Pennsylvania woman in legal doo-doo for lav profanities

Land of the free?

'Nuff said...

It's her own fault

American WCs are generally of the single-trap syphonic design; as opposed to the washdown pattern preferred in the UK, Europe and Australia where blockages are almost unheard-of.

The washdown closet relies on the descending flushwater to force the contents of the basin over the weir of the U-bend, which generally exits horizontally -- either through the wall to a sewer pipe outside, or through the floor via a separate 90 degree adaptor. The waste pipe can maintain its full 100mm. bore all the way. Anything too big for the pipe will remain in the basin (which is sized to accommodate more than a full cistern-load of water).

The syphonic closet relies on a constriction in the waste pipe, followed by a wider section, to create a partial vacuum and draw out the basin contents. The complicated curves of the waste pipe are generally concealed within the pedestal, exiting downward. It is thus inherently unreliable, and has no noticeable advantage over the washdown closet.

Why our friends across the pond persist in using it is a mystery.

Grades?

Would this be a graded system, or is saying 'fish mitten' as bad as saying 'cunt'? Do the natives of Scrotum have to wander round with comedy horns to honk when they trip over paving slabs or catch their fingers in doors?

@AJ Stiles

Hey, that was extremely informative, my hat's off to you, O master of loo technology.

This'll end up getting tossed, hopefully. I mean, otherwise, anyone know anything about the immigration laws in Blighty? I already speak (colonial) English!

Re: Re: Worrying

"nor may one lie about someone else (slander/libel)"

That's not precisely true either. Both slander and libel are *civil* offenses, not criminal offenses. The government can't stop you from saying those things nor can they punish you for it (which is why elected officials are unable to sue for slander or libel). However an individual CAN sue you for damages for something you said or wrote.

Plus it is sometimes really hard to prove slander or libel. The offending statements must be heard (or read) by a third party, they must be *plausible*, and they must be untrue.

Myth of Freedon of Speech

"Um... Okay, I guess I'm possibly a little behind the times here, but I was under the impression that, in the US of A, freedom of speech _was_ an unfettered right."

Although a great many Americans believe this, in fact the U.S. is a place where speech and other liberties are greatly constrained, either by law or by self-censorship. This is especially the case since 9/11.

One need only look at the moralistic madness that passes as broadcast regulation by the FCC to understand how fettered Americans are, yet the same people who will do backflips to avoid playing a song on the radio containing the word "fuck" (or even Allen Ginsburg's "Howl") will also tell you quite earnestly about how Freedom of Speech is guaranteed by the Constitution.

What you need to understand is that the vast majority of Americans don't see the contradiction, are able to simultaneously hold these conflicting ideas in their heads and believe both.

Hmmm... that sounds vaguely familiar....

Most states

Most states here in have down away with the specific charge of swearing at an officer. If you swear at them and they get pissed,you usually go down for disturbing the piece or disorderly conduct.

people with guns

The officer obviously has mental problems possibly she was lucky to get off with just arrest. People yell obscenities at dysfunctional plumbing all the time no one goes to jail it's normal.

She should sue the cop....

...on the basis that he must be a pervert to be hanging around outside her bathroom window and invading her privacy in the first place. Was he just listening or was he trying to cop an eyeful? :-)

Once again

America:

Richest third world nation on the planet.

American contradictions

You mean like insisting on a strict separation of church & state (remember the 10 commandments at the courthouse fuss) and then putting "In God we trust" on every banknote?

@ JohnG

Not clear. he could have been trying to enjoy a nice quiet Nixon in the crapper of his next-door apartment/condo/duplex when she started in. With the genuine CheapShit Brand(tm) construction of a lot of apartments here in the States, there's noreason to think that he was at her window.

He's still a dick, though, and I wonder if he identified himself to the dispatcher when he called and whether the on-duty officers would have responded so quickly if he wasn't one of them?

Smuggling... TOILETS? Talk to a plumber first

"I'd be curious if you have a 1.6 gallon per flush limit as well? I know Canada doesn't and there have actually been busts at the borders as people try to smuggle working toilets into the US."

The 1.6 gallon flush limit is gross overreaction to a limited problem (much of the US does not have a water shortage), but this is ridiculous! For the cost and risk of trying to smuggle toilets (TOILETS!) over the border, you can buy 1.6 gallon toilets that work. They're expensive little flushers, but if you can afford it, well worth it. My favorite are the ones with the pressurized tanks that flush like a store toilet. They even have them where they look like normal toilets, but when you lift the tank lid, all you can see is a couple of pressure tanks inside. I've never seen one of those clog under normal household use, unlike the run of the mill 1.6 units, which are crap.

As a side note, conversations like this always make me feel old. Just when did I start gushing about plumbing fixtures?

-daniel

freedom of speech

i think the thing most ppl are hung up on the swearing, witch is only part of the problem. the main thing was, one of her neighbors could hear her. i dont remember if it said what time this happened, but most location do have noise ordinaces, meaning if i blast my stereo for my neighbors to hear at 3 am. they cops will show up. the fact she swearing onlymeans she was pissed off and likly sweared at the cops...something guarenteed not to help your situation.

Don't know the whole story, but...

Let's assume for a moment that she *was* doing what she is being accused of (because if she wasn't this is a moot point):

As a private citizen, not a member of the police force or anything, I for one would not enjoy having to sit through my neighbour's long list of expletives, whether they were directed at me or not. If, when asking that neighbour to either stop or tone it down so I con't hear them, I am then attacked *personally* by said person (with expletives), then I for one would call the cops.

I don't care *who* you are, there is a point beyond which "free speech" is no longer enough to cover your lack of social graces. The concept of "free speech" only covers the *content* of the speech, not its wording - she wants to express her dislike of the toilet and its flushing system, fine. She wants to do it in a loud voice and using unnecessary expletives, not fine.

Put simply: Why should her rights (to so-called "free speech") be greater than my rights (not to be verbally harrassed by what is essentially noise polution)? If you want to rant and rave at the top of your lungs, sound-proof your house!

Intent?

Seriously - *intent* to cause a public nuisance? So the cop is saying she intentionally plugged the bog just so she could swear at it and annoy the neighbors.

Excellent, well done that man. Give him a kick in the backside.

Just goes to show how stupid American cops are.

Thank God its not Texas

she'd be on death row - especially if shes not white...

Olymic-size bogs

Since we're talking US kiddy-size gallons (3.7854 litres or 1.5 sheep bladders in El Reg units), a 1.6 gal flush == 6 litres.

But since the US bogs are long , wide and shallow vs British/Australian/NZ narrower but deeper ones, 6l does not build up much pressure and thus is less likely to force blocking material.

@Jason LoCascio (6 liter = 1.6 U.S. gallons)

Actually, 6 liters is just a hair shy of 1.6 U.S. gallons; close enough to be considered equivalent. This would, of course, make the 4 liter variety two thirds, not one third, of the U.S. size.

"Slough" ? </More Bottom Feeding>

Yet another fine example of Da-Reg slumping to the bottom of the wit-pile again. "Slough" ?

As self-mindful of the authors and commentors here are of their position within the IT community, I'm somewhat amazed at the continued bashing of us Yanks.

I keep forgetting that this last-bastion of intelligence crowd of Ameri-Bashers invented Unix -- no wait. You didn't.

Oh, you've got the claim to fame of having invented and developed the PC -- oops, my bad. Wrong on that one too.

But, thankfully, you've invented any of the world's most used operating systems ... No, wait -- that doesn't apply here either.

Hide behind the "dot.uk" URL if it makes you feel pompous ... Well, no wait, we gave that to you too. Everyone knows where the web came from.

Wow ... all of this Yank bashing going on here lately from some poor-orphaned step-child pissing in his/her warm beer about how wonderfully intelligent they are ...mocking the hand that fed them (and continues to feed them).

Heck, I've been in this business for over 20 years and I can't possibly name a single computer, operating system or program worth anything that has the "Made in the UK" label on it.

Sorry, I'm just sayin.

Laugh all you want. I'm a little busy replacing your "arses" to listen to your sophomoric name-calling right now.

(Oh gee, which Emoticon to choose ? I'm sure you invented that concept too) ... what ? No animated burning American-Flag. Geese, this site is just getting sad.