Story Archive

That’s No Dummy

On the Long Island Expressway in Dix Hills, N.Y., officer Jonathan Abrams pulled over a speeding truck in the HOV lane. Then, he noticed something unusual about the truck’s passenger. “I noticed that the front seat passenger was not a person,” Abrams said. “It was constructed as if it was Popsicle sticks, large Popsicle sticks. It was the shape of a torso with a head on top with the hood pulled up over the head.” The driver, James Campbell, 56, said he was driving to his new job. “He didn’t want to be late to work, so he had assembled this thing and kept it in his car so he could use the HOV lane to get to work faster,” Abrams said. Campbell said it was the first time he had been busted, and he even fooled Abrams for a minute. “He said, ‘Passenger, can I see some ID?’ And I said, ‘Officer, I don’t think so’,” Campbell said. He was issued summonses for speeding and occupancy violation, but was allowed to keep the dummy — which he plans to keep using. “I’ll still give it a shot,” he said. “I’ll change outfits.” (MS/WCBS New York) ...It would be less suspicious if it wasn’t wearing a hoodie.