Despite a high level of commitment to the ruse, both drivers who were apprehended on separate occasions in California and Massachusetts could face serious fines
August 14, 2023 at 14:30
Traffic is a soul-sucking motivation-killing scourge that we all wish we could avoid. For those who must deal with it, an HOV lane can prove too enticing to resist even if there are heavy fines for driving in one alone. Sometimes those who go to extreme lengths to cheat the system get caught like this pair from earlier this month.
In a post to its Facebook page on August 10th, the State Police Association of Massachusetts (…or SPAM) said it caught a Mercedes-Benz driver riding around with a mannequin to skirt HOV laws.
“Let this post serve as a reminder that the HOV lane is reserved for vehicles with two or more HUMAN passengers (mannequins, dogs and imaginary friends don’t count) in order to keep our roads safe and traffic regulations respected,” it said.
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To the driver’s credit, they seem to have put some real effort into the scheme here. The dummy has a button-down dress shirt, glasses, a baseball cap, and what looks like a disposable facemask too. In fact, they’re even buckled up for safety!
More: Inflatable Grinch Gets Arizona Driver In HOV Lane Ticketed
In a second case from the opposite side of the USA, California Highway Patrol stopped the driver of a van to find a similar situation. According to Darrel Horner, a spokesperson for CHP Marin who spoke to SFGate, the officer watching the HOV lane on August 2 felt something just wasn’t right and initiated a stop on Highway 101 near Ignacio BLVD.
Sure enough, the only other ‘person’ in the vehicle aside from the driver was a well-dressed and seemingly inked-up mannequin. In a since-deleted post, the division joked about how this passenger chose to remain silent.
Despite the comical nature of the ruse, the driver probably isn’t laughing. They went home with a fine of at least $490 for the carpool violation. Massachusetts authorities didn’t say if the driver there was cited or not but reports suggest that the minimum fine is just $50 for first-time offenders.
These instances certainly aren’t the first time authorities have dealt with this sort of thing. We expect it won’t be the last time we hear of it happening either.