Public Urination = Sex Offender Status? (case, sex offenders, women, life)

[greggd]

Originally Posted by CornerstoneEagle04

A friend of mine recently told me that if someone urinates in public and gets caught, he/she must register as a sex offender. Is this true?

I can understand making someone register as a sex offender for urinating in the presence of a minor; that's a given.

But stopping on the side of a rural road to take a leak? I can't imagine why anyone would have to register as a sex offender for doing something as harmless and miniscule as that..

Depends on the circumstances of the action. If you stand on the curb and face traffic so everyone can see, including minors.. it would be more like a lude act, especially if its done flagrantly with the intention of displaying private parts.

If your caught in the bushes in some alley or in a stairwell...which seems to be pretty common these days, you will, most likely, be fined and convicted of tresspassing, public nuisance, disturbing the peace, or some other minor offense.

Another determination considered is the availability/or lack of availability of public restrooms within a certain distance of the location.

[CornerstoneEagle04]

Originally Posted by aj2007

That is not dumb. It is very disgusting and extremely improper. Go find the nearest bathroom for gods sake! At least there is something being done about it now.

You are right with regard to public urination in the presence of others (especially children).

However, it is important to realize that there are instances of public urination not performed in the presence of others, such as in the middle of a cornfield (as one poster noted).

For legal purposes, "public" refers to any area not on private property.

[CornerstoneEagle04]

Originally Posted by greggd

Depends on the circumstances of the action. If you stand on the curb and face traffic so everyone can see, including minors.. it would be more like a lude act, especially if its done flagrantly with the intention of displaying private parts.

If your caught in the bushes in some alley or in a stairwell...which seems to be pretty common these days, you will, most likely, be fined and convicted of tresspassing, public nuisance, disturbing the peace, or some other minor offense.

Another determination considered is the availability/or lack of availability of public restrooms within a certain distance of the location.

I sincerely hope you are correct.

Are you a police officer or other type of LEO, by any chance? If you are, you may have access to the legal statutes regarding public urination in the State of California.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by CornerstoneEagle04

However, it is important to realize that there are instances of public urination not performed in the presence of others, such as in the middle of a cornfield (as one poster noted).

If a person urinates alone in a cornfield would it make any sound? http://lovehound.us/img/rofl.gif (broken link)

Folks, if you do it in a cornfield, please for god sakes don't aim it on the corn!

[vegaspilgrim]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

In all seriousness, the city and country have different standards. I go backroading all the time in my 4x4 and it's not unusual for me to just stop right in the center of the dirt road, turn off the engine and step out to relieve myself. There may be only 3-4 vehicles per day traffic. Nobody is going to care about that.

The problem is urination in congested urban and suburban areas. With such a high density of occupation the practice is not accepted, is uncivil and uncouth. In the city you gotta go find a designated place to relieve yourself.

The thought of prosecuting this as a sexual offense and labeling the perpetrator as a sexual deviant is ridiculous. It's a vagrancy type crime and deserves the same treatment, a modest fine or a short stay at the graybar hotel. Society is getting too casual about awarding sexual offender status in too many situations. I'm reminded of a news story last year about an elementary school student being awarded the sexual offender designation, for life!

Keep it zipped in the city. There's a place for everything, and unfettered urination belongs in the country, on deserted backroads and isolated hiking trails.

Like usual, Lovehound is 100% correct. And aj2007, you are (partially) wrong. LA is a big city, where that is totally inappropriate of course, but once you're out in the wide open spaces of the desert southwest, sometimes you don't have any choice. The west is a totally different place than the east. Once I was in the middle of nowhere between Salina and Green River, UT (107 miles, one of the longest stretch of interstate highway in the nation with zero services) and I had to go. Bad. And I wasn't talking #1 either. I'll save you the details. One comment I would add is, and I'm not exactly sure how LA is like in this regard, but most walkable pedestrian-friendly downtown districts that I've seen before-- the kind of places where homeless people frequent-- don't have ANY public restrooms. Some places go as far as requiring a code or key just to have access to the bathroom. Some things are easier said than done.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

... I'm not exactly sure how LA is like in this regard, but most walkable pedestrian-friendly downtown districts that I've seen before-- the kind of places where homeless people frequent-- don't have ANY public restrooms. Some places go as far as requiring a code or key just to have access to the bathroom. Some things are easier said than done.

You just described my recent visit to Little Japan downtown. Civilized people like us patronize businesses with bathrooms and we have no problem finding facilities. Bums, however, are persona non grata in all establishments because they don't spend any money there, so bums gotta go wherever they can find a place. I found it rather disgusting that the parking structure where I parked, the stairwells had a very strong aroma of urine, and it was clear that the stairwells were one of the favored spots for impromptu urination. I shudder to think about the other problem but happily did not step in any.

I advise anybody who goes downtown should have their urban survival skills intact and tuned up. Downtown is a bad place for naive people.

I recall a camping trip on the north rim of the Grand Canyon, and I contracted Montezuma's revenge, was feeling so ill I had to terminate my vacation and head for home and toilet. I was coming down I-15 into Vegas, just outside the city, when I realized that an explosion was imminent. I had no choice, I pulled to the side of the freeway and ran down the embankment just in time. When I got back to my car I realized exactly what an emergency it was. I had left my car wide open, keys in the ignition and wallet sitting on the dash! You just *KNOW* that one was an emergency!

[ibarrio]

Seriously in Southern California how far will you be from the nearest gas station. Just hold it!

Like others have said, easier said then done. Go to downtown and find a place that will let you use it. If you are homeless this become impossible...

[BRinSM]

A friend of mine got a ticket for public urination and he had to hire a lawyer and pay a fine of nearly $1000 in order to have the charge dropped from his record. I was shocked when he told me this and that if he just pleaded guilty, he would have had to register as a sex offender.

[greggd]

Originally Posted by BRinSM

A friend of mine got a ticket for public urination and he had to hire a lawyer and pay a fine of nearly $1000 in order to have the charge dropped from his record. I was shocked when he told me this and that if he just pleaded guilty, he would have had to register as a sex offender.

BR is correct

key word's: hire a lawyer. I forgot to mention that in my post. It's important and he will get you out of the fangs of the prosecutor.

Chances are your friend was in a public place but not acting in an outrageously lude manner. So the sentence was reduced & he was fined.

[the one]

not too sure of the sex offender registration, but it also really depends on the cops.

just the other night while in HLLYWD i had to relieve myself after pickin up a friend in OC. i really thought i could hold it till we got to our destination. i couldnt. as i turned down a side street near the spot we were headed to, i found a constructuon site. i barely put the car in park and jumped out. i positioned myself in between a big trash bin, the really big ones that are "parked" on the street, and a tractor. my friend also decided to relieve himself. just as i (on one side of the street, hidden) and my friend (leaning into a shaded corner) were finishing up a patrol car cruises by. they shine my friend. tell us to finish up and keep it moving. we apologize and head on our merry way.
had we been p*ssing together it might have turned into something else in the eyes of the po po.

im sure the cops werent too worred about us. this was at night, no visible kids or old church ladies so the cops didnt think too much of it.

in other situations, particualrly college towns, or college party areas like pasadena and fullerton this behaviour will land you in jail. and it is usually accompanied by a public intoxication charge. because, well alot of times people pissing in public are intoxicated. not always but enough times to add fines and time.

i only excuse my self publicly when it is extremely necessary and when/where i will least be discovered. its a gamble none the less.

best advice tho is

keep it in your pants. that way there will be no room for specualation as to what you were doing behind that dumpster.

but when nature really really calls...