life & style // no. 16

Street legal: HOV laws

> How and when you can use them

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

his may come as a shock

to you, but traffic laws in
Vancouver seem to change
at the drop of a hat. They're
constantly being adapted in
an attempt to either keep up
with changing technology, or
just to make everything flow
easier. This continual flux can
make things very confusing for
drivers. I mean, let’s be honest,
after we drop that “N,” how
many of us are really going to
keep up with what’s going on
in the streets—so to speak.

In an effort to rid us
of some of the confusion, I
decided to look into some of
the little known amendments
to the traffic laws that have
been made in recent years,

 

© OK |

DECAL REQUIRED}

 

 

 

Image via tranbc.ca

J

HOV is an acronym for
“high occupancy vehicle,”
so naturally you need more
than one person in your car to
use it. The number of people
required at this point in time
in BC is two, one driver and
one passenger—that’s the

mostly regarding the HOV
lane. Yes, that highly sought
after temptress; the fast track
to wherever you need to go.
But what do you need to gain
access to it, without risking
the flashing red and blues

in your rear-view mirror?

HOV

2 OR MORE
PERSONS

 

 

PER VEHICLE

    
 

 

 

Listed: Five unconventional
things you should keep in
your school bag at all times

Brittney MacDonald
Life & Style Editor

 

| ere we are, entering the
second week of back to

school. By now you should
have dealt with all the major
issues students face during a
new semester. You've got your
books, you know where the
cheapest food is, you only get
lost looking for your classroom
sometimes—but still, there are
times you find yourself at a loss,
be it when the air conditioning
breaks down, or during those
early morning lectures that
turn into movie marathons.

To help you out, here are five
unconventional things you should
always have in your school bag.

1. Baby wipes. You may look
strange pulling out a pack
of Huggies when there’s no
infant in sight, but believe
me, these handy-dandy little
sheets are the best things
you can lug around with
you. Good for freshening
up on particularly muggy
days, cleaning food off your
fingers, or wiping down those
sticky desks and chairs—
nothing is more useful than
a wet wipe. But why baby
wipes? They’re cheaper than
disinfectant wipes, come in
re-sealable packaging, and
are safe for all skin types.

2. Clear nail polish. This may

come as a shocker, but you
can fix almost anything

with a little clear nail polish.
Whether youre a man ora
woman, everyone needs a
good sealant now and then.
Stray threads? Runs in your
tights? Need a knot to stay
put and hold? All can be fixed
with a dab of clear nail polish.
Bonus: it’s incredibly cheap.
Once dry, you can write on

it, which makes it perfect if
you have to mark something
like metal or concrete.

3. Sugar packets. Nothing is
worse than a wobbly desk
and/or chair, but beyond
flipping the thing upside
down and attempting to
even it out, there’s not much
you can do. Enter the sugar
packet—the world’s greatest
leveler. Stuff a couple of them
under the short leg and you
can avoid the distraction
of that annoying rock and
click. The loose contents
will fit into most spaces,
and you can always have
them on hand, as you can
get them for free wherever
hot beverages are sold.

4. Five-Hour Energy Shot. This
one might be a little self-
explanatory. Part of being
a student is being prepared
for the unexpected—the
other part is being prepared
for the so-expected-it-has-
almost—become-cliché.

Having one of these in your
bag at all times ensures that
when your prof decides that
7 a.m. is the perfect time to
dim the lights and watch

an educational film, you're
not caught snoring. Even

for the most well-rested
soul—which a student never
is—a dark classroom and
the dulcet tones of someone
reciting the complete history
of scientific study and
exploration will put anyone
to sleep. But you can't sleep,
ever, because everything

is on the final exam.

A Tsum-Isum. Yes, boys and
girls, those adorable little
potato-looking things that the
Disney Store sells might just
save yout life. Okay, maybe
not—but they are incredibly
handy to have around. This
is mostly due to the fact
they are unintentionally the
best screen cleaner known
to man. The suede on the
bottom side of these odd
plush toys will clean just
about any surface, including
your phone, computer, tablet
or eReader—no cleaning
fluid required. They're
cheap, adorable, and come
ina variety of characters, so
you can choose your own
personal favourite. I suppose
you could just wander
around with a scrap of really
soft suede in your pocket,
but that’s way less fun.

minimum. In some places it
does differ, and in some states
within the US the minimum
is three people, so try to keep

informed if you'll be traveling.

Some exceptions to this rule
are motorcycles, and, of
course, emergency vehicles.

theotherpress.ca

Recently, there has also
been a change that allows
certain low emission cars and
trucks to also use the lane.
This means that if you have a
hybrid or electric car, you might
qualify for a decal that will
allow you access, regardless of
how many people you may or
may not be travelling with. If
your car is battery-electric ora
plug-in hybrid then it qualifies;
unfortunately, any hybrid
vehicle that doesn’t plug into
an external power source does
not. All of this was done as part
of BC’s Clean Energy Vehicle
Program, which is a government
effort to offer more incentives
for residents to go green.

If you have any questions,
or think your car might
qualify but you weren't sent
a decal, you can contact
the government office.

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