Me Scurvy
Crew: Plunder my treasures: |
Watch Out, Jon- Pittsburgh Potty Police on Patrol 'Potty Police' Nab Bladder-Heavy Reveler
A Jimi Hendrix tune played on the radio, but they didn't seem to hear as their eyes darted left and right scanning alleys, parking lots and the rows of cars packed along the narrow streets. The officers spotted three men standing in the darkened corner of a bank parking lot. They had action. "Police. What's going on here?" "You've got to be kidding me," said one of the men as he zipped up his pants. It was another collar for Officers Matt Turko and Tom Weger, members of Pittsburgh's Pub Patrol, which could also be called the potty police. Since November 2003, Turko and Weger have patrolled the city's South Side, one of the country's oldest Victorian-era shopping districts in the country by day � but one of the city's best places to drink at night. They bust bladder-heavy revelers looking for relief in alleys, the sides of houses and in dark corners. "It's a target-rich environment," Weger told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review in a story published Sunday. Turko and Weger have handed out more than 220 citations for public indecency. Emptying your bladder in the wrong place can also empty your wallet. Each ticket comes with a $300 fine. "If I would have known it was $300, I would have gone in my pants," said Daniel Terek of Bel Air, Md., who was caught with two of his friends in the bank parking lot on a recent Friday night. "Guys, I work for the Department of Defense (news - web sites). Is there any way I can get out of this?" Weger shook his head. Pittsburgh police Cmdr. Bill Joyce, whose zone covers the South Side, started the Pub Patrol last year amid complaints by neighborhood residents and business owners tired of people using their bushes, trees and buildings for last-minute latrines. "How would they feel if someone walked into their neighborhood and began urinating on their own homes?" Joyce said. "We have a big problem on the South Side with this stuff." Rick Belloli, head of the South Side Local Development Corp., has been getting grief from the neighborhood's 10,000 residents for years. "People need to know when their bladder is getting full and take care of it, instead of taking it outside," he said. Turko and Weger were picked to lead the patrol because they have a good sense of humor and are good talkers. Some people aren't happy about being caught in the act. On a recent Friday night, Turko and Weger saw not one, but three women crouched alongside a sport utility vehicle in the parking lot of a bank frequently used as an outdoor toilet. "All right, ladies. Police," Turko said. "What the hell is going on? Who the hell are you?" asked Melanie Kloba, of Export, Westmoreland County. "Police. You're being cited for urinating in public," Weger said. "We could be taking you to jail." The women were angry. A man with them glowered at the officers, who explained they have a good chance of having the fines reduced by a judge. The Pub Patrol isn't going to go away until people learn they need to go somewhere else to find relief, Joyce said. "People need to be courteous when visiting the city, and hopefully, in time, we won't need the detail," Joyce said. "Word is getting out, but we are not there yet." ___ Information from: Tribune-Review, http://www.triblive.com said the Dread Pirate Ro at 7:16 PM on December 06, 2004 Aarrgh! 1 scurvy dogs said "Ahoy, matey!"
|
Starboard Shiver Me
Timbers
|
