Driver busted attempting most extraordinary carpool hack ever to beat rush hour

A driver in Los Angeles was caught attempting to bypass the rules of the carpool lane by placing a jacket in the front passenger seat and securing it with a seat belt to mimic a second rider.

The unusual setup was noticed on March 3 as the vehicle traveled in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane on the 10 freeway near West Covina. A California Highway Patrol officer quickly realized something was off about the supposed passenger.

A jacket and backpack arranged to look like a passenger in a car's front seat, with the seatbelt fastened. — A driver in LA County was caught using phony passenger while in the carpool lane.

A driver with a jacket arranged to look like a passenger in the carpool lane. — The driver in West Covina was ticketed for trying to use a jacket in place of a passenger, the CHP said.

“At first, it looked like there was a passenger in the car,” the CHP explained. “But on closer examination, the ‘passenger’ was actually a jacket arranged on the seat with a seat belt across it to give the appearance of a person.”

The CHP shared details of the incident on social media to remind motorists that clothing cannot be counted as a second occupant.

“The carpool lane is intended for vehicles that genuinely meet occupancy requirements,” the CHP added. “Imaginary passengers or fake copilots do not qualify.”

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