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ScarletLSG 
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Joined: 27 May 2004 Location: HI Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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 Posted: 29 Jun 2004 at 7:30pm |
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Thanks Geezehead.
I ABSOLUTELY agree that a Hybrid owner that is driving from close to ANY slug lot to the Pentagon or DC SHOULD pick up slugs. It is good for the environment AND reduces traffic. I actually do, about once per week. Funny story ... my oldest daughter is seen by docs at Walter Reed about once a month. Generally, my husband takes her ... drives a regular ole non-Hybrid car. Hubby tried to convince her that it was safe to pick up a slug at Potomac Mills, but being 12, she was just wary of the whole "stranger" thing. It's a fine line to walk -- strangers are dangerous ... unless they are slugs!! End result, he ends up taking youngest daughter. She whines INCESSANTLY ... "Why do **I** always have to be the slug?" Of course that whining subsided when she realized it was a ticket out of a half day of school. ScarletLSG |
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Geezehead
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Joined: 14 Nov 2002 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2004 at 10:54am |
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Wow - what a firecracker. Yes LSG your commute is an exception in my book and I would think most everyone else. 610 was echoing what I posted on the CX plate thread. Clearly it is selfish to drive from the south all the way into town alone. Legal yes, which I painfully admitted before, but that is where the societal arguments enter referring to acting like a citizen and helping other folks into town thereby reducing congestion. Bottom line to all of these hybrid 'bashing' posts: Those of you that can, pick up some riders!
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ScarletLSG
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Joined: 27 May 2004 Location: HI Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2004 at 10:16am |
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610-Slug,
I'm sure you've read my previous posts and know at least minimally of my situation. I live ON Quantico and commute almost to the Dulles Airport. I DO pick up slugs when my schedule allows -- read that to mean ... when I go to work early enough and come home early enough to get them at Potomac Mills and Pentagon. VERY often I go to work after the 9:00 a.m. opening to all traffic and come home well past 10:00 p.m. That is THREE days per week. The other two days, I telecommute from home ... eliminating my presence on ANY road completely. My point? Pointing the "selfish" finger at all hybrid owners is inciteful ... just makes them THAT MUCH MORE likely to NOT pick up slugs, carpool and continue their effort to maintain their HOV privileges. While 20,000 people slug in and out of DC every day ... how many of them actually sit down and write their congress member? I could put down a large percentage of DC commuters for not investigating a telecommuting proposal or for driving a ridiculous gas-guzzling SUV. But I don't know their personal circumstances ... they may not have the facilities to work from home, or need the SUV to haul 6 kids on the weekends. Bottom line is that you judge indiscriminately. I'm thankful that our stay here is temporary and that we'll be taking our selfish military serving selves out of the DC Metro area. ScarletLSG quote: |
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mfassler
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Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2004 at 9:49am |
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But if you're driving alone on the HOV, either violating or in a Hybrid (same as violating to me), then you are not doing anything to promote carpooling. Just about every person I slug with has commented that we wish the "freeloaders" (ie Hybrid drivers) would pick up at LEAST 2 slugs each way, so that they are on a level playing field...otherwise they ARE being selfish by not sharing with others and HELPING to allieviate traffic. I understand very well how bad traffic is getting, even on the HOV...but Hybrid's driving ALONE just make it worse...
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Stuck2
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Joined: 22 Apr 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 29 Jun 2004 at 9:32am |
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Why does every train of thought turn to "I hate Hybrids"? Hybrids DO save on gas -- maybe not as much as the sticker but have you actually figured out what your actual gas mileage is for your SUV???? If the Hybrids were tested following the same method as the other cars on the road, you might be shocked at how poorly your cars actually do! I was a little upset with my regular CIVIC -- never got about 240 mi. to the tank. So now I'm filling up every other week -- hey that's great.
610-Slug, don't be so judgmental and hateful. I have been picking up slugs when I'm able! Found it quite easy. And yes traffic is piling up every where - HOV is not exempt from the increase in traffic. I also figure that traffic will pick up on the roads with the new hike in Metro fares. |
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ScarletLSG
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Joined: 27 May 2004 Location: HI Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 10:22pm |
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610-Slug,
Comments like yours do nothing to promote carpooling. Calling someone selfish, without knowing or caring about their personal circumstances just makes them thankful that they aren't carpooling or slugging with YOU! ScarletLSG |
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mfassler
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Joined: 24 Mar 2004 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 28 Jun 2004 at 3:25pm |
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Okay--the HOV lanes were very clearly NOT created for the purpose of conservation--check out virginiadot.org--it states the the SOLE purpose of the HOV lanes is to alliviate TRAFFIC congestion, and that NO car without 3 occupants in it should be allowed on the HOV lanes. The are NOT legitimate accornding to VDOT..and as they are state funded roads, VDOT should have the final say...but the Federal and State Congress over-ruled them because the auto makers have lobbyists with deep pockets and PACs that I'm sure greased the way quite a bit for tax breaks and HOV exemptions.
Secondly, as has been mentioned several times on this board, HYBRIDS are not CLEAN FUEL vehicles....they use ordinary GASOLINE!! And on the I-95 HOV lanes, at normal flowing speeds, they aren't even using ANY of the battery going 65mph. So it's a bunch of crap! HYBRID DRIVERS--GET OFF OUR ROADS!!! EITHER PICK UP PEOPLE (and not just 2, but as many as need rides...fill up those cars people!!) or SIT IN TRAFFIC LIKE EVERY OTHER SELFISH PERSON IN THE DC AREA!!! --Mike (aka 610-SLUG) quote: |
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Wagonman
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Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 25 Jun 2004 at 12:48am |
quote: The Prius and Insight don't meet the SULEV standard on the gas sold here. That SULEV rating is only given out by California and they test the cars using the CARB gasoline that is only sold in California. When tested on the reformulated gasoline in this area the cars run dirtier. That's why for the Prius you see the two different rating on the green vehicle guide at the EPA website. The Prius still gets a repectable "9" rating here, same as a Ford Focus. Also, the Insight that is given the SULEV rating is not the same version of the Insight sold here. Honda does this with both of their hybrids, they take off some of the emissions equipment outside of the California market to save some money. So both the Honda Civic and Insight hybrids get a lousy "6" rating here. But I do agree with you that if they don't get rid of the law they need to make the law based on real emissions instead of perceived(i.e. marketing hype and uninformed media hype) emissions. That way maybe Honda would start selling the clean versions of the cars here and cars such as the Ford Focus would get the recognition for being clean that they deserve. |
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cedarcitynative
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Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Location: Virginia Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 24 Jun 2004 at 5:37pm |
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Once upon a time I wanted to own a hybrid. I've since changed my mind due to fairness issues and uncertainty with what the laws allowing for their use in HOV lanes as "single-occupant-vehicles" will do. However, I was going to have the following vanity plate -- just for fun: GASHOG.
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fugitiveALiEN
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Joined: 24 Jun 2004 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0 |
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Posted: 24 Jun 2004 at 5:29pm |
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My Plate: 54 MPG
I chose it because all the other ones i wanted were taken ;) HOV-1, 999MPG, HOV POS, but mainly to keep the simmering rage of hybrid haters cool-er [|)], and the unfortunate NON-HOV-1ers [:D] low. Now that traffic is pretty terrible, i understand the frustration and hatred of the hybrids, BUT it's not all hybrid's fault, and originally HOV lanes were started for conservation reasons due to the gas crisis and environmental concerns. To me High Occupancy Vehicle lanes made sense because they exponentially reduces emissions from 1 car to 2 or 3 cars worth of gasses. I personally haven't really used HOV but sporadically lately due to the fact that traffic, hov or not, is just plain awful. The only let-up i've seen was HOV on the toll-road, i guess most people don't want to pay to drive to work ;) I also am not able to carpool since i have one of those crazy network jobs where you never know when you're going to have to stay late because of whatever reason. So to just be mad and bitter at hybrids just isn't fair. Until the law has been changed, and i don't know if it will be, they're legit. I hope that they will change the laws to not just allow any old vehicle access just because there's an "electric supercharger" or something on it, but rather a true conformity to SULEV standards like the prius and insight are, or virtually non-existant emission electric vehicles that run on gel or sealed lead-acid batteries. |
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