Left Freeway Lane for the Long Haul, Not High Speed

Would you please, please, please inform your readers that when they are driving on our freeways and the running speed is 70 or 75 m.p.h. and they are in the left lane and being passed on the right that they are creating one of the worst hazards on our freeways. They are violating the rule that says the left lane is a passing lane and if they are not passing and indeed are being passed, then they should get out of the way and let traffic flow!

Victor B. Dennis

Mission Hills

You are not alone in your frustration. Several readers have written to complain about this problem. I even got a letter from a reader who asks if he can get a ticket for holding up traffic while driving 55 m.p.h. in the so-called fast lanes.

Freeway etiquette says you should slide over to the right when someone rides up on your bumper and starts flashing his lights--even if you are doing the speed limit.

But to get the official response to this, I took the matter to California Highway Patrol Officer William Preciado. After all, he can give you a ticket if you do it wrong; I can only yell and make obscene gestures.

First of all, he said the CHP will not ticket you for driving the speed limit on the freeway, even if you are holding up a long line of cars.

Preciado said the left lane is intended for folks who plan to stay on the freeway for the long haul, not for people who plan to break the land speed record. The right lanes are for slower-moving semitrailer trucks and motorists who are getting on or off the freeway, he said.

If you stick by these rules, he said, motorists will make fewer lane changes and traffic will flow more smoothly.

I cannot stand seeing someone driving around with little kids who are not wearing seat belts or are not in car seats. What is worse is seeing someone in the passenger seat holding a child on their lap. I think there should be a phone number to report this like 1 800 CAR-SEAT or 1 800 SAFE-KID or 1 800 BABY-FLY. They should be sent a seething letter by the Highway Patrol stating the dangers of not having a child in a seat belt.

Mary Arnett

Canyon Country

Guess what, Mary? You just described an existing group that is devoted to fighting this problem. No, it’s not Mothers Against Stupid Drivers. It’s an Inglewood-based, nonprofit organization called SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A.

The law says you have to put your child in a child restraining seat if the child is under 4 years old and weighs less than 40 pounds. (Bigger kids should get the belt--the seat belt, that is.) Violators can be fined up to $270 for each offense.

If you see someone who you suspect of violating the law, you can call this group at 1 800 745-SAFE. They will give you a form to fill out to report the offending motorist. Send the form back to them and they will get it to the Highway Patrol, who will send the registered owner that letter you described.

By the way, if you have a rug rat and you can’t afford a child seat, SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. can also match you up with groups that provide seats at a discounted rate or as a loaner.

Why are the railroad crossings in the San Fernando Valley in such bad shape? Are they supposed to be repaired by the city or is the railroad responsible?

Wayne Rossling

Van Nuys

You sound like a person who just spilled coffee on yourself while driving over one of these crossings.

The railroad companies are responsible for maintaining the tracks and the two feet of property on either side of the track. (That includes a portion of the pavement on public streets.) Curt Bianchi, senior supervisor for street maintenance with the city of Los Angeles, said his department has often badgered the railroads about maintaining the railroad crossings.

Most of the tracks in the Valley are owned by Southern Pacific, Union Pacific or the Santa Fe railroad. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority, however, recently purchased track between downtown Los Angeles and the Antelope Valley for use by its commuter trains.

Railroad officials say they will check out your complaint if you call them and give them the exact location of the crossing. (You can find the number for all these folks in the White Pages.)

I think I have a way to reduce the car theft rate: Create the STING-CAR. The STING-CAR is an automobile that is towed to a location and left to be attacked by those nefarious characters. Upon breaking into the car, the car transmits an alert to the police. As the thief tries to start the car, the doors close, metal sheets roll up over the windows and a noose grabs the thief’s foot. After word gets out that this method is being used to catch thieves, I feel confident that our theft rates, as well as our insurance rates, will go down.

Cory Simon

Woodland Hills

You forgot to punch holes in the roof so the thief can breathe.

In all seriousness, the problem with your idea is that the law does not look favorably on using booby traps to fight crime. A shop owner in Florida was arrested about seven years ago for setting a booby trap in his store that electrocuted a burglar.

Although your idea does not call for the use of lethal force, such as electrocution, Deputy Dist. Atty. Don Eastman said you cannot use any force that is liable to injure someone to protect property. (If, however, you are protecting yourself or someone else against an attack, you can use lethal force, such as a blowtorch, a nail gun or a chain saw.)

The problem with setting booby traps, Eastman said, is that you run the risk of injuring an innocent person, such as a little kid, who will then hire an expensive attorney and sue the pants off of you.

My suggestion is to drive a beat-up, 180,000-mile import that hasn’t been washed since the last rains--like my car--and your chances of getting it stolen will drop dramatically.