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.

[irishjayhawk]

[RJ]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

No, I'm not. It may be different than what you want to get at, but it applies to your previous statement.

As long as you are not putting others in danger (fire in a theatre) freedom of speech is covered. It doesn't say the speech can't be offensive. If you want that, go to Canada where they're having their hands full with hate speech laws so vague that it's absurd.

You don't have a right to be offended and have said offender persecuted.

Since you were responding directly to me, yes, you were on a different subject. I wasn't talking about nipples on TV.

One day you'll understand where I'm coming from with this subject but it will be a few years. I'll give you credit for consistency, though. Your feelings on speech are the same as your feelings on dress codes.....basically, screw everyone else, if the rest of you don't like what I'm doing or wearing or saying you should leave. But I do think you'll see things a little different one day.

[irishjayhawk]

Originally Posted by RJ

Since you were responding directly to me, yes, you were on a different subject. I wasn't talking about nipples on TV.

You said we'd become an "anything goes" society. I provided many instances of this not being the case and you say that's changing the topic.

One day you'll understand where I'm coming from with this subject but it will be a few years. I'll give you credit for consistency, though. Your feelings on speech are the same as your feelings on dress codes.....basically, screw everyone else, if the rest of you don't like what I'm doing or wearing or saying you should leave. But I do think you'll see things a little different one day.

Nope. Not what I'm saying at all. I am merely pointing out that a) it is not illegal b) should not be illegal and c) we have become extremely pussified in America. Everyone is offended by something and we act like it's a right NOT to be offended. It's not.

As for the dress codes, private property is private property. I conceded that up front. But the Power and Light wasn't really private property. It was funded by the city for the city. Banning certain dress does create a nice atmosphere but it is also blatantly obvious as to who they are getting at. It's the same as saying "we don't serve your kind here" to blacks or gays.

In this case, it's protected under the first amendment. Free speech is free speech as long as it isn't putting someone in danger. How do you think Fred Phelps gets away with the shit he pulls?

[FAX]

This is a very unfortunate aspect of modern society. On the one hand, restricting speech is not advisable - even disagreeable speech. Who decides? On the other hand, a culture that allows anyone to say anything at anytime for any reason is not, in fact, a culture at all. Decency and courtesy are far too rare and are, actually, behaviors that young people, for the most part, are neither exposed to nor taught. Ms. KCJohnny is an example of this failure.

Still, if there ever were a location where the F-word seems most appropriate, it's Wal-Mart.

FAX

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by SithCeNtZ

So why is "screwed" not a cuss word? Why is "crap" not a cuss word? They both refer to the bodily functions of the f-bomb and s*** in your example. So why are those words not censored and the other words are censored, even on Chiefsplanet?

Some would say they are, just to a lesser degree, especially crap. Don't know too many parents of 3-year-olds that like seeing their kids run around yelling "crap." As to censorship, obviously society is far more liberal in this sense today. A long way from Lucy and Desi sleeping in different beds.

Why we have these distinctions? Tangential connotations that are accrued over a long period of time, and this speaks to our own insecurities as humans. But even historically speaking, curse words have been associated with bodily functions. When Chaucer writes about Damian "thronging" in the tree, that ain't clean fun. Linguistically speaking, then, there hasn't been much change with certain words. Of course, we've added to the inventory over time.

My comment that curse words are associated with the human body is a statement of fact, therefore.

[Nzoner]

"Welcome to Wal-Mart...get your shit and get out."

[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..

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.

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

[DeezNutz]

Originally Posted by Nzoner

"Welcome to Wal-Mart...get your shit and get out."

This actually happened to me at a Taco Bell. A young kid was working the window. Took my money, returned the change, no big deal. Comes back to the window with the food, opens the window doors and says, "Here's your shit. " DeezNutz: "Whaa?" Taco Bell guy, again: "Here's your shit."

My last trip to that particular Taco Bell.

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by little jacob

Why do eyes count as danger but ears do not?

You are aware that the Supreme Court has expressly ruled that your EYES are not protected from the F word.

Google "Supreme Court" and "F@ck the Draft"

[Baby Lee]

Originally Posted by irishjayhawk

No idea.

Why are boobies more dangerous than gunshots in films?

I see guns, I don't have an urge to kill.
I see bewbs, I wanna f@ck.

[Frazod]

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..

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.

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

It does seem like a simple matter. But it could also be the beginning stages of one of those where-does-it-end? things as well.

Consider this:
Warning labels
No smoking on planes
No smoking in the workplace, go to the lounge
No smoking in the lounge, take it outside the building
No smoking outside the building, take it out in the street
No smoking in the street, take it home
You have neighbors and/or children at home! NO SMOKING EVAR!!!!!!!

Laws like this are like potato chips to extremists; they can't just stop at one.

[CoMoChief]

When the hell can fire marshall write tickets for swearing in public?

I would have laughed in his face and ripped the ticket, flipped him the bird and walked off.

[FAX]

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..

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.

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

I empathize, Mr. RJ. Very much so. Perhaps the solution is that, we who appreciate proper and considerate behavior, make it a habit to carry with us a pocket full of fruit wheats. That way, when someone violates our sensibilities, we can peg them a couple of times. Believe you me, after a couple dozen fruit wheat peggings, a behavioral change can be expected.

FAX

[RJ]

Originally Posted by FAX

I empathize, Mr. RJ. Very much so. Perhaps the solution is that, we who appreciate proper and considerate behavior, make it a habit to carry with us a pocket full of fruit wheats. That way, when someone violates our sensibilities, we can peg them a couple of times. Believe you me, after a couple dozen fruit wheat peggings, a behavioral change can be expected.

FAX

Excellent thought. My aim is true.

[bogey]

Originally Posted by CoMoChief

When the hell can fire marshall write tickets for swearing in public?

I would have laughed in his face and ripped the ticket, flipped him the bird and walked off.

Really? I wouldn't think that would be a wise choice.