A man from San Jose, California, has been pulled over by the California Highway Patrol more than 40 times for driving solo in the carpool lane, but has never gotten a ticket. The reason: His 1995 Dodge Caravan compressed natural gas (CNG) conversion is, apparently, too much for California cops to compute.
In California, the CNG conversion qualifies Carl Tankersley to drive solo in those highly desirable diamond lanes. Yet, although he prominently displays his carpool and CNG stickers as required by law, that doesn’t seem to be enough to stop the cops from disturbing his 30 minute commute on a fairly regular basis.
As Carl says, he’s “running out of clever things to say to them when they miss seeing the stickers.” He’s done about as much as he can without simply plastering the car with stickers, even going to the lengths of adding large stickers that say “Clean Air Vehicle powered by Natural Gas” on all sides of the car.
On occasion, Carl has found himself educating the cops about what other things qualify people for the carpool lane in lieu of that extra passenger, and has sometimes been pulled over more than once in the same commute. It’s good that Carl’s been able to keep his sense of humor about the whole thing, but if it were me I’d probably have lost my patience by now.
So, if you’re out there Mr. (or Ms.) cop-with-the-bad-eyesight-and-preconceived-notions-of-what-a-carpool-lane-vehicle-should-look-like, next time you’re about to pull over a 1995 Dodge Caravan for violating carpool lane rules, think of poor old Carl and do a quick scan for stickers that might indicate you’re about to make a mistake.
Image credits: U.S. Geological Survey via Wikimedia Commons, Jacob Bøtter’s Flickr photostream under Creative Commons License, and milesgehm‘s Flickr photostream under a Creative Commons License.
Source: Silicon Valley Mercury News
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Here’s yet another story about government bureaucrats stifling developments that reduce petroleum consumption while producing cleaner emissions:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-hybrid-car-conspiracy/
It turns out that an American engineer developed a sophisticated, working hybrid car in the early 1970s but that Eric Stork, a bureaucrat at the EPA, hated hybrids and killed any and all attempts to introduce them. As far as Stork was concerned it would either be all electric or nothing. Guess we got nothing. Consider how much closer to widespread use of electric vehicles we would be today if we had 30 years of mass produced electric drive trains for hybrids and 30 years of battery production for hybrids.
Here’s yet another story about government bureaucrats stifling developments that reduce petroleum consumption while producing cleaner emissions:
http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/the-hybrid-car-conspiracy/
It turns out that an American engineer developed a sophisticated, working hybrid car in the early 1970s but that Eric Stork, a bureaucrat at the EPA, hated hybrids and killed any and all attempts to introduce them. As far as Stork was concerned it would either be all electric or nothing. Guess we got nothing. Consider how much closer to widespread use of electric vehicles we would be today if we had 30 years of mass produced electric drive trains for hybrids and 30 years of battery production for hybrids.
Mark,
Any media outlet that employs “Joe the Plumber” is surely the most trustworthy outlet.
Mark,
Any media outlet that employs “Joe the Plumber” is surely the most trustworthy outlet.
So just out of curiosity, what keeps someone from putting stickers on their old gas guzzler so they can fake their way into the carpool lane? Is there some kind of documentation he has to show the cops?
You would think they could share his license at their next meeting and get the word out. Maybe he should do a talk at headquarters to educate more efficiently.
So just out of curiosity, what keeps someone from putting stickers on their old gas guzzler so they can fake their way into the carpool lane? Is there some kind of documentation he has to show the cops?
You would think they could share his license at their next meeting and get the word out. Maybe he should do a talk at headquarters to educate more efficiently.
Matt
This media outlet employs Anthony Cefali, yet despite that, it often produces trustworthy information.
Matt
This media outlet employs Anthony Cefali, yet despite that, it often produces trustworthy information.
I’m carpooling for 2 years and I have seen a lot of fake drivers. What should you do about it?
I’m carpooling for 2 years and I have seen a lot of fake drivers. What should you do about it?
I have a 2008 Saturn Vue XE and would like to convert it to NG. I live in Summerville, South Carolina. Who is the closest contact that can make this NG conversion on my vehicle?
Thanks,
Percy Phone 843-851-1568
I have a 2008 Saturn Vue XE and would like to convert it to NG. I live in Summerville, South Carolina. Who is the closest contact that can make this NG conversion on my vehicle?
Thanks,
Percy Phone 843-851-1568
Never mind!
Never mind!