Driver in HOV lane caught using plaid shirt as 'passenger'

Oct. 1 (UPI) -- A Washington State Patrol trooper stopped a driver in the high-occupancy vehicle lane when their supposed "passenger" turned out to be the seat back dressed in a plaid shirt.

WSP District 2 Public Information Officer Rick Johnson said on social media that the driver was stopped during the morning commute earlier this week on northbound Interstate 405 in Renton.

Johnson shared a photo showing how the driver had dressed the passenger seat in a large plaid shirt in an apparent attempt to make it seem like they had a person in the carpool lane.

"Reminder: A seat dressed up like a human still does not count for HOV," Johnson wrote.

Drivers in Renton have been busted in similar schemes in the past -- a driver was stopped on the same road in October 2023 when their "passenger" was identified as a creepy clown Halloween dummy.

A first-time HOV violation carries a fine of $186, with an extra $200 fine added to the total if the driver is found to be attempting to disguise a doll or a dummy as a passenger. It was unclear whether the most recent incident resulted in a ticket, or whether the dressed-up seat back counted as a dummy.