Thursday, October 8, 2009

Rant: The Carpool Lame

By writer 1

I drive a lot. A lot. I bought my car in January and have put almost 18,000 miles on it and I spend two hours at least commuting everyday.  Driving on the freeway this much really really blows. Generally I have to say that nothing is more irritating to me than the carpool lane.  The carpool lane should really be called “elitist driver lane”.  I don’t mind people who’ve gone through the effort to put together a carpool of people, who enter and exit the lane safely, legally and in a timely fashion. For you- bravo (I guess).  That is like 1 in 10 people that use the carpool lane. Here are some examples of the most heinous offenders that cause me to lift my arms in frustration and hate these people with a blinded passion.

  • Last minute lane changers: with these people I just have to take a deep breath.  I cannot imagine as a commuter you don’t know when the freeway interchange or exit you need is coming up.  Prepare yourself and start to exit ahead of time.  You frequently have to cross 4-5 lanes of traffic from the carpool lane. When you try to cross them all at once you cut everyone off and slow everyone down hence the horrible jams that happen around every freaking interchange on the freeway. Your fault carpool lane.
  • Hybrid Sticker People: I’m sorry but no.  I’m all for Hybrid technology and its really great and amazing that your car may reduce car pollution and everything and I’m sure your ugly Prius probably poops rainbows (I do love hybrids, I promise I do) but unless you are physically taking another car off the road by sharing your passenger seat you get no special privileges. Done.
  • Illegal use of the lane: this comes in a few forms; assholes who just blatantly break the rules and drive alone in the lane, people who cross over the double yellow line whenever they please (HELLO I’M NOT EXPECTING THIS, also use a turn signal at least) and people who swerve in and out of the lane to cut you off in the fast lane.  All of these are so painfully annoying and the worst kind of carpool lane trash.  Today on my way to work a woman swerved around me, no signal, into the carpool lane and then abruptly cut me off.  Traffic was not even moving at 20mph.  Way to go annoying devil lady. I hate you.
Bottom line: laws are being pushed to make emission standards even higher for people to use these lanes (65mpg) and I think that a great incentive- go for it because that would be great technology. There are also even more ridiculous lane clogging ideas like allowing fire fighters, seniors, vets, and the disabled drive in the carpool lane.  I’m sorry but it sounds like we’re creating a slow drivers and smug people lane.  Honestly- lets just open the flow of traffic to everyone a bit more and abolish the carpool lane altogether. Please.




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