UNH Cops: It's on like Donkey Kong

So I'm sitting in my room doing some work and one of my roommates walk by. He says that on his way to class he saw a cop J-walk across Main Street and begin to give out parking tickets. As my roommate passes he notices a meter that has run out and he slips a quarter in the slot before the cop was able to see that the meter had hit zero. Cabinet Kid 1 Cop 0. After he finishes telling me this story I check my emails to see that a new comment was left on my post about the Stoke RA. It was left by that very RA. After an email exchange, he sent me this statement:

Hi all, I just so happen to be the RA that was indeed arrested for J-Walking. Here’s the Scoop.


I did in fact cross the road using a sidewalk however I did not see any officer attempting to direct traffic. I was walking back from class and came up to the sidewalk that heads over to Garrison Avenue (the one closest to Hoco). A car came to a stop and waved me out so I crossed the road.


When I got to the near end of the crosswalk and officer yelled at me to stop. I took two steps to the other side and stopped. Officer Deschenes ran over and scolded me, and then continued to write me a ticket. I objected the ticket stating I would see it through in court; this in turn put us on a bad course. I continued to question the officer about the situation and the resulting ticket. It began to frustrate me that the officer was not answering the questions and in fact seemed to be stating a false situation. The argument or discussion, depending on how you deem it, came to abrupt end when the officer yelled in my face to “Stop running my mouth!” I became overly aggravated with that attitude and I myself developed a similar attitude and a similar response. This in turn got me arrested. What I did may or may not be right or lawful, you be the judge.

Well, there you have it, it wasn't exactly J-walking like I had heard, but it definitely seems like a verbal warning would have been more appropriate for the situation had it not escalated. Hopefully I'll have more on this situation as it unfolds.

Stay classy, not UMassy.

Did a Stoke RA get arrested... for J-Walking?

So over the past few days the rumor mill has been swarming about an apparent arrest of a Stoke RA. According to two sources on Twitter a Stoke RA was given a citation for J-walking across Main Street by Thompson Hall. From what I was told when the RA questioned the reason for the citation the cop placed him under arrest. Now, I do not know what was said between the officer and the student or any other details, but I trust that this story is true because the tipsters have both been helpful to me in the past. I have heard other stories of citations being given recently for J-walking, but this is definitely the most alarming one.

Is J-walking technically illegal? Yes. But this is a college campus. I probably J-walk five times a day without even thinking about it. Personally, I think it's more efficient and dare I say friendlier and even at times safer, to cross a street when the coast is clear then waiting at a cross walk and causing cars to slow or stop. Just the other day I saw a car slam on its brakes at the crosswalk at the top of the A-Lot stairs because a pedestrian was crossing. I find it quite ridiculous that an actual ticket and fine would be given for this "crime." Obviously if this student really was arrested he probably said or did something wrong, but for the life of me I can't think of what he could have SAID. I mean, I almost want to start J-walking more just so I can see what the course of action a cop would take in the situation. While there are a few decent and sane UNH cops, many of them have the Rod Farva syndrome because they were probably picked on in high school.

Now gimme a goddamn liter-a-cola!