Hybrid sticker shock

Maybe those tales about hybrid carpool sticker thefts were not urban myths after all. Dr. Roadshow gets an earful from motorists who had their stickers stolen, then went through hell at the DMV to get new ones:

We had two carpool stickers stolen off our 2005 Prius at the Alameda County Fair as our daughter, a 4-H member, was showing her rabbit. I went to the DMV Web site to order replacements but was told that our request was incomplete - we need to submit a police report and return the remaining stickers. I could find nothing on the Web site that said a police report was required when submitting a replacement form.

Comments

[Sharam Tabibnia]

Until recently I kept my disgust for badly timed traffic lights, which is almost all of the lights in most areas of Los Angeles, to myself, because of lack of time to get involved, and my assumption that I must have been in the minority.
Today though, with $4+/ gallon gas prices, the ignorance and ineptness of the council and our elected officials in charge is really costing the society in a big way.
The savings that would come from "smart traffic lights", which already exist in many other countries, or at least smartly set up lights or "synchronized lights", will far outweigh the assumed potential savings from their advising motorists to leave a large space with the car in front (which is a very irresponsible advice considering the value of time and the limitations of space thus obvious negative effect on traffic).
The savings from such correction of lights will also save motorists time, it will lower their car mechanical repair that breaking for too many unnecessary red lights will cost, as in break and shocks repair, and unnecessary wear and tear on the vehicles. We must be smarter than that. How can they ask people to be efficient while their bad management is a direct cause for millions of gallons of gas, as well as millions of hours of wasted time, and other losses
I hope this important issue will resonate with your thoughts, to get involved and help us in this cause towards having a wiser, more efficient, and a better managed city.
Regards,
Sharam Tabibnia

[Josh]

If you need help regarding the DMV or CalTrans...contact your local State Assemblyperson

[C L]

why doesn't the LA times have a column like Mr. Roadshow? (it's Mr., not Dr.) he has great contacts at CalTrans and various city agencies that he can take complaints to - about badly time traffic lights, needs and wants for traffic areas, where to complain about a pothole, and good basic information. the bottleneck blog is good for giving out information about traffic, but is there a place that our complaints can be heard?