BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) http://www.weny.com/...ower-03-11-2013 One of my pet peeves (and I'll add it to the Pet Peeves list soon) is small town cops who have nothing better to do than pull you over for a bad light on your license plate or failing to come to a complete stop at a Stop Sign at 3am when no one else is near the intersection. This story demonstrates the officers were probably bored, received an APB for a stolen 12hp lawn mower, located it and drove at 60mph to catch a guy driving a mower at 5mph. I can just imagine the traffic stop...car with sirens blaring, lights flashing and maybe a car for backup and some drunk dude sitting on the mower chuckling his nuts off. What was the risk? He might engage the PTO and start mowing some snow or fire hydrants?? Is it possibly he would hit a cat, dog or kid on a bike (going 3-5mph)? I'm not an old timer but have heard stories about guys that did much worse and were given a warning and driven home so they could sleep it off. Comical. I especially like how the news webpage shows a picture of a Craftsman lawn tractor (in case we all needed to see the despicable vehicle this criminal drove). They didn't even get the mower picture right...they show a Murray tractor and the guy in this case drove a Craftsman... Ha - journalists. Edited March 11, 2013 by BringBackFergy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KD in CA Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Sorry, can't really get on board with vilifying cops for arresting drunk theives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Poojer Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 if this was a summer day and it wasn't a stolen lawnmower, then i can see OP's point, but come on...arrest him on stupidity alone.... Sorry, can't really get on board with vilifying cops for arresting drunk theives. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fan in San Diego Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 He lost his mulligan on this one when it was a stolen mower. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Sorry, can't really get on board with vilifying cops for arresting drunk theives. I respect police officers...but I find these stories comical in that Bath, NY has a population of about 500 I believe. If it is anything like my town (also small) everyone in town had to have known who was driving the mower around. Arresting this guy for DWI on a lawn mower tells me there is something else going on here (as I have seen numerous arrests of "criminals" for questionable purposes such as retribution, boredom, family history, etc). DWI arrests and speeding, stop sign and moving violation tickets are a money making opportunity (yes, most are justified, especially in a motor vehicle - a lawnmower is a motor vehicle). But in a small town, officers know who drives what car/truck. Chances are, there was an argument about who owns the mower or if he could borrow it or perhaps the guy was so drunk that he got on board and started driving home not knowing any better...I seriously doubt this guy broke into someone's garage, started a mower and decided to make a high speed getaway with the "goods" at 5mph down Main Street. There is something else going on here and it sounds like this is a small town dispute that the officers may have been asked to settle with a DWI arrest. Funny story nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Acantha Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 As far as I'm concerned thieves can spend the rest of their lives rotting in jail. One of the most despicable non-violent acts a person can commit. !@#$ em. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 So I should have not called the cops on the drunk that put his car up on a 3-4 foot snowbank the other weekend? Or how about the drunk that hit my parents house at 6:30am? Both took place in small towns, poplulations of less than 2,000. And the population of Bath is about 5,000. Not the 500 you you posted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 So I should have not called the cops on the drunk that put his car up on a 3-4 foot snowbank the other weekend? Or how about the drunk that hit my parents house at 6:30am? Both took place in small towns, poplulations of less than 2,000. And the population of Bath is about 5,000. Not the 500 you you posted. Nope, a car or truck capable of travelling upwards of 100 mph and weighing a ton or two is an entirely different story. My problem with this centers on a lawnmower....and I have first hand knowledge ( ) that when a lawn tractor collides with a tree (or I suppose a house), the tractor will take the brunt of that collision. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dante Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Shouldn't he have been arrested for the stolen property? DWI thing seems secondary to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Meathead Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 shouldnt that be MWI Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Ummm, public intoxication?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 Shouldn't he have been arrested for the stolen property? DWI thing seems secondary to me. I agree. He was arrested for the DWI based on seeing him driving a lawnmower that matched the description of one stolen in the area. Wasn't arrested for grand larceny, burglary or any other theft of property. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 I agree. He was arrested for the DWI based on seeing him driving a lawnmower that matched the description of one stolen in the area. Wasn't arrested for grand larceny, burglary or any other theft of property. So you've seen the whole arrest report? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 shouldnt that be MWI Mowing While Intoxicated carries with it a one year suspension of your right to operate a lawn tractor (my wife would love that) and before mowing the lawn, you must blow into an ignition interlock device to allow the engine to start. So you've seen the whole arrest report? No, just the article which makes no reference to him being arrested for larceny. Perhaps an oversight on the part of the journalist...I mean, he had to have stolen the lawnmower. Why else would he be driving it down the middle of a Village street. Makes perfect sense to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Mowing While Intoxicated carries with it a one year suspension of your right to operate a lawn tractor (my wife would love that) and before mowing the lawn, you must blow into an ignition interlock device to allow the engine to start. No, just the article which makes no reference to him being arrested for larceny. Perhaps an oversight on the part of the journalist...I mean, he had to have stolen the lawnmower. Why else would he be driving it down the middle of a Village street. Makes perfect sense to me. No, an oversite by you assuming from that very short article you know the full story. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 So I should have not called the cops on the drunk that put his car up on a 3-4 foot snowbank the other weekend? Or how about the drunk that hit my parents house at 6:30am? Both took place in small towns, poplulations of less than 2,000. And the population of Bath is about 5,000. Not the 500 you you posted. Correct Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Correct Where I grew up in WNY did have only 500 people and of course we had no local police department. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BringBackFergy Posted March 11, 2013 Author Share Posted March 11, 2013 (edited) No, an oversite by you assuming from that very short article you know the full story. http://www.wgrz.com/...wnmower-Driving Just found this Chef Jim. Not sure what to make of the comments of Brian Moss as follows: "Not true... i grew up in Bath and my father still lives there and I just talked to him yesterday. It's a small town(like Alden) and everyone knows everyone and word spreads fast. The man is the owner of the lawn mower, he recovered it and was riding it home....that's why he is not charged with the theft of it." Not sure why Brian Moss has an axe to grind but seeing as how he is a "Top Commenter" and has a father who lives in Bath and even says "it's a small town", I tend to believe his version of the facts: The guy called the cops because his mower was stolen, he located it, and was driving it home when he was arrested for DWI. No theft according to Brian Moss..."Top Commenter" Edited March 11, 2013 by BringBackFergy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillsFanM.D. Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Shouldn't he have been arrested for the stolen property? DWI thing seems secondary to me. shouldnt that be MWI This crime falls under one obscure category: Jackassedness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Just Jack Posted March 11, 2013 Share Posted March 11, 2013 Arrest record - Click on the link for Zone 3, Thurs (3/7) https://www.nyspnews...m?section_id=25 Bottom of the 3rd page He also had two warrants out... https://www.nyspnews.com/article_display.cfm?article_id=29509 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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