Hybrid Parking?! F- THAT.

[Phaneuf3]

Originally Posted by fotze

Thats one of the worst comics ever. What is the point of the top row far right picture. I was really hoping for something funnier by the end. No offence to you of course.

None taken, I didn't draw it. To be honest, I didn't find it funny either but it was the comic that was posted on xkcd only a few days ago and it sums up a lot of this thread perfectly.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by You Need a Thneed

What's next, a rant against special parking for parents with small children or expectant mothers?

Where are these spots anyways?? I was looking for them at Chinook while Christmas shopping and all I could see were the stupid hybrid stalls. So I end up lugging a 5 month old through -30. Good times.

The only place I've seen them is Ikea and Toys R Us.

[Dion]

Originally Posted by Peanut

Where are these spots anyways?? I was looking for them at Chinook while Christmas shopping and all I could see were the stupid hybrid stalls. So I end up lugging a 5 month old through -30. Good times.

The only place I've seen them is Ikea and Toys R Us.

Southcentre Mall has those signs.

[Knut]

^^^ Southcentre Mall has them... but for the past year they have been filled up with construction workers.

[WilsonFourTwo]

Originally Posted by Bertuzzied

are you guesstimating? your diesel can get better than 4.7/litres per 100kms in the city?

I really wish people would stop thinking that all hybrids are prius's! They are so ugly beyond belief.

The 'fuel economy' thingy in the car actually says 4.9 l/100 at the moment, which is about 48mpg. And yes, most (95%) of my driving is in the city. If I worked downtown, I'm sure it would be worse, but it is what it is. It's not uncommon for the reading to be 3.7, 3.8 or 3.9 while cruising down Deerfoot, Glenmore or Crowchild.

As has been stated already on this topic, the car plays a part, the driver plays an even bigger one. I don't idle non-stop, plan my routes a bit, rarely "Stomp on it" and don't use the car for short trips in high traffic-density areas. No superiority complex or anything, but frankly, I'm really proud of the economy I get from a sub-$30,000 car.

[Peanut]

Originally Posted by vanisleflamesfan

People who have a disabled parking tag are allowed to park in handicapped spots (or any spot for that matter) by LAW. Parking spots for mothers or expectant mothers or strollers or hybrid owners are marketing ploys. Supermoms and helicopter parents who spend thousands of dollars per month for their babies are good customers for stores to placate so as to secure their return business. The same goes for those who can afford the extra money for hybrid vehicles. There is an assumption on the part of the business that anyone who can afford to buy a hybrid has more cash to spend on products that they see as being more “eco-friendly”. The store assumes that this customer will, in seeing the store’s support for such things, associate that store with being more “eco-friendly” and thus choose that store over others.

LOL. You know where they need the spots for mothers/expectant mother's? Superstore!! I don't think it's "supermom" of me to want to buy cheap groceries. But the logistics of doing so with a young baby/stoller in the middle of winter are pretty annoying.

The fact that I spend far too much on the baby 'Joe' clothing doesn't factor into it at all...

[burn_this_city]

Originally Posted by WilsonFourTwo

The 'fuel economy' thingy in the car actually says 4.9 l/100 at the moment, which is about 48mpg. And yes, most (95%) of my driving is in the city. If I worked downtown, I'm sure it would be worse, but it is what it is. It's not uncommon for the reading to be 3.7, 3.8 or 3.9 while cruising down Deerfoot, Glenmore or Crowchild.

As has been stated already on this topic, the car plays a part, the driver plays an even bigger one. I don't idle non-stop, plan my routes a bit, rarely "Stomp on it" and don't use the car for short trips in high traffic-density areas. No superiority complex or anything, but frankly, I'm really proud of the economy I get from a sub-$30,000 car.

You should stomp on it occasionally to clean the soot out of the engine. Its bad to drive a diesel gingerly long term. They honestly need to be heated up to clean them out inside. Only way to do that is stomp on it and get the exhaust gas above 1000 degrees F.

[Dion]

[Acey]

Park Place Mall down here in Lethbridge added hybrid spots right at the start of November, and expectant mother/young child parking several days after. So increasing in distance from the door, it goes hanidcap, hybrid, mothers. I have seen everything from Corvettes to Hummers parked in these spaces. I park my Cobalt in the hybrid space on a nearly daily basis.

[Red_Baron]

So if I drive my mustang that gets an overall average of 23.7mpg 10,000 km per year, and some righteous smuck parades his prius around 40,000 km of city driving at 48mpg, does that make me an eco terrorist and give him the right to preferred parking for his environmental stewardship?

[bomber317]

Originally Posted by zamler

BS. All vehicles are tested using the same conditions. The best hybrids run very very clean, far and above the average car.

More BS. The materials used in the batteries are the SAME materials used in other cars as well, including chrome trim, the frame etc. For example, the amount of nickel in a Prius NiMH battery pack is about the same as what an average SUV contains in the frame and base structure. A large SUV with a lot of trim etc. will contain significantly more nickel.

That comparison makes no sense.

You're comparing a Prius NiMH battery pack to a SUV. WTF?

Shouldn't you be comparing the cost of a SUV Hybrid vs a regular SUV? So the frame/structure is the same? But now you're doubling the amount of nickel because of the battery? But that's only for a Prius battery pack.

OR

Compare the prius to another compact car instead of a SUV?

Anyways, I'm open to the hybrid technology, and from what I gather so far

Hybrids cost more to make in terms of money/environment wise

BUT over the "long" run or "lifetime of the car", they do less damage then a conventional car.

However, what's "long"? and what's "lifetime of the car"? Are we talking 5 years? Are we talking 10 years?

[JimmytheT]

Originally Posted by flamesaresmokin

Sign of the times. Soon anyone that drives a car more then 6 or 7 years old will be fined or taxed because its not "up to par" emissions wise. Look at what they are trying to do with winter tires (this is the first year i've used them myself and they essentially offer no improvement to my all seasons and they want to make them mandatory), its the first step in a lot of regulations to come in the next few years.

Then you my friend, have purchased some pretty crappy winter tires. I have Nokian's (made in Finland), and I can assure you I have much more control over my car in wet, snowy or icy conditions than I would have with factory all-seasons.

Do I think they should be regulated though? No I do not.

[Acey]

My neighbour is a cop and I asked him if it would be the mall enforcing the new hybrid parking spaces. He didn't even know about them and said they can't be enforced. And how do you go about enforcing expectant/young mothers parking? You can't have spots based entirely on people being kind. If I'm going for a spot in a relatively full lot and opposite me is a woman with 3 little ones in the car, I'll for sure let her go in... but that's the extent of it.

Originally Posted by JimmytheT

Then you my friend, have purchased some pretty crappy winter tires.

Pretty sure they've proven that even the crappiest winter tires are better than all seasons.

[Ducay]

I havn't seen these stalls, but ill park in them when I do.

I don't park in handicap and expectant stalls out of kindness. Hybrid drivers, however, deserve no preferential treatment.

Perhaps i'll start respecting Hybrids when plug-in hybrids start coming to market, but for the time being, its just a jerk off status symbol.

[Acey]

Originally Posted by Ducay

I havn't seen these stalls, but ill park in them when I do.

I don't park in handicap and expectant stalls out of kindness. Hybrid drivers, however, deserve no preferential treatment.

Also the fact that parking in handicap spaces is illegal?

[STeeLy]

Originally Posted by JimmytheT

Then you my friend, have purchased some pretty crappy winter tires. I have Nokian's (made in Finland), and I can assure you I have much more control over my car in wet, snowy or icy conditions than I would have with factory all-seasons.

Do I think they should be regulated though? No I do not.

Here in Calgary, My parents cars never use Winter Tires... I can REALLY feel the lack of road grip and lack of overall control of the car compared to driving my car with winter tires in Ontario.

And Nokians FTW!

If you really don't want to pay for winters, then run All-Weather tires all season, they tend to be able to grip better in snow and ice than all seasons

[Bill Bumface]

Who cares what car you drive. If you have a Prius and live in Cochrane and commute to downtown Calgary every day you're still killing the earth more than the guy with an F350 that lives downtown and walks to work and only drives 20km a week.

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by Ducay

I havn't seen these stalls, but ill park in them when I do.

I don't park in handicap and expectant stalls out of kindness. Hybrid drivers, however, deserve no preferential treatment.

Perhaps i'll start respecting Hybrids when plug-in hybrids start coming to market, but for the time being, its just a jerk off status symbol.

what is the difference between a plug in hybrid and a non plug in hybrid? well besides the plug?

[Bertuzzied]

Originally Posted by hulkrogan

Who cares what car you drive. If you have a Prius and live in Cochrane and commute to downtown Calgary every day you're still killing the earth more than the guy with an F350 that lives downtown and walks to work and only drives 20km a week.

So the real AHoles are people who live in Cochrane, Airdrie and Okotoks! I wish they put a toll on their asses!

[Buff]

Originally Posted by Acey

Park Place Mall down here in Lethbridge added hybrid spots right at the start of November, and expectant mother/young child parking several days after. So increasing in distance from the door, it goes hanidcap, hybrid, mothers. I have seen everything from Corvettes to Hummers parked in these spaces. I park my Cobalt in the hybrid space on a nearly daily basis.

The way that parking lot is setup it the stalls closest the mall are the quickest stalls to get to from the parking lot entrance.

I say that the reserved for hybrid stalls should be at the far back of the parking lot. Save more emissions by having them go driving farther away for stalls than the gas guzzlers!