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   I don't recommend driving on shoulders or cheating in any other way, but I also do not recommend trying to take the law into your own hands.  After all, in doing so you are breaking the law yourself.

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cdatkins Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote cdatkins Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 Nov 2003 at 3:12pm
	I don't recommend driving on shoulders or cheating in any other way, but I also do not recommend trying to take the law into your own hands. After all, in doing so you are breaking the law yourself.

Rrohitbomb18 Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 26 Nov 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Rrohitbomb18 Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 26 Nov 2003 at 10:52pm
	quote: Originally posted by jjmahoney [br]Ok, this may not be the forum for this, but I'm at a loss as to what to do and need to get it off my chest. There are certain parts of the city (and even on 95/395) that people cut off traffic WAY too much. Be it driving up the shoulder to get ahead, or cutting in at the last minute to get through a traffic light. Some of the worst places are: -Northbound 95 between Dale Blvd. and PW Parkway. The exits to Dale Blvd. are often abused by people trying to cut past traffic and use the exit lanes to get ahead. And MANY times causing traffic jams which prevent us HOVers from being able to get to the HOV ramp. -The traffic light at Canal Road and Whitehurst Freeway by the Exxon station (I think those are the street names). When coming down Foxhall Rd. onto Canal Rd, anyone who has gone down that road a few times KNOWS that the left lane is for thru traffic ONLY. Right lane is to turn right. I can't count how many times I've watched cars speed up the right lane, and cut off cars to get through the light (I've almost been hit a dozen times at least). And people let them in! When I get up to that light, I refuse to let anyone over who tries that. The wait at that light is long enough. WAIT YOUR TURN LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!! People that do stuff like this are probably the same people that cut in the lunch line at school. Somehow they think they are more important than the rest of us and they have a right to be a total a$$ and cut everyone off. Isn't this behavior illegal? And why don't the police setup occasional traps to catch people that do that? Is there anyone that we can complain to about these locations and the dozens of other places where this is common? I really lose faith in the "goodness of people" everytime I see this. Then usually when I arrive to pick up my slugs (Rosslyn in the evenings especially), I'm so angry that I can hardly contain myself. There must be something that can be done to prevent stuff like this. With the Canal Road light, all it would take is an extension of the curb to close that gap that cars try to squeeze through. I can't imagine that taking much work (or money) to do, and it would prevent a lot of headaches for us trying to be courteous. "If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men" what?? i dont believe this!!

jjmahoney Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote jjmahoney Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 10:39am
	I started this thread to vent about the jerks that like to cut people off in traffic. So what if I got out and yelled at one of them! I'm sick of almost getting hit because I'm getting off at the RIGHT exit point, and some dumbass is flying up the shoulder to get ahead of traffic. Some days I can tolerate it, but many days I just can't. The nerve of some drivers thinking they are somehow more important than the rest of us just pushes all the anger buttons in me. But don't lump me in the same group as them. "If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"

cdatkins Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 24 Jun 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote cdatkins Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 10:55am
	Yeah but the thing is someone might actually have an emergency or a legimitate need to drive on the shoulder. It's not our place as drivers to police the traffic laws. Please leave that to the actual Police.

jjmahoney Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 07 Mar 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote jjmahoney Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 12:20pm
	quote: Originally posted by cdatkins [br]Yeah but the thing is someone might actually have an emergency or a legimitate need to drive on the shoulder. It's not our place as drivers to police the traffic laws. Please leave that to the actual Police. Maybe, but when I see 12 cars driving up the shoulder at 60 MPH, I doubt that's an emergency. And where are the damn police anyway? I saw THREE HOV violators in front of me this morning drive RIGHT PASS a cop sitting near Newington, and they all were able to get off at the 495 exit without being stopped. The whole commute to DC is really wearing thin for me, that's all I'm saying. So are that small percentage of drivers that do these things. It doesn't take many to ruin your commute. "If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"

SlugBuddy Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 21 May 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote SlugBuddy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 1:45pm
	I totally agree Jim. The commute has been getting consistently worse over the years. It's a mess out there. There are more violators on the HOV than legitimate people and the back-ups just keep occurring. The police only ticket occassionally and I've seen blatant violators drive past the cop while they just sit there and do nothing. As for driver's that cheat and drive on the shoulder, they need to be stopped and ticketed but the cops rarely see them. I am all for driver's who block them from doing that and I am all for us legitimate drivers on the HOV to call the state police #77 and report violators. We should stand up for our rights as law abiding citizens and let the police know the violators plate number and what exit they are at. Something needs to be done!![^]

JiggaJynx Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 01 Aug 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote JiggaJynx Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 2:29pm
	quote: Originally posted by SlugBuddy [br]...I am all for us legitimate drivers on the HOV to call the state police #77 and report violators.[^] SlugBuddy, Say more about #77. Will the police do anything in real time, or will they use a rising number of complaints as justification to beef up presence at certain exits and ramps? BTW, two days last week, there was a state patrolman picking off violators at the end of the ramp leading to the Horner Road parking lot. I told him I appreciated his being there. Also, yesterday was one of the big enforcement efforts at the Route 1 exit--4 cars at the ready when we drove by.

SlugBuddy Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 21 May 2003 Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote SlugBuddy Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 4:32pm
	The #77 is the number the state police have posted on all of their signs. I think if they get enough people calling and complaining about the violators, they will have to do something about it. They may also want to know what vehicle and where these violators are located so I'd be prepared to give that info too. I think they only sit out there at certain times and at certain exits. When I leave in the evenings around 5:00 p.m., I never see them monitoring the HOV activity and we always get stuck in a back up because of it. They need to have at least two officers stationed at each exit or entryway, one to motion the violators over, the other to write the tickets. I rarely ever see them at the last merge point (Dumfries) ticketing and there are tons of violators. In my opinion that is lost revenue, revenue that could be used to fund HOV expansion. If you're tired of all the cheaters out there, then let's band together and get 'em!![}:)]

Choran Members Profile Find Members Posts New Slug Joined: 05 Aug 2003 Location: VA Status: Offline Points: 0	Post Options Post Reply Quote Choran Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Posted: 16 Dec 2003 at 11:18am
	I have spoken to the State Police about this situation at length. It's a double edged sword - yes they need to enforce the HOV Laws, to gain the revenue to help with other projects (ie overtime for troopers) but they do not have enough units available at any given time to handle this and other calls for service (accidents - in the Metro area? Come on never - (ok enuf sarcasm)). However, they do not have the money to fund the extra units, so perhaps we should take the fight to the politicians (perhaps those that were shaking hands in the lines) since they control the money. You might also check with the jurisdictions (Fairfax PWC Stafford) I do see Arlington County enforcing on 66 all the time, and the Airport Authority on the Toll Road. Just a few places to start - god knows I call often . . .and I have even emailed! (although the email addy escapes me right now) Jeez perhaps some day we Slugs/HOVers will be issues ticket books to be sent to the offenders by mail! (Now there is a novel concept!) Not a lecture - just a thought!