Jerk Of The Year Award Goes To......

[lizbud]

This police officer in LA.


Elderly Woman Ticketed For Walking Too Slowly

POSTED: 2:47 pm EDT April 10, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- An 82-year-old woman has received a $114 ticket for taking too long to cross a street in the San Fernando Valley, Calif.

Mayvis Coyle said she began shuffling with her cane when the light was green, but was unable to make it to the other side before it turned red.

"It turned red before I could get over. There he was, waiting, the motorcycle cop," Coyle told the Los Angeles Daily News. "He said, `You're obstructing the flow of traffic."'

Coyle is only one of seniors at Monte Vista Mobile Estates that are upset over signals they think are too short to safely cross five lanes of traffic, the Daily News reported.

At least one of the seniors reportedly calls a cab just to cross the street.

Coyle told the paper that she has been fighting her ticket. She doesn’t have a vehicle or a telephone, and said she was carrying her groceries home when she got the ticket.

"I think it's completely outrageous," Coyle told the paper. "I can't walk without a stick and I lose my balance.

"He treated me like a 6-year-old, like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm in shock that somebody's going to stop me on a green light while crossing the street."

Los Angeles police Sgt. Mike Zaboski of the Valley Traffic Division said police are cracking down on people who improperly cross streets because pedestrian accidents are above normal. He said he could not comment on Coyle's ticket other than to say that it is her word against that of the citing officer, identified only as Officer Kelly.

"I'd rather not have angry pedestrians," Zaboski said. "But I'd rather have them be alive."

Others, however, supported Coyle's contention that the light in question doesn't give people enough time to cross the busy, five-lane boulevard.

"I can go halfway, then the light changes," said Edith Krause, 78, who uses an electric cart because she has difficulty walking.

On Friday, the light changed too quickly even for high school students to make it across without running. It went from green to red in 20 seconds.

[critter crazy]

OMG!!!! his parents should flog him for that!!! what was he thinking giving a ltlle old lady a ticket??? my goodness, what will they think of next!!

[Miss Z]

What is the world coming to?! They'll be fines soon for swallowing too quickly to reduce the amount of people choking, taking your dog out for a walk in case you run into someone with a dog allergy or even waiting at a bus stop as you're blocking the street.

Hopefully they'll get those lights changed to help members of the WHOLE community.

[jackie]

What a wack job. He must be one of those men that loves the power of being a cop.

[moosmom]

Jackie,

He must be one of those men that loves the power of being a cop

Either that or he didn't meet his quota of tickets for the month. He should be ashamed of himself!!

[Cat's Meowm]

Hunh - either, or!

Some People's children?

[elizabethann]

What a wack job. He must be one of those men that loves the power of being a cop.

I second that. What an a$$!!! If that was my Mother getting a ticket, she would have smacked him over the head with her cane!!

[Cataholic]

I don't walk with a cane, thankfully, and even I have problems getting to the other side of the street by the time the walk light changes.

[Karen]

I second that. What an a$$!!! If that was my Mother getting a ticket, she would have smacked him over the head with her cane!!

And sadly, probably gotten a bigger fine for assaulting an officer.

My late, beloved friend Mary Green would have said a prayer for him, and then called his mother or grandmother.

That policeman needs to spend 60 hours of community service (as in Unpaid time) in a Senior Center, or better yet, a Rehab facility. Or have his shoeslaces tied together. Or both.