Photo: Bobaloo Rox on Flickr

Maybe I’m not clear on the concept, or perhaps it’s you who is unclear, but my understanding of the purpose of the HOV lane is to spread out the traffic by allowing high occupancy vehicles to travel in a separate lane from the rest of traffic. Full stop.

The intention, no doubt, is that more people would consider carpooling to cut down on vehicle emissions. That said, it also allows those of us carrying passengers to travel somewhat more quickly than the rest of the poor suckers stuck alone in their cars. This is particularly advantageous at the end of a long and stressful day at the office when we know there are loved ones awaiting our smiling faces at home.

Now, let’s all take a moment to consider our driving habits, shall we?

Knowing first-hand the devastation caused by bonehead driving, I feel I have a renewed perspective on road safety. That doesn’t mean I’m that person who, with no other traffic in any other lanes, travels the posted speed limit in the HOV lane. I am, however, the person who drives with the flow of traffic but perhaps leaves a little more space in front of my vehicle than you might like. Please note, that does NOT give you any right to ride my bumper thereby endangering me and my children when we are already traveling 20-30km over the posted speed limit.

I assure you, Mr. Lowered Ford F150, that I am indeed traveling at the same speed as the vehicle in front of me… who also happens to be traveling the same speed as the 15 or so vehicles in front of him. Furthermore, we are still passing vehicles on my right every few seconds. Oh and by the way, yes, I do have passengers. They’re safely secured in their child safety restraints in the back seat of my tinted Jeep… you just can’t see them. That doesn’t mean they’re not there. And even if I did move aside as you would so clearly like me to do (don’t worry, I’m not mentally deficient and do know what you’re implying) you would still be stuck behind all those other vehicles going a mere 110km/hr in an 80 zone.

While I get a little miffed at your disregard for my safety, it is you who suffers with your high blood pressure and anger issues while you rant and rave and flip me the bird. You will be the one to find yourself in the intensive care unit one day, the victim of a severe myocardial infarction of your own creation. Then you really will be late for a very important date no doubt.

Not all of us are in a hurry to get where we’re going. Some of us actually want to elongate the time it takes us to arrive at our destination in order to allow our offspring sufficient rest prior to the completion of our journey. Just because you failed to allow ample time to reach your intended destination does not make us any more responsible for your subsequent failure to arrive on time.

Perhaps next time you might leave the house a little earlier… or get yourself a light aircraft as your primary mode of transportation.