Beaverton cops issue $160 ticket for driving with dog on lap

[alp227]

A woman was pulled over and given a $160 ticket for having her dog on her lap while driving in Beaverton Thursday.

Diane Martin was driving her husband to pick up his car that was being serviced in when she was pulled over for having her 9 lb. silky terrier ‘Barney’ on her lap. She said the officer who pulled her over said it was unsafe and gave her the ticket.

"I think it's ridiculous. I think it's ridiculous and ‘Barney’ does too. He likes to have fresh air once in awhile and he likes to look out the window, and by golly, if he needs to get on somebody's lap to do it, but it's not always my lap. I'm a safe driver. I abide by the rules,” Martin said.

But, KGW looked into it, and according to state law ORS 815.270, a person cannot operate a vehicle where something obstructs the driver, interferes with control of the driving mechanism and prevents the free, unhampered operation of the vehicle by the driver.

Martin said she wasn't distracted and plans to fight her citation in court later this month.

full w/video: http://www.kgw.com/news/local/Beaverton-woman-gets-ticket-for-driving-with-dog-in-lap-209868921.html

do you agree with this ticket? I say driving with ANYTHING on your lap = bad idea. A pet on the lap is hardly different from texting while driving.

[Logical]

1. A dog on a lap is as bad as texting on a cell phone. It should be illegal. But not $160. n-t

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. You have GOT to be kidding. n/t

[Logical]

10. You kidding me. I see nuts who dogs climb around on them while driving. That is safe? LOL!

[A HERETIC I AM]

19. You are equating texting while driving to ....

having a nine pound Silky Terrier in your lap?

Seriously?

We aren't talking about a twenty pound dog or a 30 or a 40 pounder. It's a little pocket pooch, for fucks sake.


Yes, of course. Dog of death;



The responses on this thread are absurd.

[Major Nikon]

26. I don't see how it would matter if it were a chihuahua

It's not as if the dog is going to remain still. I routinely see them hopping around on their owners lap going back and forth to the window and licking the owner's face.

At least you can turn a cell phone off or set it aside.

Both are a completely unnecessary hazard to everyone on the road. The idea that we should parse out which dogs aren't considered a hazard by weight seems a bit absurd.

Just sayin'

[Logical]

32. Leave the fucking dog at home or in the back seat. Stupid and dangerous. n-t

[Cirque du So-What]

11. What, then, would be an effective deterrent?

A good talking-to? It's obvious to the most casual observer that the woman is sofa king stupid that she doesn't see anything wrong with it and would do it again. Should the fine be so low that it is not a significant financial deterrent? That's the whole point of fines - a financial disincentive to stop behaving badly.

[Egalitarian Thug]

12. Bad idea, yes, but not nearly as bad as texting. Now, doing something like maybe grooming the dog

while driving is as bad as texting, but little Froo-Froo sitting on your lap doesn't require your attention like texting, farding, reading the paper, etc.

[malaise]

2. Good officer

She's an idiot

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

4. Or, she could take little Barney for a walk if he likes fresh air.

And, she could place him in front of a window to look out.

[davidpdx]

5. Yes, a 9 pound dog is pretty big

It could prevent her from turning properly or distracting her from driving.

[temporary311]

6. Dangerous for the dog.

Even a minor accident could send that dog careening into, or through, the wind shield, or out the window, especially if its rolled down.

[onehandle]

7. Agreed. If I drive with one or our cats or our dog, they sit in the passenger seat.

The dog, who loves being in the car, sits and does not move in his travel dog bed with anchor. The cats stay in a carrier, complaining the entire way.

[Shrike47]

8. If her airbag inflated, I suspect Barney wouldn't survive.

[defacto7]

13. Honestly, I don't think it would matter.

If she hit something hard enough to inflate an air bag the dog would be crushed with or without it. In a lot of ways, it's a bad idea to have an animal in your lap while driving. This is the one that's really bad for the dog, driving aside.

[TheCowsCameHome]

9. Too bad it wasn't $1600

just sayin'

[defacto7]

18. agree

Especially in her case because she is arguing about it. Do you think she will learn her lesson? Doubt it. If she would argue a simple logical issue such as this she doesn't seem like the learning kind.

[Egalitarian Thug]

14. Hey, somebody's got to make up the difference for the taxes that Nike isn't paying. n/t

[Fumesucker]

15. Eh, not as dangerous as farding while driving and I see women doing that all the time

[Liberal_in_LA]

17. what is 'farding'?

[Fumesucker]

23. ...

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/farding

2. verb- to apply cosmetics to (the face)

[X_Digger]

16. Not safe for the driver, the dog, or others on the road.

I agree all around.

[leveymg]

20. Tell that to "Bud". First dog to drive cross-country.

[Egalitarian Thug]

28. Sure, he got a ride across the country and then ate his chauffeur.

If only the driver had been properly armed another senseless dog attack could have been prevented.

[hlthe2b]

21. This woman is a fool... what does she think will happen if the airbag deploys?

doggie booster seats and car seat belt restraints exist for a reason... a very important one if you give a damn about your dog (and your own safety).

[Iggo]

22. Good!

[Blue_In_AK]

24. My husband would go broke in a week.

The Shih-tzu rides on his leg. I don't allow it when I'm driving, but my H is a big softie, and the dog knows it.

[FarCenter]

25. Tie it to the bumper instead

Motorcycle Cop: Do you know what the penalty for animal cruelty is in this state?

Clark Griswold: No, sir, I don't.

Motorcycle Cop: Well... it's probably pretty stiff.

[TheCowsCameHome]

27. Yeah, the driver.

[Vector Tangent]

29. Justice System

The police write tickets. The prosecutor decides weather or not to prosecute. The defendant pleads not guilty. A court date is set and now the prosecutor has to meet with police and find out if there is enough proof to convict the defendant. This means the police have prove the defendant violated the "law", not just had a dog in her lap. Guilty or not the fine is $160 plus $38 court cost. Not much to loose if you believe you're right. Have fun.

[hrmjustin]

30. Welcome to DU my friend!

[Gidney N Cloyd]

31. $100-something sounds about right. Driving is a privilege. Take it effing seriously or give it up.

I drive with a 90 lb lab all the time and he stays on the back seat (having a great time).

[MNBrewer]

33. But what if "god" is your co-pilot?

[FarCenter]

34. New Jersey Leads the Way with "Pet Buckle Up Laws"

Congratulations New Jersey! And thank you, Governor Christie.
New Jersey is now the only state in the country where driving with pets loose in the car is a violation of animal cruelty law. Drivers who do not secure their pet can face a ticket of $250 to $1,000 and up to six months in jail. Additionally, allowing your pets to hang his head out the window, having him riding in the back of a truck or curling up on the driver’s lap are also ticket-able offenses under the law.

Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Chairman and Chief Administrator Raymond P. Martinez and Superintendent of the NJ Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (NJSPCA) Col. Frank Rizzo delivered the "Buckle Up Your Pet" safety message prior to the official start of summer because more people take to the roads with their pets in the warmer weather months.

"You wouldn't put your child in the car unrestrained so you shouldn't put your pet in the car unrestrained either," said Col. Rizzo. "What people come to realize only too late is that animals act like flying missiles in an impact and can not only hurt themselves but hurt their human family members too."

http://www.petside.com/article/new-jersey-leads-way-pet-buckle-laws

[phylny]

36. I agree with this.

Our dogs wear their harnesses and are the buckled in. This way they, and we, are safe.

[Orrex]

35. For anyone who says driving with a dog on your lap is okay...

Is it also okay to drive with an infant on your lap?


Dog-lap-driving is one of those things that strikes me as so self-evidently stupid that I can't believe that anyone does it, but I see it every day.

[galileoreloaded]

37. people and their dogs...ugh. nt

[cherokeeprogressive]

38. If every person behind the wheel in California with a dog on their lap got a ticket...

There'd be no deficit and no debt.

And I'd write each and every one of them one.

OT, but have you seen the "Baby On Board" signs? Avoid cars that display those like the PLAGUE. What it really says is "my kid's in the car and is probably distracting me from what I need to be paying attention to".

[kestrel91316]

39. A pet in the lap is EXTREMELY distracting and dangerous

when driving. The woman is an idiot. She should have been fined $1600. And had her license suspended for a month.

[Rhiannon12866]

40. This would be illegal in NJ, where your dog has to be crated or belted in

I have a seatbelt for my dog so he'll be safe, but this dog is so small I'm surprised he was even noticed.

[Auntie Bush]

41. If you can't have something in your lap that is obstructing the driver...

How about a pregnant woman in her 8 or 9th month? I'd say that baby is an obstruction.
Are we going to restrict pregnant women from driving? Just being silly but couldn't resist.

[Thegonagle]

42. Bad owner! BAD! Most any dog can and should be trained to stay in back.

It's easiest and safest for everyone, including the dog.