$1000 fine for playing on Los Angeles beaches.
The Board of Supervisors this week agreed to raise fines to up to $1,000 for anyone who throws a football or a Frisbee on any beach in Los Angeles County.In passing the 37-page ordinance on Tuesday, officials sought to outline responsibilities for law enforcement and other public agencies while also providing clarification on beach-goer activities that could potentially disrupt or even injure the public.
The updated rules now prohibit "any person to cast, toss, throw, kick or roll" any object other than a beach ball or volleyball "upon or over any beach" between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
The true purpose of this kind of law is more pernicious than it might initially seem. It should be obvious that the law will not be enforced uniformly or universally... police will apply the law at their discretion. The true effect of this kind of law is to transform us from a society ruled by laws to one ruled by the whims of men. The police won't stop a couple of kids from playing ball, but if they see some "undesirable types" "disrupting" the beach they'll use this new law as a pretense for hauling them away.
A good rule of thumb: laws that can't be enforced uniformly and universally should not be passed because they create too much potential for abuse.
(HT: RB.)
