Hybrid Only Parking abused
Hybrid only Parking. Yeah, I use to be impressed when stores and local business cared about things I cared about. In this case, hybrids had preferential parking over non-hybrids @ my local Fresh and Easy. (Don’t worry, Fresh and Easy, I still < 3 you guys)
Obviously, people don’t care anymore. Unless this is a special hybrid 4 runner I don’t know about, we just have a guy trying to get his work out on @ 24 next door, saw the spot, and didn’t think twice about it.
So, who really cares about who drives a hybrid anymore? Now theres fast hybrids (The 1/2 baked, 70k + GS450H), Hybrid SUVs, yada yada, do drivers really need this type of attention anymore?
Honestly, yeah. Hybrid only parking is sort of played out, especially now that they’re so mainstream. Where I live, there’s a Prius parked on nearly every block, and that doesn’t even include the Civic Hybrids, Insights, Escape Hybrids, and others. When hybrids were new, special reserved parking was a cool way to reward early adopters, but now it’s more common to see a hybrid than a diesel in many North American cities.
Also, just because there’s a hybrid drivetrain under a vehicle’s hood doesn’t mean that the vehicle will be insta-thrifty. You pointed out the GS450h, but let me add to the list. What about the $106k Lexus LS600h or the $75k Cadillac Escalade Hybrid? I’m a techie, so these vehicles are intriguing to me, but do these vehicles really need preferential parking over more thrifty conventional vehicles (such as the VW TDI vehicles, that get much better fuel economy) just because they’re hybrids? I say, naah!
Unless the vehicle is an electric or plug-in hybrid and the reserved spot houses a charger, preferential parking for such a broad class of vehicle is both silly and, as your picture proves, unable to be enforced.
Anyway, I didn’t mean to rant so much. Good article and nice site!
Thanks Antuan! Im humbled that guys from Autos.Cnet are reading my tiny blog!
I Concur to your rant, its exactly what I was thinking of. If it doesnt run on Unicorn farts…who cares!