Be honest: you bought that Prius for the prestige, didn’t you?
“More than half of the Prius buyers surveyed this spring by CNW Marketing Research of Bandon, Ore., said the main reason they purchased their car was that ‘it makes a statement about me’,” according to Say ‘Hybrid’ and Many People Will Hear ‘Prius.’
If you are truly environmentally conscious, you will car pool, take mass transit, ride a bike, walk, take a bus, telecommute, ride a motorcycle, or maybe buy a high-mileage car. Yes, 45-50 miles-per-gallon is great for a car; however, I own a 32 miles-per-gallon 2001 BMW 530i but never drive: I telecommute.
I bet you my high-performance sedan is more environmentally conscious parked in the street than your Prius is if you commute a couple hours every day.
For too many Americans, riding a bike is exercise and not transit and it should be. It really should be. Motorcycles, too, often get 50-miles-per-gallon and more, yet they don’t reflect the sort of wholesome, environmentally- and safety-consciousness Prius owners desire.
It’s all good, as long as you’re honest with yourself. Seriously.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Let me get this right, my brother’s truck, a Ford f-350 diesel, club cab, 4×4 longbed, which is used solely for driving his sorry backside to work as an accountant isn’t making a statement about how he wants people to see him? the image he wants to project? (as you can see I’m working off a lot of bad family gasoline Karma with our Prius).
You’re damn right my Prius says something about me: I support new technology, I believe in Homeland Security through Energy Independence, I’m thinking outside the barrel, I believe in leaving as small of an ecological damaging footprint as possible, as well as the belief that while most Americans cannot realistically reduce my much the amount of driving they do, they can reduce considerably how much energy they use doing it. My car IS my statement, but it also reflects my philosophy and my commitment.
I applaud you’re telecommuting efforts, we’d do it ourselves if we could. Of course, hospital work is kind of hands-on. Plumbing is hands-on. Teaching is hands-on. Building houses is hands-on. you get the idea. Not a large % of American workers are actually knowledge workers.
Speaking of “ecological damaging footprints” – the production of those batteries in your Prius is apparently quite damaging.
http://www.philly.com/inquirer/opinion/20070404_Hidden_cost_of_driving_a_Prius.html