Public Indecency, Yes or No

[roger1440]

Last night I was watching an episode of Cops wherein a guy was at a public beach and approached a woman and asked her for oral sex. She said no and then called the police. After she explained to them what had happened they arrested the guy for public indecency.

My question: does asking this really amount to public indecency?

If so, why?

If no, why not?



But the real kicker here is that he was with his wife---evidently she wasn't nearby when he made his proposition---and when the police explained to her why they were arresting her husband, she was utterly unfazed. No reaction whatsoever.

I hope it's not public indecency.

 

[Aquitaine]

Sure, there are plenty of false guilty charges to be concerned with. A culture of making exceptions for specific cases were appropriate conditions for convicting someone aren't present is basically the problem with false guilty charges.



I wouldn't recommend being a lawyer then.

Fear not, I have no intentions of becomming a Lawyer.
I also have no intention of ever approaching a stranger and asking for a blowjob either, so I'm not at all fussed if doing so would land me with a Public Indecency charge - because I'm never gonna think to do it.

 

[Skwim]

Of all the examples to rally behind.......

 

[Quintessence]

While the chances of her accepting are vanishingly small, the potential reward is a fine time had by all.
It's also reasonable because she need only respond with "No" or perhaps with a price.

On the behalf of all the women of the world who don't like being regarded as sacks of flesh for $#@%ing, I am truly, truly sorry that you see things that way.

 

[Revoltingest]

On the behalf of all the women of the world who don't like being regarded as sacks of flesh for $#@%ing, I am truly, truly sorry that you see things that way.

Well, isn't this response better than having cops (under threat of deadly
force) haul him away for prosecution over saying something offensive?
And this is not about women being victims with men being perps.
It's about less gov abuse of both men & women, & the right of either
to say unsavory or salacious things.

 

[LuisDantas]

The tale in the OP describes sexual harassment, but not public indecency.

Unless someone else heard him, I suppose. Then it is both.

 

[LuisDantas]

I can only guess what "bollocked" means, but if it means arrested, then no. People should never be arrested for breaking laws that don't pertain to their behavior. Evidently you do.

Asking for a sexual favor is not a part of his behavior?

 

[LuisDantas]

I wouldn't recommend being a lawyer then.

Now, that is certainly good advice. No one should, not for a living anyway.

 

[LuisDantas]

We don't, but are you really suggesting that we start arresting people for what you think they might do? "Oh officer, I saw that guy over there light a cigarette and believe that tomorrow the next thing he'll light on fire is that building. Better arrest him now!"

So people are not or should not be arrested for threatening others with death? Or, in this case, sexual harassment?

I truly thought otherwise, and still do.

 

[Estro Felino]

But I wonder what would happen if it's the woman who asks a man for the same thing (I mean she asks to do oral sex to him)
In this case....will the man report her as well by accusing her of sexual harassment?
I don't think so.

 

[LuisDantas]

Who knows? This guy could be so lucky to pick the most insatiable nympho ever.

Is this a matter of respect for the desire to get lucky?

Somehow I don't think it is acceptable to gently ask people whether they feel like giving me sexual favors just because, you know. I truly believe not a few people would end up thinking of me as a dangerous immoral, including me.

What am I missing?

 

[LuisDantas]

But I wonder what would happen if it's the woman who asks a man the same thing (I mean she asks to do oral sex to him)
In this case....will the man report her as well by accusing her of sexual harassment?
I don't think so.

A friend of mine...(she's nicknamed Giusy la Pompinara...and it's better I don't translate what it means) went to an American military base in Sicily.
Because she wanted to figure out how horny Americans were.
well...at the end of the evening her jaws hurt...poor little thing.

That illustrates how much safer males feel when constrasted with females in our societies. Maybe something else as well, but I'm not sure what.

 

[Estro Felino]

Is this a matter of respect for the desire to get lucky?

Somehow I don't think it is acceptable to gently ask people whether they feel like giving me sexual favors just because, you know. I truly believe not a few people would end up thinking of me as a dangerous immoral, including me.

What am I missing?

I am analyzing this from a juridic point of view.
If two people are adults and consenting, they can have sex...it is not a crime.

 

[dawny0826]

Last night I was watching an episode of Cops wherein a guy was at a public beach and approached a woman and asked her for oral sex. She said no and then called the police. After she explained to them what had happened they arrested the guy for public indecency.

My question: does asking this really amount to public indecency?

If so, why?

If no, why not?



But the real kicker here is that he was with his wife---evidently she wasn't nearby when he made his proposition---and when the police explained to her why they were arresting her husband, she was utterly unfazed. No reaction whatsoever.

Clearly, the woman who was impacted felt that he was being indecent. She was concerned enough to call the police, perhaps not knowing the legality of his actions.

I doubt that the police would make an arrest if the behavior wasn't illegal.

 

[LuisDantas]

I am analyzing this from a juridic point of view.

Well, most anything can happen by the perspective of laws. They are odd, bothersome things with little resemblance to sane constructs.

If two people are adults and consenting, they can have sex...it is not a crime.

It actually is in certain circunstances. Most often it is called adultery, but there are other situations as well. That does not seem to apply here, though.

It seems to me that the situation described in the OP involves a lack of consent, as well as a manifest rejection of the way of approach. Not having been there, we can only make rather indirectly informed guesses about how respectful and insistent he was, as well as whether she felt intimidated or endangered in any way.

But it certainly does not look like a single's bar situation.

 

[dawny0826]

I don't know the legal definition of "public indecency" but there is certainly nothing decent about walking up to someone and asking for sexual favors. It's definitely sexual harassment, if nothing else. And if the prick does this on a routine basis, he deserves to rot in a jail cell for a while. Among other things.

Per Wikipedia:

Sexual harassment is bullying or coercion of a sexual nature, or the unwelcome or inappropriate promise of rewards in exchange for sexual favors.

As he was arrested for public indecency, there must be laws in that locality that prohibit such behavior. But, I'm not sure that his actions (if he merely asked, she said no and he walked on) consitute sexual harassment, from a legal perspective.

Of course, we don't know where this happened to research such laws.

 

[Skwim]

So people are not or should not be arrested for threatening others with death? Or, in this case, sexual harassment?

I truly thought otherwise, and still do.

Death threats are illegal. And in the OP case the behavior didn't amount to harassment. See post 11.

 

[Estro Felino]

It seems to me that the situation described in the OP involves a lack of consent, as well as a manifest rejection of the way of approach. Not having been there, we can only make rather indirectly informed guesses about how respectful and insistent he was, as well as whether she felt intimidated or endangered in any way.

okay...let's imagine a situation, confirmed by witnesses.
- Man: Hello, mademoiselle. Would you like to have sex with me?
- Woman: No, thank you.
- Man: Okay, sorry for bothering you.

You will understand that for a judge it is unlawful to charge the man in question with a crime.

 

[LuisDantas]

okay...let's imagine a situation, confirmed by witnesses.
- Man: Hello, mademoiselle. Would you like to have sex with me?
- Woman: No, thank you.
- Man: Okay, sorry for bothering you.

You will understand that for a judge it is unlawful to charge the man in question with a crime.

Is it? That is just not clear to me. It will, of course, depend on the law. And there is no clear reason for a random law on the matter to go one way or the other.

 

[LuisDantas]

What if he asked her for a date? Would that amount to harassment? How about if he asked to sit beside her and hold her hand?

FYI,

harassment (either harris-meant or huh-rass-meant) n. the act of systematic and/or continued unwanted and annoying actions of one party or a group, including threats and demands.
source
​

And I believe the operative words here are "systematic and/or continued," neither of which occurred.

Why do you think there was no harassment? It looks like there probably was.