The Grinch is featuring prominently on both sides of the law this Christmas season.
In Arizona, the state Department of Public Safety said one of their troopers spotted a “Seusspicious-looking” green passenger in a high-occupancy lane on Interstate 10 in Phoenix earlier this month.
“The trooper stopped the driver & determined the grumpy green guy was, in fact, an inflatable Grinch. (No other passengers.),” the agency tweeted on Dec. 13. “While we appreciate the festive flair, this is illegal & the driver received a citation for the HOV violation.”
In the Florida Keys, Col. Lou Caputo of the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office has donned a Grinch suit to call attention in a nice way to the need to obey speed limits in school zones.
In the gag he first came up with 20 years ago, Caputo offers light speeders the choice between a citation or a “gift” of an onion when he pulls them over.
“When I give them a clear choice of a citation or the onion, they will take the onion,” Caputo said. “And I’ve had them eat the onion right in front of me.”
Those speeding faster than 5 mph through the school zones, where students remained in session through Friday, would still likely receive a costly ticket.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An inflatable Grinch wasn’t enough for this motorist to legally drive in an HOV lane in Arizona. (Courtesy / Arizona Department of Public Safety)
Originally Published: December 17, 2022 at 1:11 PM PST