I have a finely tuned Hybrid 'dar. I can spot a Prius, Insight, or even a "stealth" Civic Hybrid from a mile away. But I still see hybrids very rarely in South Carolina, Georgia (okay, I've seen a few in Atlanta - maybe HG), or Alabama. My parents live outside of DC in northern Virginia, so when I visit them, I see dozens and dozens of hybrids on any given road trip - no doubt because Virginia still allows hybrid owners to ride solo in HOV lanes, which is a great way to beat Beltway traffic.

My friends in the Midatlantic states and New England say that they see hybrids pretty frequently. Is the relative rarity of hybrids in the Deep South just a cultural effect? In the land where big gas-guzzling trucks and SUVs are revered, a hybrid owner is marginalized even more than in the rest of the nation. I've only ever seen one other hybrid besides my own in Columbia, SC, where I live. It's lonely here. Do any other Southern drivers notice this phenomenon, or am I just imagining things?

BTW, go easy on me after seeing my mileage sig - I've only had one tank! I'm still learning (and, I suspect, still breaking in my engine)!