1. Attachments are working again! Check out this thread for more details and to report any other bugs.

Priority Parking for Hybrids?

Discussion in 'Fred's House of Pancakes' started by Spectra, Jul 15, 2009.

  1. Spectra

    Spectra Amphi-Prius

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2008
    3,123
    17
    1
    Location:
    S NJ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
  2. Presto

    Presto Has his homepage set to PC

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2005
    1,326
    24
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    I like how the ignorant CNW comments are, immediately, met with info that easily disprove that piece of garbage that keeps popping up.
     
  3. nascrlvr

    nascrlvr nascrlvr

    Joined:
    Jan 10, 2009
    1,200
    25
    7
    Location:
    Pacific Northwest
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Limited
    Spectra.....thanks for the link. I agree it is silly to do that. We have a Whole Foods here; I am there once a week to shop and there aren't any dedicated "hybrid spots" there. So maybe it is just selected stores. Anyway, this is a pretty conservative spot to live so that also might factor in.

    Again, thanks....


     
  4. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I don't need "priority" parking. I generally park far from the entrance, to stretch my legs. However, I do advocate EV plug-in spots. I'm happy if they're at the far end of the lot. I do not need opportunity charging because I have expensive high-capacity battery packs in both my EVs. But most EV drivers cannot afford a lot of battery capacity, so plug-ins are good. But those do not need to be close to the store entrance.
     
  5. Stev0

    Stev0 Honorary Hong Kong Cavalier

    Joined:
    Sep 23, 2006
    7,201
    1,073
    0
    Location:
    Northampton, MA
    Vehicle:
    2022 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Plug-in Base
    The local Whole Foods here doesn't have hybrid priority parking, but the local Taco Bell/KFC does. Go figure.
     
  6. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Weird!
     
  7. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,002
    16,228
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    IKEA Canada has priority parking. It's usually empty unless it's a busy day (e.g. christmas holiday) then it gets filled up.
     
  8. moner

    moner New Member

    Joined:
    Apr 3, 2009
    302
    59
    0
    Location:
    Vancouver, BC
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    <<------- Hence my profile picture/avatar! First drive my dad and I made in the Prius was to Ikea to park in those smuggy hybrid spots, right near the front door, we could never park in before.
    Canadian Tire on Grandview has "Fuel Efficient Parking Only" spots too but they're always filled up with minivans. :rolleyes:
     
  9. LoraJ

    LoraJ Active Member

    Joined:
    Jul 4, 2009
    507
    68
    0
    Location:
    NJ
    Vehicle:
    2018 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Plus
    Even if our Whole Foods had them, I am sure they would be filled with huge SUV's. Just like the pregnant woman spots are occupied by male drivers. I saw a guy park in one once and had the store employees make him move his car. :D
     
  10. Spectra

    Spectra Amphi-Prius

    Joined:
    Feb 7, 2008
    3,123
    17
    1
    Location:
    S NJ
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    This was the comment that I wrote:

    Mark #10: Altho your suggestion was meant in sarcasm, right you are! My preferred parking location for my Prius, is to park it as far away from any chances of collision, “keying,†Hummer-abuse, or other type of increasingly common automotive vandalism.

    I enjoy the brief walk, and get a chuckle out of watching others circling until they get the spot near the front entry.
    Sun, snow, rain — walking rocks.


    Hm #15: Your proposal that a Prius gets 5-7 mpg more than a Fit or Kia is so thoroughly misinformed. In summer weather, I consistently achieve 60-65 mpg. In winter, it drops to 50. How do I do it? By driving politely & comfortably. Now isn’t that a novelty?
     
    1 person likes this.
  11. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2008
    2,927
    782
    0
    Location:
    IL
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Compared to a lot of the huge-nice person alternatives people often choose for carrying people, minivans are "fuel efficient"

    :focus:
    I try to park far from the entrance of where ever I'm going since I'd like to avoid dents in my car.
     
  12. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I'd rather see secure bike racks than hybrid parking. Most stores have no idea how unwelcome they make some of their customers feel.
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
    Staff Member

    Joined:
    Oct 2, 2004
    45,002
    16,228
    41
    Location:
    Canada
    Vehicle:
    Other Non-Hybrid
    Model:
    N/A
    mmm.. I see a lot of bikers but it seems they're only commuting to work. I don't see how you can bike to any store as I don't see any places where you can securely lock the bikes.

    lol. I found an E320 CDI once and just shook my head as they backed out of the spot.
     
  14. a_gray_prius

    a_gray_prius Rare Non-Old-Blowhard Priuschat Member

    Joined:
    Jun 13, 2008
    2,927
    782
    0
    Location:
    IL
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    +1 million. I ride my bike to go grocery shopping. It keeps me from buying too much.
     
  15. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    They figure you're not going to buy very much because you don't have enough space to haul stuff home.
     
  16. hyo silver

    hyo silver Awaaaaay

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2005
    15,232
    1,563
    0
    Location:
    off into the sunset
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    Some will have a bike rack, and all sorts of railings, even a shopping buggy in a pinch, can be useful locking points. But yes, lack of cycling facilities is a problem.

    Bravo. That's an excellent thing to do.

    You'd be surprised what can be carried on a bicycle. I used to carry close to 80 pounds on a regular basis, using full touring gear for a trip to the grocery store. A four litre jug of milk went in each front pannier, along with tetra packs of juice, bricks of cheese, ham slices, butter - all the cold and heavy stuff. The bike steers like a tank, but it's very stable. The rear panniers got filled with bread, pizza shells, pasta, cereal, coffee, bagels - lighter and more fragile stuff. On the top of the rear rack I could pile a 24 pack of toilet paper on top of a big box of cereal, and tie it all down with bungee cords. Bananas and eggs fit in the handlebar bag, and sometimes the jacket pockets got filled with little things. There's an art to taking a really big pile of stuff and making it all fit.
     
  17. daniel

    daniel Cat Lovers Against the Bomb

    Joined:
    Feb 25, 2004
    14,487
    1,518
    0
    Location:
    Spokane, WA
    Vehicle:
    2004 Prius
    I didn't say you couldn't. I said they figure you won't. I seldom buy as much as you've described, and I drive a car (electric, of course).

    OTOH, it might just be that they've never thought about it. Many of those stores might put out racks if someone approached the manager and asked for a rack.
     
  18. prioki

    prioki Member

    Joined:
    May 30, 2009
    116
    14
    0
    Location:
    CA
    Vehicle:
    2012 Prius c
    Model:
    Four
    I haven't seen this at my Whole Foods (yet). But there's an entire section in the front at Costco for electric vehicles (with charging stations provided). One of these days....
     
  19. rufaro

    rufaro WeePoo, Gen II

    Joined:
    May 26, 2006
    2,867
    72
    10
    Location:
    Lost Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2006 Prius
    Model:
    N/A
    I do not know--seems to piss off more people than it pleases, overall. And it isn't enforceable, as noted by many. How often do you see big-nice person vehicles parked in spots marked "compact," let alone untagged vehicles in disabled spots. Yeah, Whole Foods and any other private companies can do what they want with their parking lots, but why apparently go out of their way to offend so many people?

    Then there's the tidbit that LA recently canned its free parking @ meters for hybrids, and that was only for ones with the HOV stickers. It apparently cost the city some comparatively small amount of money, but they've apparently made up what the program cost them while it was in effect by VERY rapidly starting to ticket without a notification period they had promised. Seems to me LA could have paid for the hybrid parking program and then some by not paying 1.2 million dollars for Michael Jackson's memorial service, for example.

    Can we tell I'm getting off the subject and hot under the collar?

    Hyo, the amount you can pack on a bicycle is SCARY. Most people are nowhere near as dedicated!
     
  20. Froley1

    Froley1 New Member

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2008
    167
    10
    0
    Location:
    Roswell, New Mexico
    Vehicle:
    2007 Prius
    I was told but...
    haven't seen or tried it....
    that by law, Santa Fe, New Mexico has free parking for hybids--
    no feeding the meter..

    Froley