A driver in California was busted recently for employing a sneaky tactic to use the carpool lane, something others have tried before.
In a social media post on Thursday, the California Highway Patrol in Santa Fe Springs (CHP) said residents had been asking if driving with a mannequin in the passenger seat counts as a second occupant for when a driver wants to use the carpool lane.
The agency gave a clear answer regarding a recent instance when an officer found a mannequin riding in someone’s vehicle.
“The answer is simple… NO. Like this motorist found out; we’ve gotta give it to them, the appearance is next level modeling but at the end of the day… plastic is plastic,” CHP officials said.
The post featured an image of the mannequin, dressed in a hoodie and sunglasses and sporting facial hair:
“Officer Kaplan made an enforcement stop on this vehicle for crossing solid double lines only to realize the driver was the only occupant in the vehicle with their plastic friend. The goatee was sharp … just a little too sharp,” the agency said.
“The driver was subsequently issued a citation for multiple carpool violations. Remember to plan ahead, know your route of travel, and the general challenges of your drive to avoid being in a rush or tempted to push your luck,” it continued.
A similar instance happened in August when a CHP officer stopped a driver in the Bay Area after noticing a mannequin in the person’s car while the vehicle was in the carpool lane, Fox 11 reported.
“That moment you get pulled over for a carpool violation and your passenger in the back chooses to remain silent,” CHP Marin said of the image.
That mannequin, sitting in the backseat of a minivan, was wearing a sunhat and sunglasses, and it also had facial hair, according to the outlet.
The Fox report noted that the driver was slapped with a $500 ticket, and authorities returned the mannequin to the person following the incident:
In 2019, another Bay Area driver also tried to outsmart police in the carpool lane by putting a mannequin that looked like a woman in the passenger seat of the car, according to WPTV.
An image shows the mannequin, which had long brown hair and was dressed in a red sweatshirt:
“Cops weren’t fooled by it. They spotted the fake and ticketed the driver,” the outlet said.
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