Driver Caught Using an Inflatable Grinch as a Passenger in the HOV Lane

To help cut down on highway congestion, many states have adopted the use of high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, allowing many morning commuters to carpool without having to get stuck in traffic. They are typically less busy than the other lanes and can be very tempting to use.

But what is required to use the HOV lane? All you need is at least one passenger in your vehicle, and it is all yours. The thing is, that passenger needs to be a real human being. That is because one Arizona driver thought she could pull a fast one by driving with a familiar green Christmas anti-hero.

According to a report by Fox 10 Phoenix, Arizona state police pulled the driver over after they noticed that they had an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat while they were using the HOV lane. Fair to say that they found it a bit… “Seusspicious.”

The driver was later issued a ticket for misuse of the HOV lane. This is the latest in an ongoing trend of individuals trying to sneak into the HOV lane by using different characters and objects to pose as another person, like mannequins or a bunch of pillows stuffed into a hoodie. Sooner or later, they always get caught.

In the end, the Grinch may have tried to steal Christmas, but he certainly won’t be able to steal the HOV lane either.