Couple handcuffed, jailed for dancing on subway platform: lawsuit
44 replies, posted
[img]http://www.nypost.com/rw/nypost/2012/07/08/news/web_photos/08.1n010.Dancing.ta--300x450.jpg[/img]
BOOGIE DOWNER: George Hess and Caroline Stern are suing after cops arrested them for dancing on an empty subway platform, they say.
[quote]First smoking, then soda — now there’s no dancing in New York City.
Caroline Stern, 55, and her boyfriend George Hess, 54, claim they were handcuffed for having happy feet on the platform of the Columbus Circle subway station — and spent 23 hours in custody as a result.
“I’m a dentist, and I’m 55, and I got arrested for dancing,” Stern told The Post. “It was absolutely ridiculous that this happened.”
It was nearly midnight when Stern and Hess, a film-industry prop master, headed home last July from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Midsummer Night’s Swing. As they waited for the train, a musician started playing steel drums on the nearly empty platform and Stern and Hess began to feel the beat.
“We were doing the Charleston,” Stern said. That’s when two police officers approached and pulled a “Footloose.”
“They said, ‘What are you doing?’ and we said, ‘We’re dancing,’ ” she recalled. “And they said, ‘You can’t do that on the platform.’ ”
The cops asked for ID, but when Stern could only produce a credit card, the officers ordered the couple to go with them — even though the credit card had the dentist’s picture and signature.
When Hess began trying to film the encounter, things got ugly, Stern said.
“We brought out the camera, and that’s when they called backup,” she said. “That’s when eight ninja cops came from out of nowhere.”
Hess was allegedly tackled to the platform floor, and cuffs were slapped on both of them. The initial charge, according to Stern, was disorderly conduct for “impeding the flow of traffic.”
“There was nobody on the platform. There were, like, three people,” she said.
The charges, including resisting arrest, were later dropped. The couple has filed a Manhattan federal court suit against the city for unspecified damages.
“If you are surrounded by good musicians, that’s going to make you want to dance,” Stern said. “The musician who is playing is legal, but . . . we’re illegal?”
The avid hoofers frequently go out on the town to boogie.
“When you’re waiting for the subway late at night, there’s not much to do but dance and celebrate life,” she said.
The city Law Department is reviewing the court papers, a spokeswoman said
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Read more: [url]http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/manhattan/waltz_the_charge_officer_8jQ7kbvZwVhaU4PxNi917K#ixzz20ENXtdja[/url]
Oh, New York.
I can see the reasoning behind this. Depending on how intensely they were dancing, (which considering they were doing the Charleston to 'Footlose', it was probably rather erratic), they could have tripped or accidentally shoved someone and they could've fallen onto the subway rails. Not a very pleasant way to die, either by train or by getting zapped by the rail.
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705125]I can see the reasoning behind this. Depending on how intensely they were dancing, (which considering they were doing the Charleston to 'Footlose', it was probably rather erratic), they could have tripped or accidentally shoved someone and they could've fallen onto the subway rails. Not a very pleasant way to die, either by train or by getting zapped by the rail.[/QUOTE]
[b]OFF DA RAILZ[/b]
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705125]I can see the reasoning behind this. Depending on how intensely they were dancing, (which considering they were doing the Charleston to 'Footlose', it was probably rather erratic), they could have tripped or accidentally shoved someone and they could've fallen onto the subway rails. Not a very pleasant way to die, either by train or by getting zapped by the rail.[/QUOTE]
[quote]“There was nobody on the platform. There were, like, three people,” she said.[/quote]
[QUOTE=Trunk Monkay;36705207][/QUOTE]
Three people that could be bumped into. Or like I said, they could have tripped and fallen onto te tracks themselves.
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705230]Three people that could be bumped into. Or like I said, they could have tripped and fallen onto te tracks themselves.[/QUOTE]
Tackled and arrested for dancing? I know you're just playing devil's advocate, but anyway you put this, is ridiculous.
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705230]Three people that could be bumped into. Or like I said, they could have tripped and fallen onto te tracks themselves.[/QUOTE]
Threee people who were most likely smart would stay out of the way. Tripping and falling on the tracks is a risk you take, shouldn't be illegal. Considering you could dance on a street and fall into traffic, which is legal.
The scum of society
"Land of the free"
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705125]I can see the reasoning behind this. Depending on how intensely they were dancing, (which considering they were doing the Charleston to 'Footlose', it was probably rather erratic), they could have tripped or accidentally shoved someone and they could've fallen onto the subway rails. Not a very pleasant way to die, either by train or by getting zapped by the rail.[/QUOTE]
How dare they enjoy a free beat? How could they have the audacity to enjoy life and move about. [i]What a hazard![/i]
They weren't hurting a fucking thing, and they're just as likely to trip over a discarded cig packet as they are mis-step in their dance. They weren't being a hazard to anyone. Not even themselves.
[QUOTE=Grimgor13;36705434]"Land of the free"[/QUOTE]
Said someone who's nation bans certain breeds of dogs and has a massive waiting period just to move one's pet into the country.
Wait does this count as image macro?
They must be criminally bad at dancing.
Maybe it was dangerous, but couldn't the cop just, you know, tell them to stop?
they can dance if they want too
they can leave those cops behind
shit, sounds like something I'd do if I was drunk
[QUOTE=Splash Attack;36711718]Maybe it was dangerous, but couldn't the cop just, you know, tell them to stop?[/QUOTE]
sorry that makes too much sense for the american justice system
[QUOTE=Lemonator;36711896]they can dance if they want too
they can leave those cops behind[/QUOTE]
Cause if the dance
If it's dangerous
Then that'll warrant an arrest
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705125]I can see the reasoning behind this. Depending on how intensely they were dancing, (which considering they were doing the Charleston to 'Footlose', it was probably rather erratic), they could have tripped or accidentally shoved someone and they could've fallen onto the subway rails. Not a very pleasant way to die, either by train or by getting zapped by the rail.[/QUOTE]
yes because when you dance you knock people off ledges.
[QUOTE=Character;36712010]yes because when you dance you knock people off ledges.[/QUOTE]
It's more likely than you think! :v:
[QUOTE=Forumaster;36705230]they could have tripped and fallen onto te tracks themselves.[/QUOTE]
Their decision to make. If someone wants to endanger their own life, let them
[QUOTE=prooboo;36714186]Their decision to make. If someone wants to endanger their own life, let them[/QUOTE]
That is a bad mentality to have.
They weren't handcuffed and jailed for dancing, they were handcuffed and jailed for trying to film the NYPD.
[quote]“We brought out the camera, and that’s when they called backup,” she said. “That’s when eight ninja cops came from out of nowhere.”
Hess was allegedly tackled to the platform floor, and cuffs were slapped on both of them. The initial charge, according to Stern, was disorderly conduct for “impeding the flow of traffic.”[/quote]
Yeah, I'm calling bullshit on this one.
[QUOTE=Sharker;36714382]That is a bad mentality to have.[/QUOTE]
What, that people shouldn't be nannied?
[QUOTE=Sharker;36714382]That is a bad mentality to have.[/QUOTE]
No. It really isn't. Yours is. Yours, from what I can tell enforces a nanny state view where they feel the need to interfere with my life more than I, a lawful citizen, feel the need to be interfered with.
Go learn something about the idea of "agency" and person responsibility and stop acting like we need a nanny state.
[QUOTE=prooboo;36714514]What, that people shouldn't be nannied?[/QUOTE]
Exactly, the government knows best and should obviously be the parents of everyone, they know best, only the government can tell me what I can and cannot do, they know best. They tell me when to eat, when to sleep, when to drink, how long to work, where to work, all hail glorious government leader.
[QUOTE=prooboo;36714186]Their decision to make. If someone wants to endanger their own life, let them[/QUOTE]
People have proven time and time again that they can't be trusted with that kind of responsibility.
[QUOTE=Ardosos;36714692]People have proven time and time again that they can't be trusted with that kind of responsibility.[/QUOTE]
Hardly. If the overwhelming majority of people couldn't be trusted not to fuck up and kill themselves, the population of the world would quickly dwindle. Even then, it's their decision to make, so long as they're not harming other people, which in this case they can hardly be seen as endangering other people
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