Read news from:
Austria
SHARE
COPY LINK

LITTER

Driver throws cigarette out of window, tells Danish police it is a joint, gets fined for littering

A driver who was stopped for driving while stoned tried – and failed – with an unorthodox attempt to outfox police.

Published: 3 September 2019 13:39 CEST
Driver throws cigarette out of window, tells Danish police it is a joint, gets fined for littering
File photo: kurgu128/Depositphotos

The man, who was reported by another motorist who was concerned about his erratic driving, appeared heavily under the influence of narcotics when stopped by law enforcement near Randers on Monday afternoon, TV2 Østjylland writes.

East Jutland Police reported the incident in its daily update.

After being pulled up by a patrol car, the 25-year-old driver denied having taken anything illegal before driving.

While speaking to police officers, he took a cigarette from a passenger in the car and took a drag. He then threw the butt out of his car window.

After this, he claimed there was cannabis in the cigarette and that any subsequent positive test for narcotics would be due to the cigarette, rather than anything he had smoked earlier. He had therefore not driven under the influence, he argued.

Police were not so easily misled, however, after checking the contents of the discarded cigarette – which did not contain hash. The driver tested positive for narcotics.

He was subsequently given a police charge under Denmark’s nature protection laws for throwing the cigarette out of his window in the presence of police.

A faulty rear light and bald tyre resulted in two further penalties, according to the police report.

READ ALSO: Danish man carrying 1,000 joints gets into police car, mistaking it for a taxi 

Member comments

Log in here to leave a comment.
Become a Member to leave a comment.

PARIS

Paris: City’s crackdown on dirty streets sees 34,000 fines dished out in six months

Despite their best efforts (and a new clean-up project) the Paris authorities are still waging a war against "uncivil" Parisians in a bid to clean up the dirty streets.

Published: 4 July 2017 10:27 CEST
Paris: City's crackdown on dirty streets sees 34,000 fines dished out in six months
Photo: Pierre Châtel/Flickr
During the first half of 2017, the Paris authorities handed out a whopping 34,000 fines in its aim to make Paris a model of cleanliness. 
 
These €68 fines are being handed out in greater numbers for “uncivil” behaviour such as tossing cigarette butts, public urination and dumping rubbish around the city.  
 
And a stroll around certain black spots in the French capital quickly reveals why the measures are so necessary.
 
The sight of rubbish strewn around, waste bins overflowing and scores of cigarette butts thrown on the ground is an eyesore many who live in the city have long complained about. As is the stench of urine, that often pervades corners of many streets, especially after dark.
 
 
Not many would argue against the idea that Paris is in real need of a spring clean or a summer spruce up.
 
And the the City Hall appears to mean business with the number of fines handed out from January to June this year representing a rise of 67 percent on the same period in 2016.
 
“People need to understand that being dirty has a cost,” said Paris mayor Anne Hidalgo.  
 
But while a €68 fine might be enough to deter an individual from making the same mistake twice (at least in busy places), the fines are only going some of the way to making up the money the city is spending on its efforts to keep the streets clean. 
 
READ ALSO: 

Photo: IG St PauliYouTube Screenshot

After introducing the new clean-up plan with more materials and officers in March 2016, Paris authorities have dedicated increasingly large sums of money to cleaning the streets. 
 
“We spend €500 million per year on cleaning up Paris. It's not possible to continue like this,” the mayor said. 
 
Certain parts of the capital are known as being black spots for littering, notably the trendy Canal Saint Martin which attracts legions of picnickers on hot summer evenings.
 
But when they leave at night, the quays along the water's edge often look like rubbish tips, much to the annoyance of local residents, who recently launched a campaign to raise awareness.
 
Paris's bohemian canal - now more tip than hip
 
And even though the French capital has a team dedicated to tackling Parisians'”uncivil behaviour”, which, since the new plan was launched in March 2016, has increased both in number and power, it still doesn't seem to be enough. 
 
“These are unacceptable and uncivil habits,” said Hidalgo.”I do not accept the situation as it is today.”
 
In order to combat the situation, the Paris authorities are considering further measures, like calling in private contractors to take on the task of cleaning up the litter left in the evenings and weekends. 
 
The problem of dirty streets has led to another scourge that the city's authorities are desperately trying to tackle – rats.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
SHOW COMMENTS