SF bans urinating in public

San Jose Mercury News ^ | July 2, 2002 | Renee Koury

[paul51]

In a city rife with bar hoppers and street people relieving themselves on sidewalks, alleys and busy streets, the stench of urine has joined fresh sourdough and coffee as among the city's famous aromas.

And the usually tolerant board of supervisors is no longer going with the flow.

[mc5cents]

There are bums everywhere and so much garbage it's disgusting.

BUMS! Oh my how unPC of you. Homeless is the correct term. There are no such things as bums or hobbos any longer. Get with it. </sarcasm>

[bert]

Will this law have any effect on the policy of urinating on the Clinton LIEbrary in Little Rock?

[weegee]

Bums and hobos didn't become "homeless" until Ronald Reagan became president. I'm not saying that they had homes, they just became "the homeless" under his presidency.

[mc5cents]

Bums and hobos didn't become "homeless" until Ronald Reagan became president. I'm not saying that they had homes, they just became "the homeless" under his presidency.

I agree. It was part of the left's campaign to make Reagan look "heartless". Homeless=Heartless republicans. Clever. Didn't work very well though. Ronnie was just too good.

[Billthedrill]

Hold on a minute - the First Amendment specifically protects peeing on the wall as a form of free speech. It's one o' them "penumbra" thingies.

Heck, call it "performance art" and you'll get a gummint grant to do it. Some people just don't know how to play the angles...

[Sabertooth]

Unless it's a golden shower.

[Saundra Duffy]

So . . . they're going to fine homeless people. That's pretty funny.

[weegee]

You got me thinking of an interesting point:

What if there is snow on the ground and you are "writing" something? Free speech!!!

Since the method by which you "write" is not permanent perhaps this is a protected form of free speech.

ahem...

[weegee]

After Bill Clinton left office, we stopped getting movies about the homeless and songwriters couldn't get a hit or industry award for writing a song about the homeless.

But with a Republican in the White House again, we are learning that there are homeless people again.

I wonder if people are still starving in Ethiopia like they were in 1985.

[weegee]

Hey, what if you are a street performer? Don't need no gub'mint grant. Free Speech again!

2 guys at some MTV event did this in their "act" (a gong show type audience rating contest) and the woman that participated sued.

Maybe you need a gub'mint grant after all. G.G. Allen did this sort of thing in bars across the country at his "concerts" (he would even chase down audience members) without a grant though so who knows (he did end up doing some jailtime for some sort of offenses and later died after a show).

What's the 9th Circuit Court Of Appeals doing today? Maybe they can determine if this is "free speech".

[Pagey]

"...and it was expected to be signed by Mayor Willie Brown before going into effect in 30 days..."

Oh,sure he will.I doubt that.All these years and they have to pass a law for it?As if that's going to deter anyone up there.NO it won't.But in true liberal fashion,they have allowed themselves to "Feel Good" about passing a law that is in fact common sense for the rest of the country.They should be embarrassed.

[CounterCounterCulture]

SF bans urinating in public? How intoooooooollllllerant of them. Will wonders never cease?

Heck, I'd figure they'd provide "free" litter boxes for the bums...homeless