Obscure offences

[Mulgrave600]

Anyone ever put anyone in the book on a really obscure offence? I've had a few that I've come across without even trying to make life hard for anyone.

The weirdest I've had was 'being drunk in charge of a carriage' for a bloke riding his bicycle in the middle of the road who was completely wasted. The most unique serious charge I've given someone is perjury.

I've also given out tickets for improper use of a wheeled recreational device (skateboarding on the road) and driving a car with an empty bicycle carrier affixed (it was blocking the number plate).

[Donks33]

I don't know how rare it is, but I had a first the other night. Had to make a couple calls on this one to figure out what the offense should be.

Pulled over a guy and he showed signs of intoxication. He gives me an interlock ignition permit (He had been convicted of DUI just a couple months before. He blows a .068. However since he is driving a car (his friends) without an interlock device and he is over a .02 that is a felony.

I was a little shocked the punishment was so high but I totally get why. Apparently I'm one of the first to book on it in awhile.

[JohnnyG]

We have a prohibition against killing a courier pigeon. Haven't came across it yet but I'm still on the hunt...

[L-1]

When I first started on the job forty some odd years ago there was a city ordinance that simply read, “It shall be a misdemeanor for an unsightly person to expose themselves to public view.” The law never defined what an unsightly person was and we jokingly referred to it as the “Looking Ugly In Public” statute.

My partner at the time was a bit of a loose cannon and one day when we weren’t working together someone apparently pis*ed him off enough that my partner booked him on the Looking Ugly In Public ordinance.

There was also an ordinance that prohibited “exhibiting deformities for hire.” My same partner caught an amputee charging a kid 25 cents to see his stump and arrested him for violating that ordinance.

My old partner is now retired, is terrified of computers and wouldn’t have one in his home if you paid him, so now I can rat him out on o.com with impunity.

[LA DEP]

L-1....can you give up (or at least hint at the general area) of what city had the U.I.P. ordinance?....

[L-1]

L-1....can you give up (or at least hint at the general area) of what city had the U.I.P. ordinance?....

It was in the San Francisco Municipal Police Code back in the 1970s. They also had ordinances prohibiting the sinking of Arks on city streets (yes, streets) east of Army Street, prohibiting the flying of kites west of Divisadero, and requiring tenants of ground floor flats to sweep the city sidewalks adjacent to the flat.

The code has since been revised to eliminate a lot of that silliness.

[Mulgrave600]

We have a prohibition against killing a courier pigeon. Haven't came across it yet but I'm still on the hunt...

Haha we've got that one too. I never thought I'd have to deal with it until I went to my parents' house once and we found an injured carrier pigeon near the back door. My mum wanted to put it out of its misery and I told her that doing so would be a summary offence!

[ftttu]

Here in Texas, you can't walk to the left in a crosswalk. I couldn't imagine ever citing for something so trivial.


Here it is: Sec. 552.004. PEDESTRIAN TO KEEP TO RIGHT. A pedestrian shall

proceed on the right half of a crosswalk if possible.

[mdrdep]

I've hooked a guy for habitual intoxication in front of his minor children.

One city had an ordinance for being drunk in the city limits and took a chronic problem to jail for it right out of her own house.


Arrested a guy on a warrant for Failure to appear. The original violation was a municipal code for a non contract city. I looked it up and it turned out to be "Expectorating on a public way". Yep the old spitting on a sidewalk violation.

[XD4ME]

I have arrested a few people for "Unlawful Use of Telephone" basically if you cuss on a phone in my state you can be charged with a misdemeanor.

[BTDT2]

It was in the San Francisco Municipal Police Code back in the 1970s. They also had ordinances prohibiting the sinking of Arks on city streets (yes, streets) east of Army Street, prohibiting the flying of kites west of Divisadero, and requiring tenants of ground floor flats to sweep the city sidewalks adjacent to the flat.

The code has since been revised to eliminate a lot of that silliness.

L-1 being you mentioned San Francisco of the 70’s, I’d like to add in the late 60’s early 70’s San Francisco had one of the most challenging street obstacle courses I’ve ever experienced, the “Haight-Ashbury”. It was an accomplishment to navigate the street without tripping over stoned hippies or find a store front without urine and feces.

[jb74]

Haha we've got that one too. I never thought I'd have to deal with it until I went to my parents' house once and we found an injured carrier pigeon near the back door. My mum wanted to put it out of its misery and I told her that doing so would be a summary offence!

The carrier pidgeons mentioned in statutes aren't referrencing a specific breed of pidgeons. This statute is basically a type of interferring with the mail/telegraphs/etc. statute from when different breeds of pidgeons were trained to carry messages for the military. In a lot of states pidgeons are considered a nuisance animal and can be killed without a license or permit if they are damaging property.

[gopherpuckfan]

A former partner arrested a guy on a warrant for "Open Flame on a Deck" (grilling on the deck at an apartment building) and another on a warrant for "Two Lines in the Water" (fishing related). A current partner arrested a guy on a warrant for "Unattended Luggage", which stemmed from a citation an officer from our agency wrote a few months before.

[Mulgrave600]

The carrier pidgeons mentioned in statutes aren't referrencing a specific breed of pidgeons. This statute is basically a type of interferring with the mail/telegraphs/etc. statute from when different breeds of pidgeons were trained to carry messages for the military. In a lot of states pidgeons are considered a nuisance animal and can be killed without a license or permit if they are damaging property.

This one had a registration tag and a little message tube thing on his leg making him a legitimate, legally protected homing pigeon.

[L-1]

L-1 being you mentioned San Francisco of the 70’s, I’d like to add in the late 60’s early 70’s San Francisco had one of the most challenging street obstacle courses I’ve ever experienced, the “Haight-Ashbury”. It was an accomplishment to navigate the street without tripping over stoned hippies or find a store front without urine and feces.

When the state first assigned me to San Francisco back then it was total culture shock for me. After five years I was sooooooooo happy to transfer back to Los Angeles and all the reasonably normal idiots.