California Carpool Lane Driver’s “Passenger” was a Disguised Mannequin: Is that the Best You Could Do?
In a world where laws are considered guidelines and rules are meant to be broken, it seems that some California drivers have found a new way to bend the system to their will. Yes, you read that right – some drivers are now resorting to disguising mannequins as their carpool lane passengers.
It’s a modern-day Miracle, really. Why bother seeking out a real human being to share the ride when you can simply purchase a cheap mannequin and dress it up in a Hawaiian shirt and sunglasses? Who needs friends or family when you can have an inanimate object glued to the passenger’s seat?
In this brave new world of ours, California’s carpool lanes have become an absolute circus. No longer reserved for those who have the foresight to plan ahead and carpool with another human being, these exclusive lanes are now overrun with mannequins and other wacky objects. Truly, we are living in the golden age of transportation.
It’s not just any old mannequin, mind you. These aren’t lifeless, faceless figures straight out of a department store display. These are mannequins with personality, mannequins with character. The kind of mannequins that make you feel like you have a true friend by your side as you zigzag through traffic.
In case you were wondering, this kind of behavior is highly illegal. California lawmakers have long frowned upon the use of mannequins as carpool passengers – and for good reason, too. A driver with a mannequin in the car is basically saying, “Hey, I am above the law. I am better than all of you who struggle to find a human being to carpool with.”
But who cares about the law when you have a mannequin by your side? Who cares about the safety of other drivers on the road when your plastic friend is rocking out to some sweet tunes with you?
This kind of behavior is borderline pathetic, but also somewhat commendable in its creativity. After all, it takes a certain kind of person to look at a mannequin and think, “Yes, this is the answer to all of my carpooling woes.” It takes a certain kind of person to put on a hat and a pair of sunglasses on a mannequin and think, “Okay, we’re good to go.”
As always, there are unintended consequences to this sort of thing. For one, carpool lanes filled with mannequins may deter actual human beings from using them. Who wants to be stuck behind someone with a plastic friend when you’re trying to make it to work on time?
But it’s not just the human beings who will suffer. What about the mannequins themselves? Imagine spending your entire life standing in a department store, surrounded by clothes you can never wear, dreaming of the day when you’ll finally have a friend. And then, just as you think your life is finally changing for the better, you’re jammed into the passenger seat of a Honda Civic next to a driver who can’t be bothered to find a real human being to carpool with. It’s a sad state of affairs indeed.
So, if you’re thinking about joining the ranks of California’s mannequin carpoolers, think again. Sure, it might be a cheap and easy way to get ahead in life, but is it really worth sacrificing your dignity for a few minutes of carpool lane fame? Is it really worth risking the safety of other drivers on the road?
The answer, of course, is no. But hey, at least you have your mannequin to keep you company as you sit on the side of the road, waiting for the police to arrive.
