Need further proof we’re falling deep into becoming a Big Brother, totalitarian, fascist (don’t start with the nit picky complaints about the exact definition!) nation? Step by step, it’s happening everywhere.
A Times Square Pedestrian Is Giving No Ground
Millions of people have paused to stand amid the hustle, bustle and neon of Times Square.
And sure, those who pause — to gawk, talk or eat a gyro — can slow the progress of pedestrians around them.
But when Matthew Jones of Brooklyn lingered on the corner of 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue in the early morning of June 12, 2004, gabbing with friends as other pedestrians tried to get by, something unusual happened: He was arrested for it.
A police officer said Mr. Jones was impeding other pedestrians and charged him with disorderly conduct.
There ARE rules you know!!
All this does is reinforce my opinion that all cops are dicks.
The moron plead guilty.
Damn right – I hope they put him in prison for 20+ years!
I had to to deviate 12 inchs from the optimum route to get past just this sort of person. He deserves everything he gets!
©¿©
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What the HELL??
2am??
This type of petty shit is how Rudy “cleaned up” New York, only he did it to homeless and poor.
Looks like the Gestapo is raising its sights a bit.
Fucking pigs.
2. All this does is reinforce my opinion that all loiterers are dicks.
Sorry, I have the right to get through, especially when I ask politely.
“Mr. Jones refused to move when asked, said the officer, Momen Attia, and then tried to run away. When Officer Attia tried to handcuff him, he “flailed his arms,” earning a second charge for resisting arrest.”
RBG
@RGB
You also have the right to go around and not be a dick yourself.
If you need to stand still you shouldn’t be in a city.
Using civil disobedience to retake our government would be much easier if the average American wasn’t a nervous, twittering, nebbish, rule following, submissive pussy.
Although the cops were a bit heavy handed, the son of a bitch deserves everything he gets. If there’s one thing I can’t stand it is people who won’t get the F out of my way when I’m trying to get somewhere. The sad fact is that hardly anybody gets reprimanded for this. When you impede my progress, you are stealing moments of my life.How about finding a place to stand where you are not in anyone’s way…..oops that would require brains.
This has nothing to do with the real problem of the ever increasing police state.
Thats right get movin. Its hard enough getting around times square with the low pedestrian traffic. Keep moving or get out of the way
You make a choice if you mouth off at a cop. It will likely cause you more aggravation and trouble than it’s worth. You need to pick your battles, so if this is worth it, go for it.
I agree. This guy made a mistake. I also agree that this country is moving in the wrong direction. It’s happening with our big and small governments (state and local municipalities). The town I currently live in in CO is putting traffic lights in the most unnecessary places for what I believe to be the sole purpose of impeding a person’s daily commute and to possibly catch fed up drivers by giving them tickets.
I got a speeding ticket (yeah), by driving 14 over the speed limit on a long (and lonely at the time) stretch of newly built road (paid for by tax dollars of course) near where I live. It serves as a shortcut that gets me around all the bullshit traffic lights that would take me 15 minutes to traverse otherwise. After I was pulled over he said that the reason the cops were in that spot tagging speeders was that there were “complaints” of people speeding on that road. Who was complaining, I wonder?
The road is a long stretch without current construction or houses on either side. No chance for pedestrians or bikers on the road (at least what I have seen). It is just turning into a money-maker for the local government. The cars they were driving were seriously nice vehicles (I didn’t catch make and model though). The car I helped pay for is now getting paid for by me again!!
I made a mistake speeding obviously, but cops don’t appear to use judgment anymore and will give out tickets for the most trivial of offenses. All to make more money for the government to squander on their biased projects and to screw their own taxpayers.
11. oftlo. Once past the fun, sounded-good-in-theory civil disobedience part, do you really think any such anarchic group could actually run anything smoothly? Even with their own brand of goose-stepping people’s persuaders?
RBG
ACHTUNG!
ZIS IS UN POLIZE STATE NOW.
You must lizen to zee SS, und follow vatever zey say to you, else you end up in zee coolah!
Heil Bush!
Oh—COME—ON! It was 2 AM and one poohole cop with nothing to do. Probably the first time it happened, and suddenly it’s a conspiracy. The reporter went back the next day and observed the following…
“Just before 5 p.m., near the corner where Mr. Jones was arrested, stood the following assemblage: a man eating clams out of a Styrofoam container; two men smoking cigarettes together; a man waiting for a woman to finish a phone call; a guy looking at a map; a young woman sending a text message; two men handing out tour brochures; and a family of five, including an infant in a stroller, who stopped to look at the brochures.”
An astute 18 year old commented “Everyone’s standing around in Times Square. That’s what it’s for.”
Some of you here need a reality check as to just how important you really are compared to everyone else. Geesh, the arrogance of some of you!
I have no doubts the courts will find tre case a frivolous waste of time and throw it out.
In grade school, a bunch of us came up with a really neat way to tick off a teacher: stare at a point on the ceiling for several minutes. Others will join in and at some point, the teacher will threaten suspension or expulsion. (Of course, not all teachers were as obnoxious as he.)
Alternatively, stand on a street corner and look up, stopping dead in your tracks. Others will join in wondering, and some might get ticked off. (Of course, when police ask you to move on, do so.)
2am isn’t the proper time to have this kind of fun!
And yet, people continue to vote those very politicians into office that believe we all need to be nannied. Blue or Red, leftist or right-wing, it doesn’t matter. Certain politicians who continue to be voted back into office keep legislating support for this type of nanny-country activity.
#18 – “two men smoking cigarettes together” Ewwwwww….same sex smoking.
“Some of you here need a reality check as to just how important you really are compared to everyone else. Geesh, the arrogance of some of you!” It ain’t arrogance if it’s true. Posters on DU are more important than everyone else. 🙂
We’re behind schedule!
What for…everyone to have an Apple Mac? 😉
Cheers
meh.
conservatives want laws to throw everyone in jail, liberals want laws to tax and fine everyone into the poorhouse
basically, everyone’s got an axe to grind and everyone believes that “there oughta be a law…”
the problem is that once you get a law on the books, it’s almost impossible to remove it
it piles up like clog in the drain, and eventually you wind up with martial law, where everything is illegal and only those rich enough to withstand a near-constant legal siege will truly be free.
the rest of will just have to be very careful who we trust
Woot! My country is better than yours because we’re allowed to stand still in Canada. Of course, it is against the law to walk around with your shoes untied. http://www.bitoffun.com/stupid_laws_Canada.htm
But, as long as your laces are tied, both genders can walk around topless! So far though, only one gender is really embracing this.
In Shanghai and Beijing its against the law to spit.
Its not so much the silent spitting that pushed this into the law books its the extremely loud protracted “hawking” Chinese make from the depth of the throat which only comes from a lifetime of practice – men and women. What makes matters worse is hearing the “hawking” and then waiting for the “Putoo” at the end…and if it never comes…EHhhhhhhhh!
I am waiting for public farting to be outlawed in China.
Cheers
HMHEetc,etc., I stand corrected.
My apologies to fellow bullheaded, self-centered, anti-religious, bible thumping, speiling and grammer challenged, right-left winging, neo-neo, overly suspicious, pointy-headed, moran, superstitious, self righteous, overreacting and very very VERY IMPORTANT Dvorak posters.
I hope I didn’t leave anyone out.
The rest of you … just get out of our way. 🙂
In the old days, the cop would have just busted him in the ribs with his billy club. Now, they have to arrest him and read their rights, and all that pansy crap.
The correct response, as is known by any true New Yorker, is simply to lightly elbow the bastard out of the way. Though, a stiletto heal to the arch of the offender’s foot works well for women with less elbow force … or for men that like stiletto heals.
#16 – I said nothing about anarchy or anarchists.
All I’m saying is we are a nation of doormats and we need to start standing up to abuses of authority.
to a cop, everything that is not specifically permitted is forbidden.