A New Jersey Officer Dressed As A Bush Issues 74 Distracted Driving Tickets In Six Hours

A police officer from the Dunellen Police Department in New Jersey dressed himself in a full bush disguise and stood on North Washington Avenue for six hours to catch drivers using their phones behind the wheel, and issued 74 citations before the operation was done.

The department posted photos of their leafy officer online. The internet responded with every tree pun available in the English language.

The operation targeted violations of New Jersey's handheld cell phone law, which prohibits drivers from using a device while operating a vehicle. New Jersey currently has some of the strictest distracted driving penalties in the country, a first offense carries a $200 to $400 fine, a second offense up to $600, and a third offense up to $800 plus a possible 90-day license suspension and three points on the license.

Dunellen PD was characteristically unashamed about the method. "That text or notification can wait," they wrote in their social media post alongside the shrub officer photos. "Keep your eyes on the road, not your screen."

Seventy-four people in six hours checked their phones on a street where a large bush was standing at the intersection. The bush was a cop. None of them noticed. The point was made.