

Plain and simple slug-bashing. The point has been granted a couple times--there ARE people who choose the most economical decision for their commuting that they can find. What's wrong with that? Many of these same people are the ones at the bottom of the income scale...working low wage jobs...where would you have them live? Alexandria? DC? Pentagon Row? They flip your burgers, clean the toilets you use daily, mix your salad, or any number of menial tasks that frankly don't pay very well. What would you have them do NoSUV? Go on welfare? Others slug because they don't like the congestion very much. Some drivers pick up slugs because they don't like the congestion very much. Other drivers don't pick up slugs and sit in the mainlanes for selfish reasons. Some sit there because they need their vehicles in the line of work--some could pick up slugs, some probably can't due to company guidelines. What would you have people do? Everyone buy a hybrid, qualify for an exemption, everyone drive in any lanes they like for their commute. How many vehicles would that be if all went SOV (like you do)? Where would you park them...oh, recant, they wouldn't need to park because they wouldn't ever get to work because all lanes would be the parking lot if everyone went SOV (like you do). Slug-bashing doesn't pay dividends. It appears trollish. Your arguments just became vain and empty because your real motive is now revealed.

So, when it's all said and done, yes, those who use the HOV lanes do take exception to those vehicles and drivers who CHOOSE to drive these lanes as SOVs. This forum will probably continue to discuss the outright obnoxiousness of such a move (even if legislators keep saying SOVs can drive solo in HOV lanes). You may continue to proffer your support for a greener world and the unfairness of carpoolers getting to commute at a faster pace, but when it's all said and done, the real motive does seem to emerge in your latest posts--you really don't like slugs...maybe you don't like other carpoolers either. maybe you believe the lanes should be only for hybrids driving SOV...



NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!

So that makes it OK? You didn't help pay for those roads?

If there is capital available on the markets to build these lanes, and there is money to be made operating them, then it is the State that should do it, not a private, for-profit company.

Why should my children pay a freaking tax to Fluor Corporation for the addition of One Stinking Lane of Asphalt to I-395?

My parents and I (and others) paid for I-95/395. We paid for the carpool lanes.

You paid for the carpool lanes.

Now you want to meekly hand them over to a foreign company to run?

Until your grandkids are retired?

NoSUV, I dispute that the main reason for slugging is economical, though I accept that it is A reason.

Are you sad and whiny that no slugs ever offered you money for a ride? Awwwww. How would you feel if no slug accepted your offer of a ride?

You know, Gary Groat claims that the Tool Roads are going to make slugs so popular that they can start charging. He said this half in jest (I guess) at a public meeting when asked what impact the Tool Road would have on slugging.

But again, you have missed the whole frigging point to this thread. I don't care what people feel about slugs because the majority of the lane users are carpoolers, not slugs. The PR battle, as I'm trying to make clear in this thread, isn't about Slugs vs. Fluor/TU. It is about Dagwood Carpooler vs. Mega Out-of-State/Overseas Corporation.

It is about turning over NoVa's primary N-S corridor to a pair of unconcerned non-Virginia/non-U.S. corporations for the next SIXTY years!

What is the important metric to measure use of the disputed lanes by?

% of time used for various functions?
number of vehicles moved? by type?
number of people moved? by time slot?

Numbers lie when liars number....

Buses are starting to make more of an impact. Seems more buslines are coming online, but they're still not there in significant numbers (play on words here? insignificant numbers?).

Life is about choices. Life is easier for ALL when good choices are rewarded. Worse when selfish interests/choices are rewarded. SOV is ultimately a selfish (shellfish?) act, NO ONE can deny that.

Now, NOSuv..one obvious question is so often overlooked concerning your commute. Many here are very familiar with what you've laid out as your commute and your rationale for SOV in the HOV lanes, the question has to be asked (especially in light of your comment about buses): WHY AREN'T YOU USING A BUS TO COMMUTE TO WORK?

I won't rehash your other claims and statements (summarize it to say, your comments claim to be for the "greater good" and you say buses are the "best choice"). Time to pony up big guy...

NoSb

SOV because you can, HOV because you care!