--- title: "A Reminder That an Inflatable Grinch Doesn’t Count as a Real Passenger for the HOV Lane" description: "An Arizona driver was pulled over in the HOV lane for having an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat, posing as a real person." date: "2022-12-18" modified: "2022-12-18" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/a-reminder-that-an-inflatable-grinch-doesnt-count-as-a-real-passenger-for-the-hov-lane" categories: - "News" --- # A Reminder That an Inflatable Grinch Doesn’t Count as a Real Passenger for the HOV Lane ![]() Many states have high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes, which are typically used to help people carpool, reducing the amount of cars on the highway and thus reducing local emissions. To use [HOV lanes](), you usually need at least one other passenger in the car with you. HOV lanes are usually less occupied and help drivers prevent getting stuck in traffic, which is one of the reasons why they're so popular. They're so popular, in fact, that many drivers try and cheat the HOV lane so they use it solo. One Arizona driver decided they were going to do so by sticking an inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat, to pose as a second passenger. Arizona state police obviously recognized that the green creature in the passenger seat didn't seem entirely human. So the driver was pulled over and issued a ticket and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) decided to post a punny tweet about it. According to Arizona DPS, the so-called passenger was "Seusspicious-looking" (pause for boos) and that, despite the driver's admirable "festive flair," they would be issued a citation. https://twitter.com/Arizona_DPS/status/1602787900222865408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1602787900222865408%7Ctwgr%5E1c89beb08364c8ae848d2737b498523b2b4eea69%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.autoblog.com%2F2022%2F12%2F15%2Fgrinch-passenger-phoenix-hov-carpool-lane%2F This Arizona driver is far from the first person to try and beat the system with [fake passengers]() but this is funniest attempt yet. Most HOV cheaters will put a blow up mannequin in the passenger seat or put a hoodie over the seat back. The idea is to fake another human in the seat after all. But putting a bright green inflatable Grinch in the passenger seat is so cheeky I sort of wish they got away with it. They didn't even put a hat or jacked on the Grinch. It was just sitting exposed with its bright green hand up in the air. That plan's chances of success were exactly zero and that's what makes it funny. I don't know if the driver thought it was going to work and I'm not sure what the fine is for faking a passenger in the HOV lane in the state of Arizona. But I do hope this driver feels that the joke was worth it. *Got tips? Send 'em over to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()