Dummy run: Civil Guard foil jam-dodging Madrid driver

It seems the inventiveness of some drivers to avoid traffic jams in Madrid knows no bounds. Civil Guard officers were last week surprised to see a car in which a mannequin dressed as a woman had been placed in the passenger seat, so it could use a fast-track highway lane reserved for vehicles with multiple occupants.

Agents made the discovery around 8.45am last Tuesday upon pulling over a car on the A-6 highway near Las Rozas after noticing the strange "immobility" of the passenger. The dummy was "perfectly done out with a wig, sunglasses and completely dressed," reported Madrid command headquarters. She was even wearing her seatbelt. The offense is punishable with a 200-euro fine.