When it comes to cheating carpool lanes in California, drivers can get creative.
There was a safety dummy which was misused by impatient passengers. A mannequin wearing a baseball cap in Glendora and a mustache drawn in the Bay Area.
So by those standards, what the California Highway Patrol found out when it recently pulled over a driver in a carpool lane in West Covina would be half-assed.
According to a social media post CHP’s Baldwin Park office on Thursday.Officers pulled over a driver in the high-occupancy vehicle lane of the 10 Freeway and found a jacket wrapped around the headrest of the passenger seat.
“Nice try – but jackets are not included in carpool lane requirements,” the CHP said in its post.
Officials said the incident came to light when an officer on motorcycle patrol spotted the vehicle traveling in the HOV lane and initially crossed it.
“The officer was on patrol on his motor vehicle and saw the vehicle in the HOV lane and passed the driver,” said Marissa McIntyre of the CHP’s Southern Division.
McIntyre said the officer became suspicious after taking a second look at the vehicle.
“The officer looked at the vehicle again and thought there was a glitch,” he said.
The officer pulled the driver over to take a closer look. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer observed that the “passenger” in the front seat had a jacket wrapped around him and the seat belt buckled up like a person.
The driver was charged with a carpool lane violation, which can result in a ticket of over $400.
CHP officers regularly conduct enforcement campaigns targeting inappropriate use of the carpool lane, including drivers attempting to avoid the rules by using mannequins or other objects to imitate passengers.
“Imaginary friends and mannequin co-pilots won’t cut it,” CHP officials said.
Authorities have not released the identity of the driver.
