California carpool lane violator caught trying to pass realistic dummy off as passenger: ‘Gotta give it to them’

Does he look like some kind of dummy to you?

A California driver learned their lesson the hard way when police pulled them over in the carpool lane — only to find that their “passenger” was a realistic-looking mannequin.

“So folks have been asking, ‘If I have a mannequin in the passenger seat, does that count as a second occupant in the vehicle?’ Trying to use the carpool lane with no one else in the car!” the California Highway Patrol Santa Fe Springs office wrote on Instagram of the incident.

The post included a snapshot of the dummy, which featured a hyper-realistic rubber mask complete with a goatee and sunglasses, plus a makeshift sweatshirt torso.

“We’ve gotta give it to them, the appearance is next-level modeling but at the end of the day… plastic is plastic,” the agency said.

“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,” they added.

The driver got a citation for carpool violations, the post noted.

“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,” CHP cautioned.