Comments on: “Parking for Low Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles Only”

By: shaker

shaker — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 17:04:16 +0000

A local Giant Eagle Express had two of its very few (around 20) parking spaces painted “Hybrid Only” on the asphalt, but SUV drivers would park there anyway, covering their “crime”.

The pretentious bullcrap was painted over when it was brought to their attention that 10% of their customers were not hybrid drivers.

By: mikeolan

mikeolan — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 05:34:06 +0000

What exactly is a “fuel efficient” vehicle? What if it’s a minivan (or *gasp* Hummer) full of people? They’re saving more gas than a Smart with one person. Does my 4 cylinder Subaru count? It only gets 29 MPG (on a good day), but it’s fuel efficient for an AWD car, but if I drive it really carefully I can eke out 32.

By: Brett Solomon

Brett Solomon — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 01:01:31 +0000

Hi Redbarchetta (and others),
Thank you for pointing out the LEED certification. I am not from the world of commercial development; I had no idea of the impetus behind the silly-ass signs. However I can tell you after another visit to the mall no one is adhering to the rule (the only fuel sipper among the 30 spots today was a 2003 Civic).
TTAC Best & Brightest to the rescue again!

By: cgd

cgd — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 00:23:08 +0000

I haven’t seen these types of spaces in Mississippi yet, since we’re usually behind the times on that stuff, but in this case it’s fine with me. Our local Kroger has a couple of spaces designated for the walk-up pharmacy window, but some lazy-ass people disregard those and park in the fire lane right next to the pharmacy. Oy . . .

By: red60r

red60r — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:33:38 +0000

The 29th Street shopping mall in Boulder, Colorado, has selected spots designated for “Alternative-Fuel and Hybrid” vehicles. As silly are the scattered locations elsewhere for “Senior Citizen Parking” — all I’ve ever seen parked there is cars, never a Senior.

By: Robstar

Robstar — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 21:12:50 +0000

I have never seen these hybrid only parking spots, but they are stupid. Can a motorcycle take that spot ? What if you can fit 4 motorcycles in there? That is 4 people that could have each been driving Escalades….right? What about scooters? Scooters kick the snot out of 4 wheeled hybrids in city driving.

I still haven’t yet figured out why parking garages charge full parking rates for motorcycles since they take 1/2-1/4 the space of a 4 wheeler.

Wouldn’t it make more sense to say “40+mpg rated city cars or higher” or something similar?

Then again, if it’s not enforced…….

I have been to the airport several times and there are “compact cars only” spots with gmc’s yukons, F-150’s, etc in them. Blah.

By: gfen

gfen — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:50:13 +0000

The local hoitytoidy shops nearby have Hybrid Parking Only spots. I always go right for them because people actually respect them. Whatever, I won’t. That’s a load.

On the other hand, I will never park in an expectant mother spot. I know what my wife went through when she was pregnant, and I’m willing to walk my fatass a little further to help out the next lady struggling under all the extra weight and health issues.

By: toadroller

toadroller — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:37:24 +0000

My cynical side burns with glee that the spaces were occupied by hummers and such. How pretentious, hybrid only. Grumble, grumble.

Other situations where common sense seems to win out over nany-ism:

When a door alarm goes off at an airport, about the most reaction you’ll get from people in the concourse is a wistful look of disdain, “won’t you please shut that off?” Security has got to be the last thing on my mind when that happens.

When I’m at the movies, or anywhere else my kids and my parents get a discount, I always give the clerk a hard time about age discrimination. I have to pay more because I’m younger/older than them?

Checking in at the hotel, “can I see some ID please?” “No.”

At the checkout counter, “Can I get your zip code?” “54321. Yes, I know, it’s the kind of thing an idiot would put on his luggage.” I’m still amazed at how many key it in.

Still at the checkout counter, “can I get your phone number?” “That depends, can I get yours?”

Still (!!) at the checkout counter, “I need to see your ID for the liquor.” “No you don’t. I’m forty years old. Which is part of why I’m so grumpy. Are you telling me you can’t tell within 20 years how old I am? I’m obviously over thirty and hopefully look under fifty, giving you a ten year safety cushion.” If I’m not being a jerk because the person in front of me not only wrote a check in the express lane, but waited until being told the total before writing the name of the store on the check, and then diligently balanced his register before tearing the check out and handing it to the clerk, I’ll just ask them to guess how old I am. If they’re more than ten years off on the young side, I’ll bless them and get out the ID.

I’m sorry, but smarmy “Parking for Low Emitting and Fuel Efficient Vehicles Only” really gets my fingers in a twist and turns me into a flying monkey of despair. Speaking of which, it’s halloween. I’ve got kids to take out.

By: golf4me

golf4me — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 20:17:28 +0000

Yeah, the Fresh & Easy store near me has “Hybrid Only” parking in the front, which I proudly park in. My vehicle (E46 3-series) is hardly a gas hog, but I don’t like eliteism in any form or fashion. What I also hate is the 8 handicapped spots at my golf club. If you can play golf, you can park where everyone else does for chrissake. I’m sure they are mandated by the weenies in our gov’t, but doesn’t make it make any more sense. Just think when the democrats rule, there will be spaces reserved for Subprime Borrowers. Don’t laugh, I’m serious.

By: Redbarchetta

Redbarchetta — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:50:24 +0000

I thought LEED wasn’t a bad idea in principle until I really looked at it, its just a giant money making scam. Like a screw you we’re being green tax. There are actually some buildings that didn’t waste their time and lots of money trying to be LEED certified that are more green than the ones that are even Gold or Platinum, and they came in ON BUDGET, but they don’t have a stupid little plaque or dn’t show up in magazines. It’s mostly about buying someones “green” product(that they had to of course pay big bucks to get LEED approved) than about innovative design that conserves energy and resources. Can you tell that I am a little annoyed by it, I just did a LEED Silver building for the military a few months ago that left me feeling dirty not empowered like I helped the environment.

Here is the definition right out the the LEED for new construction book for any of you wondering what the spots are for:

For the purpose of this credit, low-emitting and fuel-efficiant vehicles are defined as vehicles that are either classified as Zero Emission Vehicles (ZEV) by CARB or have achieved a minimum green score of 40 on the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE) annual vehicle rating guide.

The electric car spots fall under the same credit just a different option. Guess they should have told these fools no one makes and electric car except Tesla, and they are going out of business fast.

By: Cicero

Cicero — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:29:02 +0000

Maybe you can park your H2 in the “low-emitting vehicle” space provided you pick up a six-pack of carbon offset credits while you’re in the store.

The whole thing’s a silly farce.

By: kansei

kansei — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:23:06 +0000

Anything that inconveniences fat SUV owners is fine by me.

“low emitting” eh? They need to be more specific –is ULEV allowed, or LEV maybe?

teehee my ULEV car shoots fire when I downshift and spews a cloud of unburnt fuel when in boost. I’m so parking in one of those spaces if I see one.

By: Jerome10

Jerome10 — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:12:05 +0000

I’m glad to know it was LEED required.

A new Jewel opened in the west loop in Chicago and I noticed these parking spaces. Next time, I’m parking there, whether I’m in the GTI or a Hummer. Who’s to say a hummer driven 1 mile to the grocery store is any more emission emitting or less fuel efficient than the guy who drove his Civic 5 miles to the store?

So stupid. Just like the electric car plug-ins at Costco and I think Fry’s in the bay area. You’d go to costco in mountain view and the entire lot would be bombed except for the 4 spaces “reserved for electric vehicle parking only”. Oh yeah?! Every time that happened, I put my Miata in the spot. Figured if anyone ever said anything I’d just pop the hood and put the paddle underneath to make it look like I was charging :)

Crap drives me nuts. And LEED is pretty stupid too (friends in construction management can’t believe how 1) everyone wants LEED certification, no matter how much it costs and 2) how arbitrary most of the requirements are.

By: Redbarchetta

Redbarchetta — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 19:06:09 +0000

The parking is for LEED certification. It’s one of the easiest and stupidest credits you can get. Put up a few meaningless signs and bam you get a point for almost no dollars. LEED can add anywhere from 10-25% or more to the cost of a building and this is one of the points that costs almost nothing. You will see them more often as companies try to look green. No one polices it, and you can’t get a ticket, unless the rent a cops found some way to give you “green violation”.

This green washing is getting blatantly stupid. I’m all for conserving resources and living within your means but the scams are getting annoying.

By: SherbornSean

SherbornSean — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 18:30:37 +0000

A mall should be happy that any vehicle parks there these days.