This smooth brain realized, too late, he was passing a cop as he drove by them using the emergency shoulder.
Pierce County-area driver and Redditor /u/Arasant shared a piece of instant justice and karma playing out from earlier in March (Mar 30, 2026) to the /r/ConvenientCop subreddit, showing a wise guy, resorting to using the breakdown lane for passing, getting a slice of instant justice as the vehicle they were overtaking was an actual cop.
Check out the dashcam footage embedded below with the original Reddit thread linked here.
[USA] Idiot Award, Illegal Overtake on Shoulder
by u/arasant in ConvenientCop
The incident happened on WA-167 between 24th St. E and W Valley Hwy E (Exact location on Google Maps linked here.)
As the rear dashcam view shows, OP is driving southbound on WA-167 towards the exit onto W Valley Hwy E.
A driver in a black Toyota Camry, fed up that he can’t pass vehicles on this two-lane highway, resorts to illegally using the emergency breakdown lane to pass.
While passing a black truck with a camper bed, he realizes too late that the person he’s passing is an actual police officer, likely a sheriff in what looks like a police utility truck.
Ironically, he signals back onto the road and signals again to get into the passing lane.
After 30+ seconds, what seems like an eternity going 70+ MPH, the police officer finally puts on his reds and blues and pulls the offending driver over.
“Felt like those lights were waiting for the drop,” one of the top comments form /u/c0nfuzedMD reads, referring to the sick beats OP is listening to.
“C’mon, we should be praising the guy for his excellent turn signal discipline,” /u/Nigel_99 sarcastically added.
“To do that and just to still keep up with traffic speed is just mind-blowing,” /u/username_unnammed mentioned.
And yes, many in the comments called out OP for camping in the passing lane.
In Pierce County, Washington, passing in the breakdown lane on a highway is illegal and considered a moving violation. The fine is typically around $136–$200, and it usually carries 2 points on your driving record. Police may also issue additional penalties if it creates a dangerous situation.
