Council puts lid on stinky rider bill
The City Council has shelved a measure that would have made it a crime for people with offensive odor to ride public transportation systems, including TheBus.
Bill 59 was deferred today by the council’s Transportation Committee.
Councilman Nestor Garcia, co-author of the bill with colleague Rod Tam, said he would work on a new proposal to address constitutional issues raised by the language of the bill.
The provision on odor is unlikely to be included.
Under the proposal, anyone convicted of being too odorous could have faced a $500 or up to six months in jail.
Police and the prosecutor’s office raised concerns over the enforceability of the law as it is written, noting that it would make it a crime to have body odor, and anyone arrested for this offense would have a right to a trial by jury.
The City Council has shelved a measure that would have made it a crime for people with offensive odor to ride public transportation systems, including TheBus.
Bill 59 was deferred today by the council’s Transportation Committee.
Councilman Nestor Garcia, co-author of the bill with colleague Rod Tam, said he would work on a new proposal to address constitutional issues raised by the language of the bill.
The provision on odor is unlikely to be included.
Under the proposal, anyone convicted of being too odorous could have faced a $500 or up to six months in jail.
Police and the prosecutor’s office raised concerns over the enforceability of the law as it is written, noting that it would make it a crime to have body odor, and anyone arrested for this offense would have a right to a trial by jury.
http://www.starbulletin.com/news/breaking/57039972.html
