Car-Pooling Party’s Success Reassessed

I don’t know what the criteria were to determine that California Pool Party Day be declared a “rousing success,” but as I drove up Interstate 5 at 7:30 a.m. (on Oct. 6), I counted only 26 cars carrying more than one passenger between the Costa Mesa Freeway and my destination at Wilshire and the Harbor Freeway. I was dismayed by the apparent lack of support for the Pool Party. Could this have been because of the minimal advertising and promotion that surrounded the event?

I also found it a disgrace that Thomas Riley (Orange County supervisor) didn’t bother to car-pool. If those in charge of promoting ride-sharing do not take part, what incentive is reflected for the general public? Going out for dinner with another couple is not the point of car-pooling, although I suppose it is better than nothing.

I hope that public agencies, including OCTD, learned some lessons from their “successful Pool Party”:

* That Southern Californians won’t give up their cars voluntarily.

* That it’s going to take a law (such as Regulation XV) to force people to car-pool.

VIVIAN GOLDSCHMIDT

Irvine