Q: Your current compendium about carpool violators missed essentially the most basic one: a hearse with one driver and a useless occupant making an attempt to make use of the carpool lane. I don’t suppose any choose has upheld it when it has been tried. Simply needed so as to add that basic to your checklist, assuming it’s not already there.
Samuel Mudd
A: It's now.
Q: I recall studying about an undertaker driving a hearse within the carpool lane, who was stopped by the police. He claimed the useless particular person within the casket was his passenger. He bought the ticket. Did it actually occur?
G.C.
A: Sure. I assumed this needed to be an city legend, nevertheless it’s not.
A number of years in the past a funeral residence employee was driving alone in a minivan in a excessive occupancy automobile lane on Interstate 15 in Las Vegas. The Reno Gazette Journal takes it from there:
“Nevada Freeway Patrol Trooper Travis Smaka quickly found the automobile was really a hearse holding a physique bag strapped to a gurney. Per CNN, the driving force then requested, ‘So, he doesn’t rely within the again?’ Smaka couldn’t assist however chortle. ‘I can safely say this was by far the strangest excuse for being within the HOV lane a trooper in Las Vegas has ever heard,’ he mentioned.
“It’s as much as particular person states to resolve what counts as a authorized automobile occupant. Nevada’s guidelines don’t make a distinction between the dwelling and useless which is probably why the hearse driver was let off with a warning, moderately than a superb of as much as $250. After the site visitors cease, nevertheless, NHP issued a clarification. ‘You have to have a dwelling, respiratory human occupying the seats within the automobile to be in compliance with HOV lane guidelines,’ mentioned Trooper Jason Buratczuk. ‘This particular person was clearly a decedent and within the cargo space of the automobile, so they'd not qualify for the HOV lane.'”
One time a pregnant lady was pulled over within the South Bay and claimed that her unborn youngster ought to rely as a passenger. She took it to courtroom and the choose threw it out, not eager to become involved in a possible argument over when life begins.
Q: Is there something that may be completed about everybody rushing and driving erratically? The newest factor I’ve seen is, when ready for a light-weight, being handed on the left by somebody dealing with into site visitors as they attempt to bypass others and run the sunshine. I’m a defensive driver, nevertheless it looks like the very best protection is to remain residence!
Anne Chavez, San Leandro
A: That is an particularly harmful stunt and will have tragic penalties.
Search for Gary Richards at Fb.com/mr.roadshow, or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanewsgroup.com.