http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hybrids10apr10,1,3670066.story?coll=la-headlines-californiaFrom the Los Angeles Times
In Carpool Lanes, Hybrids Find Cold Shoulders
Other motorists gripe that drivers of the fuel-efficient vehicles are slowing the HOV flow.
By Amanda Covarrubias
Times Staff Writer
April 10, 2006
When California allowed solo occupants of hybrid cars to use carpool lanes last year, many thought they were merging onto a narrow strip of car culture heaven.
But increasingly, hybrid owners say they feel like the victims of road rage. Carpoolers accuse them of driving too slowly in order to maximize their fuel efficiency, and of clogging diamond lanes that were once clear. Hybrid motorists even have a term for the ill will: "Prius backlash."
"There's a mentality out there that we're a bunch of liberal hippies or we're trying to make some statement on the environment," said Travis Ruff, a real estate agent from Newbury Park who drives a Toyota Prius. "People are a lot less friendly than when I drove a Mercedes."
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A debate over carpool-lane congestion also is occurring in Virginia, which like California allows solo hybrid drivers to use the lanes. Last month, the Virginia Legislature placed curbs on hybrid drivers using the lanes in peak hours, requiring three or more people per vehicle, except for those grandfathered in.
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