More Tickets for Stoop Drinkers
Despite, or maybe because of, the publicity generated by our post a couple of weeks ago and the subsequent NY Times article, tickets for drinking on stoops continue. A tipster sent us this note: “Tuesday night, Sept. 9th, myself and three friends were ticketed $45 each for drinking three beers (one of us was not…
Despite, or maybe because of, the publicity generated by our post a couple of weeks ago and the subsequent NY Times article, tickets for drinking on stoops continue. A tipster sent us this note: “Tuesday night, Sept. 9th, myself and three friends were ticketed $45 each for drinking three beers (one of us was not actually drinking, and there were only three beers open) citing that we were visible from the street when the police drove by. Just wondering how much this has been happening lately. We all plan to contest the ruling, but wondering how much we would spend on court costs. The house on Quincy between Bedford and Nostrand [in the photo above] has a three to four foot overhang from the second floor deck, which we were under, definitely not a public place.” According to the Times piece, “The city’s open-container law prohibits anyone from drinking an alcoholic beverage, or possessing and intending to drink from an open container containing an alcoholic beverage, ‘in any public place.’ The law defines a public place as one ‘to which the public or a substantial group of persons has access, including, but not limited to,’ a sidewalk, street or park.” Access seems to be the gray word, here. A stoop is visible to the public, but accessible? What do you think? Should we fight for our right to party?
If someone can be arrested for trespassing then its not a public place.
I for one support this, and wish the cops would be more active about it.
I know im swimming against the tide, but i have people who hang out semi-regularly in front of my building drinking and being loud. calling 311 continuously (every day) barely works to help them get the idea…
Most of you will say i should confront them… in the first 4 years (out of 10) of living here i and my neighbors did, and in a polite but firm manner, but all that did was bring grief to everyone, and hostility.
we started calling 311 instead, and half the problem went away.
Now were left with the guys who think that since theyve been in the area for 20 years (or have a friend who was).. they can do what they damn well please just like back in the days when the cops didnt care if the place burnt to the ground.
The cops dont ticket the guys, so they basicly disperse them maybe for that night, but the next night… theyll be back again. If they ticketed them, the guys would get the hint, do your drinking and partying INSIDE YOUR HOME…. like everyone else. Or at least in your backyard. Stop disturbing other people who have to work the next morning and who dont want to have your loud drunk party in their bedroom (even if YOURE not loud and drunk, it creates an environment indicating accepatable behavior for those who ARE loud and drunk).
I know everyone gets uptight about cops, and socialist like laws… and this certainly IS one of them. But in the long run, the overall Quality of Life issues are what this adress’s. Making the distinction of a small gate doesnt help… if the guys who hang out in front of my place knew they just have to sit on my stoop (gate closed) to avoid a ticket… id have an even worse problem (they tried that and got screamed at by my less than pleased neighbors – everyone has limits).
This is the sort of law that is appropriate for high density areas, and would become increasingly less appropriate the larger the space between homes. One of the few things i like about bloomberg/guliani was the QOL focus.
–LionBalls
goddam morons!yeah lets worry about people having a couple of beers in front of their house.while brooklyn remains the robbery capital of the country.
Drink vodka out of coffee mugs and if the cops come then throw it in their eyes and run off.
Few points,
-If you live in a multi-family home, the stoop and entry doorway are public spaces. Think about the other residents of the building.
-The driveway and the space to the left stoop are definitely private space. If you were drinking in either of those place, then definitely contest the tickets.
-3 beers and 4 people… Where were the beers when the cops came? Who had actual possession?
brown bag it, dude!
Switch to gin….or a nice glass of whiskey. Works faster, fewer calories, looks like water (or cola)
I love the fact that people get ticketed for drinking beer in their front yards, or for double parking, or forgetting to obey street cleaning laws on occasion but the cops seem oblivious to the group of six kids who openly sell drugs on my block and do not care about the guy with two pitt bulls who goes around tearing cats to pieces (seriously, Im not making this up). Talk about misplaced priorities.
cobblehiller…i didn’t write that. That’s whats in the article. Shall I go on about reading comprehension again????? 😉