Do parents actually attempt to include their children as carpooling passengers? That's absurd and completely against the spirit of a carpooling lane. Carpooling is about potential drivers sharing a vehicle rather than driving two - a child isn't a potential driver, much less a fetus. This isn't a feminist issue, this is an anti-environmentalist issue.

Shame on these people for claiming it's a feminist cause.

As others have pointed out, this is not really a new scam. Even the quoted article says so:

Valenzuela said it's not unheard of for women to use this argument to try to use the carpool lane, but it's very rare.

"The dummy in the car is more common than this," he said.

Well, if they do get to the point where you can claim (or people are trying to claim) a fetus on your taxes, I think I'm going to start claiming each egg that I release each month. Because, you know, I could just be having a really early miscarriage each month, right?

The Arizona Department of Public Safety employs the wrong argument against the pregnant woman who claims she's carpooling because another person is with her. It doesn't matter how much of an individual or person the fetus/baby is, because it has no choice but to ride along with mom. The point of carpooling is for those who could drive another car, to choose to ride together in a single vehicle. Those of us with multiple personalities, however, should be granted carpool status, because Bob and Hector are riding in the Prius with me instead of taking their gas-guzzling SUV.

yes you really can file that fetus on your taxes...as long as your fetus is born in the tax year you're filing for, of course dc

I'm assuming that the fetus is actually on it's way to a job, otherwise the carpooling claim is absurd...never mind that the two are actually sharing the same seat.

Where do these selfish, moronic people come from?

...that both sides have been reasonably civil. Thus the word "mutual". Her beef is not with the left at large, but with this particular writer's use of "anti-choice". In any event, since this isn't news reportage, but a mini-editorial, there's really nothing wrong with a loaded term like "anti-choice".

But it's a little petty to anticipate the anti-abortion response to this, isn't it? Has Focus on the Family actually stooped to support someone who's obviously manipulating a raging national debate to save herself a few hundred bucks? Carpool lanes are created so that two or more people who would otherwise be driving in separate vehicles can ride in one and cut gas consumption/pollutants. This case is patently absurd, and hopefully - hopefully! - beyond the pale of anyone's political ambitions.

A similar suit involving conjoined twins, now that's what I want to see.

I'm not sure what or who you've been reading that leads you to believe there's a mutual respect that exists on this issue, but the right barely acknowledges the phrase "pro-choice". Instead, those who believe in personal choice on this issue are called pro-abortion, murderers, abortionists, anti-life, etc.

Mutual respect on this issue, and every other one for that matter, would be great. And if your debates on the issue with friends and/or your local news organizations is respectful, then I'm envious. But to insinuate that the right debates this issue in respectful tones and the left doesn't on a national scale is completely false.

Please, adhere to the mutual respect that opposing sides have historically been able to adhere to, and say 'pro-life' and 'pro-choice' as opposed to 'anti-life' and 'anti-choice'.

But on a Medicaid or CHIPS applications, fetuses count as members of the family.

Pay the ticket and stay out of that lane if your only passenger is one riding inside you.

It most certainly is NOT novel. In Orange County, CA, when the carpool lanes first opened up 10-15 years ago, a similar claim was made almost immediately (it was denied...needs to be a separate individual).

"Novel" indeed...c'mon.

I heard a similar story eight years ago in college: a woman claimed her fetus was a person and therefore she was carpooling. The officer said "fine, then I'll have to write you a ticket for driving with two people in the driver's seat". Maybe this woman heard the same joke?

I figured when the Bushies finally get their way and outlaw women's reproductive healthcare for good, I should be able to claim my unborn child on my taxes. I mean if it's a person, why not?

I almost wish pregnant feminists had thought of this first. Just to raise a little hell.