Fined For Swearing: Teen Colin Andersen Curses Near A Playground, Pays Dearly For It

Colin Andersen learned the hard way not to swear near a playground.

The Michigan teenager was hanging out in downtown Brighton near the Imagination Station playground when his friend got a ticket for skateboarding. Andersen was upset by the situation and let his frustrations be known with a few choice words.

“This is f—— bull—-,” he said under his breath.

But a police officer was close enough to hear the words, and wrote Colin Andersen a ticket for disorderly conduct.

“What got me to start arguing a little bit, they were asking all of us to leave because he got a ticket,” Andersen said. “That’s not fair. We’re just standing around.”

Brighton Police Chief Tom Wightman defended the ticket, saying Colin was targeted more for his behavior than the swear words themselves. He said the city has had ongoing issues with teens misbehaving downtown.

“That’s fine if they want to behave and use the facility like anybody else,” Wightman said. “It’s when they misbehave (that) it becomes an issue. We’re going to be watching.”

Wightman cited the city ordinances, which include provisions against language.

“The Brighton Police Department is particularly committed to the protection of young children who are attempting to enjoy our wonderful downtown park and playground,” he said. “Older teens and young adults who choose to ‘hang out’ near the children’s area need to know that their conduct will be carefully scrutinized.”

But Andersen said he wasn’t even given a warning by the police officer and would have complied if he’d been given a chance.

This isn’t the first time that a foul-mouthed person has paid for their language. In Middleborough, Massachusetts, officials passed an ordinance that fines people $20 for swearing.

A 2012 story published on The Inquisitr explained the legality of it:

“Before everyone starts screaming about the First Amendment, the Supreme Court has previously ruled that government officials can’t bar profanity from public speech, however state law allows towns to enforce local laws and even arrest anyone who ‘addresses another person with profane or obscene language’ in a public place.”

Colin Andersen tried to fight the swearing fine before a Livingston County District Court magistrate, but lost the case. The ticket was upheld and he was fined $200 and will likely think twice about swearing near a playground from now on.