Posted on 02/13/2008 3:34:28 PM PST by Stoat
Britney Spears is to have a law in Los Angeles named after her - because it was her $24,000 (GBP12,000) police escort to hospital last month (Jan08) which prompted councilmen to propose the amendment.
The troubled pop star was taken from her Coldwater Canyon home to UCLA Medical Center on 31 January in an ambulance with a motorcade from the Los Angeles Police Department.
The job of the motorcade, which included more than 20 police officers, a helicopter and a team of intervention specialists, was to block off traffic ahead and behind the ambulance carrying Spears to hospital, and to keep the paparazzi at bay.
And the move has inspired L.A. City Councilman Dennis P. Zine to propose a safety zone be set up to protect areas around celebrities, hospitals, traffic, businesses and homes.
The bill also suggests all members of the paparazzi get licences to take photographs in the protected zones - with those breaking the law having their licence revoked and royalties from the picture confiscated.
He says, "The straw that broke the camel's back (idea that prompted the law) is the $24,000 we spent to escort an L.A. City ambulance to the hospital. I'm not infringing upon the right to take a picture. I'm concerned about the impact they have on the general public."
Councilmen will vote on whether to adopt the new 'Britney Law' on 1 March (08), reports Hollyscoop.com.
(Sniffle!) Leave her alone! (Snork!)
Apparently, this proposed law is intended to do just that :-)
It seems that her ‘situation’ created an ongoing public safety issue which the City couldn’t figure out how to deal with in any other way than this.
20 plus to 1? Give me a break. Handcuff her and put her in the backseat and be done with it. No one told them to spend that kind of money.
Apparently, past "Britney events" have suggested to the City that the insanity surrounding her have created an ongoing and escalating public safety concern. Given that the mission of Police and EMS is to protect the public, apparently they were previously lacking the legal tools to adequately deal with this situation.
We'll see whether this proposed law survives the inevitable court challenges and also whether it actually works in terms of diffusing the hazards to the public associated with events such as this.
This law is entirely unconstitutional. Paparazzi are journalists — sleazy, unethical journalists — so the law would have to apply to all members of the media.
Licensing journalists is a clear violation of the first amendment.
There are plenty of other ways to deal with paparazzi, but this is a stupid, unconstitutional law.
And the celebs have to take some responsibility too (and most do). The mentally troubled Britney is now under the guardianship of her father (she is no longer a minor...she is 26). Papa Spears has hired two body guards and a professional drivers to ‘take’ Brit where ever she goes. So...at least from a public safety stand point...there will be no more hyterical Brit weaving the Mercedes thru traffic lights. FWIW, 26 is a drop in the bucket to the Spears...for public relations they should just write a check.
I have no doubt that it will amount to years and millions of taxpayer dollars winding it's way through the courts.
Actually, I think being protrayed like this (these images) is part of her problem today...the ‘need’ for attention...’look at me.’ Sad, but it was printed (by many sources) that when she left her home (on the gourney) she was telling the paramedics not to cover her (w/a blanket) because she is ‘hot.’
The law is unconstitutional. Celebrities may have more money or fame than regular people but they are not a special, protected class of society. Not yet anyway in this sick, celebrity obsessed society. None of these people are “celebrities” anyway. They may be pursued by the media none of them are that important, or worth a damn thing. They are all D list no talents who have caught the attention of the disgusting, servile press like E, Extra, The Insider, TMZ. It is all garbage. I don’t know what changed in America that people give this crap a moment of their attention. It was never this bad.
As for Britney, she is pathetic. She has all her millions now can we lock her up in a rubber mansion so we never have to see her again. We all know where she is going to end up - what will happen to her. And you know what, I’m looking forward to it. Like Anna Nicole Smith, when I hear that news I will smile.
you need police officers for crowd control at the house, along the route to help the ambulance get through traffic, and at the hospital to control the hundreds of people who are inevitably going to show up. you need the helicopter to monitor and coordinate all those units and to look out for possible traffic jams along the way.
if it was any other normal person, all you'd need is an ambulance. but for someone who attracts fans and photogs, you need all this extra crap.
britney brings in a lot of money to hollywood. they just gave some of it back.
It would be much cheaper if they would simply declare a $25.00 bounty on Papparazzi scalps in LA County.
Problem solved.
Seriously though, I had to be taken to the hospital in the ambulance once, and they billed my Insurance for over $800 for that ride. I don’t see why LA County can’t bill her for the expenses incurred for the escort. If she’s a resident, they can lien her house.
Might not accomplish much but it camn sure sends the right message...
Problem solved.
LMAO
That would make for a ratings-busting TV series, wouldn't it? :-)
"Watch Paparazzi-Hunter tonight as our current champion tries to outdo his personal best."
Seriously though, I had to be taken to the hospital in the ambulance once, and they billed my Insurance for over $800 for that ride. I don’t see why LA County can’t bill her for the expenses incurred for the escort. If she’s a resident, they can lien her house.
There's a precedent for this, of sorts. When an event promoter buts on a show that requires extra support, it's customary that they're billed for extra officers. When a foreign flag ship catches fire while in a US port, efforts are made to bill the owner for firefighting costs. If I were Britney's dad, I would simply write a check to the City of Los Angeles and thank them very kindly for all of their help and support. That would be a great PR coup and create smiles all 'round. Something like this might still happen.
Problem is, there are additional issues aside from the money involved and the constitutionality of the law. When an unplanned emergency like this occurs which requires a vast amount of EMS and law enforcement resources, it puts a strain on the system by diverting already-meager resources away from other areas, which may not be covered quite as well while this event is going on.. That places other people at potential risk, and it's not a good thing to have happen if it can be avoided at all. I think that this is at least part of the reason for this new law, in that they are trying to find a way to prevent this sort of thing from happening in the future. They don't have the funding to hire so very many fulltime officers as well as to buy helicopters and other equipment to keep the entire city covered as well as they normally do when something like this happens. Given the reality of the "celebrity culture" and of the special problems it brings that is unique to areas such as LA, , they have a tough job in trying to find the best solution to this that respects the Constitution while protecting the safety of the people as well as possible.
It's the modern answer to ancient idolatry. Where once you had the soap opera of Zeus, Hera, et al., we now have these. Just as in ancient times, it's all image and no reality, but it serves the same purpose as always.
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