# Carpool Lanes
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [May 9, 2024, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326 "2024-05-09T20:58:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/21 "2024-05-10T18:52:20Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#):
>
> Virginia State Police has been known to position cruisers and officers at carpool ramps to catch the scofflaws; I’ve seen them [here.](https://maps.app.goo.gl/jibmVEzxZkP1QLy26) ISTR reading about scofflaws also being captured on video.
When I commuted a while ago I’d frequently go past state police monitoring the car pool lanes on entry ramps, and I saw people being stopped. (Bay Area.) Now the car pool lanes - which you can use as a single driver with FastTrak - have toll tag readers, license plate readers, and cameras which take pictures of how many are in the car. So you’ll get a ticket, and they don’t need a cop to do it. Or they’ll charge you.
The toll tags have a switch telling how many are in the car also. For some lanes the carpool number is 2, for many, like I80, it is 3.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/22 "2024-05-10T20:17:20Z")
Actually that varies depending on what part of the state you’re in. In Northern California, carpool lanes are effective rush hours only, just as you said. But in Southern California, carpool lanes are effective 24/7/365.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/23 "2024-05-10T20:23:22Z")
> [@suranyi](#):
>
> But in Southern California, carpool lanes are effective 24/7/365.
Not the one closest to me in Carpinteria and Ventura. It’s rush hour only. I’m not positive but I thought the LA ones were rush hour also. I’ll be driving through tomorrow and I’ll take a look.
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### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/24 "2024-05-10T20:50:32Z")
Might be only LA and Orange counties.
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### Author:  [@Vlad\_Igor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Vlad_Igor)
#### Post date: [May 10, 2024, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/25 "2024-05-10T21:49:31Z")
We spent a week in Hamilton last year, taking the QEW into Toronto for a day. I **believe** that the carpool lane had hours posted. Outside of those hours, it was a regular lane.
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### Author:  [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 10:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/26 "2024-05-11T10:12:48Z")
> [@Skywatcher](#):
>
> Virginia State Police has been known to position cruisers and officers at carpool ramps to catch the scofflaws;
When the Long Island Expressway opened up it’s carpool lane it had an unintended consequence of many huge SUV’s getting very dark window tint.
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### Author:  [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/27 "2024-05-11T11:15:11Z")
Ninja’d! I was recently driving just outside of NYC on the Jersey side. Cars were blowing by me in HOV lane. Nearly every one has dark tinted windows.
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### Author:  [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)
#### Post date: [May 11, 2024, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/28 "2024-05-11T13:27:07Z")
This is also true in Ontario.
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### Author:  [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)
#### Post date: [May 13, 2024, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/carpool-lanes/1001326/29 "2024-05-13T02:35:53Z")
> [@suranyi](#):
>
> Might be only LA and Orange counties.
Just got back from visiting Mom in San Diego and it is. I got to use my sticker.
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