Michigan city bans being annoying in public

[ladywaterwind]

News Link

BRIGHTON, Mich. – Ticking someone off could get you a ticket in one Michigan city. The Brighton City Council on Thursday approved an ordinance allowing police in the Livingston County community to ticket and fine anyone who is annoying in public "by word of mouth, sign or motions."

The Livingston County Daily Press & Argus of Howell reports the measure is modeled on a similar ordinance in the Detroit suburb of Royal Oak.

A city attorney says there could be situations where the measure would violate freedom of speech, but that those cases will be reviewed by the city

Information from: Livingston County Daily Press & Argus, http://www.dailypressandargus.com

What the heck?! I mean, what the heck is the world coming to now, really? I can see someone just trying to be a jerk and trying to get someone ticketed because they don't like the habits of the other person.

'omg, that nail biting really ticks me off, it's completely annoying, I'm calling the cops!'

Seriously. I think there's plenty of other stuff authorities can be spending their time doing, like, oh I don't know, catching drug dealers and pedophiles and etc, without having to make them let go of the important stuff to deal with someone who doesn't like the way another person walks or some stupid thing that can get called in.

Geesh.

[derketchup]

Hooboy...

[cheynesnana]

Crap ! Now I'll have to stay out of Brighton... roflww

[faeryedark]

Annoying can be in the eye of the beholder, and for us ladies it can depend alot on what time of the month it is. My husband likes to whistle, most of the time I barely even notice it but there are those days where every little thing annoys me.
This should be interesting, keep us posted on the more interesting cases

[jillibean_1978]

Good thing that isn't here. Cause there goes the whole town to jail lol

[CoffeeMom]

YIKES! That's just ridiculous - I can just see people claiming to be annoyed by people who speak a foreign language in public, people who wear odd clothing, people who gesture with their hands when they talk...

...on the other hand, now we can call the cops on the kids who whiz around crowded malls/restaurants in those heely wheely shoes :hectic1:

Geesh, you'd think the city council would have more important things to do than pass that ordinance, and the police certainly must have something better to do than enforce it!

[sbp]

I better stay out of Brighton too. Not because I'm annoying, lol, but because I have a tendency to be annoyed by people IRL. I'd call to report so many annoying people that the police would in turn arrest me for being annoying.

Seriously though - you would definitely think that they would want to focus their attention on something more criminal!!

[neglectarino]

I think this is a fundraising technique in this tight economy--people pay off fines rather than go to court.

You see it in my area a lot--speed limits reduced a little bit, suddenly there's a squad car hiding in the bushes, instant cash cow.

[Coriander]

That is just wrong on so many levels. Sheesh!

There are other "dumb" laws out there too like these.

In Wilbur WA.
"You may not ride an ugly horse."

Spokane WA.
"Persons may not wear a life jacket near the Spokane River."

Seattle WA.
"No one may set fire to another person’s property without prior permission."

Ummm...okay!

[cuzisaidso]

I would be making citizen's arrests left and right. LOL