Weekly Daily Brickbats Archive 2006 January 1-31

Terry Wilkins spent three days in jail for refusing to tag family pets. Ohio law mandates that pet owners must place a transponder tag under the skin of native reptiles that are kept as pets. Wilkins, who owns a pet store, refused to tag his family's snakes and turtles, saying the tagging causes health problems, even death, in reptiles. A judge sentenced him to 90 days in jail, but suspended all but three. Wilkins sent his pets to a family friend in Florida rather than tag them.

Australian work rules say an employee can't be exposed to sounds that average more than 85 decibels a day. And that's causing major headaches for orchestras. A performance of Sleeping Beauty by the Australian Ballet required four separate sections of horns, strings, etc. that worked in relays. That added $100,000 to the cost of the performance, and performers say it affected the ballet as well, since dancers respond to changes in the orchestral performance in their dance.

Washington, D.C., police insist Charles Atherton was conscious when they gave him a ticket for jaywalking. But witnesses insist Atherton was unconscious and struggling to breathe, and no wonder, since he was lying in the street after being struck by a car. Atherton soon after died of his injuries.

He may have looked like a panhandler, but the sign the man held up said "Happy Holidays Buckle Up." And the man standing on the street in Spanaway, Washington, was actually a state trooper. Some of those who weren't paying attention and pulled up to give him money got an unpleasant shock. Troopers ticketed 30 for not wearing seat belts. They also arrested one on drug charges and six for outstanding warrants. The tactic was first used in Vancouver, Washington, where troopers ticketed 19 people in two and a half hours for not wearing seat belts.

It may not be against the law to be sexy in Spring Hill, Tennessee, but it illegal to advertise that fact. City building officials have told Cindy Landis, owner of the Studio 4 Hair & More, that she can't advertise Sexy Hair concepts, her best-selling product line, on an electronic sign outside her shop. Officials say the word "sexy" violates a city ordinance banning lewd language on signs. "Sexy" is lewd? It is if someone finds it offensive, and officials say two people have complained about the sign.