Drinking in Public Fine (Camden Show) $533 Unreal!!!

pjroo3 · July 2008

chromiam wrote:

to the OP, tailgating occurs in designated areas (parking lots and whatnot) not on city streets (where you stated you were when you got the ticket) and public consumption of alcohol is against the law in almost every city in the country.

pjbiz- it is a fairly well known law to people who live in and around NJ that they can cite you for having an open container of alcohol even if they only find a bottle cap or empty can or bottle.

I think they should move the hot dog vendor off of the sidewalk by about 5 feet so that they are "in" the parking lot. Then nobody gets a $500 ticket for walking to the hot dog stand.

chromiam · July 2008

pjroo3 wrote:

I think they should move the hot dog vendor off of the sidewalk by about 5 feet so that they are "in" the parking lot. Then nobody gets a $500 ticket for walking to the hot dog stand.

or you leave your beer in the parking lot and walk 5 feet WITHOUT a beer to buy a hot dog and not get a $500 ticket for public consumption.

pjroo3 · July 2008

chromiam wrote:

or you leave your beer in the parking lot and walk 5 feet WITHOUT a beer to buy a hot dog and not get a $500 ticket for public consumption.

So what are the areas inside the lots that are considered "public". I mean the sidewalk is in between two parking lots. The lots are "private" and the sidewalks in between are "public"? I guess now I know.

chromiam · July 2008

pjroo3 wrote:

The lots are "private" and the sidewalks in between are "public"? I guess now I know.

that would be correct, lots are private; sidewalks, walkways, streets are all public.

pjroo3 · July 2008

chromiam wrote:

that would be correct, lots are private; sidewalks, walkways, streets are all public.

If that is the case, I was definitely at fault. I was on the sidewalk.
I just wish my fine had been the stated $78 instead of $500.
With our new baby, that is money we just don't have.

Oh well... I guess we live and learn.

panthergirl · July 2008

it's obvious that it was decided that they could make a shitload of money by adjusting the $78 fine to $500....

very dirty.

prytocorduroy · July 2008

Police stopped my brother today.

Looks like Camden won the lottery!

phungi · July 2008

I was sitting on the sidewalk at 2nd and Market in a lawn chair by my car drinking openly and freely. Police drove by, not a care in the world. I consider myself lucky, but would get a lawyer to fight the $500 fine. I would rather pay a few $$$ to the lawyer rather than the Camden Court.

PJSerf · July 2008

Wow! We ran into similar trouble at Camden 1. We got a late start and did not get down there till after 6:30, so we parked at a smaller lot off Market, not sure of the cross street. Anyhow, we had some sandwiches, and were just eating and drinking a few beers when sure enough a paddy wagon pulled up to us, and 2 cops proceeded to berate us for 5 minutes for ruining and trashing their city. Luckily, they did not cite us, but they certainly let us have it. A simple, "Throw that away" would have done. Hell, they could have just given us a ticket, it would have saved their breath from yelling at us.

And, we weren't being rude or out of line, or making any mess whatsoever.

I understand that open container is illegal. However, I'm sure someone was probably getting shot 3 blocks away, why are they so concerned about us coming into their city and enjoying ourselves. Especially when we are bringing revenue into a city that desperately needs it.

CityMouse · July 2008

pjroo3 wrote:

Wow... Camden is now my least favorite place in the universe. Went to Camden 1 and was tailgating along with everyone else. I was on my second beer when a policewoman grabbed my beer and proceeded to write me a ticket (along with about 1000 other people). She checked a box that made it a mandatory court appearance. Well, today was the court date for everyone at the June 19 show. Tons of PJ fans at the court house. The fine for "Drinking in Public" was $78 which sucks, but no biggie. Well.... when they read us our fines today, they say that they have been amended and it has now been changed to "Inappropriate Behavior" which is $500 plus $33 court fees. I was shocked! Big bummer for anyone caught up in this crappy situation. I will never attend another show in that city! Well unless PJ is there and I will not enjoy myself in the parking lot.

well, what are you gonna do, everyone knows it's illegal to drink in those places, it's the risk you take I guess.

this is how cities make money...my city LOVES handing out parking tickets (in a place where almost everyone has on street parking only). I once got a ticket for leaving my car in the same spot in front of my house for over 48 hours! (once, somehow all the other millions of times I do it it's ok)

rtwilli4 · July 2008

it sucks that these kind of things happen. This is why PJ doesn't play Raleigh anymore. Kids always get beat up by the cops and all kinds of alcohol charges (even though you are allowed to drink in the parking lot).

Check the liner notes for LO2L and you'll see a note about Raleigh. They came back in '03 and the same thing happened (I was one of the kids who got whacked w/ a cops night stick or whatever those things are). The next year, Vote for Change Tour, they played in Asheville and this year skipped over the whole damn state of NC!! Sucks for me really but I respect the bands decision. It's sad though because Alltel Pavilion really is a cool venue and kind of cheap compared to others.

smithnic · July 2008

I gotta say walking through that parking lot on the way to the venue, I'm glad there were tickets. That whole lot was one big stupid frat party. There were so many games of beer-pong going on it was hard to get through. You all made a terrible mess and it was embarrassing to be a fan of a band that would have such a crowd!

pjroo3 · July 2008

Really it's my stupidity for not knowing the law. I just assumed since you could drink in the lot right in front of the police that it was legal on the sidewalk too. I actually saw a girl with her friends next to us in the lot. She had a hat with ribbons and streamers on that said "I'm 21" and she walked up to one of the Police vans that were circling with beer bottle in hand and got her picture taken with the cop.

I should have known the law before I decided to have a drink. I just wish the fine was $78 like it was supposed to be.

scw156 · July 2008

my2hands wrote:

moral to the story... dont be a rookie... and miller lite sucks :cool:

exactly

karmakvisser · July 2008

smithnic wrote:

I gotta say walking through that parking lot on the way to the venue, I'm glad there were tickets. That whole lot was one big stupid frat party. There were so many games of beer-pong going on it was hard to get through. You all made a terrible mess and it was embarrassing to be a fan of a band that would have such a crowd!

A friend of mine got screwed with the 78 morphing to 500 scam. With that said, it was disgrace to see the mess of bottles and trash left behind in the parking lots. I was embarassed to be a part of that mess. I did find a trash can for my refuse.

We all could do a bit better cleaning up after ourselves.

ken

scw156 · July 2008

karmakvisser wrote:

A friend of mine got screwed with the 78 morphing to 500 scam. With that said, it was disgrace to see the mess of bottles and trash left behind in the parking lots. I was embarassed to be a part of that mess. I did find a trash can for my refuse.

We all could do a bit better cleaning up after ourselves.

ken

I agree. I brought my own garbage bag and put everything in that. However, I noticed that pretty much every garbage can inside and outside the venue was completely full and overflowing. I saw someone finish a bottle of water and throw it on the ground next to the garbage can along with all the other overflow.

The venue needs to get its act straight too

Stone Is God · July 2008

PJSerf wrote:

Wow! We ran into similar trouble at Camden 1. We got a late start and did not get down there till after 6:30, so we parked at a smaller lot off Market, not sure of the cross street. Anyhow, we had some sandwiches, and were just eating and drinking a few beers when sure enough a paddy wagon pulled up to us, and 2 cops proceeded to berate us for 5 minutes for ruining and trashing their city. Luckily, they did not cite us, but they certainly let us have it. A simple, "Throw that away" would have done. Hell, they could have just given us a ticket, it would have saved their breath from yelling at us.

And, we weren't being rude or out of line, or making any mess whatsoever.

I understand that open container is illegal. However, I'm sure someone was probably getting shot 3 blocks away, why are they so concerned about us coming into their city and enjoying ourselves. Especially when we are bringing revenue into a city that desperately needs it.

Wow! I guess you guys are ruining the city because you were having a couple of beers with your food.

It's not the crack-heads, drug addicts, drug dealers, murderers, pimps, prostitutes, gang members, corrupt police and politicians that might be doing that to the city.

What a bunch of assholes those cops are. Note to self, never go to Camden.

HailHailLeatherman · July 2008

pjbiz wrote:

That's Jersey cops for ya, the absolute worst in america.

Some of you have heard this story from me before, but during the 06 tour we were doing lots of tailgating for the shows and kept a large garbage bag for all the empty cans to recycle. In between the E Rutherford shows, we went back down to Philly to see Radiohead, then after the show we drove up towards Seaside Heights to stay with a friend on the Jersey shores.

On the way there, I pulled over on the side of the highway to fix the sun roof on the van, cause it was coming loose. This was around 2:30am, within minutes, Jersey state patrol pulled in behind us and started questioned us. We answered everything, then they put us through a breathelizer and other tests for drugs and alcohol. I passed them all. Then they asked to search the van. Eventhough they probably didn't have the right to, we had nothing to hide, so I allowed them. They were definitely trying to find something to get us on.

After delaying us for an hour, one of the cops pulls out our recycling bag, which contained about 100 cans at the time, and claims that we have open alcohol in the vehicle. I told him it was for recycling, and they insist that because the cans have residue in them, we have open alcohol. Ridiculous. So a little be of bit of arguing and I realize there was no winning for so I ask to pay it off. They write me a ticket for over $600 and I must appear in court to pay it. Not online, not in person, but I had to come back to the county and appear in court.

This was inbetween the 1st and 2nd legs and I had planned to chill in Florida during the time off. So I had to drive all the way back up from Miami to NJ to appear in court 3 weeks later to pay the fine, and then drive back down to the south to start the 2nd leg.

Jersey cops suck ass!
Jason

First off, the worst in America comment is kind of weak, while not the best, they aren't that bad.

Secondly, your stopped on the side of the road on a highway at 2:30am messing around with your van coming from a concert with a "recycle" bag full of empties; Sorry man, your story isn't warranting any sympathy and I don't really see any problem here.

State cops are involved in dealing with dead people on the road all the time, mostly due to drunk driving and such. Not all are angels but you put yourself in that situation for the most part.

karmakvisser · July 2008

Here is the email address of the mayor of Camden. Take 5 minutes to email her about this bullshit. mayor@ci.camden.nj.us

She hasn't responded back to my lengthy email but it would be cool to inundate her with a deluge of emails.

regards

ken

MayDay10 · July 2008

this sounds like it is such bullshit. Everyone should have all said 'not guilty'. They would be fucked.

So it was legal to drink in the normal lots? Cops passed by me and didnt give a second look. Maybe its because Im intimidating with my Labatt Blue beer bottles and my shades.

But seriously. Open container normally is $50-$100 (ive had one before). I think for public intoxication you have to be pissing in public, or falling down, or doing something else disorderly and I think it requires further investigating and reporting on the part of the officer....
(any lawyers or police here?)

Drinking in Public Fine (Camden Show) $533 Unreal!!!

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