Hybrids - Love'em or hate'em

I know we've talked about this before on the message board but this morning on my way to work on HOV I counted 18 hybrids from Potomac Mills to the Memorial Bridge exit. That was only in the 30 minutes that I'm on HOV. I think there are way more hybrids in HOV lately and though they are good for the environment wouldn't it make sense for them to either pick up 2 more people or ride in regular traffic. Don't they get better gas mileage in city traffic? Don't get me wrong I too would like to own a Hybrid to save on gas money but I would still pick up 2 passengers. If you're going that way anyways it would just make sense.

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Originally posted by cthomas25
[br] I think there are way more hybrids in HOV lately and though they are good for the environment wouldn't it make sense for them to either pick up 2 more people or ride in regular traffic.

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Depends on what you mean by better for the environment...many hybrids have poor emissions. Qorc sounds like he has an Insight. His rating is only Tier 2 bin 9(depending on the year since the rating have changed as Tier 2 has been adopted) unless he bought his car in a CARB state and has the CA emissions package. This rating is below Tier 2 bin 5 which is considered the average or typical new vehicle emission rating. Sure, he uses less gas but he isn't helping our air pollution.

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Originally posted by qorc
[br]no I have a Prius

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Ok, your car is cleaner. But there are still regular cars that aren't that much different than yours in terms of emissions. But most of the other hybrids sold here are a joke in terms of "clean" emissions.

I'm a hybrid owner who picks up people (but I have never had one complain when there's a long line of drivers and I can go w/o waiting for another person [:D]). Enough of being smug! I've noticed that a lot of former sluggers have opted to purchase a hybrid. Why is that? Could it be because we are becoming rude and intolerable? When is it acceptable to engage in a long and drawn out private cell phone conversation in a public arena, like another person's car? Think about it and get a grip and go back to Ms. Manners.

When I purchased my hybrid I knew the exemption would end. I did it for two things A. it seemed to be cool at the time B. GAS! (I fill up every OTHER week.) But the hatred amongst everyone out there is AMAZING! Hybrid owners aren't, using Bush's favorite word, evil. They are simply taking advantage of something that is available at the present time to everyone and anyone. It was a gimic to get people to start investing in new technology. Or would you rather have Bush's tax break (which is significantly more than for the hybrid) for a H2?

From my standpoint of having to commute into the fair city for at least 16 years, traffic overall has exploded! People choose to drive into the city because public transportation is fairly expensive, but parking is cheap (and can be deducted pre-tax). Also, public transportation takes forever and isn't equiped to handle the populace.

So, quit being such a self-righteous bunch, keep writing your Congressmen and keep slugging!

P.S. Spongebob, yellow as you are, go back to the sea! [:)]

I haven't even appeared in this thread, and yet I must deal with the cruel jibes and taunts of an aggrieved population of high-bred owners who forget that I, the Sponge, Defender of Slugdom, have championed their right to keep their blasted exemption through 2006. Fair's fair, as they say.

But in their honor today, I offer a modification of my previous term, "High-bred". From now on, let them be known as "Hypebrids", since Wagonman has blown a hole in their complacent claims of greater Greenity.

Qorc, the Sponge stands ready to welcome you and Adjguy and the other Smugs back into The Fellowship of the Slug when the hypebrid exemption ends, which, from the look of things, may be never.

When you live at the bottom of the sea, the sky is always falling. Right now, the thing I see falling on me is a hypebrid SUV carrying a load of Ford Motor Company lobbyists on their way to Capitol Hill to press for legislation that will boost the sales of their latest products. Does anyone doubt, for even a second, that the legislation will pass? The sky is falling and slugging is ending.

We are living in the End Times.