Cop? lies on video

This is ridiculous. In Delaware someone complained about basketball hoops at houses. So the government seizes them. People argue with self righteous public servants and get nowhere. The cop? in charge tells the property owner that he can keep the pole and hoop after it is pulled from the ground. They pull it, load it in a truck and tell him that he has to come pick it up from the impound.

http://reason.com/blog/2011/03/29/i-do-not-want-to-arrest-you-or

Our tax dollars at work. Keeping the streets safe and protecting our "freedom".

Looks like you've heard about 1/3 of the story.

I feel bad for the guy, but it sounds like his hoop was illegal. I know it had been there for years, etc, but if that's the law, that's the law.

It is pretty crappy of her to say they'll set it in her driveway and then drive off with it though, assuming something wasn't lost to the cutting room floor.

So what's the rest of the story? The DOT decides to remove basketball poles because they are a safety hazard? To passing cars I suppose. At the end of a dead-end street. The law is the law I suppose, but that was pretty asinine.

It's a berkeleying basketball hoop. Why the hell does the state care?

sounds like the law came after that particular basketball pole.

probably bitchy neighbor with too much free time on their hands

I can't watch the linked video, but I am assuming the hoop was probably put up within the limits of the state's right-of-way. In which case they can remove it if they wish.

People assume their property extends all the way to the curb in front of their house, but that is almost never the case, at least in the jursidictions I work in.

I agree, probably a nosy neighbor caused this to happen, who else would really care?

Sounded to me like a neighbor filed a complaint.

I'm assuming they are indeed in violation of some law or other. However, I think there may be more to it than that. In my experience, law is almost never as black and white as people think it is. Clearly a lot of people had these hoops there for a very long time. Sometimes if a law isn't enforced for a long time even though the violation is in clear view it can effect things. I'm not a lawyer, so no idea how all that stuff works.

The bigger question, where in America do we have money to burn pulling up basketball hoops because someone complained? This is the biggest problem the police in that town have to deal with?

I could be wrong on this becasue I only just read stuff online about it, but... Here is what my impression was:

The basketball hoops had been there for a long time, but recently someone called and complained and asked for certain ones to be removed (possibly along their way to work, who knows). The property owners were notified, and they tried to appeal the decision by writing letters, etc, but before anything could be resolved (or even answered) the city just said you are done, we are taking them out now, your only choice is whether you go to jail right now or not.

If that is what happened it was handled very poorly, but who knows. I think if that video wasnt edited that lady should be looking for work elsewhere though.

Whenever someone posts something from a blog, it's a good idea to find an actual news story.

“DelDOT is sympathetic to parents wishing to provide young people with recreational opportunities; however, public streets are not a safe location for those activities. The Delaware General Assembly passed a law in 2005 stating "sporting and recreation activity taking place in and adjacent to the State's public rights-of-way . threatens the safety of the recreants as well as members of the motoring public," and that law stated that "the Department shall make every effort to remove from public rights-of-way devices such as basketball hoops.". 17 Del. C. § 149(c).

DelDOT crews acted on Friday March 25, to remove seven basketball goals within public right-of-way in the Ashbourne Hills and Radnor Green subdivisions in New Castle County. DelDOT did so only after receiving a complaint from a resident of the area in which the basketball hoops were located.

Since that time, the eight homeowners with basketball hoops in violation of state law were contacted multiple times via certified mail about the need to remove the obstacles from the public right-of-way zone. One resident voluntarily did so. The remainder did not. Because the basketball hoops were not removed, state law requires that DelDOT remove the goals to protect the public. The final goal was successfully removed by the state at approximately noon on March 25.”

Read more: http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/128275/20110329/deldot-mccafferty-basketball-pole.htm#ixzz1I6XElL8s

seems like there's always more to the story than first appears.....

stuart in mn wrote: Because the basketball hoops were not removed, state law requires that DelDOT remove the goals to protect the public.

Good thing the government is there to protect us from ourselves.

I wonder how expensive this little show of force is going to end up being. Police salaries, the truck, and now the added media attention, it would probably have been less expensive to allow people decide what was safe and what wasn't on their own. Nature has a way removing people who can't figure it by themselves.

If these basketball hoops were located on a cul-de-sac it probably was silly to remove them, but I understand the reasoning behind banning steel poles set in concrete located right next to the street.

In reply to Johnboyjjb:

and who knew that the state actually owns the first seven feet of your yard? i bet they still want you to pay property taxes on that seven feet of "yours" that's really theirs if they want it.

My take: It sucks to find out you put your E36 M3 in the wrong spot. When I was a kid, we had empty lots on either side. When I was around 6 or 7, people built houses on either side. Jerk retiree from some snowbird E36 M3 hole moves in next door.

Within a week he starts complaining about stuff. Keep in mind, my Dad demanded that our family keep everything immaculate; house, cars, yard, etc. Everything was in tip-top shape. First bone of contention was our basketball hoop. If memory serves me correctly, it was less than 6 inches on his property. My Dad tried everything to make it "right," but eventually, it had to be moved...less than 6 berkeleying inches, to make this E36 M3 head happy.

This wouldn't have been a big deal if not for the wheel-barrow sized lump of concrete buried in the ground. I remember me and my brothers having to dig that berkeleyer up...and move it six berkeleying inches.

ALL that being said, the rules is the rules. I think my Dad handled it well. He kept a cool head and did what we had to do, and E36 M3 head was just a plain E36 M3 head, whom nobody in the neighborhood liked. Pops could've pitched a fit or started a fight or called the local news crying or whatever, but instead, we just moved the berkeleying thing and went on with our lives.

So while I generally hate government interference and regulation more than the next guy, screaming "THEY'RE STEALING OUR LIBERTY!" because people were forced to move a basketball net is a bit of a stretch. Move the E36 M3 and move on.

Furthermore: Judging by the erratic behavior of Mom and Dad (climbing the pole, parking their car in front of it, being a E36 M3 head to the city employees who were just doing their job, and generally acting like a berkeleying baby,) I'm guessing they've raised a couple of little smart-mouthed E36 M3 head kids who wouldn't get the berkeley out of the street when people were trying to park their cars, damaged someone's vehicle, etc., which is why someone complained in the first berkeleying place.

This jack-wad apparently received multiple warnings. He has a berkeleying driveway. Put the pole next to your driveway, dumb berkeley.

I think the thing that bothers me the most is the fact that the women says yes we will put it down in your drive and then completely changes the story.

Who hasn't said something to get to the next stage and quiet things down, then go on and finish it quickly when they were out of position to stop you.

Sort of like that late brake and dive for the lead on the last corner, sounds smart to me, it stopped a protracted discourse and potential altercation IMHO.

well.. hopefully they can show the video to somebody who might care about that blatant lie. Maybe her supervisor?

As for basketball hoops.. time to get a portable just to annoy that nosy neighbor.

I have a love/hate relationship with them. Years ago, I had a neighbor who put one up for his kids.. I did not mind it until the older kids discovered it. I came home from work one day and found a dozen teenagers playing and 4 teen girls sitting on the trunk lid of my fiat.. crushing it down into the trunk itself.

The hoop came out soon after that

aussiesmg wrote: Who hasn't said something to get to the next stage and quiet things down, then go on and finish it quickly when they were out of position to stop you.

Exactly. The guy was being an ass. He saw them take everyone else's, obviously they were taking his too because if they didn't he'd have it back up before they left the block. He chose to believe he was different than all the people who lost their poles yesterday, just like he believed the law didn't apply to him in the first place, and he probably felt he and his kid were not responsible when junior did whatever set of the neighbor in the first place.

poopshovel wrote: My take: It sucks to find out you put your E36 M3 in the wrong spot. When I was a kid, we had empty lots on either side. When I was around 6 or 7, people built houses on either side. Jerk retiree from some snowbird E36 M3 hole moves in next door. Within a week he starts complaining about stuff. Keep in mind, my Dad demanded that our family keep everything immaculate; house, cars, yard, etc. Everything was in tip-top shape. First bone of contention was our basketball hoop. If memory serves me correctly, it was less than 6 inches on his property. My Dad tried everything to make it "right," but eventually, it had to be moved...less than 6 berkeleying inches, to make this E36 M3 head happy. This wouldn't have been a big deal if not for the wheel-barrow sized lump of concrete buried in the ground. I remember me and my brothers having to dig that berkeleyer up...and move it six berkeleying inches. ALL that being said, the rules is the rules. I think my Dad handled it well. He kept a cool head and did what we had to do, and E36 M3 head was just a plain E36 M3 head, whom nobody in the neighborhood liked. Pops could've pitched a fit or started a fight or called the local news crying or whatever, but instead, we just moved the berkeleying thing and went on with our lives. So while I generally hate government interference and regulation more than the next guy, screaming "THEY'RE STEALING OUR LIBERTY!" because people were forced to move a basketball net is a bit of a stretch. Move the E36 M3 and move on. Furthermore: Judging by the erratic behavior of Mom and Dad (climbing the pole, parking their car in front of it, being a E36 M3 head to the city employees who were just doing their job, and generally acting like a berkeleying baby,) I'm guessing they've raised a couple of little smart-mouthed E36 M3 head kids who wouldn't get the berkeley out of the street when people were trying to park their cars, damaged someone's vehicle, etc., which is why someone complained in the first berkeleying place. This jack-wad apparently received multiple warnings. He has a berkeleying driveway. Put the pole next to your driveway, dumb berkeley.

Agree. The law was stupid, but ignorance of the law is not an excuse.. Just like not getting a proper survey done before putting up a fence and not knowing your setback. The blog presents this story in a decidedly one sided view to inflame a certain population. Booo to them.

You get a beer from me.

I worked with a guy who used to say "Sometimes ,when you're digging yourself into a hole, you should drop the shovel." Yapping at a crew that got an order to come out and pull those basketball poles wasn't going to accomplish anything, especially when they're accompanied by state troopers. Climbing the pole was a little comic relief. Find out how far back it should have been placed to meet the law and move it.

50 years of history... gone.

LMAO.

Sorry, this guy is clearly a douchebag. I'm also willing to bet that the whole cul-de-sac is full of teens of the same caliber. I know I have a hard time going down a street by my house sometimes because of the guys playing basketball. The parents don't care at all, and most of them are in their 20's. I avoid that street whenever possible, but I don't make any attempts to slow down after being threatened after I did one time. E36 M3head was in front of my car and was yelling at me for slowing down. Good job, dude. 3,000 pounds of metal would have flattened you.

On another "pedestrian in the road" incident, there was a 6 year old kid hit and killed at 10 PM one night. Kid was unsupervised right beside one of the main roads in town. No street lights in this area, and the kid was dark skinned wearing dark clothes. The day after this happened, some idiots were crossing the street (no crosswalk, not at the corner) right in front of me. They literally waited until I was pretty close to them before stepping out. The speed limit on this road is 35, and I was going around 30. One of them had the brains to put his hand out as he would if he were a crossing guard motioning to stop traffic. I laughed and revved my engine. The mouthbreather got out of the way, but had lost his pants by the time he hit the sidewalk.

There's a reason hoops shouldn't be at the road. These idiots obviously don't think cars are deadly.

I had to PAY someone to come take a pole out of my yard.....

EricM wrote: I had to PAY someone to come take a pole out of my yard.....

See, now... if you had just put your pole it where it didn't belong someone would have come and chopped it down.