A green inflatable Grinch’s heart was two sizes too small to count as a passenger in the high-occupancy vehicle lane for Arizona officials.
Keen on stopping the Grinch from stealing an HOV spot, the unnamed driver who placed the inflatable Christmas character in the passenger seat was slapped with a traffic citation for driving in an HOV lane without meeting the two-passenger minimum threshold required.
PREGNANT TEXAS WOMAN GETS SECOND TICKET FOR DRIVING IN HOV LANE
“While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation. With extra traffic on AZ roads this time of year, be sure you understand the law,” Arizona’s Department of Public Safety tweeted.
While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation. 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. Don’t get caught with a #Grinch!
— Dept. of Public Safety (@Arizona_DPS) December 13, 2022
“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. The trooper stopped the driver & determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch. (No other passengers),” Arizona’s Department of Public Safety further explained.
Drivers were warned not to “get caught with a #Grinch!”
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Across the country, drivers have occasionally deployed creative means of trying to circumvent HOV rules. Over the summer, a pregnant woman in Texas was ticketed for driving in an HOV lane by “herself.” She argued with a responding officer that her unborn baby counted as a second person, citing state laws on abortion.
Her ticket was later dismissed and state legislators have mused over legislation to enshrine unborn babies as second passengers in HOV lanes into law.
