A video of an intoxicated man holding a bank card to his ear as if speaking on a phone during a traffic stop in Guayaquil, Ecuador, has circulated widely online after local authorities confirmed the unusual scene.
The Agencia de Tránsito y Movilidad, or ATM, said the incident took place Thursday night at the exit of the Santa Ana tunnel in the city’s centro norte zone during a routine alcohol control operation.
Agents stopped a vehicle to check the driver’s condition and had the occupants step out. According to the ATM, the man seen with the card was a passenger, not the driver.
In the footage, the man stands near a white vehicle in dress shirt and tie, pressing a yellow bank card against his ear and appearing to speak into it. A voice nearby can be heard saying something to the effect of checking whether he dialed correctly.
El Universo reported that the ATM verified the details after the clip spread on social media Friday. Earlier posts had incorrectly described the man as the driver stopped for suspected drunken driving.
The video shows the man looking confused as officers continue their procedure around him. He lowers the card only after further interaction with the agents.
Accounts sharing the clip, including the Eastern European media outlet NEXTA, described the man as attempting to “call his lawyer” with the card instead of a phone. The post drew tens of thousands of views within hours.
No name or further personal details about the passenger have been released by authorities. The ATM has not reported any additional charges or outcomes from the stop beyond confirming the passenger’s role and the location of the checkpoint.
The operation formed part of ongoing municipal efforts to check for alcohol-related traffic violations in Guayaquil. Similar controls are conducted regularly at key points such as the Santa Ana tunnel exit.
Online reactions focused on the man’s apparent confusion under the influence, with the short nighttime video shared across platforms as an example of impaired judgment captured during a routine police interaction.
