WTF? MTA Manager Used Blow-Up Doll to Skirt HOV Laws
We've reported about the people out there who attempt to get around HOV laws by using a fake passenger in the front seat. Some attempts can be quite hilarious, while others seem to lack the effort. One MTA manager was apparently busted for the creative way he tried to get around the law. However, he is claiming that he doesn't use his rubbery sidekick as a way to break the law. He says his new riding buddy is merely there "for the company".
The New York Post reports that the general superintendent was seen pulling into his office Wednesday morning with what appeared to be a blow-up doll. This inflatable riding companion looks like quite the professional, as it's adorned with a gray business suit with a red tie and matching handkerchief. Some of the other employees aren't buying any of this though.
It was weird when we saw that thing [in his car] in the morning. Why would anyone have that there except to do HOV stuff?
But the MTA boss still claims the doll is just there for company. That's weird. We've heard many of the humorous stories through the years of lone drivers cruising the HOV lanes with phony passengers in tow. They've used everything from mannequins, dummies, dolls, and even fake skeletons wearing hoodies to try to get around the system. Back in November, the Suffolk County Police Department posted on their Instagram page that they stopped a driver because something just, "didn't look quite right." By not quite right, it appeared that the driver had placed a jacket over the passenger seat and then put a hat and a hood on the headrest.
There was another case sort of like this back in early June on the same road. The New York Post reported that a Lake Grove man was busted driving in the HOV lane without a passenger. This guy's disguise? Authorities say the man attached a plastic drama mask to the passenger side headrest to make it look like someone else was in the vehicle with him. Maybe not the best effort overall, but at least he tried? Some of these HOV stories can be creatively hilarious, and others can be a bit sad and embarrassing. This guy, from back in 2016, used an old pile of clothes to try to skirt by the system. No, it didn't work.