Posted on 09/01/2011 10:04:27 AM PDT by rawhide
An Oklahoma City man said he was doing a good deed when he was arrested and cited for mowing his yard and a neighbor's yard Friday morning.
Phil Ray Gage, 40, was arrested on a complaint of disturbing the peace after a neighbor called police to report him for mowing a lawn at 2529 NW 33 at 4:30 a.m., Oklahoma City police said.
He was released by police at the scene after he signed a citation for disturbing the peace.
But Gage said he's been mowing in the early morning hours for 10 years, and nobody has complained before.
He said when he was arrested he was in the process of finishing up mowing his neighbor's yard.
“When the officer came up to me she asked me if I knew it was illegal to mow at that time of day,” Gage said. “I thought she was cracking a joke. Then she told me to get up against the car, and she put cuffs on me.”
Gage said he mows in the early morning hours because of the heat and because it fits his work schedule best.
Gage said the light from his neighbor's yard and his yard provides enough light for him to mow.
“I'm a carpenter, so I have to mow when I can,” he said. “That time is just what works best because of the heat and my job.”
Gage said he never has had problems with his neighbors.
“We all know each other,” he said. “We watch out for each other's houses. I have phone numbers for just about all my neighbors except for the guy that lives across the street. I don't know him as well.”
Gage said he would have stopped mowing in the early morning hours if someone had asked him to.
“I just wished he would have talked to me about it before he called the police,” he said. “If people wanted me to stop, I'd stop.”
Gage said he intends to fight the ticket.
“I'm going to try to fight it,” he said. “It's unreal how I got treated for mowing a yard.”
According to police reports, Gage became argumentative when officers arrived and asked him to turn off his mower, but Gage said he complied immediately.
“I did what she told me to do,” he said. “Believe me, if I had said one thing to her she would have taken me to jail.”
The neighbor who called police could not be reached for comment Tuesday.
Because it wouldn’t produce the revenue that a fine will bring in.
Hope he appeals.
See! You hit the nail on the head.
I too would be HUGELY annoyed if my neighbor used his noisy lawnmower at 4:30
But an ARREST? That too the first time the police came by?
Something is amiss here. If I had to guess, Mr. Sleepless in Oklahoma mouthed off to the female officer
Since he was released ON THE SCENE with a ticket, it makes me thing he was being argumentative.
I always tell everyone, even if the police officer is completely in the wrong, don’t lose your cool. It will never work. If the fuzz is honest, you will just offend him with your mouth. If the fuzz is crooked, he will now go out of his way to punish you.
The guy across the lake from me always mows after dark. I’m a morning mower and my neighbor behind me mows in the afternoon.
The “rules of engagement” for police has gotten WAY out of control. Assume the position and hand cuffed for noise ordinance violation. Tasered at traffic stops. Dogs shot because they are there. Property seized for any reason the officer can come up with. We are indeed in a Police State.
What amazes me with this story is that most neighbors are concerned about houses that don’t mow... the grass getting super high. Not everyone works Monday through Friday (9-5). Some folks work rotating shifts, some evenings and some midnights. All the neighbor had to do is ASK this man not to mow that early. Just ask, nicely. Once again, someone runs to the cops instead of being civil, introducing themselves and asking the person to stop. Sheesh!
My friend lived in a high-meth neighborhood in California. He said most of his neighbors were out doing yardwork at three in the morning.
But then you would be guessing. That may not be the case.
I have seen some totally out of control cops hollering at totally polite citizens.
Why didn’t the cops just ask him to stop mowing at that time in the morning, give him a warning and, leave it at that?
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There’s always more to the story. I’m guessing he got all smart-ass with the cop. From the article: “I thought she was cracking a joke.”
Could be he was giving her attitude, and when she slapped the cuffs on him, he tried to pass if off a joke?
Just a theory.
That's the crux of this issue. Add to that the fact that the guy is one of those nice neighbors who takes the time to help out his neighbor by cutting his grass too......
I just hope he keeps his "nice neighbor" attitude and doesn't get bitter over this.........
You are correct, it is just a guess. Trying to put two and two together. Especially the fact that he was released on the scene. Normally when the fuzz is on a power high, they haul you to jail just to humiliate you and do the perp pics.
During many years of delivering pizzas, I was always amazed at how many people I saw mowing their lawn between midnight and 3 AM.
LOL, I haven’t heard cops refered to as the fuzz in years.
Is grass still growing in OK? As hot as it has been and the fires I would think that grass cutting wasn’t a big priority.
If that had been me I probably would have gotten a DUI. I like a frosty friend with me when I cut grass. However, 4:30 am might be a little early for one.
My neighbor would have put a magnum round through the motor then rolled over and went back to sleep.
Because the copette would not have gotten to show the balls she carries on her belt and because she probably has an IQ just high enough to get hired.
Nobody mows a lawn at 0430 to disturb the peace. He does it because it makes sense.
I agree! The man sounded like a good person who knew his neighbors, had their phone numbers and was also cutting his neighbor’s lawn. What’s the old saying... “you get more from honey than you do vinegar?” If the newer neighbor had a problem, all he had to do was ask the man nicely... then said he was a light sleeper or whatever. I know one neighbor that has crazy hours for work. He is doing the best he can do working two jobs and trying to keep his house looking nice. I’ve seen his lawnmower with flashlights attached to it because he sometimes mows after 9 at night.
I would almost say that there is more to this story than is being reported.
Yep, and as cities start feeling the "crunch" they will go after everybody for everything they can. Jay walking, spitting on the sidewalk, talking too loud, you name it.
We have become a police state and we have allowed it to happen.
The officerina did what she was trained to do, exercise authority to the exclusion of other reasonable options.
SOP.
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