Woman Given $125 Littering Fine For Feeding Ducks in Park With Her Son
England: 26-year-old Vanessa Kelly has been given a $125 fine for littering after a town warden came upon her in a park feeding the geese and ducks with her son who is a toddler. Kelly intends to contest the fine.
According to town officials large numbers of geese are intimidating people living in the area and feeding them attracts the birds into the park where they leave droppings that children slip over on. They also say that rats are attracted by feeding.
"I couldn't believe my eyes when she then pulled out a little computer and started to issue a ticket. Harry was still throwing the bread though and the warden told me he could carry on as he was too young to prosecute," said Kelly.
From the original article in the Mail, it says there were signs about "over feeding" the ducks, but nothing about fines. Although I agree, she was doing something wrong, but not intentionally, she had just taken her kid out to feed the ducks after all.
My point, probably not too clear, is that this is a greater penalty than some antisocial yob or thief could expect. People who harm others, take or damage property are given a slap on the wrist and told to go on their way. This lady, although doing something wrong, was instantly fined, and not a small amount of money either. This is compounded by the fact that the council worker said the kid could keep thowing the bread because he was "too young to prosecute". This furthers the feeling of one rule for some and another for others.
Ultimately it is the result of non-crimes being punished by fines in a bizarre system of taxation using the criminal justice system as an excuse. Every fine for a non-crime (putting the bin out an hour early, feeding the ducks, putting a sauce bottle in the wrong bin, etc.) erodes respect for the criminal justice system. They need to be very careful because once people realise it´s just being used to make money from them, they´re going to start ignoring the law, after all, it´s just for revenue anyway, right?
Oh, and very clever name, although, I wouldn´t say it sucks necessarily ;-)
Even when you´re promised change, it never comes. --USA.
Were there any signs saying not to feed the ducks? Did she bring like 10 loaves of bread? Perhaps there was a reason she was issued a fine rather than simply given a warning. Maybe she was sarcastic with someone who abused his power.
I can understand both sides of this story. We have a local lake side park that as a kid I used to feed the ducks and geese but now is inhabited by a water foul mafia.
When you arrive and step on the grass the ducks and young geese approach and make a racket until you pay them a tribute. If you ignore them the adult (5 to 20) geese come over, act as enforcers and attack repeatedly until you pay up. This cycle repeats numerous times while you are there.
Some friends had their wedding lake side.
Picture 4 guys standing point at the corners with air soft guns for the ducks, young geese and paintball for the adult geese. We also had small weighted bags of bread for use as anti-foul grenades to lure them away when projectile force failed.
Personally I´d like to see No Feeding signs go up.
@ Max. This system likes the decent folk of this country getting fines and being attacked. It gives this Government a sense of superiority, they may look like complete dick heads to us and the world but they don´t know that, they are to stupid.
QUOTE:Perhaps there was a reason she was issued a fine rather than simply given a warning. Maybe she was sarcastic with someone who abused his power.
So is it your opinion she should have just shut up and let the guy abuse the power??
What the hell could she be thinking. Feeding the ducks with her son..She should have whipped out with a stick and started beating the ducks to death. To many of them...Would have been a hero I guess.
Meanwhile in California, farmers fields burned up because they wouldn´t give them any water because they are saving a minnow.
Nothing wrong with this world that I can see. Prosecute the bitch and her little son too!
Quote:We have a local lake side park that as a kid I used to feed the ducks and geese but now is inhabited by a water foul mafia.
You have a way with words!! I can visualize the picture. Good read!!
But on the flip side, if this park or that lake is being over ran with Geese and ducks do you think that not feeding them is going to make them go away? Do you think they are still going to breed and make more next year? Do you think they will be able to find another spot in an ever changing world of concrete and steel? Doesn´t it appear we are forcing them here and then condemning them at the same time?
Think back when you were a kid,did you have a good time when you fed the ducks ? I know I did. Do you really want to take that opportunity away from others? I don´t, I take my grandson down to the lake all the time. We fish and GOD FORBID. Feed the ducks. But we also apply common sense and perhaps it is time to face the truth. They need to be weeded out. We eliminated the natural predictor from their life and now we are taking their habitat. You call it a park, they don´t care what you call it. It is home to them. Not feeding them isn´t going to change anything. Putting a sign up, "Hunting season is in effect stay out of the park" may help. OH shit that´s right. Can´t do that in England, they don´t have guns.
Coming from you, I ca understand the sentiment, I bet you were happy that, the lil tike could still throw you some crumbs! </sar>
@Maxx. I agree that the officer was heavy on this isue especially letting the kid continue, since the issue was about littering as well as, for the spreading of diseases.
But then what can you do? When a person exercising their authority has an upper hand?
