Another Controversial Law: Curfew

Anyone else have curfew laws in your area? Honestly, I don't think it does a thing besides cause problems.

Story
I've been riding passenger in a car with friends (18+, I was under 18) when we made a 2 AM Taco-Bell run and ended up getting pulled over (cop saw a car full of college students and decided to pull us over). The cop gave me crap for being out past curfew (12 or 12:30 AM on weekends, and I think maybe 11:00 on weekdays?) and threatened to take me to jail.
/story

Anyways, I guess the law is to prevent vandalism and crime possibly, and maybe even drunk driving by encouraging people at a party to spend the night instead of risking getting caught out past curfew.

Either way, I think if some one is motivated enough to vandalize or commit a crime, a curfew isn't going to stop them. And if some one is driving drunk, I doubt the curfew would even cross their mind.

Only thing the law prevents me from doing is making late-night T-Bell runs.

There supposedly a curfew around here of 11pm weeknights and 1am weekends.

I have been "questioned" by cops because I was out much later than that several times before. Cops around here won't really do anything except tell you to go home.

pb125 wrote: First year you have your license curfew is 11. Thankfully my year is up so I have no curfew anymore :)

Wow, I'm glad I made this thread and you replied. Your post motivated me to look into the law further, and I think the curfew here only applies to juveniles and minors (defined as anyone under age 17). Maybe I am out of the clear...

I had assumed the curfew applied to anyone under 18.


Edited by ¤ Råp¡Ð F¡rè ¤ - 07 April 2008 at 10:31pm

choopie911 wrote: The only time I've had any sort of legal curfew was when I got my drivers license which meant you cant be driving past midnight. You can be out, etc, just not driving. Otherwise, I think curfews that are enforced by anyone but the parents are stupid.

Hm, apparently thats not how it works here.

wrote: It shall be unlawful for any juvenile to be or remain in or upon the streets, alleys, rights-of-way or similar places within the City of St. Louis at night during the period ending at 5:00 a.m. and beginning at 11:59 p.m. on Friday and Saturday Night and at 11:00 p.m. on all other nights, except as provided in this chapter.

Edit: Crap, I also just remembered that there is a law in MO stating that anyone without a full license (given at age 18) cannot drive during certain hours (something like between 1 and 5 AM).


Edited by ¤ Råp¡Ð F¡rè ¤ - 07 April 2008 at 10:41pm

I think there's a curfew here but I've never heard about it being enforced.

Honestly, what a waste of time and money to enforce.

I know there is a license curfew around here (I believe 12-5 or 1-5 (unless coming home from work)) but no off the street curfew. Not there is much to do around here anyways.

Meh. If a law says that kids that probably shouldn't be out anyway need to be off the streets by a certain time, I'm all for it.

Linus wrote: I really don't see what the problem is, law makes perfect sense, and like many laws, gives cops a reason to pull a suspicious person over with legal reason, just like fuzzy dice on the rear-view mirror.

You are a frightening person.

Linus wrote: I really don't see what the problem is, law makes perfect sense, and like many laws, gives cops a reason to pull a suspicious person over with legal reason, just like fuzzy dice on the rear-view mirror. But that's just my blind following speaking.

Cops shouldn't be able to pull you over unless they see you doing something illegal (or have a warrant).
The kind of thinking you just displayed, when employed by LEO's, infringes on people's liberties and privacy.

Bunkered wrote: Cops shouldn't be able to pull you over unless they see you doing something illegal (or have a warrant).

I am going to beat him to the punch by pointing out he is going to say "But [insert stupid thing like fuzzy dice or wearing baggy pants] IS illegal."

It is scary, I know.