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Hoboken To St. Pat's Day Revelers: Don't Pee On The Street!

By

Jen Chung

Published Mar 4, 2011

Modified Mar 4, 2011

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Photograph by flickr4jazz on Flickr

 

By

Jen Chung

Published Mar 4, 2011

Modified Mar 4, 2011

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While the big St. Patrick's Day Parade is in Manhattan on March 17, Hoboken's St. Patrick's Day Parade—tomorrow at 1 p.m.—has become infamous for its unbridled enthusiasm (public sex? check! public urination? check! public pooping? CHECK!)... at least until the city imposed $2,000 fines for certain activities.

Hoboken Tweeted earlier today, "If you're coming to #Hoboken for St Patrick's Day, here's what you need to know to avoid a $2,000 fine" and linked to this page, which explains that "consumption of alcohol/open container in public, urinating in public, maintaining a nuisance (disorderly and unsafe house parties), and disorderly conduct & improper behavior" are all cause for a $2,000 fine.

  1. City Ordinance 145-23 A/B (Consumption of Alcohol/Open Container in Public) Any person seen possessing an open container of alcohol in public faces maximum penalties of a fine up to $2,000, and the possible sentence of having to perform Community Service.
  2. City Ordinance 145-22 (Urinating in Public) Any person observed urinating on public streets, sidewalks or in parks faces maximum penalties of a fine up to $2,000, and the possible sentence of having to perform Community Service.
  3. New Jersey State Statute 2C:33-12 (Maintaining a Nuisance) House parties have become our largest problem on the parade day. When a party is deemed to be unreasonably reckless, disorderly and unsafe, the renter or owner of the apartment or house will be charged with this statute. A person is guilty of this offense when one “by conduct which is unlawful or unreasonable, knowingly or recklessly creates or maintains a condition which endangers the safety or health of persons”, or when “one knowingly conducts or maintains a premises or place where persons gather for purposes of engaging in unlawful conduct.” The maximum penalties for this offense are imprisonment of up to six months and fines not to exceed $1,000.
  4. New Jersey State Statute 2C: 33-2a (Disorderly Conduct, Improper Behavior) A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if “with purpose to cause public inconvenience, annoyance or alarm, or recklessly creating a risk thereof he: 1) Engages in fighting or threatening, or in violent or tumultuous behavior, or 2) Creates a hazardous or physically dangerous condition by any act which serves no legitimate purpose.” This offense carries maximum penalties of a 30 day prison term and a fine not to exceed $500.

Does public defecation fall under 4? Also: "The City of Hoboken issued more than 500 summonses during the 2010 St. Patrick’s Day, with more than 200 of those required to perform community service" and a DWI checkpoint will be set up tomorrow.

Tagged

hoboken

public urination

st. patrick's day

st. patrick's day parade

Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

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