Woman gets ticketed for dropping f-bomb in a Walmart

[RealSNR]

Wow. Can we finally say backwoods Texas is a "special" place?

http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?se...cal&id=6325920
Mother ticketed for swearing in Wal-Mart

By Laura Whitley

LA MARQUE, TX (KTRK) -- A woman is in trouble for cursing inside a busy store in La Marque. An assistant fire marshal heard her, and wrote her a ticket on the spot.

But investigators say that's not the only reason she ended up with a citation. The incident happened inside the Wal-Mart off I-45, the night before Tropical Storm Edouard hit.

"She should have gotten a ticket. She's lucky she didn't go to jail," said one shopper.

The woman was responding to a recent incident which sent a mother home with a ticket for cursing in public.

The shopper continued, "Because, you're in public. You can't do that."

That's exactly what La Marque's assistant fire marshal, Alfred Decker, tried to tell Kathryn Fridge, 28, when he allegedly overheard her use the 'f-word' in the store last week.

"He said, 'Ma'am, please refrain from using that language. You're not allowed to cuss in public like that,'" explained La Marque Fire Department Chief Todd Zacherl.

Zacherl spoke on Decker's behalf. He said the officer's warning to Fridge was only met with more expletives.

"I think he just originally went to just ask her politely not to use that type of language," Zacherl said. "Things escalated to the point where he had to do something. He couldn't just walk away."

The single mother walked away with a ticket, and concerns, say the chief, about his assistant fire marshal's actions. Zacherl says as far as he can tell, Decker responded appropriately.

"He said he did have to place cuffs on her in the parking lot because he couldn't get her to calm down," Zacherl said.

Cursing in public is certainly not a federal case. But people do get in trouble for it, just usually not at a Wal-Mart.

Zacherl explained, "These are the type of tickets you would find around the Kemah Boardwalk, things like that, or outside of a bar or something."

Most people we spoke with about the incident sided with the officer, but not everyone.

"It depends on what the reason is," said one woman. "She might have had a reason. She could have had a bad day and somebody just touched her wrong."

We made several unsuccessful attempts to contact Fridge. She was ticketed for disorderly conduct. She will either have to pay it, or go before a judge.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Skip Towne

I always suspected police and firemen were related. I don't trust either of them.

That's silly, Mr. Skip Towne. Firemen are good people when it comes to fires. But, just like every category of person or job, not all.

There was a guy in my home town who was on the volunteer fire department rolls. He was a valued member of the team because he was very lucky when it came to spotting fires. Anyhow, one day, he called in a fire at a barn on the outskirts of town and when the fireguys arrived at the scene with their trucks and hoses and ladders and stuff, they found an extinguished candle jammed in a bale of hay.

FAX

[Skip Towne]

I wouldn't tell a fireman anything I didn't want the police to know.

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by RJ

I gotta admit that many of the responses in this thread puzzle me. I just can't make the leap from a woman who got a ticket for using foul language in a public place and then continuing to make an ass of herself after she was told to stop - to censorship, political correctness, pussification, etc..

It puzzles you because of the way you end this post. It has everything to do with censorship, political correctness, and pussification.

Who gets to decide what is and isn't rude or offensive? It's perhaps the slipperiest slope there is.

In short.....she was cussing loud enough for others to hear. She was asked to stop. She didn't. It turned out the guy who asked her to stop happened to be a fire marshal in the community and that in this community her behavior was against the law. She received a ticket.

We have yet to hear if it was against the law. However, said law, if in place, is certainly unconstitutional.

BFD. This has nothing to do with civil rights, it has to do with civility.

It has everything to do with civil rights because it dictates what you can say where. In this case, it has nothing to do with endangering others. (Fire in theatre). THERE IS NO RIGHT NOT TO BE OFFENDED.

I agree with everyone else here about Wal-Mart asking her to leave because she's offending other customers. But a government official issuing a ticket makes it a civil liberties issue.

If you don't stand up for rights, they usually disappear.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

We have yet to hear if it was against the law. However, said law, if in place, is certainly unconstitutional.

There is a law called "Disturbing the peace" in Texas.

Disturbing the peace is a crime generally defined as the unsettling of proper order in a public space through one's actions.

This can include creating loud noise by fighting or challenging to fight, disturbing others by loud and unreasonable noise (including loud music or dog barking), or using offensive words likely to incite violence.

Disturbing the peace is typically considered a misdemeanor or an infraction depending on the jurisdiction and is often punishable by either a fine or brief term in jail.

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Coach

There is a law called "Disturbing the peace" in Texas.

Disturbing the peace is a crime generally defined as the unsettling of proper order in a public space through one's actions.

This can include creating loud noise by fighting or challenging to fight, disturbing others by loud and unreasonable noise (including loud music or dog barking), or using offensive words likely to incite violence.

Disturbing the peace is typically considered a misdemeanor or an infraction depending on the jurisdiction and is often punishable by either a fine or brief term in jail.

It might fit that description but I don't believe that was what was written. And I don't think the fire marshall can give that. If so, that's pretty silly.

But then we still hit the slope with what constitutes "disturbing the peace". Is one fuck said aloud disturbing the peace? Some might argue it is.

[FAX]

Hmmm. Good debate, gentlemen. I'm very glad to see that you can discuss this matter without feeling the need for name-calling. There is hope for ChiefsPlanet, yet.

This raises a very interesting point, though. Obviously, in the USA, free speech is a protected right. However, does the owner of a particular property have the right to limit speech on his/her property? I mean, did Wal-Mart have the right to remove this lady from the premises based solely on her speech? If someone were to enter my place of business and use speech which I might find objectionable, do I have the right to remove that person for that reason and that reason only?

FAX

[Coach]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

It might fit that description but I don't believe that was what was written. And I don't think the fire marshall can give that. If so, that's pretty silly.

But then we still hit the slope with what constitutes "disturbing the peace". Is one fuck said aloud disturbing the peace? Some might argue it is.

A fire marshal can give a ticket, since they are a "Civil service" worker. Sometimes, a fire marshal may be sworn in a law-enforcement officers as well.

Well, when she allegedly said the word, where the fire marshall came to her and politely told her that she shouldn't be swearing in public, the article allegedly says that she went on more profanity at the marshall, thus ignoring his warning.

He did give her a warning. If she was smart, and apologized for saying the bad word, she wouldn't even have a ticket.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by FAX

Hmmm. Good debate, gentlemen. I'm very glad to see that you can discuss this matter without feeling the need for name-calling. There is hope for ChiefsPlanet, yet.

This raises a very interesting point, though. Obviously, in the USA, free speech is a protected right. However, does the owner of a particular property have the right to limit speech on his/her property? I mean, did Wal-Mart have the right to remove this lady from the premises based solely on her speech? If someone were to enter my place of business and use speech which I might find objectionable, do I have the right to remove that person for that reason and that reason only?

FAX

Well, let's say you're a father or mother of kids, and you just happen to run across to somebody else who's been using foul language for a period of time. How would you handle it? Would you move away, or inform a Wal-Mart employee becuase of the distruptive behavior?

[1ChiefsDan]

Originally Posted by Garcia Bronco

You either support free speech or you don't. The amendment is very straight forward and requires little of the ridiculous judicial interpretation that has followed since it was written by James Madison.

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

I don't see where it gives people the right to drop the f bomb at will. I don't think the founding fathers were walking down the street in tank tops and mullets yelling **** yeah!

Taken in the context that it was written - they were concerned with the right to express religious and political views and not be persecuted as had happened under British rule.

They had no idea that a couple hundred years later that the definitions of every word would be disected and argued over by a bunch of asshat lawyers.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by Coach

Well, let's say you're a father or mother of kids, and you just happen to run across to somebody else who's been using foul language for a period of time. How would you handle it? Would you move away, or inform a Wal-Mart employee becuase of the distruptive behavior?

Actually, I have (on more than one occasion) asked an individual to curb their excessive, foul language because my wife and young son were present, Mr. Coach. The last time was at a little league game, if you can believe that. Normally, it's something that I can handle myself without the need to involve an employee of the establishment at which I am present at the time. In every case so far, it's worked out without any sort of altercation. I suppose you never know when you're going to encounter a complete nutjob, though.

In this situation, I can't see that the fire marshall man did anything wrong. If he felt the need to give her a ticket, so be it. Let a judge figure it out.

However, that isn't really my question. My question has to do with the right of Wal-Mart (the owner of the property, in this case) to remove a person based solely on their speech. I honestly don't know the answer to this. I assume speech is viewed as a form of behavior ... maybe.

FAX

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Coach

A fire marshal can give a ticket, since they are a "Civil service" worker. Sometimes, a fire marshal may be sworn in a law-enforcement officers as well.

Well, when she allegedly said the word, where the fire marshall came to her and politely told her that she shouldn't be swearing in public, the article allegedly says that she went on more profanity at the marshall, thus ignoring his warning.

He did give her a warning. If she was smart, and apologized for saying the bad word, she wouldn't even have a ticket.

I don't think so. Yes, civility would be to stop. But when someone comes up to you and says you can't say something, the instinct is to continue or tempers flare.

Again, there was nothing wrong with saying the word. Perhaps she was being loud. But really there's no need for a ticket there. Ever. Period.

[FAX]

Originally Posted by denverdanchiefsfan

I don't see where it gives people the right to drop the f bomb at will. I don't think the founding fathers were walking down the street in tank tops and mullets yelling **** yeah!

Taken in the context that it was written - they were concerned with the right to express religious and political views and not be persecuted as had happened under British rule.

They had no idea that a couple hundred years later that the definitions of every word would be disected and argued over by a bunch of asshat lawyers.

Didn't the state of Virginia outlaw lawyers at one point? I seem to recall reading that somewhere.

FAX

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by denverdanchiefsfan

I don't see where it gives people the right to drop the f bomb at will. I don't think the founding fathers were walking down the street in tank tops and mullets yelling **** yeah!

Taken in the context that it was written - they were concerned with the right to express religious and political views and not be persecuted as had happened under British rule.

They had no idea that a couple hundred years later that the definitions of every word would be disected and argued over by a bunch of asshat lawyers.

And hence, you mark the beginning of the erosion of rights.

[Coach]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

I don't think so. Yes, civility would be to stop. But when someone comes up to you and says you can't say something, the instinct is to continue or tempers flare.

Again, there was nothing wrong with saying the word. Perhaps she was being loud. But really there's no need for a ticket there. Ever. Period.

Disagree. Again, as I said, the fire marshal did give her a warning and told her to curb it, at a polite manner, as the article mentioned.

She failed to heed his/her advice. So she got fined. Hell, she should be lucky that she wasn't thrown in jail for disturbing the peace. It's not like the fire marshal told her that she can't be talking about the Chiefs in the state of Texas. The fire marshal just told her to stop swearing, she she failed to do so. It's just that simple.

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by Coach

Disagree. Again, as I said, the fire marshal did give her a warning and told her to curb it, at a polite manner, as the article mentioned.

So, no matter what, you must concede to a public official? Seems pretty slippery there.

She failed to heed his/her advice. So she got fined. Hell, she should be lucky that she wasn't thrown in jail for disturbing the peace.

Again, what constitutes disturbing the peace? Obviously, it's usually enforced with fights, parties, or something like that. But in honesty, who gets to decide that and why?