Looked to me like the driver of a silver Mercedes was getting a ticket at about 5:40pm today at this juncture of I-80 with traffic coming over the Bay Bridge from San Francisco merging with traffic coming north from Oakland. The two cars were on the triangular area where the HOV lanes merge. I drove by just as the Mercedes was leaving, and the CHP car merely backed up in that area, perhaps to catch the next offender. Drivers in the two cars behind mine were greatly relieved, as both were violating the commuter lane law.
Just today my wife and I were in the Highway 87 Southbound carpool lane (San Jose) in our Prius, the car in front of us only has the driver, same thing with the car behind us. Where are the cops!!! violators are freely roaming in the carpool lane.
There are times I think the rate of violation on I-80 between Emeryville and Vallejo is closer to 20%. Some treat it like a convenient passing lane, even at peak hours. A cousin of mine lived in the Washington D.C. area. He gave me a ride one weekday and told me how violators are prevented from crossing back into the regular lane by drivers who want to see them caught.
