A motorist in one California city learned the hard way what drivers in Delano and Ridgecrest already knew, viz, peace officers aren’t stupid.

Brea Police caught a man in the carpool lane who had propped up the head and torso of a mannequin in his vehicle’s passenger seat. “She” was smartly dressed in a black t-shirt and replete with a wig, but the deception wasn’t enough to fool an intrepid motorcycle officer. The driver was cited for riding solo in the high-occupancy vehicle lane.

The man sheepishly offered that the mannequin trick had worked before, but he grudgingly admitted that “he would now just accept the fact he needed to sit in traffic like everyone else,” according to the officer.

How to React to a Traffic Ticket

Not that I’ve ever attempted this before, but a friend once told me that if you pull down the passenger side sun visor, buckle the passenger side seat belt, and hope you don’t get too close to a police officer, you can drive solo in the carpool lane. However, the mannequin technique is a good idea as well. Fortunately, we don’t have the carpool lane issue here in the High Desert. Traffic can be bad, especially in and around Fresno, but it’s not that bad.

There’s another lesson here as well. When you get pulled over – and we all do sooner or later – don’t argue with the officer, make any admissions, or offer any explanations. Instead, politely decline to answer questions, sign the promise to appear, and call an aggressive lawyer to do your talking and arguing for you.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.