This was in the Minneapolis Star Tribune a few days ago:

HOV lanes aren't for today

Can we just come out and say why high-occupancy vehicle lanes are not successful? It is unrealistic in today's society for the majority of people who work to arrive at work without driving their car.

One, people need to run errands during lunch because they have little time to do so the rest of the day. Two, people need to pick their kids up from school. Three, people have many functions after work to attend. Four, people like to have the freedom of their own vehicle.

Let's admit that sane lanes will never work and build more roads.

-- Tim Potthoff, Burnsville.


I don't know about you, but what I'm hearing is, "When I'm driving to work in my obscenely huge Cadillac Canyonero with leather seats and a heated gas pedal that I don't even take outside when it rains, much less go anywhere near a dirt road, I don't like to be told that I can't drive in a lane just because I'm driving a vehicle that is 12 people shy of it's capacity. Let's pave everything because I'm lazy, rich, and used to getting my way!"

The scary thing is, somebody important is probably going to listen to him. Beware the slippery slope, people.