81-year-old woman to be tried for urinating in bushes of Bienville Square

Source: Mobile Register


MOBILE, Ala. -- An 81-year-old woman with a self-described incontinence problem awaits trial on a charge of public lewdness after Mobile police arrested her for urinating in the bushes in Bienville Square.
<snip>
Lula Mae Battle, who will be 82 by the time her case goes to trial Sept. 15, said she was having a bladder emergency the morning of June 3 while at her bank, which is adjacent to the park, but was told that the branch didn't have a restroom available to the public. She headed for the restrooms on the far side of the park, she said, but was unable to make it and began to urinate, so she jumped for cover in the bushes surrounding a small building.

The small building turned out to be a Mobile police substation manned by a cadet. He called for an officer and had her arrested. Battle said that she pleaded with the officer not to take her to jail, but the officer deferred to the cadet because he actually witnessed the act.

Read more: http://blog.al.com/live/2009/08/81yearold_woman_to_be_tried_fo.html#more

---

So...a rookie cop, a CADET, 'does his sworn duty'.
Jeez.
:eyes:

from dangerous old ladies peeing in the bushes.

hardly unspeakably despicable and heinous crime! :P

and, if they are and they're into their 80s odds are one or both of them have this problem (very common in elderly women) and I hope they're not too embarrassed by it to let Junior have it with both barrels when they find out what he did. Maybe they could get the little creep to give them a ride somewhere and they could both have "accidents" in his car.

I can't believe the poor woman has to go to court over this. How humiliating for her. People that age seem so fragile, I wouldn't wonder that such stress could damage her health.

I'm thinking back to a time in America when a cadet officer would look away out of common decency and call for a patrol car to take the poor woman home. It was a better time. We've lost a lot in these past couple of decades.

I hope whoever is following this provides us with an update.

Talk about lack of common sense. Not to mention a lack of sympathy or compassion for someone who was very old.

Guess their sanitary asses don't want to touch anything their customers do.

Take their money and get rid of 'em!

assholes - they should get some publicity out of this. They should have been named in the article.

of course we do live on a farm. This is bullshit the poor woman had to go!!!

You know, as asinine as it is about her arrest, I wish the name of that damn bank - and that bank employee - were splashed around worldwide. "(Bank name here) won't let old lady use the bathroom".

Given the anti-bank climate I suspect that little nugget would go viral.

Weapons can be hidden there, bombs can be planted there, people can hide until the bank closes.

I have never seen a bank with a public restroom.

while conducting some business at my credit union, I was allowed to use their restroom.

So, yes, some banks have them.

Security State Bank, and Western National Bank all have public restrooms. I've used each one of them personally and within the last 90 days.

Because both of the branches I use have immaculate bathrooms, free internet access, complimentary cookies, and greeters wearing Aloha shirts that like to talk story

Security risk.. Lol, thats a good one.

As the head banker conjures money out of thin air.

And I have yet to hear of them being robbed or bomb-threats made against them.

Then again, it's a credit union and not a 'bank' ;)

been a customer at banks that have restrooms that customers are allowed to use. I know this because I have used them myself.

hospital. The restroom is way in the back by the mop sink and xray equipment and back door. I can't have people traipsing all the way through my hospital all day long, where we have to supervise them so they don't "slip and fall" or stick fingers into the cats' cages as they walk past. If I let anybody use it, I have to let everybody use it. So it is off limits to anyone except employees.

I don't expect my bank to let me use their restroom, either.

does not equate "people traipsing...all day long."

Having said that, your place of business is unique in that a stranger coming through presents an infectious and injury risk to both humans and animals. So, I dunno if there's a solution there. :shrug:

not exactly people traipsing through all day, oh well blame that puddle on your lobby floor on one of your patients}(

Our official policy is NO PUBLIC RESTROOM. When we do make an emergency exception, we escort the person into the back and watch them like a hawk until they go in the restroom and immediately escort them right back to the front. And if my insurance company knew we did even that much, they would probably cancel me. The many hazards in the back of a vet clinic are well-known. There are half a dozen businesses within 50 yards that have public restrooms, BTW.

Set up inside the bathroom for just such occasions. You never know when someone might pocket the partial roll of TP.

might rise to the level of emergency.

If not, just remember that someday you, too, may be fortunate enough to live to your 80s and find yourself peeing in your pants.

Hell, I'm only 55 and occasionally if I sneeze or cough too hard... :blush:

of theirs who asks to use the restroom, because the vet those non-customers are paying actual money isn't generous enough to let them use her restroom.

hospital, you would probably make an exception. That's what this is about. It's about sometimes forgetting the rules in order to consider a human need that transcends them.

I guess my vets like their customers, or at least trust them, more than you.

I wish my bathroom at home was even half as big and nice. They even have a giant fern type plant in there. And the handsoap smells really nice.

just like they do when the animal "patients" have "accidents", or engage in "marking" in the waiting room(s).

Vet's waiting rooms are like bushes, trees and fire hydrants.

Most other retail businesses are not similarly equipped.

Pre-schools and roller coasters probably being exceptionally capable of cleaning such, usually inadvertent, "messes" also...

But what does that have to do with an elderly lady peeing down her leg in a park?

I'm sure you would righteously be proud of denying her the use of your bathroom. "It's mine, all MINE and you can't use it!!" is a common American attitude. Mine, mine! MINE!! Many people outgrow that when they get to kindergarten. Those who don't huddle together in groups and call themselves Republicans.

I'm sure glad you're not the vet I take my pets to. The bathroom in their office is just as you describe, and in the rare instances (2 or 3, I've been bringing my pets there for decades) where I've asked to use the restroom, the tech led me back there and then back to the waiting room.

I hope you treat your animal patients better than you treat their owners.

According to Google Maps, there are 3 banks adjacent to Bienville Square: Colonial Bank, Coastal Bank & Trust, and RBC Bank. Now if we can zoom in a little more and see which one is OPPOSITE the restroom at the park....

:eyes:

Oops, didn't mean to reply to that post but I'm curious which bank it is too.

Doesn't he know that you have to have a penis to be tried for public lewdness for simply taking a leak?

her with something besides lewdness. I wonder if she'll have to register as a sex offender now.

public, one must know the public. Each population has its own issues. Those who work with the elderly population would be great teachers for this police department. I can't believe that the retirement community has not stepped in to settle this. To bad she does not personally know president Obama. He might be able to weigh in again and let the stupidly acting cadet know not to arrest a elderly women with a bladder condition.

He's treating her like everyone else. He didn't arrest her because she was old.

Either way, this has to be the dumbest cop ever. Well, pretty damn close anyway.

I wonder just how proud this cadet/rookie is of himself!! Does he have a granny? I bet his mama gave him a talking to. I sincerely hope his superiors talk to this over zealous cub, whose probably still wet behind the ears, about compassion and respect for our elders. And how come a public bank doesn't have restroom available for their customers in just such an emergency. I think if I was granny I would consider moving my money to a more user friendly bank. This woman is owed a few apologies, in my humble opinion!

What's the point? There's no way in Hell any judge, jury or random person on the street is going to do anything but apologize to a 82 year-old woman for dragging her into court over this.

And lewdness? I would think for the charge of lewdness to stick someone -- perhaps the cadet -- would have to swear under oath that they got off watching her.

That this travesty will likely be one of the last significant events in this elderly woman's life makes me want to drop a large piss-filled water balloon over mobile PD headquarters. Really.

:dem:

-Laelth

well, actually three words...


bladder control products.

seriously

I'm 56 and have been using them for some years now because I have bladder control issues and while I have a good "map" in my head as to where the available bathrooms are in my area, it's always a good idea to have a backup plan just in case.

I never leave the house without a pad on.

They can be somewhat expensive, although some of the pharmacy brands are cheaper and just as effective, but if a person only wears them when away from home a package can last a long time.

anyway, I'm totally sympathetic to her plight. And that little fucking Napoleon in a uniform should be ashamed of himself. At the very most she should only have gotten a warning.

:sarcasm:

unemployment, the housing crisis, homelessness, inadequate and uneven educational systems, hunger, and poverty.

Thank Jesus we got those issues all fixed and can direct resources toward people peeing in parks.

that's sarcasm

old women who has gotta go , gotta go right now!

Poor woman . What a terrible way to treat a senior citizen.

If she is found guilty, we should all take up a collection for her appeal.

At least I hope so. However, she shouldn't have to go through this in the first place.

Just a few weeks ago, at the height of tourist season in NY, with traffic barely moving, this little prick pulls me over and **stops all traffic in the middle of Times Square** while demanding ID and just standing there looking like he has a stick up his ass while I ask over and over what he wants. This went on for 10 minutes and finally he says my seat belt isn't buckled.

Honestly, what is wrong with people these days? Are we really that good in churning out souless robots that follow instruction without question? Since when are people disallowed from making judgement calls regarding intent, emergency situations or necessity?

Has man separated himself so completely from nature that function such as urinations are intolerable unless they consist of polluting gallons of potable water, which then transports important substances needed by plants to flourish? Apparently so.

While it is important to maintain a clean environment for the public, I think the inability to to think outside of the rulebook is a major failing of the Human organisms, especially whan a poorly develeoped Objective Concsiousness rules over the Subjective Consciousness which is tempered with the understanding that we are all in this boat together.

In other words, Fascist behavior.

The Bushes urinated on us for 8 years.

of restrooms there to my friend.
No need to be a customer and get a token or a passcode.
No need to scope out or be aware of publicly available ones ahead of time.
Seemed a much more humane approach to me.

I'd pull every cent of my money out of that bank and I'd be sure to tell EVERYONE I knew about what turds they are. The roof could cave in on that bunch of scrooges before I'd set foot in that place again (and it most likely would because I can be a most stubborn woman with a very long memory.)

Yeah, I saw the discussion up-thread about security risks and safety issues, and that may well be the case in some businesses. I sure as hell don't have to patronize those places either. As consumers we CAN choose who we give our business to, and that bank would be off my list permanently. Customer service USED to be something that consumers felt they had a right to expect, and that bank actually set up a horrible situation for their customer by refusing to allow her access to a freaking toilet.

Hell, if she was gonna get nabbed for pissing in public it is a shame she didn't get caught doing it on the desk of that bank President! Only seems fitting to me.

Without a doubt, the rookie cop stepped in a PR nightmare that could well haunt him for a long time to come (I can hear it now, "Hey, Joe, you nab any granny weenie waggers lately?") but that bank is the true villain of this story, IMO.


Laura

Yes! Excellent point! A bank may not want to open up the bathrooms for the general public, and may even encourage their own customers to go elsewhere. But if there's an emergency, then all businesses should help their fellow humans. Are we so callow that we just ignore someone having a medical emergency? One day the bank employee may be in a similar situation (and you don't have to be old to need to go to the bathroom... think intestinal flu, which could strike any of us). But yes, this started with the bank. If it were me and if they apologized, i'd still close my account. There's no apology sufficient for being hauled off to jail like a common criminal and having to post bail just because one had a medical emergency.

Make them build public restrooms too.

They HAVE public restrooms and she was within close walking distance to one. What the hell would she sue for? Or is suing the first response you have for every issue?

Sue? Get real. Sue the police for enforcing the law equally. Sue the bank because they don't have a porta potty in the lobby. Sue the teller because elderly have a rights to pee in banks.

Common sense or common courtesy at any point in this situation would have solved the whole thing. Suing won't help any of these people develop either.

This Mobile Alabama we're talking about here afterall.
I can't imagine a cop siting a sweet apple checked Irish gramma type for getting caught short like that.
But...maybe I wrong. Cops are mostly pigs...with very few exceptions.

If she is one of THOSE Battles.
There is an old area on the eastern shore of Mobile Bay called Battles' Wharf.
And an 81 year old lady named 'Eula Mae' could be either black or white.
Or something else.
I see she already has an attorney.
I'm sure we'll find out what her skin color is soon.
If she's black, the black civic leaders and politicians will be raising hell.
If she's white, everybody else will be raising hell.
That's just how it is down here.

It's obvious that you know absolutely nothing about Mobile otherwise you would not have made that dumbass comment.


We are the home of America's original Mardi Gras, we are home to the tallest building on the Gulf Coast outside of Houston, we have a black mayor, we have historically been a city run by Catholics and we were the first city in Alabama to give black citizens back their right to vote, starting in 1947 with blacks playing a major role in city elections from 1953 onward and we were also the first city ion the state to start putting blacks back on the police force and to my knowledge we are the city in the state which, while having a white majority and a white mayor have had a black police force.


You have your right to an opinion but when that opinion is insulting my hometown I have the right to tell you to fuck off

They're the best!

I would have threatened the bank a-holes to let me use their restroom or I would just have to go right there, in front of everyone. Then, after wards I would have sued the bastards for refusing to let me use their can. And fuck that rookie idiot. Just another up and coming "public servant," right? I guess that's Mobile's #1 priority, busting old ladies with bladder problems. Catching druggies, rapists, and thieves is secondary at best.

If the judge at the trial doesn't throw this BS case right out, then their is something seriously wrong with our criminal justice system.

They were born and raised at a time when most Americans were polite and courteous. They do not shout and stomp in public about anything and especially not about using the restroom.

In court just because. What a stupid cop. I'm sure that cop will be traumatized the rest of his life after seeing that.

the police acted stupidly?

and they did

These officers put their life on the line and deserve our unquestioned respect. He should of OC'd her for not responding to his immediate attempt to control the situation. Instead of immediately stopping urination, she continued until her bladder was empty, defying the officers attempts to maintain control of the situation and destroying evidence.

strictly adjacent to the park:

1. Colonial Bank
182 St Francis St, Mobile, AL‎ - (251) 460-2492‎
http://www.colonialbank.com/
Motto: "You'll like it here."

2. Bank-Pensacola Downtown Mbl‎
170 Saint Francis St, Mobile, AL‎ - (251) 438-6100‎
http://www.coastalbankandtrustal.com/
Welcome Home To Coastal Bank & Trust
We mean that. Although we belong to one of the strongest and most capable regional banking networks in the U.S., we consider ourselves, first and foremost, members of this community.

That means our customers are not just account numbers or voices on the phone to us. You're the people we worship with. You buy groceries where we do. Your kids play soccer with our kids.

Financial challenges are more complex these days, but we're ready to give you the personal help and attention you need. We consider it a privilege to serve our customers.

Thank you for your consideration, and we look forward to establishing the BEST banking relationship you have ever had!

3. southtrust Bank: Saraland‎
61 Saint Joseph St, Mobile, AL‎ - (251) 431-9380‎
No website, apparently.

4. Gulf Federal Bank‎
200 Dauphin St, Mobile, AL‎ - (251) 433-2671‎
http://www.woodlandsbanking.com/
During these times, you want a bank that you can put your trust into – not just your money.
You want a bank that gives you the service you deserve – not just a loan.


I have emailed three of these and called the other. I'll have to call back Monday for the other. I have demanded to know if they are the bank involved in the incident. I want a confession.

I'll be passing close enough to stop in Mobile next week. If I can find out which bank it is, I'm going to go in and piss on the floor. God, those rude, crude, Texans!

Then next time some elderly lady asks to use the restroom, they'll be glad, so glad, it's not me.

Go get 'em !

younger sibling may not have had a completely positive effect on my behavior through the years.

Hmmm.

But it's fun! :bounce:

way you think, and this is something that should come to pass. If you pardon the expression.
It ought to become a weekly event in that bank, so they'll never know who, when, or where.

Swarms of old ladies in rented walkers totter in, pee, and flee.
Purple scarves across their faces for disguises.

I dibs the movie rights.

REALLY good!

and producers. We could come on down with my truck loaded and create a national incident.

who has terminal cancer and who is running unopposed this year you'll soon find that any attempt to paint our city negatively will quickly backfire.

in your town, in spite of its illustrious history as far as race relations and civic progress are concerned. You listed them somewhere else and I read them with appreciation.
Your sick and beloved and obviously accomplished mayor will help clear this up, surely, he won't disappoint you. I do wonder why you keep mentioning his color?

I still think the plan in the works, since our DUer mbperrin has laid it out for us, warrants raucous support, follow up and a film crew and maybe more depending on the outcome.
I suspect I'm just joking, but maybe not.

We have fun here on DU when we can find it, and we did.
It's not personal, nor a slam on your home town, though you may interpret it that way.
We are all evolving, I hope.

.
.
.

Us HOOMANS - supposedly at the top of the "food chain" and the "smartest, most intelligent" species on the planet;

have a problem with where we pee and poo

The REST of the millions of species do their "business" wherever they feel like it.

And it doesn't really seem to adversely affect the environment.

HOOMANS are REALLY full of shit I guess . . .

We gotta make special ponds(lagoons) for it

As for shitting in public, I'm not suggesting we go that far,

But if every guy that whizzed on a tree, car tire, building corner, etc., etc. got charged for it

We all would be mostly in jail.

Ah well . .

These are the people that elected Sessions to the Senate.

His first opponent. Roger Bedford. One of the most hated members of the state legislature and yet emminently popular in his own district


His second oppponent. Well, we had a chance to get an opponent that could have beat him in Julian McPhillips but for some reason the ADC and NSC decided during the runoff to back Parker instead even though McPhillips was a civil rights attorney and so McPhillips runoff vote was lower than his primary vote, we ended up with Parker who Sessions painted as an "ACLU liberal" and we lost an election that we could have won

His third opponent. I wish Ron Sparks had run but he didn't and so instead we got Vivian Davis Figures, whose sole accomplishment in the state legislature is pushing a public smoking ban for the whole state that is always tabled and which doesn't even have support in her own home city (which refuses to pass such a ban even as many of our suburbs are starting to do so)


Run a good opponent against Sessions and pump several million in and you'll knock him off. Right now, finding that opponent has been a problem.

What's next? A police office arresting the driver of a speeding car because the passenger is having a heart attack and about to die?

I would have been concerned for her

...she'll get off with having to register as a sex offender.

I hear peeing in public comes with that baggage in some places.

Waste of taxpayer money

Both government agencies and corporations just see them as non-essential budget outlays so why should they bother to waste money on them?




Besides if your at a place where you need stay at longer than ten minutes then you are probably not that important to them anyway :shrug:

bushes in that community that need looking after?

arresting and citing an 81 year old person is really at the top of active duty list?

somebody needs to be FIRED!

A woman is 82, for crying out loud. What's the point of charging her?

brought to justice.

She should have peed on the floor of the bank. And then I hope she takes her banking business elsewhere.