Do you think a pregnant woman should count as two people and be able to drive legally in the carpool lane on free ways?

[Still-alive]

Texas doesn't think so:

"I was driving to pick up my son. I knew I couldn't be a minute late, so I took the HOV lane," Bettone told Lieber. "As I exited the HOV, there was a checkpoint at the end of the exit. I slammed on my brakes and I was pulled over by police."

Bettone said officers asked her if there were any more occupants inside her vehicle. Pregnant with a daughter, Bettone told the officers her unborn child was inside the vehicle with her, according to Lieber.

"I pointed to my stomach and said, 'My baby girl is right here. She is a person,'" Bettone said. However the officers were not buying it. "He said, 'Oh, no. It's got to be two people outside of the body.'"

Bettone spoke with multiple officers over the course of her encounter, she told Lieber. One seemed indifferent, Bettone claimed, while another gave her a citation and told her to challenge it in court to have it thrown out.

"One kind of brushed me off when I mentioned this is a living child, according to everything that's going on with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. 'So I don't know why you're not seeing that,' I said," Bettone explained. "He was like, 'I don't want to deal with this... Ma'am, it means two persons outside of the body."

"Bettone ended up receiving a $215 citation and instructions from the issuing officer suggesting that if she fought it, it would most likely get dropped."

For anyone who doesn't know the carpool or 'hov lane' on our highways is only allowed to be used by drivers with two or more passengers. you get cited if you get caught using it by yourself.

https://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Pregnant-Texas-woman-driving-in-HOV-lane-told-17293221.php

Yes. she should count as two people if she's pregnant. she shouldn't have been cited for that

No that doesn't count! I'm with the cops on this one

I'm not sure

[ChrisMaster69]

If a person had the cash and time, it would be amusing taking all these laws and policies through the living or not living person.

A census for example, if a woman is carrying twins, surely that’s 3 in household.

You should be able to get insurance for it, or it’s discrimination against an unborn.

Go through all the potential discrimination examples.

oh you will not give my foetus insurance, I can’t claim child support until after born, that’s discrimination, there are bound to be a lot of things.

[EllaNella]

omg they should file for child support at conception

[ChrisMaster69]

@EllaNella exactly
Imagine how much funding an IVF storage clinic could get

[Chazmatazz269]

Let me start by saying i hope you know how silly this is.
In the US, when we can’t agree on the spirit of the law, we go to the letter of the law. That said, i think the spirit of the law is pretty clear. HOV lanes are meant to reduce traffic by reducing the number of cars on the road because able drivers are sharing a vehicle. Since an unborn baby can’t drive their own car, they’re not reducing traffic. Same can be said if you’re the GD Brady Bunch on the way to a musical number in the park. You’re not reducing the number of vehicles on the road, so you’ve got no business in the carpool lane. Ell oh ell!

[Still-alive]

Its still two people

[Chazmatazz269]

That’s not the point at all though. Read the code if you’re confused.

[Still-alive]

It is the point. If a fetus is another person then it counts.

[Chazmatazz269]

Okay, now i know you’ve chosen ignorance. Bye, dummy.

[Still-alive]

Lol giving up already

[Still-alive]

If you disagree that the fetus isn’t another person then i see your point. Otherwise though? Its pure hypocrisy

[Apulu_Imback]

Yeah pregnant lady does counts as two people even though not in census (I explained this in my opinion under your census question). But that lady should be taking rest actually because driving in high speed is risky for the child and maybe uncomfortable because of seatbelt.

[KelleyNice]

What nonsense. What is she is just one month pregnant? What if only 1 day pregnant? What if she is not pregnant but believe she is? What if she creates a fake pregnancy belly? Would that criminal pay two airplane fairs when flying on an airplane?

[Still-alive]

Thats not the question. Are there two people when a woman is pregnant or isn’t there?

[KelleyNice]

That is false. That was not the question. The question is should she count as too people. Obviously not for all the reasons I stated.

[Still-alive]

Ah ok so you’re a hypocrite too?

[letuswaltzforthedead]

Bruh, she's literally carrying a baby. As if the mother wasn't already in a hard enough situation having to pick up her kid, the cops are just going to fine her for that? That's disgusting, just leave the mother alone and let her care for her two children.

[Smashingdoozy]

Lol they really gotta make up their minds... So it's a person in every other circumstance except carpool?

[Still-alive]

lol yeah they gotta think of all this stuff seriously now. which is it pro-lifers?

[andreasderjuengere]

Isn't that just ''legal'' blabla?

Another 'Karen', I suspect.

[Still-alive]

not so... cause if a fetus counts as a human being then it counts for the carpool lane too...

[andreasderjuengere]

Karen stated: ''... I knew I couldn't be a minute late..."
But apparently she had lots of time to discuss politics with a policeman :D

[Still-alive]

So you disagree then? Pregnant women don’t count as ‘two people’ in the carpool lane?

[andreasderjuengere]

It's one person with a potential second person to me.

But in the present case I see someone who is mis-using the interpretation of a ''regulation'' to make statements about their own philosophy; and to find an excuse to not pay a fine. Protest for the sake of protest.
Just use a side road, where baby is much less exposed to the risk of an accident :D

[Still-alive]

Sounds hypocritical

[andreasderjuengere]

Yes, she sounds like that.

[Still-alive]

You do

[andreasderjuengere]

Since when is it ''hypocritical to question the motivations of a person?

[Still-alive]

You know what you’re doing sir lol

[GoodGuyBreakingBad]

No that doesn't count! I'm with the cops on this one

[Still-alive]

How come?

[SJ1984]

Yes, that counts as two people. Texas should know better.

[Still-alive]

how would you feel if they kept refusing anyways?

[Aerissa_Jade]

Sure, as long as they are all in their own seat and seat belted in. Which would be one fucked up pregnancy.

[purplepoppy]

She should have said she was driving to the abortion clinic. I bet it would be counted as a second person then.

[EllaNella]

if American law says a fetus is a person, it should be treated like that

[peedy]

No, if she's pregnant maybe she should stop going to work

[Still-alive]

Should she get maternity leave for that?

[snackthatsmilesback]

Well why does it have to be 2 people? If that reason could apply to a born baby I don't see why it couldn't apply to an unborn one.

[Sour-rose]

No, bish, wtf. Lemme go grab my stuffed animal and call it two passa- what da actual fu-

[Sparkie460]

If a fetus is a living being then it should be counted as a person. Nowhere does it say in the law that it has to be outside the body. It just says 2 or more occupants.

[llorando]

Yes. she should count as two people if she's pregnant. she shouldn't have been cited for that.

[Dinosaursandanime65]

Do you mean to tell me I can put a plant in the passenger seat and say they’re a living thing which is close enough to a person?

[Drumlin2001]

Nope

[Still-alive]

how come?

[Pete671]

A life begins at conception,