Ron Paul hot air balloon cited for 'improper lane use'

A supporter of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul has been warned about "improper lane use" after his hot air balloon backed up traffic for miles on a South Carolina highway.

The South Carolina Highway Patrol asked two supporters to deflate the balloon bearing Ron Paul's name, which was hovering near I-85's mile marker 52 outside of Greenville during rush hour Thursday morning. A written warning was issued because the balloon was set up in the middle of a frontage road.

"We were trying to get people to vote for Ron Paul," one of the men told WSPA-TV. "We were pleading with people to go vote for Ron Paul in the primary. We wanted to be seen."

"We didn't think it was causing too much danger," he added.

South Carolina Department of Transportation cameras showed traffic -- which reports said was backed up for four miles -- coming to a near standstill on the busy highway.

Paul recently said that the U.S. Department of Transportation only needed "one guy and a computer" to administer billions of tax dollars. It's not clear if the libertarian feels the same about transportation departments run by the states.

Watch this video from WSPA and WYFF, broadcast Jan. 19, 2012.