Thieves swiping HOV exemption stickers from hybrids

For those of you enjoying the free-flowing high-occupancy vehicle lane on the Capitol Expressway (in your HOV-exempt hybrid, no less), stay sharp, as it looks like those oh-so-valuable stickers that reside on your ride appear as gold to thieves. Apparently, "two to three dozen" victims per month are surfacing in California, where the now-extinct stickers are presumably fetching a pretty penny on the underground markets. The labels -- which were handed out to some 85,000 hybrid owners in years past to give them the same speedy privileges are carpoolers -- are no longer being administered by the DMV, which means that those that were able to take advantage are now targets. Interestingly, hybrid vehicles that are up for sale in the area are fetching "nearly $4,000 more" than comparative models so long as they come with the coveted sticker pre-installed. Notably, the DMV claims that the "carpool stickers are treated chemically so they crumble apart if tampered with," but that wee tidbit isn't likely to slow down a desperate bandit.

[Via Fark]

[John Doe @ Apr 22nd 2007 3:56AM]

Assholes.

[J2theF @ Apr 22nd 2007 4:02AM]

Cool, maybe now someone who can actually manage to go the speed limit, or something close to it, will populate that otherwise wasted freeway lane we have to pay for.

[Tonyyeb @ Apr 22nd 2007 6:04AM]

Why didn't they put the stickers on the inside of the rear windscreen?

[Rus @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:03AM]

"Notably, the DMV claims that the "carpool stickers are treated chemically so they crumble apart if tampered with,"

A cop gave me that line when I was pulledover for not having a registration sticker on my car. It's actually quite easy to remove them if you have a scraper and some wax remover. I get my sticker stolen at least 2 times a year - just make one on a computer and be done with it.

[Pedro @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:10AM]

I'd recommend getting a replacement (dealers can provide these, right?) and getting it attached with epoxy resin. Either that or, put it in the window instead. If you don't mind having the window broken, I guess.

[Rob @ Apr 22nd 2007 10:26AM]

In California (which is where this article refers to), you have to put FOUR stickers on specific places on your car to legally drive in the carpool lane -- you cannot put them inside your car glass.

[craig @ Apr 22nd 2007 12:15PM]

That's what you get when you create privileged citizenship---the assholes aren't just the ones stealing the stickers, they're also the ones that feel hybrid owners as more deserving of using infrastructure paid for by everyone's tax dollars. It's not at all clear that hybrid vehicles offer anything compelling to the public interest.

I see this as no different than physicians that sell handicap passes for a fee. There are plenty of people who have no shame.

[LC @ Apr 22nd 2007 12:37PM]

Well said Craig. When the HOV lanes were being put in by me in the early 90's, the reason given was to ease traffic congestion going into NYC by encouraging people to carpool. If eventually all cars are made hybrid in the future, you will once again see the HOV being touted as only for easing traffic congestion.

[Rob @ Apr 22nd 2007 3:03PM]

Craig & LC

Are you guys against motorcycles in the "carpool lane" (that's what I've always called it)?

[OddManOut @ Apr 22nd 2007 8:46PM]

"Are you guys against motorcycles in the "carpool lane" (that's what I've always called it)?"

Maybe they are,but Idon't think anyone on the morning commute is pro "Motorcycle-in-flames-blocking-2+- lanes"...

I think it's great that people are making a minute (minuet?) difference by driving hybrids (and I don't mean that sarcastically), and I think it should be encouraged.

Still, I'm at a loss as to how it's fair for a Prius/Hybrid that gets 55mpg (optimally...truth is it probably gets way less than that at freeway speeds) with one person in it to drive in the HOV, when my dads CRX that routinely gets 55 - 60 mpg can't...

[LC @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:03AM]

Personally I am against the carpool lane altogether. If they are going to use tax dollars to open another lane then let it ease traffic for everyone.

Still, to answer your specific question, yeah, I think Motorcycles should have the same rights as cars in that lane. They ride two on the bike, then they should be allowed in the carpool lane.

[joel johnson @ Apr 22nd 2007 7:37PM]

In the State of Georgia Hybrids are not elegible for the HOV lane nor can they pass emmisions inspections.

[granny down east @ Apr 22nd 2007 11:59PM]

In reply to OddManOut, the rationale appears to be that the State of California provides a mild incentive (in the form of the HOV sticker) to purchase a hybrid. I am guessing the emissions issue drives this decision.
I have an '06 Honda Civic hybrid, and it just shuts the gasoline engine off at idle, when the batteries are sufficiently charged. There is a little bit of urban legend going around which says that if all Americans drove hybrids, our emissions would be cut by 50%. I do not have any research on that, but it is a nice dream.

[Mark @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:25AM]

Wait, if hybrids get better mileage in stop and go traffic, why are they encouraged to get worse mileage by using the non-stop and go carpool/HOV lane?

[Gman @ Apr 23rd 2007 1:00PM]

The purpose of a carpool lane should be to encourage ride-sharing to get more cars off the road. Any other purpose is just someone else's agenda.

[Brian @ Apr 23rd 2007 8:29PM]

It's the CAR that confers the right to drive in the HOV lane, not the sticker. Why is everybody so dumb to not GET THIS!

[OddManOut @ Apr 24th 2007 4:26AM]

"In reply to OddManOut, the rationale appears to be that the State of California provides a mild incentive (in the form of the HOV sticker) to purchase a hybrid. I am guessing the emissions issue drives this decision."

Yeah, I get that (thanks for the reply though). But it doesn't make sense. If a hybrid vehicleis traveling at freeway speeds, it is almost certainly running off the gasoline engine...ie it's burning gas just like any other car. In fact (and this is the critical part) under those circumstances it is burning MORE of it per mile than my Dads CRX, which passed smog this year. Does a Prius's 1.5l gasoline engine burn THAT much cleaner than a CRX's 1.5l

So why is this privilege not being made available to a car that performs the given criteria better ?

And 'Mark' makes good point, stop and go or slow moving traffic is when the Prius uses it's batteries, and thus doesn't pollute. Under those conditions, hybrid/electric cars are the LAST you'd want to get off the road (as they are the ones doing the least damage). 4 ton suvs would be the ones you'd want to hustle off the road. They are LEAST efficient in stop and go, take up more space per vehicle and there's a ton more of them... THINK ABOUT IT!!!!

I know, I know...it's just designed to get new car buyers to buy Hybrids, just like the proposed pollution tax/rebate here in cali (drive an efficient car, get over $2k back, drive a gas guzzler PAY up to $2k, with most cars falling somewhere in between).

It's still silly though. It's like you're rewarding people for choosing not pollute on surface streets by giving them free reign to pollute on the freeway...

[Leopold Porkstacker @ Apr 30th 2007 1:15PM]

Hmm, that’s funny—I don’t recall there being a carpool/HOV lane on Capitol Expressway. Part of my Monday-Friday commute takes me on a stretch of Capitol Expressway, and not once have I seen any of these lanes. Can anyone in the San Jose area confirm this?

-he who stacks pork