By Anonymous - 19/04/2016 02:43 - United States - San Francisco

Today, I got a ticket for being drunk in public. I was walking a couple of blocks from the bar to my house, because I didn't want to drive drunk. FML
I agree, your life sucks 25 572
You deserved it 2 706

Same thing different taste

Top comments

zebra3_fml 7

Welcome to America 2016. The police don't want to help you, they just want to throw the book at you. Two decades ago, that cop would have walked you the one block to your house and told you to sleep it off.

that's the FSM's way of telling you that you should have stayed at the bar and gotten plastered

Comments

Be glad that you didn't drive drunk. Getting a ticket is better than putting you and others at risk.

jakewill7 7

Since when has there been a law called "being drunk in public" most people live there life drunk in public

And, evidently, drunk on the internet. Or drunk in school, perhaps?

kingdomgirl94 29

Public Intoxication is a thing, usually only used when someone is making an ass of themselves to give cops a way to arrest drunks so they can sleep it off in the slammer if need be.

Yes, this exactly. Makes me wonder what exactly he was doing while intoxicated that got him arrested/ticketed (an arrest can still be a citation not a trip to jail depending on if it's a violation or crime). I've never seen that statute used without there being additional behavior, maybe OP is just not a good drunk.

Sorry OP, you did the right thing walking though , next time maybe ask for a ride from a sober person. Police are assholes sometimes.

Did the officer lend any explanation as to how he thought you should've legally gotten home?

He could have called a cab and not gotten in trouble.. But it is only a few blocks and that would mean he has to spend money to not get a ticket.

Ruskiy_Cherep 18

This feels like something you could fight in court ESPECIALLY if you weren't doing anything disruptive or aggressive

OP left out the part when he mooned a group of senior citizens and got run over by a car.

You should go to your court date, I'm fairly sure a judge would understand and get rid of your fine

Mathalamus 24

Oh well. I'd just take it, since I did break a law.

CrassKal 27

I'm glad someone seems to acknowledge that he still committed a crime. I know I'll get thumbed down for this, but just because he picked the lesser crime doesn't mean it's suddenly okay. If you don't want to be drunk in public, he should have the self control to limit their consumption, or be prepared to call a taxi or someone to drive him home.

askullnamedbilly 33

Ok, take it from someone who lives in a country where 'public intoxication' is NOT against the law: This is ****** up. Considering that drinking alcohol is legal, the logical consequences of consuming it (getting drunk) shouldn't get someone a ticket or thrown in jail. Sure, you should know your limits, but that's YOUR business, not the police's. If you act out and break a law because you're drunk, they can arrest you for the law you broke, not the fact that you had a few beers beforehand. Taxis are really expensive, and not everyone feels like waking up their friends at arse o'clock in the morning for a drive home, especially if it's just a short distance by foot to get home.

CrassKal 27

And when someone drunkenly stumbles into traffic and gets themselves killed, it's okay because they weren't breaking laws? I get people saying that a fine was unnecessary, but I think people are often like children and won't learn if they aren't taught the consequences of such decisions.

Actually, killing people is now against the law. Who knew?

Also, if they get themselves killed, what're you gonna do? Arrest them? Even if they were breaking laws, they're DEAD. It's a bit hard to arrest someone who's no longer alive.

askullnamedbilly 33

Uh, walking into the street is a traffic violation whether you're drunk while doing it or not. Just like pretty much everything else annoying or outrageous that drunk people do is illegal already. Public urination? Illegal. Assaulting people? Illegal. Breaking stuff that's not yours? Illegal. Being unreasonably loud and refusing to stop after people tell you to? Illegal. It's completely unnecessary to then make being drunk in itself illegal as well, that just opens up the door to fine or arrest people who are completely peaceful but happen to be drunk.

KingAdrock 16

Simply being drunk in public shouldn't be a crime. If someone is drunk and being disruptive, disorderly, and/or acting dangerously; the problem isn't that they're drunk. The problem is their behavior, and THAT is what should be a crime.

Hey, better a ticket than a car accident. That sucks, OP. Glad you're okay though (:

"I don't wanna be drunk in public. I wanna be drunk in the bar. They threw me *into* public! Arrest *them*!"

Allornone 35

I was hoping someone would make the Ron White reference. Very funny bit

That was probably his best stand up. "they were pulling over everyone driving down that particular sidewalk that night..." haha