Busted in Canada

A civil disobedience party!

From CBC News in New Brunswick, Canada

Skateboarder jailed after refusing to pay fine

A Fredericton man who refused to pay a fine for skateboarding on city streets has been taken into custody and will be sent to jail. Lee Breen, 25, was fined in the summer of 2007 after receiving several warnings. After not paying the initial $50 fine, it was increased to $100. A judge then ordered him in April to pay the fine or be sent to jail for five days.

But he’s not doing it because he’s too broke to pay the fine, he’s actually trying to make a point! He’s challenging the nuisance law under the grounds that skateboarding is not inherently dangerous and provides a environmentally friendly means of travel. About 80 people rallied outside the courthouse as he was taken into custody. Skateboarding is a crime!

– Thanks to Michael Brooke for the tip

Discussion

12 thoughts on “A civil disobedience party!

  1. some guy at work on May 14, 2008 - Reply

    “He

  2. Touché!

    Though I he’s talking about skateboarding as a method of transportation. You can have it both ways, like it is in Portland for example. Ok for transportation on the streets, and the city isn’t liable if you crack your skull at a skatepark.

  3. Can you imagine that coming up at a job interview:
    HR: It says here you went to jail for five days. Can you elaborate on that?
    Kid: I was skateboarding on a public street.
    HR: Well it was nice talking to you. Don’t call us. We’ll call you.

  4. Canadian bars have skate videos on the tele.

  5. Paige on May 29, 2008 - Reply

    I’ve never heard of anyone being jailed over fifty dollars, or even a hundred. It might be different in the north. Generally if you are unresponsive to notices to pay, they might issue a warrant if it’s worth anyone’s time. It’s like being arrested over parking tickets, and five days is very excessive (unless, of course, you are a repeat offender, i.e. dining and dashing every meal because you’re homeless). It’s too bad Canada taxes their citizens so much, because I’m sure they actually have the space to make him serve the entire five days. PDX would probably have you serve a couple hours max. VIVA LA RESISTANCE!

  6. You’re back! Long time no read. I guess it just takes a legal matter.

  7. Paige on May 30, 2008 - Reply

    I’m back! Either legal or punk rock, and I’m all over it! Well, that and I got a reputation at work for looking at too much Perez Hilton.

  8. big al on June 12, 2008 - Reply

    god bless the land of the free

  9. joe lemon on June 25, 2008 - Reply

    Never ever pay a skateboarding ticket.
    In like ol’ Rebel Skates days; (1987?) like 10 of us all got stopped and given $375 tickets! But Funny as anything; when Nick Clark told the cops; “Don’t you know? My Dad is the Mayor?…”
    Later I said to Nick; “what’s with taking our boards; because they don’t confiscate the shoes of jaywalkers!”
    …and a week later the Mayor said the same thing on tv!
    I went to jail for a week in 1990; in Boulder;Co. for not paying a ticket…Sheriff comes down to see me in jail upon hearing about it; “what are you doing in my jail? It costs us $60 a day to keep you in here…”

  10. Skate and Ahoy..matey! on June 25, 2008 - Reply

    …Or try sitting in Maricopa county jail/”horseshoe” and trying to explain to a bunch of cholos and felony offenders you got picked up a warrant for skatebaording.

  11. Matt Brady on July 22, 2008 - Reply

    ok thats just fucked up dude
    SKATEBORDING IS NOT A CRIME

  12. “if skateboarding is not a crime, why am i getting a ticket?” — Rocco

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