http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercu...n/14037080.htm


I generally drive with the flow of traffic but I agree 100% with above quote. I generally get about 1 guy or gal in big Truck tailgating me even if I am at 75 or 80.

 

Even if it was legal for me to use a carpool lane in Dallas driving alone, I would almost never use it. It's horrible hybrid ambassadorship to bottleneck the carpool or the passing lanes. Yes, I'll drive at or under the speed limit, but in the rightmost lane.

For anyone going below the flow in a carpool lane, just think: "Are you really much different than the speeding land barge?" Both types of drivers are trying to control others and being annoying.

 

I agree with both of you and the article in general. However, most of my driving is in the boston metro area on secondary and interstates. Never been flashed from behind while in the left lane or any lane since I got my HCH even when I need to go 70. But, when I drove my maxima in the left lane at 10-15 over the limit, I always got tailgated and flashed. Hmmmm...seems like they all wanted a race. I think people around these northern parts recognise the hybrid as something to envy not harass...maybe more tree huggers around here as well....(me included) Maybe you need some big red stickers that say Caution, High Voltage Keep Back 300 feet...

 

"hybrid ambassadorship" I like that.

 

Urgh, another article quoting Consumer Reports as saying that hybrids cost so much more than other cars over five years of ownership. Yuck!

"Although Consumer Reports magazine said hybrids will end up costing owners from $3,700 to $13,300 more over five years compared with similar models using just gasoline, Toyota representatives predict that its hybrid sales will increase 50 percent this year. In a couple of months, the company will introduce its hybrid Camry."

It's like they're saying, "See? You silly hybrid owners are being fooled!" Very irksome.

As for driving slowly in the left lane or carpool lane (we don't have those around here), sometimes you have no choice. If I'm preparing to make left turns and I have to cross three or four lanes, sometimes well in advance of my turn, the people around me are just going to have to slow down or go around. Sure, there's a lot of road rage out there, and sometimes people's reactions are uncomfortable (no one likes a Mack truck breathing down your neck as you start down an incline) but I have a theory which I have tested in different driving situations: No matter how fast you go in the left lane, someone will always tailgate you eventually. Far too many people drive as if the other people on the road are obstacles to be manuevered around, without concern for speed limits or lane usage. They set their speeds based on the speeds of the people around them, and they try to go faster. Period. So if I'm going to be tailgated and so on, I'm going to do it while driving in a way that saves me some gas and won't get me any speeding tickets.

 

``I drive both cars in the same method, following the speed limit and generally staying in the right lanes to let faster drivers go around,'' said Whitehair, 59. ``When I drive the hybrid, SUVs tend to ride my bumper and flash headlights, regardless of the lane I am in."

I agree with both of these statements. It doesn't matter what line I am in I can't go fast enough. I drive both my Xterra and my HCH at the same exact speeds. I only ride the carpool lane alone when in traffic. I keep up with traffic. Vehicles will pass me illegally exiting the carpool and illegally reentering the carpool. They do this squeezing in to a space where they barely fit.

This isn't only done by SUVs this is also done by other vehicles.

 

Personally I haven't had any trouble with speed limit Right lane. Yesterday and today I was lucky enough to safely follow a Walmart truck going about 60 in a 75 and 65MPH limit.

I've driven for efficiency for 26 months and never had a single instance of anyone who looked angry. That is exept for two days in a row when I placed a 65MPG sticker on my rear bumper. Thought I was going to get shot or something.
I removed the sticker and wall-ah, once again no trouble.

I'm in the far right lane going about the speed limit and 99.9% of traffic slowly passes me by. Sure people follow at a close distance and if they get tired of it just go around with courtesy. Never had a single time been "cut off" or anything like that.
I occasionally pass people but isn't very often.

Often times someone will follow me at a safe distance for 10-20 miles before passing or exiting.

I would never use the carpool lanes in either my HCH or our Grand Caravan. Just don't want to waste the fuel.
Everyone here know and most follow the "Slower traffic keeps Right" rule so the lane to my Left is a little faster, the lane next to him etc etc.

Carpool lanes are the fastest Left most lane and crazy.

 

The only situation in which I would use the carpool lane in my HCHII is if the traffic was very slow in the solo lanes. Then, usually, the traffic in the carpool lane isn't going even the speed limit.

Don

 

I drive 60 in a 65 2x/day for 25 miles every day, right lane of 3 while ambient traffic is generally 70ish. When a series of acceleration lanes comes up, I pop into the next-to-right lane for the duration, speed up to 65 in there to avoid making anyone coming behind to slam the brakes.

I have never had anyone give me more than a sidelong look, and frequently get a few cars hanging in line behind me perfectly happily for miles on end.

 

Well, let's face it...people driving like sphincter muscles aren't just limited to pushing hybriders like us! I'm sooooooo glad I don't live in or around some of the major population centers like some of you folks do...

I drive a "slick top" patrol truck at work...its has emergency lights, but they're not readily visible until I turn them on. Doesn't have the regular overhead lightbar like people are used to seeing, but it does have "Sheriff" stickers on the sides and the rear end. On the parkway that goes through our fair city, NO ONE does the posted speed limit...I try and keep it about 5 over so that people don't get frustrated stacking up behind me. Now you'd be surprised how many people come blazing up in the fast lane, see the truck and just keep motating by at 15-20 over the limit. I've even had a few pull along side me, and after wagging my finger (just the index, thank you!) as if to say, "Ahhh, ahhh, ahhh!", they don't even bother to slow down.

The ironic part is that if one of the troops goes by someone WITHOUT their lights one, you can bet that some crank will call the boss and complain that you're not setting a good example..."Gee, Sheriff...your deputy went by me REAL fast...special on donuts at Ye Olde Donut Shoppe today?"

Now I have the advantage (and satisfaction, sometimes) of being able to stop them...and you'd be surprised at the excuses I get...."Oh...I didn't think YOU could stop me in a cop truck", or, "Gee, I didn't realize you were a REAL cop!"

Same thing happened when I took a motorcycle trip to Montana a few years ago. I was doing 70 on some pretty narrow two-lane roads and when I looked in the mirror, I had three loaded log trucks RIGHT on my back end. I could have sped up, but that would have pushed my comfort level (deer and motocycles don't mix well, and there were lots of deer out that day...)...so after trying to wave at them to "back off" (again, using ALL my fingers) and not getting the desired response (if anything, they got closer..."might makes right"), I finally pulled over and let them by.

I've driven my FEH and my motorcycle in the HOV lanes around Portland and Seattle...if the speeds are such that I don't feel comfortable, I GET OUT of that lane. Improves not only my mileage, but also helps insure that I get home in one piece...and lessens the chances of getting into a "road rage" incident with someone.

We can't do anything about the morons out there...but we CAN chose not to provoke a situation by adding to the problem. Take pride in your ride and the fact that you're getting great mileage and doing something GOOD...but don't lower yourself to "their" level by provoking the situation.