A good way to spot excessive government is when incidental transgressions are extrapolated to racketeering revenue generating streams.

A good way to spot ineffective government is when the non-punishment of infractions is so endemic that they effectively cease to be infractions.

Such a bummer, I came hear to be the first to scream about guvment overreach before the trolls, looks like @1 beat me to it

@1 - So what's your alternative to a monetary penalty? Jail time?

I think losing your driving license woud be a poetically just penalty.

Twenty years ago, during my joyous commute back to Capitol Hill from my job on Northup Way in Blah-ville, our bus would swing around that right-hand curve on SR-520, and pretty much every day there Johnny Law would have two or three HOV-lane scofflaws lined up for our viewing pleasure. Here’s hoping fines go high and stay high!

Also, @1: Please note that “deliberately and knowingly using a privilege which one has not earned, often at the expense of those who have actually earned it,” is not, in fact, synonymous with “incidental.” You’re welcome.

Correction, Nathalie: Running red lights is also the behavior of assholes.

In fact, I'd posit that casual disregard for the possibility of running people over with one's car is even more assholish than driving a single-occupant vehicle in a bus lane.

F2sup is correct, this needs to be made a crime and punishable by a very public and painful ass ramming. Post them online crying and quivering as a police officer rams a big ass dildo into them. No lube, they should already have health insurance for any of the damage done on them. That'll get the frat fucks and their older conservative counterparts to stop; at the very least because the threat of some gay panic.

BJiB: Were you thinking pay-per-view? as I believe there may be an Audience for this sorta thing....

Gotta wonder: what might be the penalty/ies for Repeat Offenders -- and there's bound to be few.

A fucking few.

@4 For myself, I'd like to see community service.
While roadside ecology work is common, I think it might be most satisfying if they were assigned to provide rides in the vehicle of infraction, for those in our community in need, such as people who are elderly, indigent or mobility challenged, for commuting and errands.

@14 -- they could use the carpool lanes!
For good!

Finland has the right idea:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.nytimes.com/2015/04/26/world/europe/speeding-in-finland-can-cost-a-fortune-if-you-already-have-one.amp.html