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California: Living on the other side of the law - (car pool stickers)

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I picked up my S last June in SoCal and the SC suprised my by informing me I was part of a special state program to issue carpool lane stickers to 20 Teslas at the time of delivery (rather than have to wait a month or two to get them in the mail). That was great, but I haven't been able to bring myself to put those god awful looking, embarrassing, Priusizing stickers on my Tesla. So...I keep them in my glove box and plan on using the "I just haven't gotten around to it yet, but I am in fact fully authorized by the Sate of Ca to be in the HOV lane" argument if (fine...when) I get pulled over. Think it will work? Has anyone been pulled over in a Tesla in California for not displaying the stickers?
 
I consider it a badge of honor to have the ugly car pool stickers proudly mounted on my rear bumper--especially when I zoom by the Panameras, Mercedes, and other so called Tesla competitiors who have to stay in the regular lanes. I use the car pool lanes several times a week. I believe I have seen other owners post that they have been stopped without stickers.
 
I am happy to have the car pool stickers... even though the rest of us had to wait a month or two to get them...

Consider mounting them on the black trim just under the painted panels of your car... clearly visible, will not get you into "pull over" situation, yet preserves the fine Tesla finish on your Model S...
 
Some people try their luck with just one...

sticker1.png

sticker2.png
 
I picked up my S last June in SoCal and the SC suprised my by informing me I was part of a special state program to issue carpool lane stickers to 20 Teslas at the time of delivery (rather than have to wait a month or two to get them in the mail). That was great, but I haven't been able to bring myself to put those god awful looking, embarrassing, Priusizing stickers on my Tesla. So...I keep them in my glove box and plan on using the "I just haven't gotten around to it yet, but I am in fact fully authorized by the Sate of Ca to be in the HOV lane" argument if (fine...when) I get pulled over. Think it will work? Has anyone been pulled over in a Tesla in California for not displaying the stickers?
See this thread on the subject: http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/9789-California-DMV-Plates-HOV-Stickers . In short, yes, people have been pulled over for not displaying the stickers and been ticketed even with the stickers and documentation in their glove box.

I've got just the one small one on the lower rear bumper, like this. It is very unobtrusive. Like you, I can't bring myself to put the big ones on the sides.

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Moderator note: Moved this thread out of Model S into California regional forum.

Nothing personal to the OP, but this is the nth thread I've moved into regional in the last 24 hours. Folks, not everyone is in your area of the country! Please use the regional threads as appropriate. /end of moderator plea
 
A few years back, I had this same dilemma with my HCH (Honda Civic Hybrid). So, I purchased some magnetic sheets. Stuck the stickers to one side, cut around the sticker, and stuck them to the car. I would seldom drive on a highway with HOV lanes but when I knew I was going to or might hit traffic, I would pull them out from the glove box. The small front one was kind of weak and sure enough one day when my speed was up there...folupe. I wasn't sure at first, but it was gone once I got out to check; three are better than none. Worked great other than that incident.

Don't know what I am going to do when I get my MS since it is all aluminum, but I will come up with something. Maybe a magnet on the inside of the panel. Or that magic picture hanging tape. Or maybe some clear vinyl a little larger than the sticker holding it in place. Yea, I like that one.
 
Not sure which is worse...the stickers for you guys in California...or...

In Hawaii, to take advantage of EV carpool benefits, you must have a license plate that says "Electric Vehicle XXXX" (The X's are numbers). EV owners can't have custom/vanity plates if we want to have any EV perks (carpool with driver only, free parking at all State & Municipal parking lots, free parking at the airport for up to 30 days, free parking on any public parking meter at any time). The perks are good...but having to have the EV plate instead of custom/vanity...
 
Not sure which is worse...the stickers for you guys in California...or...

In Hawaii, to take advantage of EV carpool benefits, you must have a license plate that says "Electric Vehicle XXXX" (The X's are numbers). EV owners can't have custom/vanity plates if we want to have any EV perks (carpool with driver only, free parking at all State & Municipal parking lots, free parking at the airport for up to 30 days, free parking on any public parking meter at any time). The perks are good...but having to have the EV plate instead of custom/vanity...

Wow! I'd gladly give up my personal plate for those perks!!
 
I put my stickers on my white MS a couple of months ago. I think they look ok on my white MS.

My understanding is that if it's not actually stuck on the car, at the indicated positions, you will get a ticket.

I also wonder that if you are pulled over by law enforcement, they may already be stoked' by nabbing a Tesla owner for not playing by the rules. I also suspect that if they like the Tesla, but don't own one, you're going to get the ticket. They might even be jealous. BTW, a good friend of mine who's retired law enforcement used to laugh when he bagged a speeder running with a radar detector. He never let them off with a warning, saying the detector showed they bought and used a detector to try and circumvent the law.

I would think not following the rules for carpool sticker placement sort of shows you want the benefit of the stickers, but don't want to follow the rules of their use,and that's because you don't want to put the 'ugly' stickers on your car?

Scotty
 
I run with just one small sticker on the right-side rear of my Model S. I've never had a problem with once-a-week carpool lane sojourns. Can't say that I have seen law enforcement around me but I'm sure they've been there over the past two years I've owned the car.

I have the two other stickers in the glovebox with the documentation that I paid the $8. I figure all law enforcement knows that Tesla's are EVs and most other drivers do as well now. Law enforcement knows the car is around $100K so the owners most likely can afford the $8 to purchase the stickers. When you display one they know that you purchased the set. If they want to nail you then they just want to prove a point since they know you're driving an EV and they know you bought the stickers.

I also figured the ticket is a fix-it ticket; NOT a carpool violation since I was legally in the carpool in an EV and I had purchased the stickers. I merely had a violation of not displaying the stickers correctly. If it's a $10 fix-it ticket I can live with it. A $355 carpool violation I would be upset about.
 
Not sure which is worse...the stickers for you guys in California...or...

In Hawaii, to take advantage of EV carpool benefits, you must have a license plate that says "Electric Vehicle XXXX" (The X's are numbers). EV owners can't have custom/vanity plates if we want to have any EV perks (carpool with driver only, free parking at all State & Municipal parking lots, free parking at the airport for up to 30 days, free parking on any public parking meter at any time). The perks are good...but having to have the EV plate instead of custom/vanity...
THAT is a way way better solution than the stickers. Way better.

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IMO, it's just plain silly that CA makes you put three of those on.
Agreed. One on the back should be enough.

- - - Updated - - -

Wow! I'd gladly give up my personal plate for those perks!!
Yep. No question about it.
 
The EV license plate is a much better option. When I first received my stickers I did not want to put them on and I use the carpool lane everyday for my commute. So, the first time I got pulled over I was in the carpool lane with no stickers on my way home and was pulled over for speeding, going 75 according to chp but he didn't mention anything about the stickers. He let me go with a warning. Second time I was on my way home after a round of golf on a Saturday and was pulled over for being in the carpool lane with no stickers but received a fix it ticket for tint on the front windows. There was about 4-5 months in between the first and second CHP stops but it's inconsistent and up to the officers discretion. I finally decided to put them on to avoid the hassle but do wish there was a better option.

Cut it short b/c I was typing on my iPad but wanted to also add that there were numerous times where I didn't have the carpool sticker on and during my daily commute passed multiple CHP officers or they passed me with no issue.
 
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I put my stickers on my white MS a couple of months ago. I think they look ok on my white MS.

My understanding is that if it's not actually stuck on the car, at the indicated positions, you will get a ticket.

I also wonder that if you are pulled over by law enforcement, they may already be stoked' by nabbing a Tesla owner for not playing by the rules. I also suspect that if they like the Tesla, but don't own one, you're going to get the ticket. They might even be jealous. BTW, a good friend of mine who's retired law enforcement used to laugh when he bagged a speeder running with a radar detector. He never let them off with a warning, saying the detector showed they bought and used a detector to try and circumvent the law.

I would think not following the rules for carpool sticker placement sort of shows you want the benefit of the stickers, but don't want to follow the rules of their use,and that's because you don't want to put the 'ugly' stickers on your car?

Scotty
A sticker is on my car and in the correct place. Just not all 3 stickers are on the car. I think that is a little different than the "radar detector" analogy.

I'll continue to go with 1 sticker against the off-chance that an officer spots me in the carpool lane without anybody else in the car and with only 1 of the 3 stickers on the car, and still decides to pull me over.
 
I do agree that 3 stickers are overkill. If I had to stick them on any color MS except the white one, I'd probably think of them as more of an eyesore.

It's apparent that you are an informed driver who is aware of the sticker rules. If you have an encounter with the CHP and using the carpool lane, I know I'd like to hear about it.

Scotty
 
This seems like a reasonable compromise. Even though I had a CHP pull into the HOV lane and follow me for 5 miles, but not stop me, and several MC CHP pass me without incident, I assume it's just a mater of time before I get pulled over without any stickers. I will, however, continue to risk a ticket for not have all three - there is no way I'm going to deface my car with those ridiculous side stickers. I am comforted to know I'm not alone.

OT, did anyone else who took delivery of their car around or after June of 2014 receive the stickers at the time of pick up? They told me it was a pilot project for 20 cars, but it seemed very rational, so I assumed that would be the ongoing model.
 
FWIW, I drive in the San Diego I15 HOV lanes pretty regularly with just the single sticker on the rear bottom bumper (like in GoBlue's photo).

CHP usually doesn't look twice at me, although one one occaision I'm pretty sure that lone sticker saved me: he was watching me very carefully and lost interest as soon as that sticker was within his sight.