Man Ticketed For Using HOV Lane With Inflatable Grinch As Passenger

An unnamed man was spotlighted by the Arizona Department of Public Safety after he tried to use an inflatable Grinch doll as a “passenger” to use the HOV lane. The driver was spotted cruising down the high-occupancy vehicle lane last week by a state trooper, who immediately pulled the man over. The department tweeted on Tuesday that a “Seusspicious-looking ‘passenger'” was in the man’s car on Insterstate 10 at around 8 a.m. “The trooper stopped the driver & determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch,” they wrote.

While a hilarious story, what the driver did was still a ticketable offense. The inflatable Grinch incident was also a great excuse for authorities to remind people about HOV lane rules, especially around the holidays when traffic is particularly high.

“While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation,” the department added in its tweet. “With extra traffic on AZ roads this time of year, be sure you understand the law (ARS 28-737) & restricted times before using HOV lanes.”

According to Arizona state law, “A person shall not drive a vehicle carrying fewer than two persons, including the driver, in a high occupancy vehicle lane at any time the use of the high occupancy vehicle lane is restricted to vehicles carrying two or more persons, including the driver.”

Along with the tweet, the department included a photo of said inflatable Grinch and the driver, whose face was blurred out so as not to embarrass him further. Admittedly, this is a pretty low-level offense and didn’t pose a danger to anyone else. It also provided the internet with something to laugh at and share. We all could use more things to smile about, and a bit of seasonal fun is always appreciated. Thanks, ballsy driver!

Jennifer Still is a writer and editor with more than 10 years of experience. The managing editor of Bolde, she has bylines in Vanity Fair, Business Insider, The New York Times, Glamour, Bon Appetit, and many more. You can follow her on Twitter @jenniferlstill
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