Some Solo Drivers Will Use Any Excuse to Get in a Carpool Lane
On its snopes.com website, the San Fernando Valley Folklore Society tells of a woman who was pulled over in Arizona for driving alone in a carpool lane. When an officer asked her how many people were in her car, “she said two as she pointed to her obvious pregnancy,” he testified.
A judge fined her $367, ruling that a “common sense” definition of the carpool statutes assumes that individuals must occupy “separate and distinct” spaces.
In California, naturally, drivers have also tried all sorts of ingenious ploys. Columnist Gary Richards of the San Jose Mercury News reported a sighting of a motorist who had “dressed up his large dog with a hat and scarf.” A witness said he at first “thought the passenger was having a bad hair day.” And, a few years ago, traffic school instructor Hank Baylis told me about a carpooler who was ticketed on the San Diego Freeway in L.A. despite his claim that his other occupant was a corpse. He was a driving a hearse.
As for condo occupancy ... : Real estate is precious in Santa Monica. A friend of mine who was renting his condo there heard from a prospective tenant who seemed well qualified except that she owned two dogs. The condo association’s rules allowed only one. My friend had to turn her down despite her plea that “one [of the dogs] is old.” Now if it could play dead....
And the moral of one store sign is ... : Nothing lasts forever, points out Phil Proctor of Beverly Hills (see photo).
Words imperfect: Today’s adventures in the English language (see accompanying) include:
* A surgical technique billed as nondeceitful, spotted by Marjorie Throne of Brentwood.
* A market that seems to be saying it has opened a medical aisle (from Mildred Berger of Bell Canyon).
* And the menu of a USC chef, which includes a true child’s plate (from Jean Koch of L.A.).
Itching for action: One of the things that dogs lack (besides condo spaces and carpool eligibility) is a nightlife scene. You go clubbing; Buster stays home.
Well, a group called SkyBARK intends to address that need Saturday in association with the downtown L.A. art club Hangar 1018.
Humans and their pooches are invited to drink and dance (not necessarily with each other) and view “the hottest new fashions for your pet.”
There’s “a large rooftop deck with beautiful views of the L.A. skyline” and facilities “for your dogs’ bathroom needs.” Location: 1026 S. Santa Fe Ave. Price is $20 for the two-legged and $10 for the four-legged, and all proceeds go to a pet charity.
miscelLAny: An Ojai reader sent me a clipping about a theft of credit cards that were used to purchase $8,548.88 worth of “good.” A Robin Hood at work?
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Steve Harvey can be reached at (800) LATIMES, Ext. 77083, by fax at (213) 237-4712, by mail at Metro, L.A. Times, 202 W. 1st St., L.A. 90012, and by e-mail at steve.harvey@latimes.com.