Well, there is a first time for everything
 

So, I was having dinner with my family, my cousin, my aunt and one of my cousins friends. We decide to walk over to a public park to a pair of famous cement slides. We walk into the park and are there for no more than 1 minute, and that's when a cop car pulls up. The two cops get out and ask us to sit on a bench. A lady who lived right next to this park comes out and starts yelling at these two police officers, demanding that we get a citizens arrest. Now, my cousin and his friend go to a private school, and I am homeschooled. So, it turns out this lady called 911 on a 20 something year old for being drunk in the park. The police officers final get her to leave, they come over and say that we aren't going to get arrested, just a citation. Now, do you think that these cops should've been giving us citations? I admit that we broke a law (Disobeying a posted sign) but, this is at 10 at night on a friday, shouldn't the cops have something better to do? And none of us had any prior arrests or tickets.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

Should the cops have something better to do than enforce the law? Did you actually just ask that question? In any case, what was the law you were breaking?

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

The Police were doing their job. Answering a 911 call. Regardless of what the call was about, they have a duty to answer it. By the sounds of it, this woman seems to be the sort to over-exaggerate, so what she actually said over the phone to the police may be another matter.

Suffice to say, a bunch of people hanging around in the dark, at a place that doesn't really hold any value could be seen as troublesome. At the very least, you should have been told to move along. I don't think they should have given you any tickets or the like though.

Trespassing?

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

I wasn't aware you could trespass in a public park.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

First of all, your schooling has nothing to do with the law. Honestly the law doesn't care if you're in the best catholic school or the worst inner city one.

Also just by giving you a citation, those cops actually handwaved it aside pretty well. Though I didn't know it was illegal to be drunk in the US, just selling or giving to minors and drinking in public.

Also what exactly are you complaining about? That the police responded to a breach of US law came over, saw that the law was broken and acted on it?

Not to mention that they acted extremely mildly. Of course it all depends on just how drunk you were. I presume quite a lot. Since you were able to spurn a watchful neighbor into alert mode.

That said - I still consider the US limit of 21 to be ridiculous. And a legality to drink should come before the legality to drive or at the same time.

Admittedly now that I read your post, it seems that you weren't the ones doing the drinking.
Still, is the park off limits after certain hours? or what exactly did you disobey - what was on the posted sign?

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

What was posted on the sign?

What did you actually get a citation for?

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

As the others asked, what did the sign say? Which law did you break? Was the park closed for the public at certain hours or something?

It sounds like the lady called the police for some drunk hanging about the park, and by the time the police showed up the lad(s) were gone but instead you had just entered the park. They figured you could not be the person(s) that were complained about and had a little chat for what ever law you apparantly broke.

And what has your type of education to do with all this??

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

The sign said " Open from sunrise to sunset" And I'm not complaining about the ticket, I really don't care about it, I'm saying that on a friday night, shouldn't the cops have better things to do than hand out citations to us?

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

No, they shouldn't. All violations, no matter how small, should be noted and not ignored. For all they know, you could have been part of a gang looking to tear up the park before dawn, so they'd rather take a few precautions and get there before you left.
And as the others have stated; Education has nothing to do with this. Had it been Einstein, he'd still have gotten the same treatment as you.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

There you go, thats the end of it.

Well, now you do.

The cops probably wouldnt have cared if nobody complained. So blame the person who called them, because then they technically have a legal obligation to act. So, hate on the old lady for being a bitch, not the cops for doing their job.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

I cant blame a cop for enforcing the law. Its to what extent he enforces the law.

The cop probably would not even have given you a citation for being there if the old busybody had not raised such a ruckus.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

No, they were doing their job. :vikki:

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

"Trespassing" at a public park for after hours is really not a big deal. I've been in that situation before and the Deputy told me simply to leave because it was after hours; then again I was not in the middle of any mischief either.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

Can't blame the cops for doing their jobs, now if they give you a ticket for jaywalking where there's a bank robbery in progress, then you could be a little upset, but if they had no other calls, only thing to say is you should have gone earlier or waited till sunrise

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

I'm guessing the park closed at dusk, which is the rule for a lot of parks. Sounds like some lady who has nothing better to do called the cops on you and they were required to respond.

also:
Having drinking age and driving age the same is a horrible idea. Think about it.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

I'm not hating on the cops, they were nice and we had a laugh till my dad got there.

You haven't been to San Francisco, this park was walking distance from the castro. Ever heard of it? This is where drunk gay guys start boning each other on the hoods of cars and harass teenagers.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

Well, you live in San Franfreak-o, which a step or two down from living in Berkley...sorry to be hating on your city, but that should answer your question as to why you get harassed, but not the typical douche bags one would think would get arrested or cited in any other US city.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

This is true. San Fran is the brown hole of the country. I had to go there for a week as part of a military PR bullshit stunt, and I never felt such hatred directed towards me.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

Sad fact is, it was probably because you were in the military.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

[QUOTE][Also just by giving you a citation, those cops actually handwaved it aside pretty well. Though I didn't know it was illegal to be drunk in the US, just selling or giving to minors and drinking in public./QUOTE]
Unless you are causing a nuisance they won't cite you for it. They did have to respond to a 911 call though.

Sounds like some bad timing. You can probably get the charges dropped in court if you challenge them.The cops know they can't show up at quick and that you were not drunk.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

Exactly. I wanted to start shooting people but I figured I couldnt take on a whole city. Lots of other people got spit on or yelled at, and some even got into full on fights.

Fuck San Fran. Pussified ungrateful bastards.

Re: Well, there is a first time for everything
 

I like this city, but that part pisses me off so much!