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.
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?
This happened in Texas
Literally
Aren't there laws against children, babies etc riding in the front seat? Could backfire. /s
If it's a legitimate car crash, a woman's body has ways of shutting that whole thing down.
-Republicans
Nah, you just can't put them in a car seat in the front seat. The uterus is specially designed to protect even in the front seat.
Unironically should be legal. I think pregnant women should be able to claim child benefit, too.
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
They are only in very congested high traffic areas. Near some large cities.
Not in Indiana.
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.
I wouldn't say almost all. Less than half in my experience (mostly in TX and WA).
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?
Yes! I saw one while on vacation in France. It was in Lyon, i think? Look up 'France diamond lane'
I've seen some in the UK.
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.
