Normative Signs: The Poetry of "Ought"

This sign suggests that only hybrid automobiles may park here.

I like the way the word “hybrid” is visually integrated with the giant letter “P” (universally recognized, in the English-speaking world, anyway, as meaning “Parking”).

What’s normatively interesting about this sign? A sign like this is part of an implicit ranking of priorities. Many parking lots reserve spaces for persons in various categories: the disabled, pregnant women, etc. This sign is part of a scheme that prioritizes drivers of hybrid cars over at least some of those categories, and in fact over at least some vehicles (electric cars?) that might be more environmentally friendly than hybrids. I wonder how often the people who decide to designate parking spots for particular groups think of it this way.