Roadside dumping on a busy I-280 ramp raises question about frequency

QAs another person recently wrote you, I am also annoyed with graffiti and dumping by freeways and on and off-ramps.

I live in Portola Valley and a few years ago, took part in a freeway onramp cleanup at Alpine Road for northbound Interstate 280.

A couple of months ago, I was about to enter this on-ramp. It is a three-way stop. I stopped. A large commercial truck to my right had previously stopped and was to enter the intersection before me. Typically traffic at this stop would take a left turn to proceed on Alpine Road, but the truck went ahead of me onto the on-ramp for 280 north (from which the driver had just exited).

“Huh? Maybe they are not familiar with the area?” I thought. As I entered the on-ramp, I noticed the truck had pulled off to the left side that has a wide open dirt area. Low and behold, the truck dumped debris! I looked, but there was no license plate on the rear of the vehicle. As I was on an onramp, now with traffic behind me, I was not in a position to see the front of the truck, but my guess is there was no plate there, either. I did look to see if there was a business name on the truck. There was not. In my opinion, the driver knew exactly what and where he was going to dump the load in daylight, and on a well-traveled on-ramp. I think it will be very hard to track drivers doing this illegal activity.

Many thanks for your column.

— Elizabeth Sippl

AHave others seen blatant dumping like this along roads and freeways?

QA reader wrote recently to ask if he deserved a carpool lane ticket. That happened to me years ago on San Tomas Expressway. I got over in the right lane too soon because I thought my turn was the next one. The police were waiting for just such an action. He gave me a ticket. He wasn't interested in my reason. — Maxine Minckler

AMrs. Roadshow had this experience, too, some years ago on San Tomas Expressway.

QI have a safety issue on Interstate 680 northbound right after the Highway 84 cutoff. The fast lane near the Koopman Road exit is extremely tight near the white barricades. There's a seam in the lane that catches your tire and pulls. You either go toward the barricades or into the next lane. Can anything be done? I'm just waiting for a crash. — Anne, San Leandro

A

I'm trying to get an answer. In the meantime, other drivers need to know to be cautious here.