HOV-phobia... Do you have the guts to ride?

You're running late for work and you know how jammed the highway is going to be with traffic. There are HOV lanes near your house that you know are open in the direction you are heading, but alas, the sign says "HOV-3 and MOTORCYCLES ONLY".

What do you do? You only have a few minutes after you get on the highway to make the decision. Then as the onramp gets closer, you have a mere few seconds to make a break for it, or pass it by.

Are you going to comply with the law or break it?

I'm known as a risk-taker, but seriously, you have to have some major cajoles to jump on the HOV alone. I have to admit that I have ridden the HOV alone twice, but the entire time my heart was pounding. And before I could get on, I was wrestling with the idea the entire time it took me to get from my house to the onramp. I was arguing in my head, and it went something like:

Bad me: "You know you're gonna be late. You should probably take the HOV today."
Good me: "Yeah, sure. And risk getting a ticket? I don't think so. It's not worth it man."
Bad me: "Not worth it? Ok, so you'd rather make a normally 30 minute trip turn into an hour, because you're afraid? Don't you see all those cars with one person in them? You know you won't get pulled over, so just do it!"
Good me: "Ehhh, maybe I should. There are a lot of single passenger cars getting on, I see."
Bad me: Yessssss. Go ahead, do it.
Good me: (At the last second) "AGHHHHH I can't!"

Then I'm fussing the rest of the way, as I sit in traffic telling myself I should have gotten on. I do it almost every day.

The thought of having to pay a ticket in the range of $1,000 plus is a mighty big deterrent for me. Yet, I see so many people every day violate. I'm thinking they must know something I don't. Or maybe they are in such a rush they are willing to take the risk.

A friend of mine says the key is driving between two other violators, so if the Trooper stops someone, it most certainly will not be you. That makes sense, but I'm not sure how effective that is. I'm trying to hash out the probability in my mind, but I'm not a mathematician. As you can tell, I'm a writer. So I usually play it safe and follow the rules.

Today I got caught up in a little jam and I longingly looked over to my left at the cars whizzing past, driving all happily along in the HOV lanes. I noticed half a dozen cars with only a single occupant and I felt the heat rise from my belly as I watched them pass me. I hate those people. I hate them because they have more courage than I do. I hate them because they don't get caught. And most of all, I hate them because they didn't have to wake up a half hour earlier to accommodate the traffic.

When I do see someone pulled over on the HOV I get so happy. I dance in my seat, and wave at them. But that doesn't happen often enough to even out the hate I feel for the ones who got away.

So question is, do you ride the HOV when you shouldn't?