Although the gag may have increased the officer’s heart rate, it did not prevent the driver from being cited for being in the HOV lane during a limited amount of time.
PHOENIX — The Grinch came early for an Arizona driver who tried to land a Dr. Seuss character as a passenger.
The Arizona Department of Public Safety says a state trooper spotted a car with a “political-looking” green passenger in a high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 10 in Phoenix last week.
Although the gag may have increased the officer’s heart rate, it did not prevent the driver from being cited for being in the HOV lane during a limited amount of time.
The agency, however, could not help Post a photo The Grinch persona with the driver’s face blurred out on his Twitter account.
Authorities say they appreciate the “festive spirit” but the driver’s actions were still illegal.
They are appealing to motorists to follow traffic rules.
In the Florida Keys, the Grinch was actually seen helping deputies enforce traffic laws.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Col. Lou Caputo, dressed in spiky green, surprised drivers speeding through school zones with the option of taking home a ticket or an onion.
“It keeps them off guard,” Caputo said. “But when I give them a clear choice of reference or onion, they will take the onion. And I ask them to eat the onion in front of me.
Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the agency, conceived the concept more than 20 years ago, shortly after the live-action film starring Jim Carrey hit theaters.
“It’s about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating, even though it’s the holiday season,” Caputo added. “We want people to slow down.”
10 Tampa Bay’s Andrea Chu contributed to this report.