WTF is going on when you can be arrested for eating a candy bar?! | FerrariChat

WTF is going on when you can be arrested for eating a candy bar?!

Discussion in 'Other Off Topic Forum' started by JSinNOLA, Jul 29, 2004.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    Woman Arrested, Cuffed for Eating Candy

    1 hour, 30 minutes ago Add Strange News - AP to My Yahoo!


    By CANDACE SMITH, Associated Press Writer

    WASHINGTON - A government scientist finishing a candy bar on her way into a subway station where eating is prohibited was arrested, handcuffed and detained for three hours by transit police.



    Stephanie Willett said she was eating a PayDay bar on an escalator descending into a station July 16 when an officer warned her to finish it before entering the station. Both Willett and police agree that she nodded and put the last bit into her mouth before throwing the wrapper into a trash can.


    Willett, a 45-year-old Environmental Protection Agency (news - web sites) scientist, told radio station WTOP that the officer then followed her into the station, one of several in downtown Washington.


    "Don't you have some other crimes you have to take care of?" Willett said she told the officer.


    Washington has been under heightened security because of the continuing threat of terrorism. And last week, police declared a citywide crime emergency over rising juvenile crime.


    The transit police officer asked for Willett's identification, but Willett kept walking. She said she was then frisked and handcuffed.


    "If she had stopped eating, it would have been the end of it and if she had just stopped for the issuance of a citation, she never would have been locked up," Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson said Thursday.


    Metrorail has been criticized in the past for heavy-handed enforcement of the eating ban. In 2000, a police officer handcuffed a 12-year-old girl for eating a french fry on a subway platform.


    In 2002, one of their officers ticketed a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy patient for cursing when he was unable to find a working elevator to leave a station. Unflattering publicity eventually led the police to void the ticket.


    Willett was the second person arrested this year for eating or drinking, Hanson said. In addition, police have issued 58 tickets and given more than 300 written warnings.
    -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This has to be the most obnxious law on the books! And I thought getting pulled over for going 75 in a 70 was bad...sheesh!

    I feel really bad for the cerebral palsy patient, what a crock!
     
  2. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    Gotta love our government and and laws they enforce...
     
  3. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    What bugs me is that the officers who enforce this must be complete A-holes. I know that it is part of their job, but pahleeze!

    Imagine a person acting very suspiciouly (who is actually a terrorist) slipping by the police (last line of defense) in the metro and getting away with setting off an explosive. It may have been prevented, but officer Smith was too busy giving a citacion to a guy in a wheelchair or arresting someone for eating some candy.
     
  4. writerguy

    writerguy F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2003
    6,786
    NewRotic
    Full Name:
    Otto
    THe same guys who are too uptight for motorcycle traffic duty
     
  5. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Dec 6, 2002
    79,143
    Houston, Texas
    Full Name:
    Bubba
    Ummm, in case you haven't noticed, Constitutional Freedoms have all been suspended while we track down some ragheads........
     
  6. Nibblesworth

    Nibblesworth Formula 3
    BANNED

    Nov 29, 2002
    1,756
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    BillyBoy

    Yeah - because this **** happens every day to thousands of citizens.

    :rollseyes:
     
  7. Horsefly

    Horsefly F1 Veteran

    May 14, 2002
    6,929
    I smoked but I didn't inhale-GOOD
    I ate but I didn't chew-BAD

    I love the Nuremburg type of defense (we are just following orders) that the police chief gave:

    "If she had stopped eating, it would have been the end of it and if she had just stopped for the issuance of a citation, she never would have been locked up," Transit Police Chief Polly Hanson said Thursday."

    Notice that unlike any SANE person that would question such an idiotic policy of arresting a person for chewing a mouthful of candy bar, the police chief parrots the justification of the policy of issuing citations to people for violating the idiotic offense.

    And people wonder why there is civil disobedience and a general dislike for police authority. Do these guys actually HAVE a brain, or was it surgically removed the day that they pinned on a badge?
     
  8. matterhorn762

    matterhorn762 Formula Junior

    Apr 19, 2004
    340
    Tennessee
    Why was she held for three hours. Plus the story about the "ticketed a wheelchair-bound cerebral palsy patient for cursing when he was unable to find a working elevator to leave a station." is just out of this world! wow!!

    This is even funnier than the GOT MILF license plate story.
     
  9. andrewg

    andrewg F1 Rookie
    BANNED

    Sep 10, 2002
    4,667
    Chester, England
    Full Name:
    AndrewG
    oooooohhhhh arent we being PC today!, you can also be locked up for saying things like that in the UK but not for eating on the train (give em another 6 months and they'll find a way of making you pay tax to do so!)
     
  10. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    No kidding! Its not like she was wasted and had to hang out in the drunk tank to sober up. I really can't take this, for some reason this story has really gotten me worked up. :mad:
     
  11. infraredline

    infraredline Formula 3

    Mar 15, 2004
    1,036
    San Francisco
    Full Name:
    John
    Removed? As if there are a lot of young bright people trying to decide between MIT and working the beat.
    I respect some cops, but come on. What jackass takes the dumbest of the dumb and gives them legal right to fine, detain, and shoot? This is some ****ing bull**** -- speaking of which since when is swearing illegal? Holy ****!
     
  12. matterhorn762

    matterhorn762 Formula Junior

    Apr 19, 2004
    340
    Tennessee
  13. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    I read that one earlier this morning. Unreal
     
  14. enjoythemusic

    enjoythemusic F1 World Champ

    Apr 20, 2002
    10,676
    Worldwide
    Full Name:
    Steven

    <raises hand> Happens to me just for driving a car. Seems i am guilty no matter what i do.
     
  15. writerguy

    writerguy F1 Veteran

    Sep 30, 2003
    6,786
    NewRotic
    Full Name:
    Otto
  16. LetsJet

    LetsJet F1 Veteran
    Owner

    May 24, 2004
    9,334
    DC/LA/Paris/Haleiwa
    Full Name:
    Mr.
    This pisses me off. I live outside Washington and I rarely go into the city anymore. I go in for events, theater, and dining, that's basically it. The parking tickets have gotten out of control.... The roads are terrible......Now Metros ****ing up. I won't ride it anymore because of some incidents many years ago where I had to help ladies being harassed in two different occasions. My wife uses it sometimes as she's a fed.. Great now I have this to be concerned about.

    ........... It's getting very close to the time to get a driver.

    Anyone know what this woman looked like and why she was held for 3 hours?
     
  17. Nibblesworth

    Nibblesworth Formula 3
    BANNED

    Nov 29, 2002
    1,756
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    BillyBoy

    Just wondering, but weren't you speeding and, thus, breaking a law that we all agree is good when we see young kids blasting by at unreal speeds?
     
  18. Nibblesworth

    Nibblesworth Formula 3
    BANNED

    Nov 29, 2002
    1,756
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    BillyBoy
    In the past six weeks, I've taken the metro every day, along with probably 300 people on each train - and I have yet to be harrased, nor have I seen anyone harrassed, by cops.
     
  19. enjoythemusic

    enjoythemusic F1 World Champ

    Apr 20, 2002
    10,676
    Worldwide
    Full Name:
    Steven
    No and can not comment further due to an upcoming court date.
     
  20. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    Steve

    Where are you located and how many times have you been pulled over when following the law without exception?
     
  21. 134282

    134282 Four Time F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Aug 3, 2002
    40,647
    California
    Full Name:
    Carbon McCoy
    ...but what about...


    Keep opening your mouth, Billy, your foot needs a place to rest...
     
  22. enjoythemusic

    enjoythemusic F1 World Champ

    Apr 20, 2002
    10,676
    Worldwide
    Full Name:
    Steven

    Located in New Hampshire.

    In 2004 or 2003? In 2003, i would say approximately 7 times (with 3 times during the first MONTH of having the car). In 2004 about 3 times so far... but the year is young.
     
  23. JSinNOLA

    JSinNOLA F1 World Champ
    Sponsor Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 18, 2002
    18,776
    Denver, CO
    Good lord! That really is out of hand. My advice Steven is to do what you said, hide a video recorder in your car and get this crap on tape!
     
  24. enjoythemusic

    enjoythemusic F1 World Champ

    Apr 20, 2002
    10,676
    Worldwide
    Full Name:
    Steven
    Yes, will be buying one this weekend. Enough is enough. Again, would say more but can not due to an upcoming court hearing.
     
  25. Nibblesworth

    Nibblesworth Formula 3
    BANNED

    Nov 29, 2002
    1,756
    Southern California
    Full Name:
    BillyBoy

    Christ - Now we're comparing banning the sale of, not the use of sex toys to being detained for three hours for eating a candy bar?

    You sir, are a dolt. Get an education, then come back. Until then, please flawlessly go away. Thanks.
     

Share This Page