Reason #263 why I don't own a car

Sick of waiting in traffic because you're too antisocial to drive with a friend (or because the suburban paradigm that you live in was so poorly planned that you work hours from where you live, and so do everyone else you work with, yet none of you live near the same neighborhood or even highway system)? Well, salvation is at hand! Yes, you too will be taking advantage of the unrestrained bliss that is the HOV lane, even if you're not an ecofanatical, vegan prius-driver. All that you need to do to get your 6,413 pounds of hummer (plus and average 180 pounds for you, its sole occupant) into the fast lane is pony up some cash.

That's right, pay lanes are coming to a highway near you! Already in use in Texas and California, pay express lanes promise a faster commute for drivers of sufficient means. The transportation bill making its way through congress allows stats to transform once-free lanes into pay ones, accorting to the NY Times. For most states, this involves charging congestion-dependent tolls for single-occupancy vehicles using HOV lanes. And it'll only cost up to $8 in heavy traffic.

Wait. $8? ONE WAY?! Count me out. I'll either find some friends or a hybrid zipcar, thank you.

It seems this has more than class-differentiating effects, however - folks are increasing their carpooling, say California highway officials. Well, I don't have a car, so why not.