The Grinch came early for one sneaky Arizona driver who tried to pass off an inflatable figure of the Dr. Seuss character as a passenger.

The Arizona Department of Public Safety says that right before Christmas, a state trooper  noticed a car in a high-occupancy vehicle lane on Interstate 10 in Phoenix with a “Seusspicious-looking” green passenger. While the gag may have caused the officer’s heart to grow, it did not stop the driver from getting cited for being in the HOV lane during a restricted time.

The agency, however, could not help but post a photo of the Grinch figure with the driver’s face blurred on its Twitter account. 

Officials say they appreciate the “festive flair,” but the driver’s action was still illegal, an attempt to evade the law. They are urging motorists to follow traffic laws or they’ll get a lump of coal…and 30 days in jail.

Meeanwhile, over in the Florida Keys, the Grinch was spotted actually helping deputies enforce traffic laws.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Colonel Lou Caputo donned the prickly green costume to surprise drivers speeding through school zones with the option of taking home a ticket or an onion.  

“It catches them off guard,” Caputo said. “But when I give them a clear choice of a citation or the onion, they will take the onion. And I’ve had them eat the onion right in front of me.” 

Caputo, a 37-year veteran of the agency, conjured up the concept more than 20 years ago, shortly after the live-action movie starring Jim Carrey came out in theatres.

“It’s about education, awareness that our school zones are still operating even though it’s the holiday season,” Caputo added. “We just want people to slow down.” And what happens if they are allergic to onions? “Too bad. They shouldn’t have been speeding through a school zone!’