posted 04-23-2008 01:28 PM                    

quote:

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A Racine, Wis., woman says she has been fined $400 for sending a text message in a movie theater, but police say there's a lot more to the story, MyFOXMilwaukee reported.

Melissa Nelson, 25, claims she was viewing "Prom Night" Friday at Marcus Theatres in Sturtevant, Wis., with friends to celebrate her brother’s birthday when her cell phone vibrated in her purse.

Nelson told MyFOXMilwaukee she received a text message concerning her 5-year-old daughter and that she quietly sent one text message back. Nelson’s friend, who was sitting next to her at the time, says no one complained or even noticed that Nelson was sending a text message on her phone.

Marcus Theatres said in a police report that they were having problems with people talking on their cell phones all day and had made a special announcement to moviegoers that night asking them not to use phones, MyFOXMilwaukee reported.

The movie theater’s usher noticed Nelson’s phone by a small light blinking in the dark.

"He came over like, ‘Put that away.’ That’s how he said it," Nelson’s friend told MyFOXMilwaukee. "She’s like, ‘Just give me a second and I’ll be done.’ And he’s like, ‘Well I’m going to get security.’"

The security guard on duty was an officer with the Sturtevant Police Department.

"I don’t know if he was having a bad night, but from the moment he came into the theater he had an attitude," Nelson told MyFOXMilwaukee.

The Sturtevant police report claims just the opposite, with the officer claiming he repeatedly asked Nelson to put her phone away, but she kept arguing with him. She was given a $400 ticket for disorderly conduct.

Nelson claims it was the officer who was disorderly, saying he pushed her.

"All of this over a text message concerning my daughter," Nelson said.

The Sturtevant police chief told MyFOXMilwaukee they support the officer’s decision.

Marcus Theatres released a statement reading, "Marcus Theatres works hard to provide an environment where all moviegoers can enjoy watching films without visual or audio disturbances. We support the actions of our theatre staff who took the correct steps to politely deal with this guest."

Nelson says she will fight the disorderly conduct ticket.

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posted 05-31-2008 04:40 AM                    

quote: John Hawkinson

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The real problem is that people don't understand the LIGHT causes a problem

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posted 06-02-2008 12:48 PM                    

quote: Richard Hamilton

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Then I should be able to sue UltraStereo $400 for every hearing impaired person that uses their headsets and has a little red L.E.D. moving around in front of me?

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posted 06-02-2008 01:57 PM                       

quote: Joe Redifer

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Nara Berson, who works in Minneapolis, said...

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posted 06-21-2008 11:07 AM                       

quote: Daily Telegraph, 21 June 2008

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Six-foot python found in Australian toilet

Horrified tenants of an Australian apartment block were left squirming after discovering a six foot python in their loo. The six-foot python was found in the toilet in an Australian apartment block.

Residents of the 10th floor apartment in the upmarket Cullen Bay complex in Darwin got the shock of their lives when the slimy reptile slithered out of the toilet bowl and on to the bathroom floor.

It is believed the snake had been lurking in the plumbing of the building for some time. Darwin's famous reptile wrangler Chris Peberdy, who rescued the scaly beast, said that even he was surprised that the snake had chosen to take up residence in such a stinky place.

"When I saw it I was pretty shocked," Peberdy told the Northern Territory News. "It's one thing to have a green frog in the toilet but not a six foot python. It would certainly scare you if it came up from the depths of the toilet. "I had to give him a good wash as he was wet and a bit smelly."

Mr Peberdy said the snake, a black-headed python which was as thick as a person's wrist, was likely to be a runaway pet that had travelled through the pipes after escaping a neighbour's home. He said: "Black-headed pythons are quite rare in the Darwin area, but they are popular in captivity. They are a prized pet and are quite valuable."

He added that this snake had had a lucky escape but warned that snake owners should keep their reptiles secured in appropriate cages or their pet could face a much bleaker end. "This could have ended in disaster. The snake could have been killed and chopped up into little pieces."

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posted 06-28-2008 02:41 AM                    

quote: The Smoking Gun

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"Can You Hear Me Now?"
Cops: Ohio Peeping Tom hid cell phone camera in his backside

JUNE 23--Meet Jeffrey Barrier. The Ohio man allegedly used a cell phone camera to snap photos of a naked woman at a tanning salon Saturday and then hid the phone in his anus in a bid to thwart police. Standing on a chair, Barrier, 41, took the photos at Cincinnati's Aloha Tanning, where a 35-year-old woman was "in the nude in a tanning room," according to a Hamilton County Municipal Court affidavit. When cops later confronted Barrier, "he kept denying any involvement of the incident" and claimed to not have a camera. However, a second search of the suspect turned up the camera. As noted in a Hamilton County Sheriff's Office report, Barrier "did hide evidence in his anus." Barrier, pictured in the below mug shot, was charged with disorderly conduct for taking the photos and obstructing official business for hampering a police investigation. Barrier, due in court today, is free on $1500 bond. (3 pages)

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