The Mercury News Weekend

Facebook campus traffic light glitch is an ongoing problem

- MR. ROADSHOW Gary Richards Columnist Look for Gary Richards at Facebook.com/mr.roadshow or contact him at mrroadshow@bayareanew­sgroup.com or 408-920- 5037.

QOn Bayfront Expressway at Chilco Drive in front of the Facebook campus, there is a traffic light that often is blinking red. This causes terrible traffic jams, which would be alleviated if the light worked normally. It’s been this way for months. Can you find out why it’s not operationa­l, and when it will be? … This light is out at least once a week and no one can be seen working on it. It’s absolutely ridiculous and unacceptab­le. Arrgghhh. — Larry Crosby, Elizabeth Moore and many others

AArrgghh indeed. This has been causing delays of 15-20 minutes and backups onto the highrise on the Dumbarton Bridge. It appears to be a wiring issue and this week Caltrans dispatched a crew to fix it. Soon we hope.

QA friend of mine got pulled over in the express lane on Interstate 580 between Dublin and Livermore because the officer did not see her FasTrak. It was on the dashboard and had the appropriat­e designatio­n set. She received a warning but not a ticket and was told it had to be affixed on the windshield or mirror.

I got the impression that it did not have to be affixed on the windshield or mirror but only needed to able to be recognized by the electronic reader. She could hear it beep when she went by the sensors so she knew it was in working order.

She was told to go home and mount it on her window immediatel­y.

Was he just flirting with her? — Pat N.

AI doubt that. Legally, the transponde­r must be attached to the front window, but many drivers — the Roadshow clan included — prefer to sit it on the seat and hold it up as they enter a toll plaza or express lane.

QLike a reader from Benicia, I also have a small birth certificat­e from 1972. I was able to use it at the Alma DMV in San Jose to get my Real ID, but the clerk did question it: “I’ve never seen one like this before.” Me: “That’s because it’s almost 46 years old.”

The bigger issue was when my wife tried to use hers and it was laminated (something her mom did years ago).

We’ve never had trouble before because you could still feel the raised seal, but they wouldn’t let us this time. We had to get a new one for her. Bottom line, the DMV is being much more picky these days. — Brian Del Real, Campbell

AThe DMV does not accept laminated birth certificat­es because it cannot validate the paper and seals. In addition, a “Certificat­e of Birth” — an abbreviate­d version of the actual birth certificat­e — is no longer acceptable.

Around 20 years ago the federal government started requiring the full certificat­e. Previously, the state Department of Health issued a shortform version of the actual birth certificat­e. Those are no longer valid and you need to get the new long form.

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