Harris Teeter Preferential Parking for Hybrids

From a reader:

Today I was shopping at our Crozet (Blue Ridge) Virginia Harris Teeter and saw that there were special parking places given to those driving hybrid vehicles. You have got to be kidding.

Such political correctness and partisan politics is ridiculous. Driving a hybrid does nothing for planet earth and giving preferential treatment to those who do breaks the principle of justice, treating all people as equally important.

If you wanted to treat some as more important than others, driving a hybrid would not even be on my top 100 categories of people to honor.

How about the poor who can’t afford hybrids? How about the service men and women who make it possible for private citizens to own anything? How about the small business owners who employ most of the people who shop at Harris Teeter? How about those productive few making over $250,000 a year who pay most of the taxes?

You are breaking the principle of justice and equality and encouraging a false sense of pride and hypocrisy. Please change your evil practice and remove the signs for preferential parking based on what type of car people drive.

Tell them to drop the PC parking if they want any Republicans to shop there.

For what it’s worth, I might park there myself in my Honda Pilot. The sticker on the window says ULEV – Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle.

Update 22 November 2010: I had a feeling this post might generate some discussion, but really, I had no idea … I received a thoughtful email from a reader today questioning my posting this in light of the current tensions in our society (at least that’s how I read it) and this is my response:

Thanks for the email.

I debated posting this, but I think the debate is healthy.

Most importantly, we learned that it isn’t HT policy but a LEED one, and I think that is progress.

Also I think confronting the tension and defusing it with calm intelligent response is the best way to approach it, and I hope that that has been accomplished. In my ideal world, the writer will have learned something and move on.

What do you think?

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33 Replies to “Harris Teeter Preferential Parking for Hybrids”

  1. I had no idea that only non-Republicans drove hybrids.
    Evil partisan politics? Really? It must be exhausting to be so choleric.

  2. Did you just get worked up over a parking spot at the Harris Teeter in Crozet, VA?

    Maybe you should get preferential parking at the back of the lot so you can calm down on your way into the store. Try this, walk slowly, take deep breaths, and count to 10. And since its Thanksgiving, maybe you could just be thankful for what we do have.

    Seriously, take it easy.

  3. 🙂

    I’ve never been “bothered” by the signs. I think they’re silly and mildly absurd – shouldn’t they be the farthest from the front door to allow gas guzzling SUVs to save gas – but I choose to get bothered by other things and focus on how nice it is to be able to stop there after I work out at Anytime Fitness at 10pm.

  4. Preferred parking for approved vehicles was one of the “point catchers” for LEED Green Building status, which IIRC, the Crozet Harris Teeter received.

    Jim, as far as parking your Pilot in those spots, I don’t think it’s LEED approved. Check here for a list of LEED approved vehicles. This is a year or two old, but I couldn’t find a more up-to-date list.

  5. Perhaps the reader that submitted the article should do some research into Harris Teeter. The president of HT, Fred J. Morganthall II., has contributed to Republicans. The reader might want to do some research into the owners of HT, the Ruddick Corporation, as well. Will the reader shop HT now?

  6. What a load of hot air! This is a narrative straight out of the scream and shout fest we call “FauxNews”.
    Preposterous claims all over:
    Driving a hybird is being a partisan. WTF?
    Not everybody can afford one, agreed. But still.
    Most people who CAN afford shopping at a HT are NOT employed by those oh-so holy small business owners, they are making higher salaries at large employers such as NIA and UVa, are doctors etc etc. The mimimum wagers (those that get employed at small businesses do NOT shop at HT.
    We are not awash in plenty fuels because of our service men and women but it is interesting to note that this writer exposes the true reason for invading Iraq: their oil, not the WMDs, or the so-called 9-11 association. Interesting isn’t it, we were lied to all along by Bush and co.?
    Those poor “productive” ones raking in $250K every year? Boy, it is evil to make them pay more taxes than the janitor and the high school teacher on barely $30K a year. Darn, the high income folks should not pay any taxes and should shop for free because we have to idolate them.
    What a claptrap is this.
    Jim please spare us this garbage, we see enough of this in those stupid Daily Progress letters.

  7. ron…what does ‘idolate’ mean? this rant is worse than the original. and if you’re going to opine so emotionally on something so silly try reading your subject matter clearly first. that writer didn’t attempt to expose the true reason for invading iraq. that wasn’t even in the context of that blurb. sounds like you’re caught up, big guy…love the passion though. why don’t you put it to work on something positive and constructive?

    i’m going to start parking in those spots now. fight the power!

    1. What I mean is “worship”. Thanks for the insights, you are right that the comment was not in the context of oil, but private ownership in general. However, the claim that if we had not have started these wasteful interventions in the middle east that we would have lost our freedoms here is a ludicrous one. It is clear that the wealthiest private owners are the least grateful to our service men and women, as they are enjoying their biggest tax reductions breaks and loopholes signed into law in 2001 and 20o3 even when we already started our costly adventures (soaring deficits, and not even mentioning the physical and emotional devastation for many of the soldiers that I bet the rich people don’t care about whatsoever). Talking about moral corruption: the Republicans are champions! OK enough time spent, onto a more constructive way of spending my time.
      Footnote: I still like shopping at the great Valu (IGA) but that has nothing to do with political sentiments.

  8. And this is why I tend not to write about national politics here. On all sides, being able to have a reasonable conversation is so challenging. I’ve heard the original comment several times, and thought it warranted a conversation. But, unless you’re willing to not shop there …

    Look, the sides are silly, accomplish little other than helping Harris Teeter get their LEED certification, and personally, I’m fine with that. It’s an outstanding store with tremendous energy efficiencies.

    Are they pandering to a certain segment of the population with the signs? Sure. Is anyone harmed by said pandering? Nope.

    If we want to talk about national politics that matter, we should focus on the TSA, the ethics violations of members of Congress (and the lack of repercussions), wars, etc.

    You know? Stuff that matters.

    1. You were doing so well until you mentioned the congressional ethics violations and lack of repercussions. I truly hope you are not referring to Cong. Rangel, where the committee attorney, the one charged with investigating and presented the charges to the commit, stated there was no evidence of corruption or personal benefit. There were a lot of reasons for the prosecution, but clearly very few of them were worth the hoopla that ensued. Now if there is some other ethical violation you’re referring to please ID, otherwise, you’ve made your own political bias known.

      1. Matter of fact, I still think I’m doing well. 🙂

        And really, I’m not inclined to continue the debate here; it’s a discussion about Crozet’s Harris Teeter, and it’s my fault for bringing up said things.

        As far as my political bias – your point?

        1. My point being, as with any other media outlet that purports to share information and news (here just really the local Crozet news but still), one must now wonder why some items are posted and others are not, all due to your political proclivities.

          1. Amy – Seriously?

            This was a comment on the blog that I thought was interesting. If you’re going to make implicit accusations, please do so with facts.

            I read your most recent comment to imply that some stories haven’t been posted because of my political bias.

            1 – You’re wrong.
            2 – Provide some facts. Please, rather than wondering.
            3 – Thanks for thinking of RealCrozetVA as “media.” 🙂

  9. Having just moved to Crozet and never having seen any sort of hybrid preference signs at a grocery before, I do agree they are very silly. And yes we are Republican. At least expectant mothers are carrying extra weight that puts strain on their back, etc etc., which are usually signs you see in lots, in our neck of the woods anyway.

    When we got here we though it mostly spoke to the area politics more than the store preference. Knowing it’s for some sort of store certification program is interesting. There’s nothing wrong with driving a hybrid, but they really don’t save money on gas or do much for the environment unless you keep them forever and ever and more people could drive them. If they were more affordable and got out of their own way it would be great if everyone drove one, sure, just to reduce gas demand.

    All the comments making this a huge republican vs democrat thing are really over the top.

  10. The people i know who drive a hybrid get 50+ mpg. I don’t understand all this “really not saving any money on gas or help the environment” rhetoric. Sounds like a good thing to me. The more gas they save, the more there is for the lovely HUMMERS people find it necessary to drive. Hey, I guess in these times, you never know when you’ll need COMBAT READY VEHICLES.

  11. Please, posters! RealCrozet is supposed to be all about a sense of community. Let us focus on local, hometown issues and events. If I want to read snarky posts, I can do that on many other blogs. I want to keep my Pollyanna sense of small-town community alive in at least one medium. Let’s keep RealCrozet local, intelligent, thoughtful and respectful of differences of opinion – please?

  12. Wouldn’t it be nice if we responded with a little grace and understanding when these sorts of situations come up? Some of the comments are so harsh! I’m sure the woman who saw a political motive behind those parking lot signs appreciates the correct information provided.

    1. Jeannine –

      Thank you so much. I’m focused on the fact that now we know why those signs are there, rather than some (to use a phrase) “vast conspiracy”. 🙂

      A little more understanding, and a little less harness will go a long way.

  13. I view the hybrid/low-emitting vehicle signs @ HT as something to cause its customers to give some thought to the impact of our vehicles to the environment and not even remotely “evil” as the original poster stated. I have yet to see the HT police ticket a “violator”. Lets instead use our energy and resources to pick up a few things at the store for those in need this Thanksgiving and consider how fortunate we are to be able to help those that need help.

  14. As a long term local of the area, may I weigh in a little? Many Urbanites who we now live near have been from areas where a trip to the store 4 to 5 days of the week seemed sensible. Most rural country folk tend to plan ahead, buy bulk and portion control. this not only saves $$$$$ but reduces fuel use. We by “family pack” meats and slip the portions into wax paper bags (from C.G.V.)to keep them from freezing together and into a gallon zip lock bag they go. We shop twice a month. Once for groceries and once for staples. Try it!

  15. To echo what others have said, I remain stunned that anybody would believe that hybrid parking spots qualify as “partisan politics.” If encouraging the use of hybrid vehicles is a paean to Democrats, then so is banks encouraging people to save money, veterans’ groups supporting healthcare for our troops, and restaurants promoting local farmers.

  16. It is far more simple than you think. I think that Harris Teeter would
    erect parking for horses only signs if it felt it would generate more money for them. It is the politics of money. It is considered private property though and, they can put up the signs they like. By ignoring the signs you make yourself look bad, not them… Stop going there and they will probably come up with some new ones. Strange thing about hybrid vehicles, they use up more resources to produce than they save in their
    lifetime. No silly signs at the ABC store accross the road…

Something to say?