Toll Road HOV Enforcement A Joke, One Commuter Finds

Columbia

Thanks for the tip.

Source of Safety Tips

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I've been advising my daughters, both new to driving, that they can cut their accident risk dramatically by developing just five habits:

1. Don't drink.

2. Wear the seatbelt.

3. Don't speed.

4. Don't follow too closely.

5. Avoid in-car distractions such as cell phones.

But now I wonder: Was this sound advice?

Where might I find a more authoritative source of safety tips? For most teenagers, fathers fall considerably short of the mark here.

T homas Downing

Reston

A publication that draws rave reviews from my readers is "Safe Young Drivers: A Guide for Parents and Teens," by Phil Berardelli. For more information, visit http://www.safeyoungdrivers.com .

The best thing you can do for your daughters is withhold your permission for the driver's license until you are comfortable that they can manage the rules of the road and various driving conditions in our area. That takes a while. No need to hurry.

Handicapped Parking

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I am a 100 percent disabled American veteran, and while I have all my body parts and look normal, I suffer from chronic pain, the result of breaking my back while I was in the Army, from 1968 to 1972.

I was first issued a handicapped driver permit in the 1980s, and I believe that anyone who uses handicapped license plates or placards illegally should have three points added to their record and have their license suspended for one year, no excuses.

The police should have officers stationed near all handicapped parking spaces at locations such as Nissan Pavilion and shopping centers during the holidays.

Ticket and tow the vehicle away so the space can be used by an authorized handicapped driver. In addition, the fine should be raised. That would end violations quickly.

David A. Suchocki

Springfield

To report a driver suspected of abusing handicapped parking, call the DMV at 804-367-6602. Or log on to http://www.dmvnow.com and click on "Contact Us."

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

In response to the letter from the man complaining about twenty-somethings using a blue handicapped placard at Potomac Mills [Dr. Gridlock, March 31]:

My 43-year-old husband with multiple sclerosis has a blue handicapped driver placard. In Virginia, the placard has the person's name and birth date printed on it. That helps to tell if someone is illegally using it.

We went to Wolf Trap for a concert one year, and the park ranger asked to look at our placard before he let us into the handicapped parking area. I'm sure that was because he saw a young, healthy-looking guy in the car and questioned whether the placard could be his.

It sure sounds as if the twenty-somethings were abusing the handicapped driver placard, but you never know when someone really has a disability.

My husband would appear to be a healthy guy, but he lives every day with many unseen disabilities.

Robin Beckwith

Herndon

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

This is in response to the woman who questioned the use of handicapped-driver license plates and placards and told about the young people in a Corvette with a handicapped driver placard who used a marked parking place at the Potomac Mills mall [Dr. Gridlock, March 31].

When I was in college in California, one of my fellow students was a healthy-looking 20-year-old woman who had handicapped-driver license plates. She was often in tears because people hassled her when she parked in handicapped spots, telling her not to use her grandmother's car.

She had a debilitating disease and often could not get out of bed in the morning. Her handicapped plates were legitimate.

There are handicapped young people, and not all disabilities are obvious. We should not immediately jump to conclusions when we see somebody who is not limping or in a wheelchair use a marked spot. I am not saying that people don't misuse these spots, but you cannot be sure just by looking at somebody whether he or she is authorized to park there.

Lucia Mosby

Springfield

A Camry With Care

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

I have a 1984 Toyota Camry with 305,000 miles. I have a slightly different philosophy about how to extend the life of a vehicle than a few of your other readers.

I always buy the cheapest regular gasoline I can find -- never premium. I change the oil at the 8,000-mile intervals the owner's manual recommends -- not the 3,000-mile intervals the lube shops promote. I do other maintenance by the book as well.

Equally important, I treat my Camry gently when I drive it. I don't do 80 mph on Interstate 95, and I don't gun the engine on green or brake hard at the next red light.

My biggest concern at the moment is replacing the radio, which recently died on me.

John Z. Wetmore

Bethesda

If you've got a vehicle reliable for 20-plus years, you're way ahead of the game. Thanks for the tips.

Distracting DVD Screens

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

If a driver is distracted by a tiny DVD screen in another vehicle, perhaps that person should consider giving up driving. I shudder to think what other distractions affect that driver.

And let's leave the psychology discussion about allowing a child to watch those devices to the psychology columns elsewhere and keep this column for real traffic issues.

Allen Feldman

North Potomac

MARC vs. Metro

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

You recently ran a letter from a commuter extolling the benefits of taking MARC trains into town from Germantown compared with taking the Metro Red Line from Shady Grove. MARC has its benefits and may work for some, but I'll weigh in with my two cents' worth and a contrary viewpoint.

I live in Gaithersburg, and my wife and I switched from Metro to the MARC Brunswick Line for about one year. We ultimately switched back for the following comfort and convenience reasons:

· Getting on MARC at the Metropolitan Grove stop in Gaithersburg, we were often challenged to find seats together. At the Shady Grove Metro station, we have never failed to get seats together.

· Upon arriving at Union Station, we often had a very long walk from where the MARC train pulled in. The walk took us through a dirty environment with smoky, stinky air. Those conditions usually also held true for the trip home.

· With MARC trains leaving the District infrequently, one has to plan one's work departure around the train schedule. With Metro at rush hour, a train is always just a few minutes away.

· If one lives in Montgomery County and works many blocks west of Union Station, one has to head home in the opposite direction on Metrorail or Metrobus to get to Union Station and a MARC train going to Montgomery.

· On the Brunswick Line, the trains stop running relatively early, around 7 p.m., precluding staying late at the office if needed.

· And lastly, we experienced many more delays and inconveniences in one year of riding MARC than I have in several years on the Red Line. Delays would be caused by downed trees on the tracks, heavy rain, Amtrak and CSX schedules, and hot weather. Above a certain temperature, the trains have to run at reduced speeds.

As imperfect as it may be, the Red Line may be preferable to MARC for some commuters.

Nathan Kahl

Gaithersburg

There are usually many ways to get to work. The important thing is to try them all and settle on which one works best for you.

Correcting the County

Dear Dr. Gridlock:

The Martinsburg station on the MARC Brunswick Line is really in Berkeley County, W.Va., not Jefferson County, W.Va.

I am a native of Martinsburg and used to ride MARC to and from Washington for its convenience.

Paul W. Allen Jr.

Takoma Park

Apparently I misread county boundaries in describing the rail service in the April 3 column. Thanks.

Transportation researcher Diane Mattingly contributed to this column.

You can write to Dr. Gridlock at 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20071. He prefers e-mails atdrgridlock@washpost.comor faxes at 703-352-3908. Include your full name, town, county and day and evening telephone numbers. Dr. Gridlock cannot take phone calls.