My "Twin"

[FordAnglia]

My wifey spotted a "twin" of my B250e. South bound on Ca. 85 during the evening commute!
(Is that you?)

White stickers are no longer valid (expired Jan 1, 2019) so this vehicle can't use the HOV lanes as a solo driver.
Most of our local highways are open to cars with two (or sometimes three) occupants.
However, there's no shortage of HOV scofflaw drivers seen on my daily commute.






Peter,

 

[JeffRay]

Tsk, tsk.

 

[FordAnglia]

Tsk, tsk.

There was a passenger on board, my wifey said.

However, from my experience in the HOV lane with the B250e and legal red stickers, each day can be stressful.

Getting in and out of the HOV lane means crossing one or two lanes of stationary or slow moving traffic.
The HOV lane is required to move at 45 MPH (or risk loosing Fed funding) but when traffic is light the HOV lane may be moving at 65 to 75 MPH, adjacent to the number two lane that may be stopped or moving slowly. Before I had access to the HOV lane my typical commute was 7 - 14 MPH average over ten miles traveled.

To my great surprise I see the same scofflaws using the HOV lane day after day. Some ride on my tail, flash their lights, or make obscene gestures if they think I'm going too slow.

There's an ever present danger of someone entering the HOV from the next lane, and not allowing for their acceleration to match the HOV lane speed. Another way to cut commute time is by motorcycle, which can use the HOV lane. Bike riders engage lane splitting. By law lane splitting is allowed, but the motorcycle can only travel past other cars at up to ten MPH faster. In practice the bikes tear past at highway speed. I'm surprised there aren't more accidents!

Newbie scofflaw vehicles often dart in and out of the HOV lane, ever fearful of being caught. If an accident happens in the HOV lane everything comes to a halt.

So far in six weeks of using the HOV lane I have not encountered law enforcement, which has to be the CHP (California Highway Patrol) and not local cops. Motorcycle cops are more effective as they can split lanes to inspect solo rider cars without stickers. I did see a car with expired white stickers get pulled over.

I've seen scofflaw solo riders get into the HOV lane right behind a local cop car, knowing they're safe from tickets. On the two mornings per month that CHP are likely to be on my commute scofflaw solo riders rely on Waze warnings and get out of the HOV lane. It's cat and mouse!

My wifey says I'm much calmer when I come home compared to the typical one hour for ten miles commute in the ordinary lanes. I really only bought the B250e to get HOV access, plus experience an EV. So far, so good. I doubt I'll buy another ICE car (or even hybrid) while I have this commute. Still enjoying my daily B250e runs!

Peter,

 

[rrattie]

I wish there was a better way to indicate you have HOV access other than a sticker.. I hate to see stickers except on a window.

 

[FordAnglia]

I wish there was a better way to indicate you have HOV access other than a sticker.. I hate to see stickers except on a window.

A legal HOV vehicle could easily have a transponder much like the ones used to collect toll fees on bridges and toll roads.
At every mile post the legal HOV user would sail through. The rogue HOV bandit would set off an alarm.
While I firmly believe in small government I also believe in honesty.

Peter,