STEVE INSKEEP, HOST:
Good morning. I'm Steve Inskeep. A driver outside Tacoma, Wash., found the perfect companion for the morning commute. He never talked, and his presence allowed the commuter to take the HOV lane. The trouble is it was a cardboard cutout of a person. It showed the guy who plays the most interesting man in the world in the Dos Equis beer ads. KOMO TV reports that when a state trooper caught the scam, the driver protested, he's my best friend. It's MORNING EDITION. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.