HOV Lane Crackdowns Catch Some Creative Drivers

If you saw ANY media at all last week, you saw the picture of the guy with the creepy Halloween doll in the front seat of his car, trying to pass it off as an actual person in order to use the carpool lane in Seattle. Well, according to this Seattle Times article, there are no shortage of dummies, both drivers and passengers, in the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes.

State Troopers say they've seen everything from mannequins, to sleeping bags propped up with hats, articles of clothing, duffel bags, and Halloween masks on bags. Then there was the lazy, yet creative, person who didn't bother with a body for his pretend passenger but just dressed up his car seat, as seen to the left.

According to State Patrol officials, HOV violations are the most common complaint they receive from commuters in King County. Enforcement has been ramped up in response.

So far in 2015, the State Patrol has issued 3,000 more citations to HOV violators statewide than last year, with 558 issued in Pierce and Thurston counties, 1,446 in Snohomish and more than 9,500 in King County. Drivers can only legally use most HOV lanes when there are two or more people in the car.

Those who don't bother with a fake passenger but simply drive in the carpool lane alone often say they moved into the lane because they’d been cut off, they were passing another car or they forgot their children weren't in the car that morning.

There are some pretty funny pictures of HOV lane violators and their "passengers" at the link above if you need a laugh this morning.

Fetch Fido! And Bring the Car Around While You're At It

I have long said that a typing monkey could replace me. Well now it turns out that a driving dog could do. The Huffington Post reports that a New Zealand dog trainer has taught dogs to drive. Probably better than some people I know too.

The lessons are part of a campaign by the New Zealand Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), meant to clear up "common misconceptions" about rescue dogs. The trainer figures that if he can show people he can teach dogs to drive, maybe people will realize they're really cool and adopt the older dogs, and some with maybe tiny behavioral issues, that many people don't want.

So far, the animals have driven only with some human guidance, in the form of verbal commands and the occasional steering wheel readjustment, but I suspect they'll be making trips to the Walmart for Kibbles and Bits on their own any day now.

Woman Cited for Breast-Feeding and Driving on I-5

Okay, I've seen a LOT of stuff going on while people are driving. I've seen a guy brush his teeth, a woman blowing up balloons, a young woman changing her clothes and even a teenager eating cereal. But this is a new one. A Mountlake Terrace, WA woman was recently stopped on I-5 for breastfeeding while driving.

According to the Seattle PI,the woman was feeding her 1-year-old son to keep him from crying. She was written a $136 ticket for having an unrestrained child. And, that's not even the best part; the woman admitted that she had been pulled over before for the same infraction. 

Boy Caught Driving By Police- Again

Pocatello, ID police got a big surprise when they pulled over a car that was running stop lights and driving erratically. According to KREM 2 News, the driver wasn't drunk- he was 9! As in years old. And this isn't the first time he's been caught taking a Sunday drive (actually on Friday), he's been picked up by police before for taking a joyride in the family truckster.

A man called police after he spotted someone driving erratically. At first, the witness thought the other driver was drunk but when he let the car pass, he saw that a child was driving. The man followed the boy several blocks, as he ran red lights and stop signs.

Police responded, pulled the boy over and released him to his parents. They're still considering whether to cite the boy or his parents. And probably whether they have the authority to ground all three of them.

Many Bicyclists and One Snake Visited My Energizer Station

You couldn't ask for better weather for Bike to Work Week! Rather than sitting in an office this morning, I got to take my show on the road with a Bike to Work Week Energizer Station in Liberty Lake. An energizer station is simply when you put up a table and give out treats to people who bicycle by to thank them for riding their bikes to work rather than driving.

I set up near the trailhead to the Centennial Trail in Liberty Lake as it seemed like all the other Energizer Stations were in very urban areas like downtown Spokane. I got to talk to some interesting folks, all on their way to work or other errands and even helped one concerned bicyclist shoo a rather long snake off the trail. She was worried it might be run over by someone not paying attention. All in all, a succesful operation, all before 9 a.m.

Child Protective Services Threaten To Take Kids Away- Because They Walk Alone

Should children be kept in a bubble until they turn 21? Because that's what this article makes me think some people want. A Maryland couple are being investigated for child neglect because they let their children walk around their neighborhood together, but with no adult supervising them. Like we used to do when I was a kid. And generations of kids did before that.

The parents of the 6- and 10-year-olds say they've taught their children to be independent and about safety crossing streets, but on walks home from local playgrounds recently (one as close to their house as two blocks), callers alerted police and Child Protective Services to the unattended children. CPS has even gone so far as to threaten to take the kids away.

Here's the story from U.S.A. Today.

Senate Showdown Over Project Budget Overruns

The Washington Senate Tuesday took on State Route 520 bridge budget overruns and possible overruns on the project to bore a tunnel under downtown Seattle.

The Senate was ready to vote on a routine supplemental transportation budget to adjust road, bridge and ferry maintenance work in 2014-2015 when Sen. Mike Baumgartner, R-Spokane, and Sen. Doug Ericksen, R-Ferndale, introduced amendments to the transportation bill that triggered alarms for some. And turned the entire vote into a showdown over who should pay for going over budget.

Crosscut tells us what happened.

Picture Posted On FB Drawing Angry Outcry

At $4 a gallon, I can't afford to spill gas either! Replacement babies can be bought on the internet these days though. Just kidding, don't get angry. This photo, taken by a Denver police officer, shows a crazy lack of concern for this child.

The Colorado Department of Transportation posted the photo to Facebook, where it's getting a ton of outraged comments.

The officer pulled the car over for making an impropert turn and found the toddler, a 14-year-old passenger and the driver all not wearing seat belts. The driver was ticketed obviously.