Man Gets Booked For Trying To Drive In A Two-Passenger Lane With An Inflatable Grinch

In Phoenix, Arizona, a guy was stopped for pulling over after being discovered with an inflatable Grinch in the backseat.

This year, it appears that the Grinch is stealing Christmas a little earlier.

Police issued a citation to the driver after identifying a 'suspicious passenger' in the car, according to the Daily Star.

The man was operating his vehicle in a high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane, which is reserved only for cars with at least two passengers.

Sadly, this man's small green friend was ignored, and authorities discovered that he had broken the law.

Following the unusual encounter, the Arizona Department of Public Safety said on their Twitter page: “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 8 AM.”

“The trooper stopped the driver & determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch. (No other passengers.)”

Even though they had a little "festive flair," the man was still arrested.

They added: “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!”

Naturally, the post made a lot of users laugh, as one user noted: “This is very Seusspicious indeed! Naughty, naughty."

Another said: “They’re onto you, Grinchy! Run!”

A third joked: “Just bc his heart is two sizes too small doesn’t mean he’s not a passenger.”

While another shared: “Ah oh!!!! That’s a no-no! But pretty funny!”

Similarly, a policeman stopped a car in the HOV lane in February that was imitating a person wearing a hi-vis jacket.

The offending driver was apprehended by Washington State Trooper Rick Johnson on southbound I-405 close to Coal Creek, according to MYNorthwest.

Johnson shared a picture on Twitter with the caption: “SB 405 near Coal Creek. #DoesNotCount for HOV. #GottaBeAlive.”

We should applaud the driver for making an effort, at the very least.

Many users found the image amusing, as one individual wrote: “O my gosh. Thanks, trooper! Gotta hard laugh outa of that! Probably gonna end up being his Valentine's date as well.”

While another said: “Traffic was that bad? He died and decomposed?”