Driver caught using cardboard cutout of 'most interesting man' as passenger in HOV lane

Thursday, March 26, 2015, 12:24 PM - On Monday, state troopers in Washington pulled over a man in the high occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) who was travelling with an interesting passenger.

The man was trying to use the carpool lane -- which requires at least one passenger -- with a cardboard cutout of actor Jonathan Goldsmith, a.k.a. "the most interesting man in the world" in Dos Equis ads.

"[The driver] couldn't have used a more recognizable face," Washington State Patrol Spokesperson told ABC.

"The trooper and the driver had a good laugh about it but he was cited anyway... Our trooper give him a $124 ticket for violating [HOV] lane laws." 

When pulled over, the driver tried to convince officers his passenger was legitimate.

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"He's my best friend. He just sits here and doesn't talk," the passenger said of the cutout, according to Gill.

This isn't the first time Washington police has spotted an unusual passenger in the HOV lane.

In September, Washington State Patrol pulled over a woman speeding in the carpool lane and found a giant teddy bear in her passenger seat.

State troopers didn't realize the stuffed animal was in the car until the windows, which were tinted, had been rolled down.

From the outside, all officers could see was a second silhouette in the car.

Sources: ABC | KOMO