HOV lane and kids
Joe Burris writes:
A peculiar thing happened recently as I took my 3-year-old daughter Onalenna to school.
I was driving along U.S. Route 1, in an HOV-2 lane, and just when I signaled and turned right a state trooper pulled me over.
The officer told me that he spotted me driving in the lane from quite a distance away and that I was only allowed to use an HOV-2 lane to turn if I had begun my trip from no more than one block from the turn street.
I replied that I was unaware of such a law but he insisted there was and I had violated it. I sat there dumbfounded while he returned to his squad car to write up the ticket.
“Daddy, why are you shaking your head?” Onalenna asked.
Just then, the trooper returned to my car and passed me a huge metallic-gray tablet, on which I had to sign the ticket.
“Wow, daddy, what’s that?” Onalenna asked.
The trooper reared back and appeared startled when he saw my daughter. Then he hung his head and tore up the ticket.
“This is the kind of day I’m having,” he said. “I’m sorry. I did not see her back there.”
All along, he assumed that I was driving in the HOV-2 lane alone. And had my daughter not spoken, I would have received a ticket.
I never thought about how difficult it must be for folks to see small children in the back seat -- especially if the car is standing still. I’m now wondering about all those other times when, while riding with my daughter along interstate HOV lanes, I got hard stares from other motorists.
(Associated Press photo)
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Comments
Just curious who wrote this. (Daddy implies not-Kate).
Interesting story. Why didn't the cop just give you a ticket for being alone in the vehicle, instead of making up some weird other reason?
I'll bet this happens all the time. What a nuisance. That got me thinking of a scam for the HOV lane. Could you rig a baby seat to make it look like there was a sleeping baby in it without actually seeing the baby? What cop would make you wake up a baby to prove its existence?
Can right-to-life people ride in the HOV lane wth an extra occupant right after the moment of conception? I'd like to see that court case.
Sorry, I neglected in the original post to add Joe Burris's name. He's the writer, as the post says now.
Posted by: Owl Meat Gravy | September 25, 2009 11:52 AM
There IS a court case about whether a pregnant woman counts as 1 or 2 for HOV lane purposes. I recall reading about it a while ago, but I can't recall the state. The answer was NO: a pregnant woman counted as only 1 person.
Posted by: concernedcitizen | September 27, 2009 8:49 AM
Not to be obnoxious, but I fail to see how you taking a trip with your daughter furthers the purpose of HOV lanes. The lanes are designed to reduce congestion by encouraging car pooling. Your trip with your daughter would have been taken anyway and did not reduce congestion because she cannot drive. Family should not count for HOV lanes. Sorry.
Posted by: Jeff | September 27, 2009 4:39 PM
Sorry but I agree with Jeff and I have two kids under the age of 6. HOV lanes were ment to keep cars off the road (and such is why most of them only are active during commute times) Your kids and mine will be passengers no matter what. I can see an expemption if you are transporting several neighborhood kids to say school but than can be handled on a situational basis.
Posted by: Ed | September 28, 2009 6:53 AM