Queries for
Helen O. vanPoole

What is the penalty for driving alone in an HOV lane?
Dear Helen:
I drive alone to work and the diamond lanes really infuriate me. There are very few cars in those lanes, while all the other lanes are clogged, and I inch along. I have resorted to using an inflatable female doll in my passenger seat so I can cruise in the diamond lanes. Aside from the fact the doll has this goofy expression on her face, it has worked just fine and no one seems to notice. What is the penalty if I get pulled over?
Poindexter Phillips

Dear Poindexter:
First, to answer your question, thanks to new state legislation passed in the 1999 session, driving in an HOV lane illegally is considered a moving violation. The violation carries the same weight as a speeding ticket, which besides upsetting your insurance company, will cost you $71.

But, Poindexter, my friend, I feel compelled to correct your perceptions about the HOV lanes. They are not there to make you angry. HOV lanes are there to, in effect, reward those people who ride transit, vanpool, or who make better use of their cars by carrying at least two real people in them. Statistics prove the HOV lanes carry far more people in far fewer vehicles than non-restricted lanes (see data on page 2). I suggest you get a real live friend to share your ride and ditch the doll.
H.O.V.


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