LA Times: "Prius Backlash"

I hate carpool lanes, and I liked the idea of letting hybrids drive in them. The more cars can drive in the carpool lane, I reasoned, the closer we come to a normal lane. So this is an interesting development:

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."

Tags: California, carpool lanes, hybrids