Posted on 07/01/2011 3:39:55 PM PDT by americanophile
Sorry, Prius owners. Starting Friday, your yellow sticker no longer works in California's car pool lanes while driving solo. The car pool privileges, originally allowed as an incentive for people to buy low-emission vehicles, have expired.
The change affects 85,000 hybrid car owners -- about a third of them in Los Angeles.
Bruce Yonemoto, 60, a professor of studio art at UC Irvine who commutes from downtown Los Angeles several times a week, said he often saves more than an hour during choked traffic because the yellow sticker on the rear bumper of his Prius gave him the right to speed by in the diamond lane while other drivers idled.
"I get sad looking at the other lanes now," Yonemoto said. To avoid sitting in rush-hour traffic, he said he'll start waiting until 7 p.m. to leave campus.
Hybrid drivers will undoubtedly feel the difference when they are shunted into regular traffic lanes, but experts said the change in traffic will barely register for other commuters.
"To have a measurable impact on traffic, you really need to talk about significant changes in volume or demand, and this isn't big enough to really create any significant change one way or the other to either the HOV lanes or the general purpose lanes," said Marco Ruano, chief of freeway operations for Caltrans District 7, which includes Los Angeles.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimesblogs.latimes.com ...
Minorities hit hardest....
Hahahahahaha
Think this is an eye opener?
Wait until the batteries are out of warranty and need replacing!
There will be tons of hybrids and electrics for sale, dirt cheap.
We’ll see a lot of ads like this:
“Runs good, may need new batteries. must sell - MAKE OFFER.”
Motorcycles also can use the lanes.
(GIGGLE)
Or you can always try MY WAY: Have a lot of kids and take at least one with you wherever you go. (Hint: they won’t all fit in your Prius.)
But they don't, do they?? They only use the edge of the lane and whip past everyone, which scares me to death every day. They come up around the curves behind you so fast you can't see or hear them, pass on the right, and if you make a wrong move, you risk brain damage or loss of limbs for the guy/gal on the bike. This is VERY upsetting to me. THEY are the ones who get hurt. My dad had so many bikers as patients.
Your sadness does not support the collective good, Yonemoto. Report to the attitude adjustment center for examination, immediately. Termination of your faulty egoic selfishness might be necessary by replacement with a more compliant unit. Also bring a list of your selfishly hoarded "personal" possessions for reassignment to the collective need. That is all.
Some motorcycle riders take big risks. I try to keep an eye on them and move over in my lane when I can. If I went back to riding motorcycles I don’t know if I could split lanes or not. Too many car drivers don’t look when they switch lanes.
Considering that this is California, am surprised they don’t allow them to continue but pay an outrageous fee each month - like $200 or $300.
Could he carry his pet cat and call it another occupant?
So.... wonder how long that battery lasts, while sitting IDLING with the AC on HIGH ?
I was surprised to read in Westways that a Pious’ battery can power the car for no more for a few hundred yards. Sooo, a Pious is not a real alternative vehicle to anybody but a liberal.
I wondered that same thing.
Mariner Hybrid is good for about 30 miles on the battery...after your tank runs dry.
Sorry to be a naysayer on this thread but my brother has a 2002 Insight with a lifetime average of 56mpg over 240,000 miles. Pretty good mileage and its worked well for him on his 100 mile + round trip to work each day.
In his situation, it works well. Battery was replaced once by Toyota under warranty and once by himself out of warranty ($1400).
He is sad to lose use of the carpool lane.
A Toyota dealer did warranty on a Honda Insight?
“Some motorcycle riders take big risks. I try to keep an eye on them and move over in my lane when I can. If I went back to riding motorcycles I don’t know if I could split lanes or not. Too many car drivers don’t look when they switch lanes.”
Good for you and Thank You!, There are many that don’t do as you do and and there are many riders that have Sh!t for brains.
I taught the MCSF course for 3 years almost full time. Splitting lanes is just about one of the most dangerous things a rider can do. And yes I still ride and have been doing so for over 50 years. I got my first MC when I was 15.1/2, A 1936 HD 80 cubic inch flat head. The local HD mechanic told me something that that has stuck with me all these years, “ Ride as if everyone else out there is trying to kill you”.....
There you go applying logic to the left. You KNOW that does not work esp when it is opposite to their sacred teachings.
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