$576.00 fine for urinating in public?

[uberman]

I heard on the radio this morning that Santa Cruz Police Department (California) is starting a crackdown over Halloween and has raised fines. $400.00 fine for an open container, $576.00 fine for urinating in public, I just thought this was insane. I phoned the radio station and confirmed this This doubling and tripling of fines is commonplace. This practice really impacts a small family or an individual. I watched a special on the building of the autobahn in Germanyand it explained how fines are handled on a sliding scale. In other words, someone who had significant resources paid $20,000 US for a tailgating ticket. Do you think fines of $576.00 for urinating in public or $400.00 fine for an open container are justified?

 

[Kanalua]

I think urinating in public demands a $576 fine. And if you have an open container, you deserve a $400 fine. These should be the normal fines, not the triple raised Halloween fines.

 

[FP]

Is the fine $976 for urinating in an open container in public?

 

[loup garou]

Expect lots of "don't pee in public and you won't have that problem" responses.

 

[potato28]

Thats y I go in the bush

 

[Journer]

its easy to get out of open containers...just do community service or something...some of my freinds have done it multiple times ...this is a college town though...they are a little lieniant

 

[getbush]

I wanted to be drunk in a bar. They threw me into public. Arrest them!

 

[bobdelt]

hmm.... somehow this is worse than driving in the carpool lane illegally or driving without a seatbelt or speed, heck im sure some dui tickets were less than that.

its a retarded fine, nobody is gonna be piss drunk and think maybe i shouldnt pee because they increased the fine. ok, so if you get caught you probably wont do it again, but i think pissing on the street is just a phase college kids go through.... and im sure almost every guy has pissed outside before and in places technically public....

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: potato28
Thats y I go in the bush

Going in a bush is urinating in public. To be frank I can't remember the last time I took a leak in the bushes, and no I wasn't drinking. But the fine thing has gotten out of hand.

 

[Goosemaster]

basically, urinate in a cup if you have less than $754.67 on you.

 

[jlee]

Originally posted by: getbush
I wanted to be drunk in a bar. They threw me into public. Arrest them!

:laugh:

 

[MetalMat]

That is bs for open containers, freakin MADD nazis

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: uberman
I heard on the radio that this morning that Santa Cruz Police Department (California) is starting a crackdown over Halloween and has raised fines. $400.00 fine for an open container, $576.00 fine for urinating in public, I just thought this was insane. I phoned the radio station and confirmed this This doubling and tripling of fines is commonplace. This practice really impacts a small family or an individual. I watched a special on the building of the autobahn in Germanyand it explained how fines are handled on a sliding scale. In other words, someone who had significant resources paid $20,000 US for a tailgating ticket. Do you think fines of $576.00 for urinating in public or $400.00 fine for an open container are justified?

It's pretty simple... if you can't afford the $576 or $400 fine, don't commit the offense. Don't people know these things are illegal?

 

[getbush]

Walk around all night with a clear plastic cup full of apple juice.

 

[Kaieye]

Wouldn't you say that 85% of the people who urinate in public tend to be homeless people/wino/drug addicts?

I rarely see law enforcement go after these people.

 

[getbush]

Originally posted by: Kaieye
Wouldn't you say that 85% of the people who urinate in public tend to be homeless people/wino/drug addicts?

I rarely see law enforcement go after these people.

In a college town, 99.999% of urinating in public is drunk college kids. - Who may also be minors = big bucks = cops pay attention to them.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: mugs


It's pretty simple... if you can't afford the $576 or $400 fine, don't commit the offense. Don't people know these things are illegal?

You didn't seem to use any free thought at all there. Where do you draw the line and say that a certain fine is just too much? What if they made jaywalking a $5000 offense? Would you just say, "it's simple, don't jaywalk", or would you decide that the fine doesn't match the offense and that the government is abusing their power?

 

[yhelothar]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: mugs


It's pretty simple... if you can't afford the $576 or $400 fine, don't commit the offense. Don't people know these things are illegal?

You didn't seem to use any free thought at all there. Where do you draw the line and say that a certain fine is just too much? What if they made jaywalking a $5000 offense? Would you just say, "it's simple, don't jaywalk", or would you decide that the fine doesn't match the offense and that the government is abusing their power?

Don't bother. You can't reason with people that think in black and white.

 

[TheNinja]

It seems a little excessive and is obviously aimed at trying to stop college students from doing this. Do you think they're going to fine the bums for urinating in public? It's a scare tactic to prevent the students and may likely work. However drunk students have little common sense anyway so I don't think if it matters if the fine is $50 or $500, if a drunk kid wants to pee in public he's going to. He's not going to think "oh man, this is $500 if I get caught, I'd better not do it". He's thinking "Man I am sooo wasted I'm going to leak on this statue and them go find a chick or something.....maybe I'll even have a few more beers so that the fattie at the end of the bar looks good...i'll just tell my buddies she was hot...ya, that's the ticket!!"

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: CadetLee

Originally posted by: getbush
I wanted to be drunk in a bar. They threw me into public. Arrest them!

:laugh:

I remember when I first heard that..nearly lost it:laugh:

 

[newParadigm]

Originally posted by: Kanalua
I think urinating in public demands a $576 fine. And if you have an open container, you deserve a $400 fine. These should be the normal fines, not the triple raised Halloween fines.

Does public include on the side of an interstate, behind my car because I didn't go at the last rest stop?

 

[MrDingleDangle]

i got an $180 for drinking in public and i thought that was crazy (who the hell am i hurting drinking a beer before going into a Dodgers game???)...$400 is ridiculous...unless you are drunk making a scene, then they should arrest you for public intoxication.

I like how other countries do it, such as Germany, you can drink anywhere, even while driving as long as you aren't drunk driving or causing a scene in public, in which case I think the penalties are much harsher then here

 

[uberman]

Originally posted by: binister
Is the fine $976 for urinating in an open container in public?

It took me a minute to catch on to what you said, but yes. If you were taking a leak in public while possessing an open container, the fine would be almost $1,000.00.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: virtualgames0

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: mugs


It's pretty simple... if you can't afford the $576 or $400 fine, don't commit the offense. Don't people know these things are illegal?

You didn't seem to use any free thought at all there. Where do you draw the line and say that a certain fine is just too much? What if they made jaywalking a $5000 offense? Would you just say, "it's simple, don't jaywalk", or would you decide that the fine doesn't match the offense and that the government is abusing their power?

Don't bother. You can't reason with people that think in black and white.

:roll: There's a big difference between thinking "in black and white" and reasoning with absurdities like 91TTZ did. I don't think the fines are absurd. $1000+ would be absurd. You apparantly think a lower fine is more appropriate, but obviously the lower fines are not effective enough.

 

[newParadigm]

Originally posted by: MrDingleDangle
i got an $180 for drinking in public and i thought that was crazy (who the hell am i hurting drinking a beer before going into a Dodgers game???)...$400 is ridiculous...unless you are drunk making a scene, then they should arrest you for public intoxication.

I like how other countries do it, such as Germany, you can drink anywhere, even while driving as long as you aren't drunk driving or causing a scene in public, in which case I think the penalties are much harsher then here

Agreed. My cousin lived there for 3 years and loved it.