Who to contact regarding...
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Topic: Who to contact regarding...
Posted By: jjmahoney
Subject: Who to contact regarding...
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2003 at 2:03pm
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"
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Replies:
Posted By: GeeseAreGood
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2003 at 3:14pm
Jim,
I suggest you get some Geese for your backyeard. You know, just a small flock of Geese to feed and pet and keep around.
The presence of Geese helps releave tension and anger. It will help calm you down.
Geese Are Good!
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Posted By: mroyal
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2003 at 4:41pm
[ignoring the annoying geese]
I agree with you completely. It also happens at the PW parkway exit. You cant even get off the interstate because idiots are "driving through" the exit.
Same thing happens on the southbound side. I don't think it is illegal, but it should be. Hard to fix with existing ramps.
Kindest Regards,
mroyal
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Posted By: wdossel
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2003 at 7:33pm
quote:
Originally posted by mroyal
[br][ignoring the annoying geese]
I agree with you completely. It also happens at the PW parkway exit. You cant even get off the interstate because idiots are "driving through" the exit.
Same thing happens on the southbound side. I don't think it is illegal, but it should be. Hard to fix with existing ramps.
Kindest Regards,
mroyal
Concur as well -- have you thought about a note to Doc Gridlock at the Post?
- Will
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Posted By: MDC
Date Posted: 29 Oct 2003 at 9:39pm
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Another place is where route 1 merges onto 95. It seems that most of the time when there's the slightest backup, more cars cut into the onramp than are on it legitimately. This certainly aggrivates the situation.
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Posted By: mroyal
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 11:03am
quote:
Originally posted by MDC
[br]Another place is where route 1 merges onto 95. It seems that most of the time when there's the slightest backup, more cars cut into the onramp than are on it legitimately. This certainly aggrivates the situation.
That one could be fixed with jersey barriers. Barriers would also push the merge till the end that so many promote.
Kindest Regards,
mroyal
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 11:26am
Well good, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I did notice the 95/PW Parkway problem this morning. And some people using the shoulder from Dale Blvd all the way up to PW Parkway, and still not getting off at the exit (trying to get ahead of the traffic). I think traffic would be mildly better at those points if people didn't do that. But I have seen cops sitting up on the shoulder by the PWP exit and ticketing people that use the shoulder to get ahead. They need to have a permanent trap there, or at least treat it like they do HOV with a cop there a few times a week.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: LB
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 12:21pm
I don't know if this helps, but we were having an everyday problem coming out of the Rt. 17 lot in the evening because people would pull into the intersection when the traffic was backed up and when the light turned green for us, we couldn't get out. It got really bad. Several of the slugs called the police to complain and I notice that periodically a police car will sit back off the road and then pull the offenders off. Although it still happens, it is not nearly as bad. I think the key though is that more than one person should call to complain.
quote:
Originally posted by jjmahoney
[br]Well good, I'm glad I'm not the only one. I did notice the 95/PW Parkway problem this morning. And some people using the shoulder from Dale Blvd all the way up to PW Parkway, and still not getting off at the exit (trying to get ahead of the traffic). I think traffic would be mildly better at those points if people didn't do that. But I have seen cops sitting up on the shoulder by the PWP exit and ticketing people that use the shoulder to get ahead. They need to have a permanent trap there, or at least treat it like they do HOV with a cop there a few times a week.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 1:51pm
That sounds a lot like what happens in Rosslyn at the light intersecton of Wilson Blvd. right before the turn for the Metro. I've sat at that light MANY times and not moved because the cross traffic has people try and jump out to not get stuck in their red light, but then it screws us because we can't move.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 1:59pm
In the mornings, the regular (non-HOV) lanes on I-395 are notorious for all sorts of shenanigans like this.
Problem 1 arises when the VA-27 traffic merges onto inbound I-395 in front of the shopping mall. Probably the majority of these drivers do not go down to the end of the merge area and take their turn--instead, they bomb into the thru lanes like kamikazes and cut off anyone and everyone in a mad dash across to the express lane ramp. (Easy solution: close the ramp to the express lanes.)
Problem 2 comes with people in the thru lanes who don't want to wait their turn, so they change over to the right into the acceleration lanes for the merging traffic. Most then try to horn back in at the front of the line, or else they try to continue on the shoulder. I always block the shoulder if I see the latter; the former is sometimes harder to tell if they are jumping the queue or if they are legitimate mergers. I don't see any easy solution for this one.
Problem 3 then comes directly underneath the US-1 overpass (the ramp heading into Crystal City). The "merge lane jumpers" routinely try to continue on the shoulder and then cut out into the lanes merging on from US-1. This is hugely dangerous--that on-ramp from US-1/Crystal City is a very high-speed ramp.
My other pet peeves occur in the Ninth Street Tunnel:
(1) The middle lane of the Ninth Street Tunnel is a THRU LANE to the Waterfront, not an EXIT LANE onto I-395 to Virginia. Of course some people like to bomb down the middle lane and then try to cut over at the last minute, even across the striped area. WHY DO PEOPLE LET THEM IN????? I simply cannot understand it. The DC government cannot really put up rubber pylons or a barrier here, because there has to be a way for people to get around if there is a collision, so people need to police this themselves.
(2) I stopped going through the Ninth Street Tunnel in part because of frustration with the backups and in part because I could feel my blood pressure rise due to the people described above. I often take the on-ramp from D Street SW (L'Enfant Plaza) instead. When you come down this ramp, there are TWO lanes all the way up to the Maine Avenue split, and beyond that point the left lane is a wide merge point. WHY do some people insist on STOPPING their POXY cars halfway down the ramp in the right lane and INSISTING on merging before the merge point? [:(!][:(!][:(!]
Thanks for starting this thread--it's a good chance to vent.
As for Dr. Gridlock, I have more or less given up. I sent him a letter once disagreeing with a position he took and I've had NO luck getting anything into his columns again. It seems more and more that he is turning into a pansy who simply toes the line of whatever Post management want to say (speed cameras, etc.).
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date Posted: 30 Oct 2003 at 3:28pm
It seems like in all cases, we're pretty much screwed. Most drivers understand that we're all in traffic together, and taking shortcuts will only make traffic move slower. Even if they put up jersey walls or some other structure to eliminate this behavior, people will still find a way around it. Like the punks in school that cut in the lunch line. It's the heart of the person were they think they are better than everyone else. They're late for work, so they decide it's okay to piss off hundreds of other drivers with their behavior. Or they just feel they have the right to be rude. I'm not typically a violent person, but when I see the behavior mentioned above, I wish I had a dozen bricks in my car that I could throw at the back window of these cars when they drive by.
I also try to block the shoulder when cars try to take that shortcut. I always get the pissed off hand gestures and the "move it!" screams from them, like they're allowed to drive up the shoulder. I'm always afraid someone is going to hit me when I exit at the proper place. I hope someone does one day. They'll certainly get an earful from me. You shouldn't have to look over your shoulder when you exit. But some mornings, you have to or you'll get nailed.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 31 Oct 2003 at 9:24am
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I took the Metro from Springfield this morning because Halloween traffic is always so bad. Funny, I actually rather liked the opportunity to read my book and ignore everybody else for half an hour, and my blood pressure didn't go up due to the "sneak down the shoulder" crowd, the "cross against the light" crowd, or the "back-in parking" crowd at the office. (People who back in are another pet peeve of mine but I will save that rant for another time.)
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 04 Nov 2003 at 4:10pm
quote:
Originally posted by jjmahoney
[br]I also try to block the shoulder when cars try to take that shortcut. I always get the pissed off hand gestures and the "move it!" screams from them, like they're allowed to drive up the shoulder. I'm always afraid someone is going to hit me when I exit at the proper place. I hope someone does one day. They'll certainly get an earful from me. You shouldn't have to look over your shoulder when you exit. But some mornings, you have to or you'll get nailed.
I will probably be crucified by some for this post, so let me preface it by emphasizing that it is only from PERSONAL OBSERVATION and simply reflects my wondering about this issue. I've been curious as to who the shoulder-drivers are and why they think they are exempt from the rules, so for several months I've been watching what kinds of people try (a) to use the merge lane as a shortcut and (b) to use the shoulder as a shortcut. Both behaviours annoy me but the latter annoys me more than the former because the shoulder is not a lane (and because I remember the incident some years ago of a truck driver using the shoulder lane on I-95 illegally, back when they were building the express lane extension south of Springfield, and pancaking a driver who'd had a breakdown). From my observation, the shoulder-drivers are probably 80% young black males in the car by themselves. (I've observed this whenever shoulder-driving is a problem.) The merge-lane cutters are, in addition to the foregoing group, more often than not middle-aged white males wearing suits (including their jackets). This makes me assume that the "suits" are probably government workers who think they are therefore important (given that large portions of the private sector have discarded suits). I am at a loss to explain why it appears that a disproportionate number of shoulder-drivers are young black men.
I am not trying to stereotype here, I am just curious about it after seeing how disproportionate it seemed to be.
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date Posted: 07 Nov 2003 at 1:47pm
Well, I finally took matters into my own hands with one driver yesterday. The intersection of River Rd. and 495 is sometimes very bad. You have the westbound River Rd. traffic onramp to 495, and the eastbound River Rd. traffic onramp to 495, and then the 495 offramp to River Rd. and offramp to some other street that people use to try and cut past some traffic. Well, there is a portion of shoulder between the westbound River Rd. onramp and the actual entrance onto 495 that some people will ride up to get ahead of the traffic waiting. Well, I always sit ready to jump into the shoulder to stop people from driving down the shoulder. I saw one guy who was two cars behind me start to turn into the shoulder and as he did, I moved into the shoulder too. Of course he started honking his horn. I just sat there trying not to lose my cool (which didn't work too well) and just followed traffic. Incredibly, the guy that was behind me kept my original space open so I could eventually get back in. But after a few "stop and gos" in the traffic, the guy kept honking at me. So I put my car in neutral, applied the emergency brake, unhooked my seatbelt, and got out of the car. Luckily the guy had his window open, and I screamed from the side of my car "WAIT IN LINE LIKE EVERYONE ELSE!!!!" Looking slightly terrified (or confused) he said "But I have to pick up someone." I yelled again, "I DON'T CARE!!! WAIT IN LINE LIKE THE REST OF US!!!!!" Still slightly confused I guess, he said "Ok...." I got back in my car, and then tried to get back over into the line (traffic had moved so some cars drove past and saw what I was doing). He started to move his car back into the lane, but then as I got out of the shoulder, HE GOT BACK ON THE SHOULDER AND TRIED AGAIN!!! I pulled back on the shoulder and he managed to squeeze to my right slowly, and I rolled my window down and yelled, "IT ALL MERGES INTO ONE LANE RIGHT DOWN THERE!!!!! GET BACK IN LINE!!!!!!!" He just kind of gave me this "I'm stupid" look, and kept going. All in all, he got about 3 whole spaces further than if he had just stayed in line. Plus he wasted probably 3 minutes of time by trying to cut everyone off and got yelled at be me (which felt SOOOOO good by the way).
Not that it matters, but he was an older black gentleman. For the most part, I'm glad for shoulders. For the sheer fact that you can move an accident off the road onto them. But those who like to use them to cut in line and do this illegal crap, makes me wish highways were just lined with jersey walls. I won't hesitate to do again what I did yesterday. It felt good.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: USA
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2003 at 8:13am
Today there was a COP in the regular lanes on I-395, just past the US-1 merge, pulling over drivers who had taken to the shoulder approaching the US-1 merge! Huzzah!!!
There is an abandoned orange construction cone on my street. I'm tempted to take it and drop it on the shoulder there one day.
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Posted By: tdar20
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2003 at 10:48am
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jjmahoney........your lucky to be alive! I would not recommend that tactic ever again as the peopel with guns will eventually weigh in.
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Posted By: tulipgirl67
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2003 at 11:11am
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To JJmahoney: From which police academy did you graduate? You have no idea what was going on in that man's life. Perhaps he was trying to inch ahead to gain some perceived advantage in the line of traffic. Or perhaps, his kid had gotten hurt and he needed to get to the hospital. You never know and quite frankly it really isn't any of your business! There may have been a jerk behind you, but there was also one in your driver's seat. Relax, Officer.
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Posted By: VA_Slugger
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2003 at 2:20pm
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If it doesn't matter, then don't mention the race (or gender for that matter), of a person. Otherwise, one might think it does. [:0]
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date Posted: 18 Nov 2003 at 3:07pm
quote:
Originally posted by tulipgirl67
[br] There may have been a jerk behind you, but there was also one in your driver's seat. Relax, Officer.
No reason to call me a jerk there my friend.
"If tricycles came with guns, we'd all be safe." Project 86 - "Little Green Men"
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Posted By: Tall6969
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2003 at 2:10pm
WOW, the length of the narratives on this topic strongly suggest that many of you need to try the Geese solution. Do your bosses know you all are dedicating so much time and demonstration of your writing skills to populating the Slug board. Ahh, such literary works of art?
The bottom line is, get use to it. Frustrated drivers in this nationally ranked bad traffic area is simply a part of life here. So aggressive drivers, being cut off is par for the course.
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Posted By: cdatkins
Date Posted: 26 Nov 2003 at 3:12pm
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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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Posted By: Rrohitbomb18
Date 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!!
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date 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"
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Posted By: cdatkins
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 10:55am
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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.
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Posted By: jjmahoney
Date 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"
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Posted By: SlugBuddy
Date Posted: 03 Dec 2003 at 1:45pm
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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!![^]
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Posted By: JiggaJynx
Date 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.
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Posted By: SlugBuddy
Date 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!![}:)]
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Posted By: Choran
Date 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!
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