Question for Hybrid drivers on HOV

I bought a hybrid almost 2 years ago. Before that did a number of things ...carpool, VRE, and the bus.

(1) Carpool experience - when I was a member of a carpool - When my carpool members came on time (70% of the time)... things worked great but sometimes 1 or both members would not show so then I would pick up slugs. Total commute - 1.5 to 1.75 hour each way when you consider the time waiting for carpool members or slugs.

(2) Train experience - I tried the train but my commute was over 2 hours each way (20 minute drive to the train station, then 1 hr 20 minute train ride, then metro for 20 minutes, and then walk to my office).

(3) Bus from Rt 17 - always on time in the morning but the commute usually took at least 1.5 total in the am since I was close to the last stop. In the evening - the commute home became 1 hour and 45 minutes since the bus has to make 2 stops at route 610. Also, National Coach buses could be anywhere from "on time" to an hour or more late. In addition, you never new which bus you would get. If it was a new bus - nice and clean and nice ride. But the older buses smell and some of the seats are broken. I have a fragile spine and could not tolerate the older buses or the stop/start driving.

I finally bought a hybrid for several reasons - (1) I am a working mother and I was spending over 3 hours (almost 4 hours) a day commuting. This was very difficult for me and my family. (2) Although my husband usually does bus duty in the morning, when he leaves town it is very difficult to coordinate getting children off to school and trying to make a carpool, the last bus north, or the train. Also, when they have doctor appts or get sick at school, I needed to be able to get home. (3) Also, my fragile spine could not take the "older buses" anymore.

If I see slugs at route 17 when I leave in the morning, I pick them up but usually by the time I leave, the slug line has diminished. And sometimes on the way home (at 6:30 pm) I loop through the Pentagon parking lot and pick up a slug to drop off at rt 610 or 17. So people who own hybrids are not all bad or selfish. Like everyone else, we are just trying to balance family life, our health, and help the environment.

PS - If we had a bus system "like OMNI Ride" that is clean, on time, had decent shocks and seats, and left at later hours so that mothers like me can get their kids off to school when needed .... I would go back to taking the bus.

I bought my hybrid when living in another state. The job market brought me and 600K of my closest friends. I got the hybrid for the gas mileage = reduced reliance on the Middle East and better for the environment.

Hybrids aren't the whole problem - it's infantile to think so. Where do the hybrid drivers come from? If from regular lanes, then there should be easing of that congestion mess, and I certainly don't see it? If from slugs, then the commuter lots would have less cars, and I don't see that either. That leaves drivers who were picking up slugs before and now are not (possible) or just more people coming into the area commuting (probable). Clinton said "it's the economy, stupid." This is a case of "it's the increase in total numbers of commuters, stupid."

The way to lower the crunch has nothing to do with hybrid exemption, and everything to do with getting the total number of cars off the road. We should focus the great energy of this forum to get the legislature to pay us (and our bosses) to have us work from satellite offices.

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Originally posted by DC2RV
[br]Prior to driving your hybrids how did you commute? I'm just curious to know if previously, you were slug drivers, slug riders, carpoolers, metroriders, etc...

Thanks.

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I have commuted from PW to Alex for over 20 years. I used 95, the "back roads" through Clifton and Burke and rode the VRE.