HOV lane behavior...

just wondering what people's thoughts are on this....

in so. cal, the HOV lanes are restricted 24 hrs/day to 2+ occupants.
exiting and entering the lanes are also restricted by solid white lines.
there are dotted exit/entry areas every 1-3 miles that are pretty short
(less than a quarter mile sometimes), especially for the volume, speed
differential of traffic on routes with these lanes (i.e. HOV lanes cruising
at 65-70 MPH while the rest of traffic stuck at less than 40) and bunches of
cars moving in and out at those few allowed lane change points.

in short, getting in and out of those HOV lanes at peak times can be a
challenge, to say the least.

anyway, my question is how strictly LLBing protocol should be applied to HOV
lanes in y'all's opinions. i nearly always drive with a passenger and thus
usually use the HOV lanes. i set the cruise at a nice 70MPH in these lanes
whenever possible (they're signed at 65MPH) and will let any speedsters past
when legal and possible, though sometimes there's no choice but to wait a
mile or two until the beloved dotted line returns.

the problem is during PEAK times when traffic is bumper to bumper in teh
non-HOV lanes and going much slower than the sailing HOV traffic. letting
the guy who wants to do 80+ pass can be dang near impossible because that
maneuver usually requries waiting for the lane change zone and then SLAMMING
on the brakes as i cut into the non-restricted lanes.

this is probably putting too fine a point on it, but you get the picture.
plus the fact that once you're out of the lanes, you've gotta get back IN,
which can be tricky in said traffic, especially if you've used that whole
dotted line zone just to find a slot to get out of the lane.

i happen to think so. cal drivers are actually *more* courteous and sensible
than the average driver in other areas of the country, contrary to popular
belief. but every so often you get the uber-agressive tailgater types who
will tailgate in the HOV lane with NOWHERE for me to legally get over to let
them pass.

my solution is usually to use a subtle "ruboff" maneuver of cancelling the
cruise and letting my speed drop from 70 to about 60. and then accelerate
hard back to 70. lather, rinse, repeat as necessary, usually the message is
received with a minimum amount of ire and i avoid the confrontational "brake
tap" warning. and i continue to look for the next possible place to get
over.

thoughts?

brink