I agree with you wholeheartedly that the parks should be open at all times, and that the same rules that apply in other places -- not being totally noisy after 10:00, no drinking, etc. should apply. I feel like people should be able to swim at night -- I love to swim at night -- and be in the parks if they aren't causing trouble. But I can guarantee you that it will be a cold day in Minnesota in July before the laws will be changed. Too much fear of crime. So, you will have to, like generations before you, be very careful when you go into the parks after 10:00 -- don't use a flashlight, be sure to have somewhere to hide when the cops come, and don't make much noise. If you swim, be careful not to skinny dip because there are some leering cops out there who love to shine their lights on you as you come out of the water and get dressed. It's been that way for a long long time -- think of it as a summer rite of sorts -- Diane Wiley, who loves a late night swim more than chocolate
----- Original Message ----- From: "John Schrom" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Minneapolis Issues List" <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 28, 2005 12:56 PM Subject: [Mpls] Park Hours > A couple weeks ago, two of my friends and I were looking for something > to do. We decided to go get some sorbet, and sit on hidden beach on > Cedar Lake. So, we get to the beach, and are sitting, quietly eating > our sorbet when 6 police vehicles drive down on the beach. They gave > all of us (the three of us, plus 2 others that were swimming farther up > on the beach) misdemeanor charges of being in a park after it closes. A > misdemeanor, for the record, carries a maximum fine of $1000 and/or 90 > days in jail. In Minnesota, other examples of misdemeanors include > forms of assault, prostitution, and DWI. After seeing a hearing > officer, the misdemeanor was dropped to a petty misdemeanor (not a > criminal charge), and the fine was lowered from $112 to $90. > > This raised a couple of concerns - primarily, why is it a crime for law > abiding citizens to use our award winning park system for 8 hours > (10pm-6am) a day? In my case, we weren't doing anything bad, other than > being in the park. > > I have been in touch with a couple of park people, but I'm wondering > what other Minneapolis residents think. Specifically, how would you > feel if the law were changed from a primary offense to a secondary > offense? So, being in a park would not, itself, be a crime. However, > doing something bad (drinking, being obnoxiously loud, etc) in a park > would be punishable with the added offense of being in the park after it > closed. That way, poor college students (like myself and the people in > my posse) would be able to utilize our park system, while police would > still be able to chase after criminals in our parks. > > Thoughts? > > John Schrom > Stevens Square > > -- > John Schrom > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > "Our lives begin to end the day we > become silent about things that matter." > -Martin Luther King Jr. > > REMINDERS: > 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. > > 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. > > For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html > For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract > ________________________________ > > Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy > Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] > Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls > REMINDERS: 1. Be civil! Please read the NEW RULES at http://www.e-democracy.org/rules. If you think a member is in violation, contact the list manager at [EMAIL PROTECTED] before continuing it on the list. 2. Don't feed the troll! Ignore obvious flame-bait. For state and national discussions see: http://e-democracy.org/discuss.html For external forums, see: http://e-democracy.org/mninteract ________________________________ Minneapolis Issues Forum - A Civil City-focused Civic Discussion - Mn E-Democracy Post messages to: mailto:[email protected] Subscribe, Un-subscribe, etc. at: http://e-democracy.org/mpls
