Hybrid Carpool Lane Access Ending Friday in California: Yay!

By Dennis Romero Wed., Jun. 29 2011 at 1:43 PM

Ah, hybrid owners -- how we love to hate you.

So smug behind the wheel of your fuel efficient dork-mobiles, switching four lanes just to get to the carpool zone where you'll pass us all by. No more.

California's "Yellow Clean Air Vehicle Stickers" expire for good on Friday, so you'll have to suffer like the rest of us gas guzzlers. We never liked the program, anyway:

For one, carpools were meant for carpooling. In other words, they were meant to encourage and reward vehicles with multiple passengers. When an exception was made for Priuses, Insights and hybrid Civics, we were all snookered.

Second, carpools have been an utter failure. They've done little to encourage people to ride together. They've done little to alleviate traffic. And seeing single drivers cruise by in $35,000 cars (while many live in energy sapping homes) only made the lanes into yet another classist device.

Third, hybrid drivers are self-important nerds. And letting them into an exclusive club is wrong. Only cool kids should be allowed past any velvet rope.

The sticker program started in 2005 for 75,000 cars and soon expanded to 85,000 -- and all those permits were quickly spoken for.

Commuter Angelo Angara spoke for all of us when he told Associated Press:

It's a little unfair to see them muscle into the carpool lane while you're stuck in traffic. The economy is so bad, not everyone can afford a Prius.

Good riddance. Next up: Getting rid of the useless carpool-lane designation altogether so we call all move all the way left.

[@dennisjromero/djromero@laweekly.com]

Tags:

Calfornia, carpool lane, freeway, hybrid, Prius, traffic

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Dodey23

Not sure what Prius drivers you guys are driving behind, but I get 45MPG at 75MPH in the carpool lane, and paid $12K for my used Prius. Complain all you want, but my decision was better for my wallet and the environment. Please tell me that isn't efficient highway driving...

@Dennis - Im sure LA Weekly is so glad to see you tell their readers to suck it...

Leezab

Why were they EVER allowed in the carpool lane when any gas savings is done in the city and not on the highway. They're run through gas like everyone else as soon as they hit the freeways. Hello??????

SUCK IT MONKEYS!

So sweet passing jacka$$es like you for the past five years! I'm moving out of state in a week so EXCELLENT timing...enjoy the traffic moron!

Frawsty

Sorry but you have never passed me. The carpool lanes are never any faster than the rest of the freeway, mainly because douchebags like you clog it going way under the speed limit while you're texting about how important you think you are. Glad to read you are moving out of state, obviously back to loserville.

Dennis Romero

Sad to see you go Suck It. I really needed one more pious driver on the street.

For the record I usually don't use the freeways, so I've rarely been passed by a Prius, even when they're racing to the nearest Whole Foods.

Jojo

Carpool lanes where made for carpooling indeed but carpooling was made for saving the environment by reducing pollution by gas emission by having less cars driving and not just to "encourage and reward vehicles with multiple passengers". That's exactly what hybrid cars do ... I don't understand why the hate? I can understand that hybrids are expensive and that a lot of people can't afford them , but I think it's a good thing that people who can, at least do their part ...

Skinz1976

I've got a Toyota Echo with a fuel saving 1.5L that can scream circles around your hybrids...even @ 100 mph. I've got 1 battery that can be disposed of properly, not to mention the lower cost of maintenance. The car might not yell out pu55y wagon, but can get around 38 mpg...eat that....oh yeah, that was me who tried to run your dork mobile off the road.

Frawsty

I have no hate against hybrids and reducing pollution. I own a hybrid, but not a Prius. My disgust is with Prius drivers, who drive 50mph maximum on the freeway, and move in and out of the carpool lane crossing the double yellow line any time they feel like it. When they get back on the city streets, 30mph is the norm, and they habitually roll through stop signs all in the name of saving themselves some gas money.

Leezab

duh, hybrid cars aren't saving gas on the freeways, only at stop lights and on city streets. Furthermore, where you all plan on dumping all of those batteries?

Frawsty

You are right, get rid of the sticker program and the entire waste of taxpayer money carpool lanes. Take that money and teach Prius drivers to drive at least the speed limit, not 10 mph slower than everyone else.