Homeless Man Fined $112 For Dancing On Minneapolis City Street

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Sometimes a guy feels so good he just wants to start dancing.

Ah, but don't let that happen in Minneapolis. If you break out in dance on a Minneapolis street you can be hit with a $112 fine.

It happened to 45-year-old Paul Wicklund early in the morning of Dec. 2. He was dancing -- and, according to University of Minnesota police, singing at the top of his lungs -- in the 300 block of Washington Avenue SE. He was stopped and ticketed for being in violation of city statue 427.20.

"No person shall dance or engage or participate in any dancing upon any public street or highway in the city; and no person shall provide for, promote or conduct any dance or dancing upon any public street or highway in the city, except at a block party."

On the surface, you wouldn't think Wicklund would have much to dance about. His spouse booted him out of his home about a month ago, leaving him homeless. In addition, he's been bedeviled by alcohol for years.

Yet at 5:30 a.m. Dec. 2, Wicklund was a happy man.

Earlier, he'd been visiting his seriously ill grandson at the University of Minnesota Medical Center.

"I was up in the family waiting room, and the nurse said he was doing well," Wicklund said. "That was an improvement from stable. Made me very happy."

Wicklund said he slipped into the chapel to offer a prayer of thanks. (He's a very religious man, though he can cuss a blue streak.) He also took a few nips of vodka.

"Bringing the bottle in was my mistake," Wicklund said. "I was high, but quiet -- but somebody saw me take a drink."

http://www.startribune.com/stories/465/5787812.html

5:30 a.m. is too early to be happy

It's a part of the U of M campus, near the hospital. Cheap shit campus cops.

Campus cops are the cheapest, smallest-minded people I've ever ran across.

No cops. It's a good thing, too. We did weirder shit than dance.

Washington Avenue is mostly storefront bars and restaurants at that point.

With silver hair, a ragged shirt, and baggy pants
The old soft shoe
He jumped so high, jumped so high
Then he lightly touched down

I met him in a cell in New Orleans I was
down and out
He looked to me to be the eyes of age
as he spoke right out
He talked of life, talked of life, he laughed
clicked his heels and stepped

He said his name "Bojangles" and he danced a lick
across the cell
He grabbed his pants and spread his stance,
Oh he jumped so high and then he clicked his heels
He let go a laugh, let go a laugh
and shook back his clothes all around

Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance

He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs
throughout the south
He spoke through tears of 15 years how his dog and him
traveled about
The dog up and died, he up and died
And after 20 years he still grieves

He said I dance now at every chance in honky tonks
for drinks and tips
But most the time I spend behind these county bars
'cause I drinks a bit
He shook his head, and as he shook his head
I heard someone ask him please

Mr. Bojangles, Mr. Bojangles
Mr. Bojangles, dance..

Watch out Aloysius, they might have a movable-type printing press! OR one of those new fangled steam-powered automobiles. I'll grab my hat! There hasn't been this much excitement since Eliza showed us her ankle!

:rofl:

That's the Minnesota Nice way of saying "he was a habitual falling down drunk"