Reality Check

[RadGash]

Everyone on this board is here PRIMARILY (I assume) because we are concerned about the pollution automobiles spew into our air and have made a big financial commitment to curtail our contribution to this problem. We spew less toxins when we burn less gasoline, and therefore hybrids are currently the only and best automotive avenue available to us to achieve this goal. Yet, we must all still strive to live closer to our place of employment and therefore drive less until electrical, solar, or hydrogen become available and affordable for everyone. The mileage on your Prius will diminish due to the short nature of the trips, yet our current goal should not be so much to get "better gas mileage" as much as to completely get away from the need to burn gasoline, or as much as can be possible. Plan to move close to your place of employment. Take public transportation for occasional long trips if you can. Thanks to everyone who have made the commitment to cut down on gasoline!

[F8L]

Efficient Public transportation FTW!

Curitiba Brasil show us the way! lol

[Stev0]

I have an even better solution than public transportation - I can (and do) walk to work.

[sl7vk]

Originally Posted by RadGash

Everyone on this board is here PRIMARILY (I assume) because we are concerned about the pollution automobiles spew into our air and have made a big financial commitment to curtail our contribution to this problem. We spew less toxins when we burn less gasoline, and therefore hybrids are currently the only and best automotive avenue available to us to achieve this goal. Yet, we must all still strive to live closer to our place of employment and therefore drive less until electrical, solar, or hydrogen become available and affordable for everyone. The mileage on your Prius will diminish due to the short nature of the trips, yet our current goal should not be so much to get "better gas mileage" as much as to completely get away from the need to burn gasoline, or as much as can be possible. Plan to move close to your place of employment. Take public transportation for occasional long trips if you can. Thanks to everyone who have made the commitment to cut down on gasoline!

Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head. I just bought a new home, and now live 3.7 miles from work. Not bad for Salt Lake. My milage has gone to shit, but that is coming from commuting 5.2 miles or so....

I once read a thread here where the poster was wondering if he should take a longer route to work to increase his MPG's....

Yikes!

Driving the Prius 30,000 miles a year is no better then grandma driving her Camry 10k per year... In fact, it's worst.

[Sufferin' Prius Envy]

And just how does this qualify for the Main Prius Forum????
[man, there has been a rash of these things since the PriusChat software upgrade.]

[F8L]

Originally Posted by Sufferin' Prius Envy

And just how does this qualify for the Main Prius Forum????
[man, there has been a rash of these things since the PriusChat software upgrade.]

Aye, it's almost as annoying as you replying in this fashion as if you were the mod nazi.

[Doc Willie]

Speaking of the mod nazi, the software leads one into some dubious actions. I was going to post the thing about the Prius Taxi in the Hybrid New Section. As soon as I typed in the title, a list of existing topics showed up. So I added my post to that one. Once I did it showed up on the Main Forum.

Of course, the mistake was made by the original poster. So next time I have to look to see on which forum the original post was made.

[qbee42]

Originally Posted by RadGash

Everyone on this board is here PRIMARILY (I assume) because we are concerned about the pollution automobiles spew into our air and have made a big financial commitment to curtail our contribution to this problem. <snip>

I think this is big assumption on your part, and not necessarily correct. There are many reasons that people buy and drive a Prius, the environment being only one. We have many engineers on PC that are early technology adopters and like the Prius for it's gee whiz features and engineering. Others like the great mileage, or the federal tax credit. Let's not overlook that fact that the Prius is a great car and not a bad price for what you get. There is also the rather cynical reasoning that owning a high efficiency clean burning car makes it okay for us to drive more and frivolously burn fuel: "It's okay, we'll take the Prius..."

Many, if not most, Prius Chatters will have been influenced by several factors, the order and number of which will be as unique as the individuals involved.

Tom

[Earthling]

Originally Posted by Stev0

I have an even better solution than public transportation - I can (and do) walk to work.

Same here. Walking doesn't just save gas, it is important to your health. A sedentary lifestyle is a dangerous lifestyle.

Harry

[F8L]

Originally Posted by Earthling

Same here. Walking doesn't just save gas, it is important to your health. A sedentary lifestyle is a dangerous lifestyle.

Harry

Agreed yet public transportation does cause people to walk more than having personal cars. The progress I'm seeing around the world is incorporating public transportation with green ways (ripping out existint roads) and promoting bicycling and walking. These areas are lined with shops for daily needs, art or natural areas, and ultimately promote health and community relations.

The money saved on health care due to reduced cases of smog or obesity related disease more than covers the cost of the work.