HOV madness (fixed!)
I know I said I was going to work, but now I'm "supervising" :)
Okay, I will update this later on today, but the argument is ridiculous and I hope the judge throws the book at her:
Unborn HOV lane? Mother to fight ticket
Sarah Muench
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 10, 2006 12:00 AM
A pregnant Ahwatukee Foothills resident ticketed for driving in a carpool lane is scheduled to appear in court today to argue that her unborn child counted as a passenger.
Candace Dickinson, 23, hopes to overturn her penalty and prove her point that even though her child was still in the womb while she was driving on Interstate 10 on Nov. 8 in Ahwatukee Foothills, it still counted as a second person.
Since then, Dickinson gave birth to her baby - a boy.
Frank Valenzuela, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said a vehicle can't occupy the high-occupancy vehicle lane unless two or more people are in it.
The statute doesn't define what a "person" is.
"If a (pregnant) mother goes to a movie theater, she's not going to pay for her child," Valenzuela said.
Dickinson could not be reached for comment.
She faces $390 in fines and is to appear in Phoenix Municipal Court at 1:30 p.m.
BTW: HOV = High Occupancy Vehicle. In AZ, that's two people, or motorcycle operators (go figure).
Okay, so the law should be changed. I think it should be changed to be more with what the intention of HOV is - two people of legal driving age. Soccer moms carting around children should not be counted because those kids have no other way to get to their destination without her. I don't see soccer moms putting their kids on public buses or other public transportation (if we had any). While it's true she's more in the spirit of HOV if she's carting around other peoples kids, it's impossible to tell for any officer if the kids are hers or not, so kids shouldn't count.
Yes, it's obvious I don't have children. I've read comments about this case from mothers that say the HOV lanes are helpful to mothers dealing with children that are tired of being stuck in traffic. Guess what - I hate being stuck in traffic too. If your children are being uncontrollable at this point, perhaps you should learn to be a better parent. Call me a single bitch if you want to, that's just what I think.
My nephew is 16 months old now. I've carted him around a few times, and he's been fussy. But I haven't driven like a maniac or ridden the carpool lanes because he's been so upset that I had to get to my destination. Okay, so he doesn't speak words like except for "mama", but it'll happen someday.
UPDATE:
In ruling against her, the Phoenix Municipal Court judge defined a person, or passenger, as someone who distinctly occupies a distinct seat in a vehicle.
So that still counts children according to that wording. But at least there's an ounce of sanity there.
Okay, I will update this later on today, but the argument is ridiculous and I hope the judge throws the book at her:
Unborn HOV lane? Mother to fight ticket
Sarah Muench
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 10, 2006 12:00 AM
A pregnant Ahwatukee Foothills resident ticketed for driving in a carpool lane is scheduled to appear in court today to argue that her unborn child counted as a passenger.
Candace Dickinson, 23, hopes to overturn her penalty and prove her point that even though her child was still in the womb while she was driving on Interstate 10 on Nov. 8 in Ahwatukee Foothills, it still counted as a second person.
Since then, Dickinson gave birth to her baby - a boy.
Frank Valenzuela, spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety, said a vehicle can't occupy the high-occupancy vehicle lane unless two or more people are in it.
The statute doesn't define what a "person" is.
"If a (pregnant) mother goes to a movie theater, she's not going to pay for her child," Valenzuela said.
Dickinson could not be reached for comment.
She faces $390 in fines and is to appear in Phoenix Municipal Court at 1:30 p.m.
BTW: HOV = High Occupancy Vehicle. In AZ, that's two people, or motorcycle operators (go figure).
Okay, so the law should be changed. I think it should be changed to be more with what the intention of HOV is - two people of legal driving age. Soccer moms carting around children should not be counted because those kids have no other way to get to their destination without her. I don't see soccer moms putting their kids on public buses or other public transportation (if we had any). While it's true she's more in the spirit of HOV if she's carting around other peoples kids, it's impossible to tell for any officer if the kids are hers or not, so kids shouldn't count.
Yes, it's obvious I don't have children. I've read comments about this case from mothers that say the HOV lanes are helpful to mothers dealing with children that are tired of being stuck in traffic. Guess what - I hate being stuck in traffic too. If your children are being uncontrollable at this point, perhaps you should learn to be a better parent. Call me a single bitch if you want to, that's just what I think.
My nephew is 16 months old now. I've carted him around a few times, and he's been fussy. But I haven't driven like a maniac or ridden the carpool lanes because he's been so upset that I had to get to my destination. Okay, so he doesn't speak words like except for "mama", but it'll happen someday.
UPDATE:
In ruling against her, the Phoenix Municipal Court judge defined a person, or passenger, as someone who distinctly occupies a distinct seat in a vehicle.
So that still counts children according to that wording. But at least there's an ounce of sanity there.
posted by Jenn @ 17:28
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