Children Riding in Car-Pool Cars

This letter is sent in response to the car-pool lane court decision of Diane Correll (April 28). I am livid over this whole ordeal, which has tied up our over-crowded court system, not once but twice. It raised a civil rights controversy which should not have been an issue.

Can we get down to basics. The term car pool came about when people were asked to ride together, this eliminating vehicles from the crowded freeway system. Two or more drivers riding together could create an impact. This is the basic concept as I see it.

Therefore, I feel that to have a car pool the passenger must be a person who would normally put a vehicle on the highway. To legally drive a vehicle on the highway a person must be licensed.

With that basic concept in mind, how can a woman or man driving a vehicle on the highway, with a child, constitute a car pool? That child (or unborn child) cannot drive a vehicle, thus there is no elimination of traffic.

Your article states: “It is now up to the Department of Transportation and the state Legislature to further clarify who is or who is not a viable passenger.” Only a licensed driver can potentially put a vehicle on the roadway, and therefore only a licensed driver-passenger should be allowed to classify a vehicle as a car pool.

PETER J. PISCHL

Huntington Beach