While sitting in a parking lot this morning for 70 minutes that some pundit named either Arizona 101 East, or Arizona 51 South, I remembered an article in the Phoenix paper about a week ago about giving people with alternate fuel vehicles a sticker to allow them to drive in the HOV lane. I've got a better idea... take down the HOV signs! About 80% of the people flying past me in the HOV lane at any given time already must have Diplomatic Immunity or be the President or something, because they're over there driving solo.
And why shouldn't they?
When was the last time you saw a cop giving someone a ticket for driving in the HOV lane solo? ... ok I guess that's a trick question... when was the last time you HEARD OF someone getting a ticket for driving in the HOV lane solo? I can only remember one... and that was a bunch of years ago when some lady insisted she could drive there because she was carrying a child!... or to be more exact, she was pregnant.
Two weeks ago I was sitting at a dead stop trying to go South on I-17 at about Northern, and a cop came up behind a lady driving solo in the HOV lane along side me. He hit the sound they make when they're buzzing through interesections so she could move over and let him past, but not to stop her... and why would he? He's already got 3 lanes sitting still, if he stops her, he'll block the only available lane for probably 1/2 hour! And then what would all those self-important folks who drive solo over there do?? On the plus side, when he hit that sound-maker, she probably had to go home to change her underwear :)
So I suppose it's safe to drive in the HOV lane solo as long as it's rush hour, and hey... after rush hour you don't need it.
I don't know what the solution is, but I know taking 70 minutes to drive 27 miles isn't it. In 70 minutes, I could have been halfway to Flagstaff or 2/3 of the way (or more) to Tucson instead of just crossing town! sigh... I'm done now...
posted @ Wednesday, February 21, 2007 8:32 AM