Anyone get their CA HOV stickers?

[Andy]

Got the parking sticker today!

 

[josh]

Got my parking sticker (4/1/11) - still waiting for the HOV sticker. Both were sent the same day. HOV check still not cashed.

 

[Adrian]

Got both the parking sticker and the HOV stickers today. The parking sticker is tiny!

 

[mwalsh]

OK, so since things have now shaken out and delivery of at least the HOV stickers is getting a little more predictable, I'm going to discontinue listing the status of those in process.

Now what I personally want to know from you guys is where you're putting them. They are going to look awful no matter where you stick them, that's a given. But I'd rather see yours before I go ahead and place mine, to get a feel if anyplace is less awful than any other. :lol:

Actually, I was thinking (of course ignoring the DMV guidelines for placement) of putting all three on that paper magnet stuff so they can be applied to metal parts of the body (so not the bumpers) and removed as needed.

 

[Adrian]

OK, so since things have now shaken out and delivery of at least the HOV stickers is getting a little more predictable, I'm going to discontinue listing the status of those in process.

Now what I personally want to know from you guys is where you're putting them. They are going to look awful no matter where you stick them, that's a given. But I'd rather see yours before I go ahead and place mine, to get a feel if anyplace is less awful than any other. :lol:

Actually, I was thinking (of course ignoring the DMV guidelines for placement) of putting all three on that paper magnet stuff so they can be applied to metal parts of the body (so not the bumpers) and removed as needed.

I'd be afraid of theft using the magnet method.

 

[garygid]

Then, easy for others to remove them?

Pictures, of HOV stickers and the EV-Park with a ruler in the picture?

 

[mwalsh]

I'd be afraid of theft using the magnet method.

But in my case they'd only be applied for the drive to work or the drive home. I'd take them off otherwise. It would be hard to remove them from a moving vehicle. Unless they get jacked at a traffic signal. :lol:

 

[sdbonez]

I'd be afraid of theft using the magnet method.

But in my case they'd only be applied for the drive to work or the drive home. I'd take them off otherwise. It would be hard to remove them from a moving vehicle. Unless they get jacked at a traffic signal. :lol:

I went through this same thing when I got my stickers on my Prius almost 5.5 years ago. Ultimately, I sucked it up and put them on but I placed them as low as possible on the car bumpers which definitely made them less noticeable. Ultimately, the risk of using magnets (and them falling off or being taken) turned me back to adhesive. For me, it might be a little easier since my Leaf is almost exclusively a work commuter car and will (once I get stickers) be in carpool lanes half its life

I will say though - if you go the adhesive route, avoid any sort of non-flat surfaces. The sticker I placed on the low side of the rear bumper on my Prius was on a non-flat surface. I was as careful as possible in applying it but it was pealing at about the 3 year mark. The others stayed in-place fine up until I traded it in Wednesday.

 

[Adrian]

I would also suggest to place the stickers anywhere but the rear bumper. Chances are the rear bumper might be damaged and need re-painting. Then you'll be without stickers until new ones arrive. And we all know that can take a while. I'm a fan of placing the quarter panel stickers high on the metal portion of the quarter panel and the back bumper sticker above the bumper, again on the car sheet metal or trunk lid instead.

My wife ended up getting her Civic GX damaged and the placement we had chosen for the stickers avoided the need for replacement stickers. While we couldn't avoid the hassle associated with the repair, at least she didn't also have to waste 2 months without carpool stickers.

 

[Adrian]

I'd be afraid of theft using the magnet method.

But in my case they'd only be applied for the drive to work or the drive home. I'd take them off otherwise. It would be hard to remove them from a moving vehicle. Unless they get jacked at a traffic signal. :lol:

I'm way too lazy to keep putting stickers on and off every day, or multiple times a day if I stop somewhere on my way home.

 

[mwalsh]

OK, so I got to play a little bit today. The only decal I personally fine acceptable is the small one. The big ones are pretty obnoxious. Here are a few placements. The bumper installations would be stuck on. The rear quarter panel/hatch ones would be magnetic. I'll try a test piece of the magnetic stuff for a few days on the side to make sure it doesn't blow off at highway speeds. :lol: So what I personally like best so far is just the single small sticker in any of the spots I place it, but probably the proper spot - towards the bottom of the bumper on the rear is my front-runner.

On the side, I really hate the positions on the bumper...."does my arse look big in this?". Towards the bottom of the bumper, replacing the small sticker with a big one, placed so it can be seen from the rear and the sides, isn't so bad. But I like the position up high on the C pillar, which I'd mount via magnetic sheet. The positioning in front of the rear wheel was just for fun...I don't think I could get away with this.

 

[prberg]

I got my HOV stickers and parking sticker yesterday. I waited until I had my plates and then I submitted both applications together in the same envelope. Seems to have worked. Now to find the best place to put them. Good to see some options mwalsh.

-Peter

 

[sdbonez]

I'm trying to think back now to what the instructions said... basically, one on each of the four sides. More practically over the years, I was never pulled over but I did have quite a few CHiPies looking at me and probably some HOV cameras sometimes as well.

So if you assume that you're not going to be pulled over/cited for having your stickers incorrectly applied and it's best to just be visible to cameras and CHP, then you're thinking about:
1. Cameras - usually you drive under them and they're looking down on your rear from above
2. CHP - usually looking at your front from the left or right (e.g., so they can see how many occupants are in the vehicle on an HOV on-ramp) or passing you from behind

(at least, those were the usual circumstances for me)

Based on that, and what I think looks good (warning - I don't like the c pillars):
Pic1 - not liking
Pic2 - looks good - again, stay away from the crease as you've done.
Pic3 - again, looking good
Pic4 - yuck. (car almost looks like a Z in this pic)
Pic5 - similar yuck
Pic6 - yuck
Pic7 - yuck
Pic8 - seems useless there
Pic9 - hmm - interesting. think it's ok. especially since cameras are looking for your license plate already
Pic10 - but think I like the placement here better
Pic11 - not a fan.

What about on the front? You should have one somewhere on the front bumper - that's the one I felt got most stared at by CHP over the last ~5 yrs in my Prius.

 

[mwalsh]

What about on the front? You should have one somewhere on the front bumper - that's the one I felt got most stared at by CHP over the last ~5 yrs in my Prius.

The kit only comes with three decals now, all for the rear of the car - two large ones visible from the side and the small one for the rear.

 

[Adrian]

What about on the front? You should have one somewhere on the front bumper - that's the one I felt got most stared at by CHP over the last ~5 yrs in my Prius.

The kit only comes with three decals now, all for the rear of the car - two large ones visible from the side and the small one for the rear.

For some reason the yellow hybrid stickers came in sets of 4 while the white ones for EVs and NGVs come in sets of 3.

 

[TomT]

What do the instructions specifically say about placement?

The kit only comes with three decals now, all for the rear of the car - two large ones visible from the side and the small one for the rear.

 

[Jimmydreams]

The instructions say one large sticker on the back lower portion of the quarter panel behind the wheel. On the Leaf, that area is bent under and hard to see. Not my problem. I stuck them where the instructions told me to.
The smaller sticker is supposed to go on the lower right side of the rear. That one is pretty visible but smaller, so it's no big deal. I'll post pics of my sticker install as soon as I can. I don't anticipate being pulled over at all.....we shall see. :twisted:

 

[TomT]

I like 3 and 11... I don't think we have an option to use just the small decal so I'm not considering that. It's part of the price you pay for the privilege...

OK, so I got to play a little bit today. The only decal I personally fine acceptable is the small one. The big ones are pretty obnoxious. Here are a few placements. The bumper installations would be stuck on. The rear quarter panel/hatch ones would be magnetic. I'll try a test piece of the magnetic stuff for a few days on the side to make sure it doesn't blow off at highway speeds. :lol: So what I personally like best so far is just the single small sticker in any of the spots I place it, but probably the proper spot - towards the bottom of the bumper on the rear is my front-runner.

 

[mwalsh]

I decided to just bite the bullet and stick them on the bumper. I'm not massively happy with the way the large ones went on - I followed the line at the bottom of the bumper, when in retrospect following the line created by the top of the fog lamp cutout would maybe have been better. It's tough back there....lots of complexity in the various shapes created by the styling lines.

 

[sdbonez]

For some reason the yellow hybrid stickers came in sets of 4 while the white ones for EVs and NGVs come in sets of 3.

So strange..but hey, I'm not sure I remember the last time that the DMV's actions actually made sense...