CarPool Kenny eases you into HOV lane the illegal way
We're surprised that this gag can be retailed without disclaimers. CarPool Kenny is an inflatable head and torso that is marketed on the premise that you can cruise the carpool lane in passengerless peace, your inflatable pal offering impunity. People have tried this, and many have had their ruse detected. When you do eventually get hooked by the long arm of the law, it's going cost a lot more than this $20 useless hunk of plastic. Think hundreds. Your odds of getting caught are likely rather high, since police officers tend to operate on the assumption that all is not what it seems, and Kenny looks so fake that he's just asking to get busted. Our own healthy sense of schadenfreude would kick into overdrive if we cruised by a schmuck whose bluff got called.
Using one of these things to circumvent the rules just means you'll bypass a jam and have to attend to being productive sooner than the rest of us left surfing for that mythical NPR station that's not fund-raising.
Thanks, Jason, for the tip.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
bestmacs 8:35PM (6/12/2007)
Apparently the blow-up dummy has an inflated (!!) opinion of himself!
Cheers
David McMahon
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Don 8:47PM (6/12/2007)
Crap. I can find a store mannequin and recline it in the seat...it'll look much more realistic.
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F451 8:58PM (6/12/2007)
So where is Car Pool Kathy? Pretty sexist if you ask me!
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Nucbuddy 9:19PM (6/12/2007)
These are much-more realistic -- if you can get their mouths to close:
http://realdoll.com/intro.asp
More seriously, if the highways were simply privatized, congestion pricing would likely to naturally occur; people who were less-able to contribute to the economy would naturally be more-likely to carpool would naturally; and people who were more-able to contribute to the economy would naturally be more-likely to pay more to drive during congestion times.
Less-important commuters would naturally tend to leave the highways available for more-important commuters during traffic-congestion periods.
Highway privatization. The natural way to congestion-price.
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Wants a Mac 10:22PM (6/12/2007)
Nucbuddy,
Your solution makes absolutely way too much sense. Not only would making the use of highways more expensive encourage more carpooling, it would also have many side effects that might make driving a more pleasurable experience as well. I'm sure that part of the reason the Autobahn has such courteous drivers is because of the costs associated with using it, including licensing and training for the drivers. It also means that people who can afford to drive there usually use higher-end vehicles that are not only faster, they are usually more friendly to the environment because of their being newer more fuel efficient engined cars, and safer also. It's sad so many here in the states take the privilege of operating a motor vehicle for granted and feel that it's some sort of god-given right.
Of course the ACLU, and probably Rainbow Push as well, will be all over anyone who tries to force lower income out of the left-hand lane and onto the bus. Let them have the surface streets! Free the FreeWays!
Steve B. 11:06PM (6/12/2007)
I see no problem with private highways... as long as common public property is not sold to or access restricted by private investors, or at the very least not without a significant majority vote of the local residents and populations that regularly use them at large. That said, there is no reason that private highways can't exist, provided that said investors purchase the land and pay for the construction themselves.
Another possibility, which would be a perfect compromise, would be to allow private investors to lease a portiont of the right of way in order to add additional toll lanes. This would retain the public right-of-way, yet allow a toll or subscription based "fast-lane."
As it is, we already have a system which works as you specify. Typically, long commutes are a result of workers moving to affordable locations. Those who can afford to live near their place of work can choose to pay for the convenience. Otherwise, they live fourther away in the more affordable ticky-tacky Wal-Mart land and deal with the expense.
Steve B. 11:08PM (6/12/2007)
Er, that last phrase should be "deal with the inconvenience."
Solo Racer 11:24PM (6/12/2007)
"Another possibility, which would be a perfect compromise, would be to allow private investors to lease a portiont of the right of way in order to add additional toll lanes. This would retain the public right-of-way, yet allow a toll or subscription based "fast-lane." "
Already happened in Orange County, CA. The Fastrack lanes at the center of the 91 freeway were originally owned by bondholders. They're now owned by the OC Transportation District, which bought them a few years ago. Financial issues forced the sale.
The sleazy thing is that the orginal entity that built and operated them made a probably illegal deal with CalTrans not to make any improvements to the 91 from the eastern end of the toll lanes east to I-15, about 8 miles of heavily congested freeway that runs through Corona. That meant overcrowded entrance and exit ramps, bad pavement and anything that would have improved traffic flow wasn't done. That was supposed to make people eager to shell out for the tolls. City of Corona sued, but the sale of the lanes went through and the suit died. Caltrans has since made some improvements.
As long as private entities want to pony up the money to buy land and pour concrete, fine. As for privatizing what are now public roads, that little libertarian utopia ain't never gonna happen.
F451 1:21AM (6/13/2007)
Solo Racer, there was also some costly escape clauses where the California taxpayer was royally screwed. I dealt with Cal-Trans (also have a relative in Cal-Trans) and heard all about how the State got screwed.
thasilntone 7:44PM (6/13/2007)
That is idiocy in the making. Freeways are for everyone not just the rich come on. The personw ho thought this up is a stuck up jerk who thinks there stuff does not stink and need a healthy dose of reality.
stevo 8:05PM (6/13/2007)
Ha, what a laugh! Heard about the clown in the Senate a few years back that wanted to banish all human beings infected with the AIDS virus to an island? Sounds like you're functioning on the same short circuit!
Viv 10:53PM (6/12/2007)
The police caught a guy in ATL who dressed a manaquin with a Dan Marino jersey and a scarf. Police caught him and the left the manequin on the side of the road for everyone to see.
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Barney 11:35PM (6/12/2007)
For the convertible driver who wants to use the HOV lane with the top down. Very intelligent customers will buy this device.
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Little Lord Poopy-Pants 11:54PM (6/12/2007)
Wrote a college paper on drive time demand-based pricing on privatized freeways. It is an idea which time has come.
In the mean time, Jon&Ken on KFI 640am (Los Angeles) have the right idea: just drive the carpool lane - they can't catch ALL of us.
I've done it for over 10 years, from my children's school to the office in downtown LA. The (then empty) child booster seat is like CHiP kryptonite. I've been passed many times by CHP officers (even cycle mounted) while in the HOV lane and never got a second glance. The back windows have a light tint and I guess the officers assume there's a child in the seat. And I'd never even think of challenging the officers' assumptions.
The fine would be worth the time savings, anyway.
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J 12:20AM (6/13/2007)
HAHAHAAA!!! Like driving around with my Mii!
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James 6:31PM (6/13/2007)
My MII looks more real then this thing - this is certain to get you caught.
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Maytag 12:33AM (6/13/2007)
And for a few bucks more, there is of course Safe-T-Man....
http://www.asontv.com/products/849840117.html
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Solo Racer 10:12AM (6/13/2007)
Web site says you have to buy in bulk. That way you could have two in the car and use the 3+ HOV lane.
BowserUSC 4:42AM (6/13/2007)
I remember something like this happened in an episode of the Jetsons except the blow-up figure was a cop and George put a siren on the dash of his hover car to get through traffic.
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jeff 8:55AM (6/13/2007)
if you are going to break the law to get into the HOV lane you would have better success, and improve the stance of your ride, by putting the $20 toward window tinting. CHP has gotten tired of pulling over cars with tinted glass only to find out that their is indeed another person in the car, so they don't even bother anymore.
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