“Hahaha – the cops will be fooled by my clever, denim armless businessman!”

“Hahaha – the cops will be fooled by my clever, denim armless businessman!”

Rufus Leakin

In news from the world of viral posts about the eerily similar ways crafty but stupid people try to break the law, we bring you a sad story of carpool chicanery, out of New York.

Authorities say a woman has been ticketed for driving in a carpool lane with a fake passenger –  a really bad fake passenger.

She may not have put a lot of effort into creating the dummy, but you have to appreciate her creative use of a briefcase to help complete the disguise.

The driver was pulled over during one Thursday morning rush hour on the Long Island Expressway, in Dix Hills. Suffolk County police say the woman was driving in a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, which is restricted to vehicles with two or more occupants during commute times.

Police say the unconvincing dummy was made with a pile of clothes, stuffed in a vest, and topped with a baseball cap.

In his defense, the fake front seat passenger must have been a legit business commuter. You know, because of the briefcase. 

However, the dummy was not wearing a seat belt, as shown in photos issued by police. It is not known whether that will get the driver charged with an additional fine. Seat belt compliance for all passengers is the driver’s responsibility, after all.