Warning: get into a vehicle in full Shrek makeup at your own risk — that is, at risk of going viral online. That’s the lesson that California teen Haylee Mazmanian learned last week after getting pulled over by cops in a full face of green paint, after attending a makeup class at her arts and theater program where she dolled herself up as the friendly cartoon ogre. (The theme was “fantasy week.”)
“OK so I got pulled over on my way home from makeup class…” she shared on Twitter along with a photo of the vivid face paint, headband with ears included. (She was stopped for making an improper left turn, and was ultimately ticketed for the move.) Although the officer was “startled” by her distinctive appearance and asked if she was under the influence — she was not — he ultimately did not ask any questions about her look. Mazmanian was actually driving two younger friends home at the time. After about 20 minutes of discussion with his partner, she said, she was allowed to drive off, ticket in hand.
As for why she chose Shrek? “I’ve always loved the movie and the character,” she told TIME. A friend even painted her a portrait of Shrek that hangs in her bedroom, making for daily inspiration. In fact, she’ll be recreating her Shrek look in just a few weeks for a final showcase in the class, this time including a full costume. And she won’t be bothering to remove the makeup for her drive home.
“The cops can’t stop me from repping my fave character,” she said. “I’ll just be more careful.”
Internet commenters couldn’t help but weight in with some pun-tastic responses.
Even one police department weighed in.
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Write to Raisa Bruner at raisa.bruner@time.com