Carpool violations / violators

[Turbinator]

I love carpooling. My wife and I carpool nearly every day to work. Sometimes I see carpool violators who get away and don't get caught, and sometimes I see them pulled over at the side of the road getting a ticket. Hey, if I have to abide by the rules, those solo drivers should, too.

Do y'alls in the LE community ever patrol or check out carpool lanes for violators? If you pull people over, what excuses do you hear?

This is not a debate about carpool lanes and whether or not we should have them.. just curious what our folks in uniform experience out there with regards to carpool lanes.

Turby

[Samuelx]

Do we have any CHP officers here? They deal with that situation every shift...

As an aside, it is funny how many people think that only CHP units are allowed to pull them over on the freeway (wrong)...

[Uhhlexxxis]

No HOV lanes here in Santa Cruz...

However, it's a pretty serious violation.. heavily enforced in LA county.. it's around a 400+ ticket..

I have seen people try to pull the ol' baby in the back seat routine but NO BABY to be found. I've also seen people cruise in the carpool lane with a blow up doll all dressed up to simulate another person.

Ahh the things people come up with... Sign here please.

[Unit74]

I have enforced it when I have seen it. But I rarely get on the freeway. Now with all the Chippies getting hammered I'm even more leery about working the lanes. A cite is just not worth it.

[BigDogatPlay]

I see violators getting pinched on 101 in Marin all the time. First violation is $381, and I've not seen anyone but CHP work them. They have several spots in the center divide, particularly between Novato and San Rafael, where a car can sit and wait for the violators to roll by. The motors can sit just about anyplace along the route and those guys don't miss.

Once in a while I'll see a car sitting in the bumper to bumper in the number two waiting for a violator to go by in the number one. Nice little ambush.

[yzErnie]

No car pool lanes where I work and I don't get on the freeway that often but I'd enforce the car pool law.

[retired]

A few of you might want to reread this part of the OP:

This is not a debate about carpool lanes and whether or not we should have them.. just curious what our folks in uniform experience out there with regards to carpool lanes.

[bohoki]

the car pool lanes are often time specific

like 7-10 am 3-6 pm

out of those times its THUNDERDOME

[Turbinator]

A few of you might want to reread this part of the OP:

Thanks - indeed, I want to hear about our folks in uniform giving out citations. If we want to debate whether or not HOV lanes are a good thing, let's take it to off topic.

I've spent my years as a solo driver as well. I always get into the long line and wait my turn to get on the freeway. When I get up to the front, sometimes I see CHP's on foot pulling people over who are violating the carpool lanes. Awesome! Hey, if I have to wait 15 min to get on the freeway, then so should all the other single occupancy cars.

Turby

[ChuckBooty]

A few of you might want to reread this part of the OP:

OOPS! Sorry 'bout that.

[PM720]

I thought I had read somewhere that the passengers had to be licensed drivers in order to qualify as carpoolers. It doesn't make sense to me for a soccer mom with a carload of kids to be in the HOV lane when the idea is to get cars off the road.

Scott

[yzErnie]

I thought I had read somewhere that the passengers had to be licensed drivers in order to qualify as carpoolers. It doesn't make sense to me for a soccer mom with a carload of kids to be in the HOV lane when the idea is to get cars off the road.

Scott

Bad info. A person is a living, breathing human being...regardless of age. Animals, blow up dolls and maniquins do not count.

[Turbinator]

Bad info. A person is a living, breathing human being...regardless of age. Animals, blow up dolls and maniquins do not count.

I also believe unborn children do not count.

Turby

[IIxNullxII]

This is one of my greatest pet peeves, I follow the rules, and stay in the non HOV lanes in traffic, then see some yahoo in a porche doing 100 in the carpool, without any regard for the law.

It's that and improper lane changes that get me riled up.

[ilikerugers]

something I would LOVE to see enforced, but never have... and because of a unique commute schedule used to see daily..., is nonlegitimate cars that flood into the car pool lane two minutes before the carpool lane at the Oakland bridge converts to a regular lane

drove me insane day in and day out

there would often be CHP enforcement on the west side of the toll plaza, but never enforcement on the east side

and while legitimate carpool vehicles are trying to get through at 9:58 am, floods of nonlegitimate vehicles would enter the carpool lane and then apply their brakes, deliberately slowing traffic, and waiting for the 10 am change!?! every day at 9:58 am and 9:59 am was an accident waiting to happen