Scrooge Kansas cops fine truck driver for turning his big rig into Coca Cola-style festive spectacular

A semi-truck driver was fined for 'unauthorized additional lighting' after having decorated his vehicle with lights for the holiday season.

A young Kansas Highway Patrol Trooper named Andrew Mai fined the driver after he pulled them over on November 26.

Ben Gardner, a fellow Kansas Trooper who one person called 'Officer Grinch,' explained why the Coca Cola-style festive spectacular was dangerous last night in an X post.

'Imagine driving down the road and seeing red or blue lights approaching from behind or coming toward you. Naturally, you might slow down and pull to the right, thinking it’s an emergency vehicle,' Gardner wrote.

'This split-second reaction could create confusion and even lead to a dangerous traffic crash.'

Gardner added the light display was 'interesting and joyful' but that red and blue lights were reserved for emergency vehicles and could not be used on public roadways.

'While we appreciate the holiday cheer, let’s keep the roads safe for everyone,' Gardner advised.

Various X users were divided over the festive truck and whether the light display was a joyful reminder of the holidays or a hindrance to public safety.

Two X users who commented on Gardner's post claimed they would've never believed the semi-truck was an emergency vehicle even with the red and blue lights.

'No way will that confuse me as an emergency vehicle, I am 70. what an absolutely stupid piece of crap did this??? Jealous much??,' an X user wrote.

One person joked the Kansas trooper 'must be missing quota' while another thought the situation was 'lame.' 

Others believed the truck driver was in the wrong - not for the decorating but for having the Christmas lights on while traveling on the interstate.

'My husband is a trucker and he's very picky of what's on his truck, we have a very small amount of Christmas decorations on the truck. That is way over the top, it is festive but just to much,' an X user wrote. 

Another person tweeted: 'Was a simple, TURN OFF YOUR LIGHTS not an option? Those tickets have a HUGE impact of truckers CSA scores, not to mention driver could get fired for the mark the ticket makes on company's csa. Was kinda an innocent mistake I assume.'

Other users were grateful for tip, and one person asked if solid color lights were illegal only if they're 'flashing/pulsing or changing color.'  

Although there is nothing in Kansas law books that bans Christmas lights, experts have advised residents not to use them on vehicles due to potential danger on the road.

One crucial light law in the state involves a vehicle's underglow, also known as ground effects lighting.

Any vehicle in that state can have an underglow light as long as it isn't red, doesn't flash and its LED bulbs are not visible, according to the Riley County Police Department in Manhattan, Kansas.

Its laws also prohibit changes interfering with standard vehicle light setups like headlights or turn signals.

Violations involving unauthorized lighting usually comes with at least a $45 fine in Kansas, according to the state's legislature. 

However, there have been cases where drivers received hefty fines for their vehicle decorations.

One Kansas resident who covered their vehicle with 900 Christmas lights was fined almost $300 for the same reason as the latest driver in 2012.

Another driver from Wisconsin was almost fined $200 for decorating their vehicle with Christmas lights in 2020.

The Wisconsin State Patrol claimed in a Facebook post the officer who pulled over the driver 'gave them credit for the creativity' and informed them the car was 'not legal to operate on the road.'

The Wisconsin driver was apparently the son of a retired police officer.

'As a retired cop myself I warned him of the violations of these lights. But we all know kids,' the retired officer commented on the post.