Carpool lane driver in Santa Fe Springs caught with mannequin in the passenger seat
Los Angeles traffic is so notoriously bad, some residents might be willing to do anything to cut down on wait time — including driving with a mannequin in the passenger seat.
A California Highway Patrol officer in Santa Fe Springs stopped a driver recently for crossing solid double lines to enter a carpool lane, only to bust them for having a plastic dummy instead of another human in the passenger seat, the CHP wrote in an Instagram post Thursday.
The agency posted a photo of a dummy buckled into the passenger seat, wearing a hoodie sweatshirt and sunglasses.
"The goatee was sharp … just a little too sharp," the CHP wrote of the dummy.
The driver, whose name was not released, was cited for multiple carpool lane violations, according to the CHP.
"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," the agency wrote.
The other obvious lesson: If you're going to pretend to qualify for the HOV lanes, don't cross a double line on your way in.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
