HOV!

Um. I had an exhilirating experience in the HOV lane on 395, 495, and 95. Let me describe it for you real simple here now: speed. I was driving back from an unproductive appointment (for/with my Grandmother) and managed to put the wheels on the road at OH-5:30. THE rush hour. As we lurched to and fro in the traffic and my GPS kept changing directions to "get us out of traffic" (if Grandmother hadn't been in the car, I would be screaming at it: "THERE IS NO OUT OF TRAFFIC DUMNBASS!")... uh- oh yea- as we did the stop and go thing- I saw a sign. The sign said- exit left for HOV lane. I thought- hmmm- I've never done the whole get stuck in the middle HOV lane before because I didn't know where it went or how you got off. Do you go around 395 in an eternal circle of traffic hell? I looked right to the stopped cars, looked ahead to the stupid changing GPS and took a gamble. I went left.

We merged onto what must be called the highway for the elite. Select cars that are given permission to fly past the lesser people in those "regular" lanes to the right. FLY we did. We were going 65-75 mph- no pausing, no stop and go. The best part was Grandmother's innate sense of weird sympathy (it happens when she's most glad NOT to be "them")- she says in near delight: "Oh look at those poor cars all just sitting there- they must wonder if they'll ever get home!"

I too am wondering- because this flight out of DC seems to be too good to be true- surely there's a bridge that's out or something! I try to think ahead as my GPS is still trying to figure out which exit I should take to avoid the traffic that I must be flying over somehow- and I think- ooh- I have to get on 495 to get to 95. Then I see another sign. 495/95 south HOV exit- 1 mile. Again- can it be? Is it that easy? I follow the signs, things start looking familiar- and suddenly we're on 95 south heading straight for Grandma's house. At this point Grandmother is delirious with her pity on the poor lesser people- I am thinking of myself as a little less than angels and the hallelujah chorus is streaming from the clouds... Then it occurs to me- I have to exit to go to Grandmother's house. I'm figuring I've saved us 7 hours at this point (honestly- I really saved us upwards toward 45 minutes) and even if we have to join the lesser people- it's ok. Then I see the sign: Ft. Belvoir- left exit- 3/4 mile. I take it- and it wraps me up and around and over the lessers. I then cruise a good 3/4 a mile before finally merging onto "regular" 95, only about a mile from my exit.

I would pay someone to hang out in DC all day and ride home with me just so I could do HOV. WHY do so few people carpool?!?

I have a new respect for Northern Virginia's HOV system. I enjoyed spending some high class time with the select.