Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2017/09/14/cops-ok-with-south-carolina-ma.html
…
1 Like
But of course.
6 Likes
If anybody is wondering just what white privilege is, this is a textbook case.
13 Likes
File photo of Mr. Gardner with one of the local officers:
16 Likes
I am not sure they could charge him with anything. its not a vehicle type that requires a registration or license and such; not sure any codes exist.
If you are on a public road operating a “motor vehicle” - a riding lawnmower certainly qualifies as a vehicle with a motor - then yes, you can indeed be charged with a DUI.
11 Likes
I got a ticket for an illegal u-turn on a bicycle when I was 12.
5 Likes
You can be busted for riding a bicycle with an open beer in most American states.
However, in South Carolina, you can usually talk the officer out of a DUI and into letting you just pour the beer out - as long as you haven’t hurt anyone, you have (or can fake) a local accent, and you don’t get “uppity”. Standards of what constitutes “uppity” depend on the officer more than on the skin color or gender of the perp, but as Scalzi says, straight white male is by far the lowest difficulty level to play on.
If you are the Mayor it might be OK to get uppity… depends on what the relationship’s like between the local police chief and City Hall.
5 Likes
Alternative footage care of Lawnmower Man
1 Like
Enforcement is uneven, especially for white men for whom a cop’s boss works, but…
3 Likes
Lucky he was the mayor.
Lord, it’s a whole YouTube genre. This one is priceless just for the first 12 seconds:
4 Likes
Isn’t that Louisiana, and hasn’t that guy been busted multiple times for driving his lawnmower drunk? He’s legendary. A professional comic who sets this stuff up.
His most famous line, I believe, is "My wife said she would stab me in the face if I didn’t get her beer!”
1 Like
At least where I am, DUI is specific to motorized vehicle operation - if you’re on a bicycle or a horse or whatnot, your ABV doesn’t matter, as long as your drunkenness doesn’t interfere with safely using the roads.
Having an open beer on a bicycle is no different from having an open beer on foot - you can get ticketed for either, but it’s under the liquor control act, not the highway traffic act.
1 Like
A couple things:
1."You’ve put me in a spot."
The first indication that this officer “plays ball”.
- A good mayor would at least mow the grass on the public access strips during his ride.
4 Likes
he’s an important fellow and can do as he pleases
he’s an important fellow and can do as he pleases
he’s an important fellow and can do as he pleases
That’s the opening line of my anti-tRump song.
1 Like
If they do this with everyone, I applaud their tolerance and good sense. I can see myself in his position (minus the whole mayor thing) once I am well into my ‘give no fucks’ years.
1 Like
My buddy got a speeding ticket while on his bike. He was a ranked BMX racer, so he was pretty happy about it.
2 Likes
And politicians and the police have a hard time understanding why we mistrust them.
3 Likes
Being a white male certainly helped his case, but I think this is more indicative of power privilege.
I doubt that a poor white person, on his way home to the trailer park, would have gotten the same treatment.
2 Likes
in South Carolina, you can usually talk the officer out of a DUI and into letting you just pour the beer out - as long as you haven’t hurt anyone, you have (or can fake) a local accent, and you don’t get “uppity”.
Also be sure to tell the officer how much you love cocks. Seriously.
2 Likes
