| Buying a hybrid car is more than a
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| | other than the "slow" lane.
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| calculated decision to save fuel. It is a
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| | All bets are off when they let you use
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| statement about "saving the planet".
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| | the carpool lane.
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| Even if the chances are pretty slim that
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| | 3. You Just Won't Inch Forward Will You!
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| hybrid technology will actually make much
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| | Everybody else in the world knows that
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| difference, it gives hybrid owners the
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| | you must "inch" forward during stop and
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| right to feel superior. After all, they
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| | go traffic. How else are you going to
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| care about the planet. And the rest of
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| | keep up with the driver in front.
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| the world obviously doesn't.
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| | Besides, if you leave more than about a
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| But if you're one of those hybrid owners
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| | 15' gap between you and the guy ahead
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| you'd better be ready to lose some
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| | somebody's going to jump into the gap and
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| friends. Here's why...
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| | slow you down even more.
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| 1. You're Driving Way Too Slow
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| | Hybrid drivers have been told this
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| In theory at least, hybrid owners are the
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| | "inching forward" stuff is pointless and
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| antithesis of those guys who just ache to
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| | wastes fuel. And the way they build
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| get in that passing lane and leave the
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| | hybrids these days they've got a point.
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| rest of us behind. You know the
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| | When you take your foot off the brake
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| type...you're minding your own business
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| | pedal the auto-stop turns off and the
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| coming out onto the expressway and the
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| | gasoline engine restarts -- like one of
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| otherwise ordinary guy in the vehicle
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| | those gasoline engine golf carts. And
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| behind you swings out and passes even
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| | there goes most of your gas savings. All
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| before you've hit the highway.
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| | those stops and starts just eat up the
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| Hybrid owners seem to do just the
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| | gas.
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| opposite. You've known for years that
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| | But don't expect your mono-drive cousins
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| driving slow saves fuel. So you're likely
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| | to understand. They've only got one thing
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| to be driving under the speed limit
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| | in mind: to get wherever they're going
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| rather than over like the rest of the
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| | just as fast as possible. And everybody
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| world.
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| | knows that racing up behind the guy in
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| The fact that you're driving a hybrid
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| | front is the only way to make that
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| just makes it worse, since you know that
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| | happen.
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| all the potential savings are squandered
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| | 4. Do you really think you should be
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| if you try to go fast.
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| | drafting me like that?
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| Especially when you're accelerating. That
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| | The responsible hybrid owner will make
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| guy in the high powered vehicle who pulls
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| | use of every advantage to save gas. And
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| out and passes... the thought of saving
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| | drafting larger vehicles is one technique
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| gas has never crossed his mind. But
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| | that the more aggressive will try. That's
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| hydrid owners know better. For you it's a
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| | where you pull right up behind a semi, a
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| moral duty to save fuel. The fate of the
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| | van, or an SUV and try to stay in the
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| planet depends on it. So there's no way
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| | pocket of air they are pulling along
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| you're going to try any of that fast
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| | behind them.
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| acceleration stuff.
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| | I remember doing this with an old '65
|
| 2. What's with the Pulse and Glide Stuff
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| | Beetle a few years back. We were
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| You've been told that "pulse and glide"
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| | travelling along the New York Thruway
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| can make a serious difference to your gas
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| | drafting semis. We were making great time
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| milage. That's where you accelerate
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| | and saving lots of gas... until we blew a
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| (conservatively) to the speed limit, and
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| | rod.
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| then let the car "glide" to 10 or more
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| | Of course, sticking on someone's bumper
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| miles per hour below the speed limit.
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| | will not endear you to too many of your
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| Repeat this procedure. Repeat this
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| | fellow drivers. And as I discovered, it's
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| procedure. Repeat this procedure...
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| | a bit dangerous too. You'll find yourself
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| I once had a friend who drove like this.
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| | going quite a bit faster than you
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| I thought he was dozing off between
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| | otherwise would go. And whipping along in
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| pulses, but now I know differently. He
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| | that back-draft does not do a lot for
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| was actually doing the environmentally
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| | your stability.
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| responsible thing.
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| | Just try to remember, when you're out
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| My friend's driving habits aside, this
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| | there on the highway trying to save the
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| practice is not going to endear you to
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| | planet, the rest of the world could care
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| all the rest of the drivers who can't
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| | less about your morally superiour driving
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| figure out why you keep slowing down.
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| | habits. All they want to do is get where
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| It's probably smart to speed up just a
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| | they're going as fast as they can.
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| little when you find yourself in anything
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|
