A new grocery store opened about a mile from our house. It has reserved parking for..

[sleepy]

I just crunched some numbers and got a very rough estimate of $7000+ in gas savings in the past two years. Obviously that's mostly b/c dh drives so much, but there's no getting around that.

 

Not too shabby. If we can keep the car alive long enough, it could wind up being practically "free"!

 

That is awesome!!

[Jumping In Puddles]

Now that's pretty cool. I didn't know hybrids did that.

 

 

 

Same here. The kids are always complaining that I should try to get a better spot. And they always get the same response from me: "Waking is good for you!" :D

 

Also, when the hybrid is stopped at a light, the engine goes off, and as soon as your foot leaves the break, the engine is back on in an INSTANT! It is pretty amazing. I find when I drive my van, I turn it off at the bank because it seems weird that the engine is still running when I'm stopped.

[Barb_]

I find it hard to understand why someone who owns a hybrid would be shopping at Walmart. :001_huh:

 

I wouldn't think the situation would be mutually exclusive.

[Erica in PA]

 

 

But I think it's also fine to reward those who invest in energy efficient cars. Why not? You can have parking for one group without slighting another.

 

The reason it annoys me is because I don't think of close parking spots as being a "reward" in the first place. They make them for disabled or pregnant women not to reward them for any choice they've made, but to make life easier for people who may have physical hardships. In what way is driving an energy efficient car comparable??

 

Also, I thinking more about the idea of companies "rewarding a choice" thing.... why this issue, of all things, and why reward with a closer parking space? While we're at it, why not give special discounts to individuals who've paid down their debt, or give freebies to those who've marched in a pro-life rally, or offer extended hours to people who've made contributions to the Salvation Army. (I'm being facetious here, obviously doing those sorts of things would be absurd.) But generally speaking, I don't recall companies being in the business of rewarding customers for lifestyle choices or actions that have no relation to their business. That's what smacks of political correctness here, and why I think it's silly.

 

One more thing... I don't think this action will have any impact at all on what kinds of cars people drive.

Edited May 1, 2009 by Erica in PA

[MrsMe]

So Prius owners, educate me.

 

I have to say that if my car never idled, it would drive me crazy. So doesn't it use more gas to keep turning itself on everytime you hit a stoplight?

 

And what if you finance this vehicle? They're oodles more than regular cars and if you add the extra price tag in for simply being a Prius and the fact that you're financing this excess price tag with compound interest, aren't you just trading a gas price for an interest rate and paying more in the end because of interest and that fact that gas prices can fluctuate sometimes to the better? I mean monitarily it can't be the best investment unless you're just emissions and gas-use conscience alone, am I right? Or you pay cash for your vehicle you wouldn't spend all the excess money in financing.

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

[dragons in the flower bed]

I drive a low carbon emissions vehicle to the grocery store. It's called a bicycle. And my parking stinks. I would love to bolt my bike to the sign for that parking space and see what people would do!

 

 

DO IT!

[sleepy]

Also, when the hybrid is stopped at a light, the engine goes off, and as soon as your foot leaves the break, the engine is back on in an INSTANT! It is pretty amazing. I find when I drive my van, I turn it off at the bank because it seems weird that the engine is still running when I'm stopped.

 

Wow! That really is amazing!

[Carrie12345]

So Prius owners, educate me.

 

I have to say that if my car never idled, it would drive me crazy. So doesn't it use more gas to keep turning itself on everytime you hit a stoplight?

 

And what if you finance this vehicle? They're oodles more than regular cars and if you add the extra price tag in for simply being a Prius and the fact that you're financing this excess price tag with compound interest, aren't you just trading a gas price for an interest rate and paying more in the end because of interest and that fact that gas prices can fluctuate sometimes to the better? I mean monitarily it can't be the best investment unless you're just emissions and gas-use conscience alone, am I right? Or you pay cash for your vehicle you wouldn't spend all the excess money in financing.

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

I'd have to get the paperwork out to give an accurate financial answer, but we did finance my minivan (paid off) and the Prius (not paid off). Our Prius payments are about $150/mo higher than the van was, and dh saves about $300/mo on gas.

 

Since we had to buy a reliable car suitable for driving snooty people around on occasion anyway (dh has always had a company vehicle before this), it made sense. And cents, har har.

 

Plus, once it's paid off, dh still gets a car allowance.

 

The quietness does freak me out sometimes. If I'm sitting in a parking lot, I can't remember if I turned the car off (or on!). I once thought I had stalled out in the snow, but I was just on battery. And kids riding bikes in the street sometimes can't hear the car coming up behind.

 

I still don't completely understand how it works. I just know that dh averages 54mpg!

[Jumping In Puddles]

So Prius owners, educate me.

 

I have to say that if my car never idled, it would drive me crazy. So doesn't it use more gas to keep turning itself on everytime you hit a stoplight?

 

And what if you finance this vehicle? They're oodles more than regular cars and if you add the extra price tag in for simply being a Prius and the fact that you're financing this excess price tag with compound interest, aren't you just trading a gas price for an interest rate and paying more in the end because of interest and that fact that gas prices can fluctuate sometimes to the better? I mean monitarily it can't be the best investment unless you're just emissions and gas-use conscience alone, am I right? Or you pay cash for your vehicle you wouldn't spend all the excess money in financing.

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

 

No, it doesn't take more gas to keep turning on and I don't know if it really would drive you crazy because the car is so quiet to begin with and you get use to it very quickly.

 

For most people, it wouldn't make sense to trade the interest for gas breaks but if you crunch the numbers, it can make sense for some.

 

Like us. :) My dh drives about 120 miles/day 5 days a week. He was driving a pick up truck that was costing us a fortune to run when gas was $4.00 gallon. We traded in the truck (which was more expensive than the hybrid - we have a civic hybrid) so our monthly payment/interest stayed the same.

 

PLUS, we needed immediate relief. My dh (before we bought the car) lost his job. He had to take this new job that was farther away but much less money (originally - now he makes much, much more) and his truck was costing us about 600-700 in gas a month :eek: . So, we traded in the truck, got the hybrid, and by dh gets to work on about $35/week now!

 

We were lucky to still be buying a hybrid when their were tax incentives. That took $2,500 off the top of the price. My dh averages about 45-50 mpg and a civic non-hybrid would be about 30 mpg. So not that big of a deal unless you put a lot of mileage on the car. We do, so it works for us.

 

oh yeah, as gas prices fall, it makes less sense to buy a hybrid but we are still not losing money. A few months ago when gas was much lower, my dh was filling up for $15.00. I really can't complain.

Edited May 1, 2009 by Jumping In Puddles

[Julie in Austin]

The reason it annoys me is because I don't think of close parking spots as being a "reward" in the first place. They make them for disabled or pregnant women not to reward them for any choice they've made, but to make life easier for people who may have physical hardships. In what way is driving an energy efficient car comparable??

 

Also, I thinking more about the idea of companies "rewarding a choice" thing.... why this issue, of all things, and why reward with a closer parking space? While we're at it, why not give special discounts to individuals who've paid down their debt, or give freebies to those who've marched in a pro-life rally, or offer extended hours to people who've made contributions to the Salvation Army. (I'm being facetious here, obviously doing those sorts of things would be absurd.) But generally speaking, I don't recall companies being in the business of rewarding customers for lifestyle choices or actions that have no relation to their business. That's what smacks of political correctness here, and why I think it's silly.

 

One more thing... I don't think this action will have any impact at all on what kinds of cars people drive.

 

Our Chik-fil-A will give you a discount if you bring a bulletin from that week's church service. Many places offer military discounts. Some offer sibling discounts, or kids eat free. Some do, in fact, support pro-life groups (I believe Dominos does.) The list goes on. If a company wants to say, "Hey! We support X!" by giving some of their customers some perk, then that is part of defining their corporate identity. If you agree with it, you shop there. If you don't, you boycott. I think that is a good thing about our country.

[swellmomma]

We have a grocery store that has reserved spots for those who like broccoli, those who drive mini vans that sort of thing. I always laugh, it is like they are making fun of all the reserved spots(they also have the standard reserved spots for disabled persons and pregnant women)

[Danestress]

But generally speaking, I don't recall companies being in the business of rewarding customers for lifestyle choices or actions that have no relation to their business. That's what smacks of political correctness here, and why I think it's silly.

 

One more thing... I don't think this action will have any impact at all on what kinds of cars people drive.

 

that this is a "green" grocery, so in my mind, it was related to their business or their mission. We don't have that particular grocery here, so I am not sure about that.

 

But anyway, it generally doesn't bother me when people have opinions that are different from mine and they use their business to promote those opinions. If the opinions were really hostile or offensive ("parking for heterosexuals only" or "parking for Democrats only") it would annoy me more. But I changed my mind a lot on political and social issues over the years, and I am Okay with people not being right in line with me.

 

It doesn't seem "PC" to me - it just seems like having a different opinion as to how to reward/promote an agenda. I do think it's better not to have more agendas than necessary when you run a business, but I guess that's a business decision. It will draw some and alienate others. If they can live with that, it doesn't really bother me one way or another. It would bother me, though, if a library did it. That doesn't seem quite right.

[Paz]

Thanks, ladies. I enjoyed reading all of your opinions. I am going to check out the store tomorrow a.m. with my mother. I will be sure to check out all the reserved spots and much more and report back later. This is a Publix store and it is less than a mile from my house so I am pretty happy about that. I just thought the reserved parking spot was unusual until I found out it is a "green" store. Not sure what all that involves but I will report back on that tomorrow, too.

[buddhabelly]

I have a Prius too, it is 2007 or 2008 model year, I forget which. Anyway, I wanted to clarify that sometimes the gasoline engine never turns on. So if the engine is off at a light, when the light changes the engine will not turn on until I exceed approximately 25 or 30 mph. So in city driving, my car can go for 30 minutes without the engine turning on. Or if I am going 45 mph, but downhill, the engine will be off. Now that is fun......silently, very silently, whizzing down a hill like I'm on a bicycle.

 

But (anticipating your next question), it is a little dangerous for bicyclists, blind people, and children riding bikes. I creep up behind them absolutely silently and scare the living daylights out of them.

 

My hybrid really came in handy one time when I was in a very slow-moving line of cars. The line was moving, but very slowly. Some people almost ran out of gas waiting in that line, but my car's gasoline engine never turned on. It's silent electric motor did the job.

 

I just found out that a new bill has been introduced in Congress, called the Pedestrian Safety Enhancement Act of 2009. It is a bipartisan bill, which means it is supported by both Republicans and Democrats. "New vehicles that employ hybrid or electric engine technology can be silent, rendering them extremely dangerous in situations where vehicles and pedestrians come into proximity with each other."

 

For this reason, the aforementioned bipartisan bill would require that the government "conduct a study on how to protect the blind and others from being injured or killed by vehicles using hybrid, electric, and other silent engine technologies." Companies like Lotus Engineering and Harmon International are already one step ahead of this legislation with products intended to add some extra sound to silent vehicles.

 

I thought that was interesting. I almost backed up into a skateboarder today, but it wasn't because my car was quiet. It was because the skateboarder dude was going really, really fast and he was looking at girls instead of who might be backing out of their driveways.

 

Julie

Edited May 2, 2009 by buddhabelly

[Jumping In Puddles]

I have a Prius too, it is 2007 or 2008 model year, I forget which. Anyway, I wanted to clarify that sometimes the gasoline engine never turns on.

 

:cool: I should have clarified that I have a Honda Civic Hybrid and the only time the car is in drive and the gas engine turns off is as I'm slowing down to a stop and at a complete stop. As soon as my foot is off the brake, the engine starts.

 

I guess that's why the Prius gets a little better gas mileage than the Civic and that is a cool feature that I wish the civic had! I personally think the Prius is a little nicer and has more features but at the time, we couldn't pay more for the car and the Prius no longer had the tax break (only first 50,000 cars or something like that?) so, really, we settled for the Civic but it is AWESOME anyway. :D

[fivetails]

We have a grocery store that has reserved spots for those who like broccoli, those who drive mini vans that sort of thing. I always laugh, it is like they are making fun of all the reserved spots(they also have the standard reserved spots for disabled persons and pregnant women)

 

broccoli??? :lol:

 

If we get down there this summer, you have to show me - I MUST have a photo of that. :D

 

 

Um, those of you with these "hybrid" cars - I've never seen one - that turn themselves off and don't idle.. what/how/??? ---> freezing cold winter mornings.. ? Can you MAKE it sit and run to warm up?

[pooh bear]

We have a grocery store that has reserved spots for those who like broccoli, those who drive mini vans that sort of thing. I always laugh, it is like they are making fun of all the reserved spots(they also have the standard reserved spots for disabled persons and pregnant women)

 

How do they check that the person parked there likes broccoli?

 

Do they have a person stood outside with a small stove cooking broccoli all day and you have to eat it before you are allowed in the store?

 

[fivetails]

How do they check that the person parked there likes broccoli?

 

Do they have a person stood outside with a small stove cooking broccoli all day and you have to eat it before you are allowed in the store?

 

 

Eeeeek! Dancing broccoli!! :hurray:

 

*snag snag*

[swellmomma]

How do they check that the person parked there likes broccoli?

 

Do they have a person stood outside with a small stove cooking broccoli all day and you have to eat it before you are allowed in the store?

 

 

That would be funny to see. I am sure it is just their funny way of snubbing their nose at the notion of all these reserved spots. They have the first 4-6 stalls of every row reserved with silly things like that, with the exception of the actual handicapped stalls and pregnant ladies/moms with littles stalls.

[joannqn]

If you're pregnant, walking is good exercise for you. And What's an extra 100 yards on top of all that walking you're going to do in the store?? Or... do people expect to have scooter carts for that, too?

 

Pregnancy is not an enfeebled state.

 

It is for some people. I've known more than one pregnant person on modified activity who have to use the scooters so that they aren't walking too much.

 

I could use something like this in the first six months postpartum as my pelvis separates too much during pregnancy/birth. If I walk too much (and it doesn't have to be very much to be too much), I'm in excruciating pain that night and the next day making simple things like rolling over in bed, getting out of bed, and getting downstairs all but impossible.

 

 

I wonder if these special LowE reserved spots would allow a Geo Metro. My husband got between 40-50mpg in his 3-cylinder 1992 Geo Metro. We think all the hype about the hybrid cars is just silly when you consider that we had cars getting the same mileage 15 years ago.

[katilac]

Our Chik-fil-A will give you a discount if you bring a bulletin from that week's church service. Many places offer military discounts. Some offer sibling discounts, or kids eat free. Some do, in fact, support pro-life groups (I believe Dominos does.) The list goes on. If a company wants to say, "Hey! We support X!" by giving some of their customers some perk, then that is part of defining their corporate identity. If you agree with it, you shop there. If you don't, you boycott. I think that is a good thing about our country.

 

Yep, and Pizza Hut gives free pizza for reading books, many companies give freebies for an honor roll report card - - it's very common!

[sagira]

If I opened up a grocery store I would have a lot of parking space available for.. bikes. And cars, of course, but I haven't thought of that idea.

 

I didn't think of pregnant moms as I played frisbee (minus the jumping) when I was pregnant with ds, but parking for moms with more than three kids sounds great! Then you can put a sign with mom and three little baby heads so people get the idea :D

[Miss Sherry]

Seems kind of snobby to me. It makes more sense to reserve spots for handicapped, elderly, women with children and the like. :001_huh:

I thought the purpose of reserving parking spots for certain people in a grocery store lot was to get those that are a little slower at walking for various reasons was to get them out of harms way of the traffic more easily.

Edited May 2, 2009 by Miss Sherry

[Philothea]

Heh. "Let all those pregnant women and their little troop of carbon producers walk!"

 

I really do apprieciate those parking spaces for expectant mothers and mothers of infants. As a professional baby-maker, I find it really annoying to drag 3 or more littles into a store for two items and have to park in the next county.

[Katrina]

I've enjoyed reading all the replies to this thread. It's always interesting to see all the different opinions here!

 

Just thought I'd add in my 2 cents... My mother was a quadriplegic, and I grew up parking in handicap spots from age 12 on up, until I moved out of her house. Most of the handicap spots really aren't designed for handicapped people or cars. Sure, if you have trouble walking then it can help, but people in wheelchairs need lots of extra space to load in and out of their cars. What good is a handicap space when you have to back the huge van out practically in the middle of the isle, lower the lift which take about 10 feet, and then another 15-20 feet so you can line the wheelchair in front of the lift, then lift the wheelchair in the van, another 2-15 minutes securing the wheelchair to the van before you can move the van?

 

My opinion is stores can reserve whatever spaces close to the entrances as they want. I'll park a little further back and give thanks that I am able to walk the few extra feet.:001_smile:

[mamato4girls]

:lol: