A West Scranton woman could face up to 90 days in jail and a fine of up to $300 for allegedly shouting profanities at an overflowing toilet while inside her Luzerne Street home.
Although Ms. Herb doesn’t recall exactly what she said, she admitted that she was frustrated and let more than a few choice words fly. Unfortunately, it was near an open bathroom window.
“The toilet was overflowing and leaking down into the kitchen and I was yelling (for my daughter) to get the mop,” she said. “A guy is yelling, ‘Shut the f— up,’ and I yelled back, ‘Mind your own business.’ ”
Her next-door neighbor, Patrick Gilman, a city police officer who was off-duty at the time…called the police. Patrolman Gerald Tallo responded and charged Ms. Herb with disorderly conduct.
Mary Catherine Roper, an ACLU attorney said…“It cannot be the basis for a citation. You can’t prosecute somebody for swearing at a cop or a toilet,” she said. “We bring one of these cases a year and sue some police departments because they do not remember that they are not the language police.”
Cripes, we have every other kind of cop in this society. I guess “language police” is to be expected.
Thanks, KB
Cops and criminals are different sides of the same coin. They both have issues and like bossing people around.
Spending time catching people who swear….are they the “real’ criminals?
I’m still proud to be a card carrying member of the ACLU since 1994.
No one should be forced to endure abusive language, especially in their own home. You want language police, try this:
Office québécois de la langue française
“Fine business firms that only use English language in instructions, business signs, and advertisements in Quebec.”
http://tinyurl.com/yj55vn
RBG
What the CRAP!
West Scranton must be a great place to live if that’s the worst crime they have. I guess all the murderers and drug dealers are locked up already.
Sounds like the cop/next-door neighbor has issues.
Sounds to me like this cop has power issues.
Geez. Fortunately, I live in Los Angeles where we have real crime or I would have been in the slammer a long time ago.
I have two favorite very politically incorrect household words. They begin with C and N. Nothing racist or sexist there, just like them because some people get so gosh-darned upset about them. Actually, last night I screwed up and used the more common J. C. expletive when my laptop case zipper got stuck. Being an atheist, I caught myself and reverted to a curse associated with a sex act. I also like the Inspector Cluseau “Swine” quite a bit.
But my zingers do fly through the open window quite a bit, and a lot of assorted babble and noise flies in as well. Fortunately, most of the neighbors are happy to ignore each other most of the time. When someone gets too noisy, the phrase “shut the f–k up” will be heard from several windows.
But, the police? I think the cops should have arrested the guy who called, on a charge of interfering with police business, as his call caused them to take time away from more important tasks.
See?! If houses weren’t so damn close together, this wouldn’t have been a problem.
As for the neighbors with virgin ears: fuck ’em – the woman was inside her home.
@#$%&&*%$#!!!!!
The control issues lie with the woman, as in lack thereof. Which pretty much sums up most of humanity’s inhumanity to humanity problems.
RBG
A little common sense folks. Swearing because a toilet is overflowing (especially into your kitchen) is PERFECTLY rational and to be expected. Not at all unusual. The majority of the public would probably do that.
NOW if this woman swore constantly, every night, long loud fights with a husband/relative/whatever…and this went on for extended periods and truly regularly interrupted the neighborhood, fine. But ONE single outburst, IN YOUR OWN HOME, in a situation that’s understandable. The cop should just have laughed about it, maybe gone over to f**king help if he was so concerned.
THIS is the truly frivolous suit/complaint we always hear about…and from a cop who should know better.
#8 – HMHESGWM,
OK, I’m finally ready to concede you are right on this point. How do you propose that we get the population down from 6.6 billion to about 6 million where it needs to be to have the houses sufficiently far apart and allow us to live sustainably? Once there, how do you intend to keep the population so low?
Gee, I CAN’T believe that I am the first to notice that the cop said the “F” word, according to her. Isn’t that ALSO against the law? I know a fewf years ago here in Michigan, a guy was convicted for cursing in the presence of women and children when his canoe tipped over.
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=10661
Im surprised she didnt get tasered
11. A little common sense folks. This was no one single outburst that prompted a call to the police.
RBG
Gee, I CAN’T believe that I am the first to notice that the cop said the “F” word, according to her. Isn’t that ALSO against the law? I know a fewf years ago here in Michigan, a guy was convicted for cursing in the presence of women and children when his canoe tipped over.
http://www.freedomforum.org/templates/document.asp?documentID=10661
Everyone is missing the point. The police officer was responding to a verbal assault on an innocent toilet. The toilet did not clog itself up with toilet paper, tampons, toy soldiers and play-doe. No, it is our contention that the home owner and care taker of said toilet is to blame for the dysfunctional state that exists. The toilet had tried in vain to process what was asked of it but could not. Not because msr. Toilet refused to disperse with the refuse but in fact was more than willing to disperse with the feces in question. The more it was attempted the worse the condition became until the toilet could not withhold the efforts and overflowed.
For these efforts the toilet was lambasted and threatened with the wrath of god and/or forced sexual encounter. The despicable behavior by the caretaker, who the toilet so depends on, was justly defended by the ever watchful next door neighborhood policeman.
For these efforts the toilet was lambasted and threatened with the wrath of god and/or forced sexual encounter. This dispicable behavior by the caretaker, which the toilet so depends on, was justly defended by the ever watchful next door police neighbor.
Eh. Sounds like a load of crap to me.
#12 – Hellifiknow. 😉
Disclaimer: I actually do accept that some people need to live in cities, I just don’t accept the green crowd encouraging or coercing it. (No one should want to but that’s another story. If you really like it go for it, just leave the rest of us out of it.)
As far as the original topic goes, people need to grow a skin. It there is one thing that is truly offensive it’s the idea that no one should ever be offended by anything.
#10 – The control issues lie with the woman, as in lack thereof. Which pretty much sums up most of humanity’s inhumanity to humanity problems.
What kind of fucking bullshit are you spouting now?
#16 – I do believe you’re on to something.
#12 – OK, I’m finally ready to concede you are right on this point. How do you propose that we get the population down from 6.6 billion to about 6 million where it needs to be to have the houses sufficiently far apart and allow us to live sustainably? Once there, how do you intend to keep the population so low?
Don’t humor him… If I had to live in the country I’d kill myself.
But for all you are right about, you are on crack if you think the Earth can only support 6 million people. That’s just a few more people than are in Chicago on any given day.
#16 – For these efforts the toilet was lambasted and threatened
Ms. Herb could argue that she was simply using the noun ‘shit’ in the declarative, and was overzealous in her delivery?
#22 – Overzealous or not. Her delivery and added verbiage indicated some deep seeded desire to cause harm or sexual umbrage. While Ms. Herb’s implication to do physical harm with a plunger was understood, the threat of using a coat hanger left the toilet confused and bewildered. The foul language used was indeed considered a precursor to further harm. The toilet was saved just in time by a quick thinking peace officer.
Sorry, that is the absolutely most fucking ridiculous things I’ve ever heard.
Monster, I’m still proud to be a card carrying member of the TPLU since their inception 3 minutes ago.
#21 – OFTLO,
OK, maybe I’m on crack. But with a population density that was less than what the world would be if there were 300 million in the world, we were causing mass extinctions around the globe. That is not my idea of sustainability. If you really care to read the details of how I got that number and why I think that 300 million is the lower limit at which we KNOW that we do NOT have a sustainable population, check my own detailed blog post on the subject. Don’t forget to read the disclaimer at the top first and keep it in mind all the way through. But, do see what holes you can LEGITIMATELY punch in my argument.
She was probably the victim of an upper decker.
JimR – Your in the plumbers union?
Monster, no, the Toilet Paper Liberties Union. Have you noticed the rolls getting smaller and smaller? Their reproductive cycle is being seriously affected by pollution. The WePCC has 2000 scientists working on the problem and they have determined that humans are to blame. We have to save TPs before they are wiped out completely.