"High Occupancy?" (by Mike Peters)

https://www.npr.org/2022/09/02/1120628973/pregnant-woman-dallas-fetus-hov-lane-passenger-ticket

Was going to say...
A judge agreed with her, and the June ticket was dismissed.
Still, it is annoying that state and municipal officers can drag you to court in your pregnant condition to prove what the legislature has already decided.
Almost as though the police exist to harass and obstruct the rights of citizens, rather than to serve and protect them.
- The judge only agreed because if they denied, their stupid abortion laws would have to be revisited.
- Technically it wasn't the police's job to make that kind of interpretation but after the precedent had been set they should apply the court's decision
- Hey, at least they're consistent. Also, I can't think of anybody who wants abortion at 34 weeks.
I like how she admitted she didn't think of the political ramifications and was just working the exploit she'd been given XD

In Texas, a pregnant black woman or immigrant only counts as 1 and 1/5th person though.

1 and ⅕? So more than a regular person? Did you mean just ⅕?
- He meant 3/5 (the mother) plus 3/5 (the child), so a total of 6/5.
- https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three-fifths_Compromise

This happened in Texas

Literally

Aren't there laws against children, babies etc riding in the front seat? Could backfire. /s

Children and babies, not fetuses. Should be fine.
- Yeah. Sorry, /s.
- Fetuses are babies
If it's a legitimate car crash, a woman's body has ways of shutting that whole thing down.
-Republicans

Unironically should be legal. I think pregnant women should be able to claim child benefit, too.

According to the article linked by another commenter, it literally is.
She was ticketed, but it was then dismissed in court, because she was right.
- Based. Unborn people are still people.
Definitely think you should be able to claim fetuses on taxes if you are pregnant pregnant more than half the year.
- Aw but that sucks if you get pregnant in August or September
- Yes
Does this apply further, though? If a car is registered for 4 passengers, would a fetus count towards that total?
- Are cars registered for passenger numbers?

What if I'm the one that's high?

High Occupant Vehicle lane?

You don't even have to be pregnant. If they want to ban the morning after pill, a contingency that can be used before you even know you're pregnant, then just getting nutted in is enough.

They have dedicated carpool lanes?

(almost?) all US state highways do, yes
- Wild.
- Seems to depend on the area. Traveling around the Midwest I basically never see them, but they're huge in California for example
- I wouldn't say almost all. Less than half in my experience (mostly in TX and WA).
- Not in Indiana.
- They are only in very congested high traffic areas. Near some large cities.
- Live in the midwest and I've never seen one.
  Minneapolis/St. Paul might have one I've just never encountered. They for sure have express lanes, which themselves are a feature I have only ever seen there and no where else in the surrounding region.
Yes, the US tends to call them HOV (High Occupancy Vehicle, or Human Ordinance Vehicle) lanes, and they’re typically denoted by a large diamond painted along the center of the lane. Usually the far left lane on the highway, so it’s even past the fast lane. It often has limited entry/exit, and is often a double-solid white lane marker, meaning you’re not allowed to enter or exit the lane except at specific points. Sometimes there are even soft barriers, to further deter people from entering/exiting except at the designated points.
It’s a lane that is reserved for moving people rather than cargo; You’re only allowed to travel in if you have more than one person in the car, or are on a motorcycle. The theory is that by restricting specific lanes to carpoolers, you’ll encourage more people to carpool and have fewer cars on the road. And by restricting lane changes, you avoid slowdowns from people entering/exiting the lane. You typically only see them in major metropolitan areas with lots of commuter traffic.
In reality, it’s one of the most commonly broken traffic laws, with commuters often camping in the HOV lane even when they’re by themselves. Or people attempting to use it as a faster version of the fast lane. It is typically only a minor traffic ticket if you get caught. So enforcement is often very lax, and cops will often only pull you over for it if they’re looking for an easy ticket.
This comic is referencing a lady was pulled over in Texas, and cited for being in the HOV lane without another person in the car. She argued in court that she was pregnant, and since Texas considers fetuses to be alive, the court had to dismiss the ticket because she had a second person in the car. The judge ruled in her favor, mostly to avoid creating a major challenge to written laws over a minor traffic ticket.
- Thank you for the detailed explanation!
What's a carpool lane? Do we have them in Europe?
- It's a highway lane that you're only allowed to drive on if you have multiple people driving in the car. So you could avoid traffic, for example. It's supposed to reduce the number of cars on the road.
  There is one in Norway it seems, in Trondheim.
- I've seen some in the UK.
- Yes! I saw one while on vacation in France. It was in Lyon, i think? Look up 'France diamond lane'

I have never seen an HOV lane that didn't require vehicles to have at least three people, but maybe she's pregnant with twins.

Conversely I've never seen one that required more than two!
- Which is sad because it really says something about how people commute and travel that getting just 2 people into one car is a bar high enough that most vehicles on a given highway can't meet it
My experience in WA and OR has all been 2+ passengers. The bar is low
AZ is 2 or more
MA I-93 in Boston is 2 or more.