Car pool lane breeding hybrid hate

Road rage, or the 'Prius backlash' is building against the drivers of hybrid cars, especially in the HOV lanes of California and Virginia.

"There's a mentality out there that we're a bunch of liberal hippies or we're trying to make some statement on the environment," said Travis Ruff, a real estate agent from Newbury Park who drives a Toyota Prius. "People are a lot less friendly than when I drove a Mercedes." (LATimes)

So, instead of hybrids, would it be better if HOV lanes were slowed with more car poolers? Inevitably, HOV lanes can't make gas cheaper, end foreign oil dependency, or even end global warming. In fact, HOV lanes can't even end congestion.

I have an idea, how about if carpool lane accessibility is determined not just by passengers, but by fuel efficiency as well? Say, if you drive a large SUV, achieving less than 20 mpg, then you have to have at least 4 occupants to qualify for HOV lane access - isn't that the point of these vehicles? Thus, only those vehicles achieving at least 30 mpg can enter the HOV lane with only 2 occupants?

Let's be real, what has a bigger effect on the world today, hybrid vehicles in the car pool lane, or tens of millions of gas-guzzlers achieving far under 20 mpg - even in the carpool lane?

Pollution, high gas prices, congestion, just blame hybrid vehicles.