About 10 years ago, I wrote a news story about a dude in Maple Ridge who got caught sneaking into an HOV lane with a blow-up sex doll in the passenger seat.
He’d been doing it for months.
The excuse was that he was trying to save time by using the HOV lane. Well, duh, everybody wants the save time by using the HOV lane. That doesn’t mean you can just use if you’re driving alone. This isn't the first time someone has been caught trying this stunt. I've attached a photo of a mannequin used to cheat the system.
HOV lanes have been added to encourage people to carpool – not to give sleazy drivers the opportunity to cheat.
Burnaby RCMP caught a whopping 16 drivers violating the HOV rules by driving alone.
The cops staked out an HOV lane on Grandview Highway at Highway 1 on Tuesday and it didn’t long for cheaters to crawl out from the sewer. Two drivers were also caught for distracted driving.
Yeah, sure, it’s tempting to sneak out of a lineup of vehicles and into the HOV lane. Do you feel dirty doing? Do you have a conscience?
It’s too bad more people don’t try carpooling. It saves money, time and is better for the environment.
But if you aren’t going carpool, just suck it up and stay in the regular lanes.
It’s infuriating for other drivers to see someone cheating like that when they are following the rules. It’s one of the many frustrating things about having to commute long distances in Metro Vancouver.
Perhaps try transit. It’s cheaper, can be faster at times, and is better for the environment.
It’s also more relaxing because you aren’t walking cheaters flout the rules.
Follow Chris Campbell on Twitter @shinebox44.
