An Arizona driver received a traffic citation after being pulled over for driving in a high-occupancy vehicle lane with an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat.
HOV lanes require at least two people to be in the vehicle.
The unnamed driver was pulled over while driving on Interstate 10 in the Phoenix area, after a state trooper saw a “suspicious” passenger, the Arizona department of public safety said.
During the stop, the officer realized the passenger was actually an inflatable doll portraying the Grinch, a character from the world of Dr Seuss, local news affiliate KGUN-TV reported.
“The trooper stopped the driver [and] determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch. (No other passengers),” the public safety department tweeted.
“While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal [and] the driver received a citation for the HOV violation. Don’t get caught with a Grinch!”
Last week, an #AZTrooper spotted a driver in the high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane with a Seusspicious-looking "passenger" on I-10 at Avondale Blvd at 8AM.
— Dept. of Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) December 13, 2022
The trooper stopped the driver & determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch. (No other passengers.) pic.twitter.com/YcOfZHJVoX
Several drivers have attempted to use creative solutions to avoid tickets for driving under-occupancy in the HOV lane.
In July, a Texas woman tried to avoid a ticket for driving without a second passenger in the HOV lane by claiming her unborn child should count.
The incident involving Brandy Bottone of Plano occurred shortly after the US supreme court overturned Roe v Wade, removing the right to abortion.
“This has my blood boiling,” Bottone told the Dallas Morning News. “How could this be fair? According to the new law, this is a life. I know this may fall on deaf ears, but as a woman, this was shocking.”
