BLUE LOT DRINKING TICKET

[SF88]

As I'm walking my dog this morning, my neighbor ( both kids are RU GRADS ) relays the story of their tailgate yesterday. They were with another neighbor whose daughter is a RU transfer and sophomore. That families relatives from PA were in as well. Sounds like a nice holiday weekend with friends and family and they decide to take in the RU game. Their RU daughter was there with a few college friends. Two blue lot passes and a nice tailgate.....until the Piscataway cops show up. ( edit- MCSD, not Pway ) The RU sophomore has a red cup of beer, standing next to her mother as the officer shows up and ID's her. She's 19. As the mom tells the officer that she is the mother, the cop then tells her she's the problem, drinking with her underage daughter. Actually wrote the girl 2 tickets. Probably a $1000 day in Pway court.

These are casual fans and students. Exactly what RU wants and needs. Anyone think they'll be back? Anyone think they'll pass on the ****** experience at RU? Anyone think they'll have their younger daughter apply? It was a group of 4 Pway cops. The other 3 walked away. When accosted by the angry father they admitted they wanted no part of it, but the one officer does his own thing.

These folks spent hundreds of dollars on tickets/parking etc.....for our losing team. This is why fans don't show up. This is why the students don't go to the games. This is why RU is wasting the opportunity to create new fans. G-D shame.

 

[Knightmoves]

I always thought that the red solo cup was a safe haven for any alcohol violations with the PD. Another myth busted in my lifetime.

How did the cop know there was booze in the cup ? The Mom could also have claimed that the daughter was holding it for her.

Come on folks, we need to be ready for any and all situations while pregaming.

 

[Mikemarc]

As I'm walking my dog this morning, my neighbor ( both kids are RU GRADS ) relays the story of their tailgate yesterday. They were with another neighbor whose daughter is a RU transfer and sophomore. That families relatives from PA were in as well. Sounds like a nice holiday weekend with friends and family and they decide to take in the RU game. Their RU daughter was there with a few college friends. Two blue lot passes and a nice tailgate.....until the Piscataway cops show up. The RU sophomore has a red cup of beer, standing next to her mother as the officer shows up and ID's her. She's 19. As the mom tells the officer that she is the mother, the cop then tells her she's the problem, drinking with her underage daughter. Actually wrote the girl 2 tickets. Probably a $1000 day in Pway court.

These are casual fans and students. Exactly what RU wants and needs. Anyone think they'll be back? Anyone think they'll pass on the ****** experience at RU? Anyone think they'll have their younger daughter apply? It was a group of 4 Pway cops. The other 3 walked away. When accosted by the angry father they admitted they wanted no part of it, but the one officer does his own thing.

These folks spent hundreds of dollars on tickets/parking etc.....for our losing team. This is why fans don't show up. This is why the students don't go to the games. This is why RU is wasting the opportunity to create new fans. G-D shame.

While ******, hope this one act doesn’t deter the daughter from applying here.

If this is THE reason they don’t apply her here, the family needs to get its priorities straight.

 

[RU4Real]

The cops are overzealous in the parking lots. There's no question about it.

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

It's crappy, but let's be honest, they legitimately broke a law.

Is it petty for the Middlesex County Police to go around writing tickets for people who aren't causing a scene? Absolutely, and it's been brought up here dozens of times.

 

[KingHigh]

I always thought that the red solo cup was a safe haven for any alcohol violations with the PD. Another myth busted in my lifetime.

How did the cop know there was booze in the cup ? The Mom could have claimed that the daughter was holding it for her.

Come on folks, we need to be ready for any and all situations while pregaming.

We create some standing paramilitary force to patrol rows of peaceful people, and without cause or reason inspect them in order to bust an adult for having a cup with her mother and costing them probably as much as 2% of moms annual income.

This is probably not what the framers of the constitution had in mind.

 

[Local Shill]

The next time I see a cop in the black lot might be the first. The law really seems to have a hard on for the blue and yellow.

But to Steve’s post.. I agree with him 100 percent. Awful way to treat a dwindling fan base. Someone in a position of power at Rutgers needs to flex their muscles and make this crap stop.

 

[SF88]

While ******, hope this one act doesn’t deter the daughter from applying here.

If this is THE reason they don’t apply her here, the family needs to get its priorities straight.

Don't know if it would be a reason. Missing the point. RU doesn't need more negative publicity, they have enough. It's symptomatic of the we don't give a crap attitude. When you have a bad meal/experience at a restaurant, do you go back? Do you tell your friends to go there...or tell them about your bad experience? Same thing applies here. RU needs to be creating a positive experience, not a negative one. Simply NO need to ID a girl who's obviously with her family.

 

[RU4Real]

The next time I see a cop in the black lot might be the first. The law really seems to have a hard on for the blue and yellow.

But to Steve’s post.. I agree with him 100 percent. Awful way to treat a dwindling fan base. Someone in a position of power at Rutgers needs to flex their muscles and make this crap stop.

One correction - we were in the 2nd row of the yellow lot yesterday from 10:30 AM. Didn't see a single cop all day - not one.

 

[DJ Spanky]

That's just not acceptable - this needs to get bumped up to the athletic department that this is going on.

We create some standing paramilitary force to patrol rows of peaceful people, and without cause or reason inspect them in order to bust an adult for having a cup with her mother and costing them probably as much as 2% of moms annual income.

This is probably not what the framers of the constitution had in mind.

And I would imagine that this is not what the university and athletic department had in mind either.

 

[Mikemarc]

While ******, hope this one act doesn’t deter the daughter from applying here.

If this is THE reason they don’t apply her here, the family needs to get its priorities straight.

Don't know if it would be a reason. Missing the point. RU doesn't need more negative publicity, they have enough. It's symptomatic of the we don't give a crap attitude. When you have a bad meal/experience at a restaurant, do you go back? Do you tell your friends to go there...or tell them about your bad experience? Same thing applies here. RU needs to be creating a positive experience, not a negative one. Simply NO need to ID a girl who's obviously with her family.

While I agree with your point, she was breaking the law. The family has to realize this.

If it was a county cop or NB cop, not much RU could do, IMO.

 

[SF88]

It's crappy, but let's be honest, they legitimately broke a law.

Is it petty for the Middlesex County Police to go around writing tickets for people who aren't causing a scene? Absolutely, and it's been brought up here dozens of times.

Really, did you ever drive 29 mph in your neighborhood? think you should get a ticket, because you would be legitimately breaking the law? Let's be honest, who should be responsible for their childrens well being....the parents? The parents were right there. their daughter had a beer in a red cup. That mighty transgression is worth a day in court and a $500-$1000 fine???? Nice RU experience.

It's been brought up here dozens of times.....and still happening. Obviously, RU doesn't give a crap....cause it's still happening

 

[Jim_from_RU]

Really, did you ever drive 29 mph in your neighborhood? think you should get a ticket, because you would be legitimately breaking the law? Let's be honest, who should be responsible for their childrens well being....the parents? The parents were right there. their daughter had a beer in a red cup. That mighty transgression is worth a day in court and a $500-$1000 fine???? Nice RU experience.

It's been brought up here dozens of times.....and still happening. Obviously, RU doesn't give a crap....cause it's still happening

Steve, again, take it to the athletic department. Call them and tell them. It’s ridiculous how this keeps happening.

 

[Mikemarc]

It's crappy, but let's be honest, they legitimately broke a law.

Is it petty for the Middlesex County Police to go around writing tickets for people who aren't causing a scene? Absolutely, and it's been brought up here dozens of times.

Really, did you ever drive 29 mph in your neighborhood? think you should get a ticket, because you would be legitimately breaking the law? Let's be honest, who should be responsible for their childrens well being....the parents? The parents were right there. their daughter had a beer in a red cup. That mighty transgression is worth a day in court and a $500-$1000 fine???? Nice RU experience.

It's been brought up here dozens of times.....and still happening. Obviously, RU doesn't give a crap....cause it's still happening

If there is a cop in my neighborhood who pulls me over. Yes. I deserve the ticket.

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

Really, did you ever drive 29 mph in your neighborhood? think you should get a ticket, because you would be legitimately breaking the law? Let's be honest, who should be responsible for their childrens well being....the parents? The parents were right there. their daughter had a beer in a red cup. That mighty transgression is worth a day in court and a $500-$1000 fine???? Nice RU experience.

It's been brought up here dozens of times.....and still happening. Obviously, RU doesn't give a crap....cause it's still happening

Difference is if there was a cop in the area I was speeding, they would be well within their rights to give me a ticket if they saw me doing it.

 

[SF88]

While I agree with your point, she was breaking the law. The family has to realize this.

If it was a county cop or NB cop, not much RU could do, IMO.

We all know the ticket will be at least $500-$1000, and a wasted day in court. Does that penalty really fit the "crime"??? Why are the cops writing this tickets? Why is RU employing, or allowing cops to write tickets for folks simply minding their own business and not causing a disruption or safety issue of any kind???

Again, this is about the RU experience, not the technicality of the "crime" Do you want families to show up and bring their relatives from PA? Do you want college kids to enjoy a day with their families? Do you agree the ticket should have been written?

 

[SF88]

If there is a cop in my neighborhood who pulls me over. Yes. I deserve the ticket.

and if the ticket was $500-$1000, do you believe the punishment would fit the "crime"??

 

[NJbound]

While I agree with your point, she was breaking the law. The family has to realize this.

If it was a county cop or NB cop, not much RU could do, IMO.

This is ridiculous. “Laws” are broken every day. Ever cross the street when the light was still red? Officers have discretion and should use it. No harm was being done here, and it’s the same scene that plays out across the country on fall Saturdays at hundreds of schools. I bet RU (or the municipality) is one of the few that turns it into a crappy experience. It’s been talked about a lot, but this really needs to be fixed.

 

[RU4Real]

Really, did you ever drive 29 mph in your neighborhood? think you should get a ticket, because you would be legitimately breaking the law? Let's be honest, who should be responsible for their childrens well being....the parents? The parents were right there. their daughter had a beer in a red cup. That mighty transgression is worth a day in court and a $500-$1000 fine???? Nice RU experience.

It's been brought up here dozens of times.....and still happening. Obviously, RU doesn't give a crap....cause it's still happening

You're right on several points but most of all you're right in pointing out that this is a very tired subject around here.

Fan experience.

Gameday experience.

These are terms that high-profile programs are very familiar with. More to the point, here in this supremely dense media market chock full of professional sports, it's something that the pro organizations are intimately familiar with and, so, something that the casual fan in the NYNJ metro area has come to expect.

And, unfortunately, Rutgers has come up short, consistently, over the years.

We tried, @MrsScrew and I, to socialize the concept of a fan-based steering committee but the athletic department effectively neutered the idea in the implementation. I'll probably talk to a few people in the offseason to see if we can course-correct.

 

[Mikemarc]

While I agree with your point, she was breaking the law. The family has to realize this.

If it was a county cop or NB cop, not much RU could do, IMO.

We all know the ticket will be at least $500-$1000, and a wasted day in court. Does that penalty really fit the "crime"??? Why are the cops writing this tickets? Why is RU employing, or allowing cops to write tickets for folks simply minding their own business and not causing a disruption or safety issue of any kind???

Again, this is about the RU experience, not the technicality of the "crime" Do you want families to show up and bring their relatives from PA? Do you want college kids to enjoy a day with their families? Do you agree the ticket should have been written?

Ticket amount is ridiculous. Again, I hope one experience with an overzealous cop doesn’t effect the overall RU experience.

The cop is well within his rights to write a ticket. It’s the risk u take when u drink underage. It’s the risk hundreds of fans take every Saturday. It just so happens ur neighbors were caught by an overzealous cop. So be it.

 

[Mikemarc]

If there is a cop in my neighborhood who pulls me over. Yes. I deserve the ticket.

and if the ticket was $500-$1000, do you believe the punishment would fit the "crime"??

Ticket price is ridiculous. I agree.

 

[NotInRHouse_anon]

This is very sad to hear. I would let Hobbs know.

I would also bring Mom to court if not Dad too when the young lady goes. She may still get a fine but the judge will be more lenient if Mom says she was holding her beer, or sanctioned her there to be with family, etc

 

[kupuna133]

What the issue is that many of these cops are not fans of the team or the university. One of points I raised with Hobbs at a fundraiser in the spring is they need to send the head of the stadium police detail to an SEC football game to see how it is done. Not an NFL or MLB game but a large collegiate atmosphere. This would help establish the mission of the police.in the lots. It is not to be a revenue source or a police state.

You go to most other states the police contracted to patrol the lots have pride in state and state university. Go to LSU, Penn State, Georgia or any of our conference mates and see if the cops are interested in ticketing

 

[MrsScrew_rivals32693]

I had a conversation yesterday with 2 of the MSCSD cops. One is the ticket writer, who fills his ticket book out before he leaves home except for the name of the drinker, and the other, his partner who doesn't even bring his ticket book. The non ticket writer told me that RUtgers PD told them in their pre meeting that they " need to start writing tickets to justify them being there".

 

[Phi_1055]

There were two young RU grads and a current student in the group. Surely they knew the reports of the heavy-handed over-the-top police enforcement before they arrived at the tailgate. When my son was college age but under 21 he knew not to drink at the RU tailgates (he did at games at his own school).

It's dumb policy but as a fan you live with it or stay away. And the RU students stay away in droves.

 

[Scarlet_Monster]

Could you imagine if something like this happened at Rutgers?



Middlesex County Sherrifs would send in the Armored Swat Team to disperse the crowd.

 

[greenknight]

Well a couple things they should have seen the cops coming from a mile away plenty of time to take preventative action they chose not to serious error in judgement.

2nd underage drinking is still illegal whether with or w/o parents they are not in confines of their 4 walls at home

3rd I don't believe to cop Nazi's would be out in full force if not for the DUI accident years ago involving the seriously injured RU football players

4th in this day and age with all the cell phones it is a lot tougher for a police officer to walk away and not take action....what happens girl gets into a DUI accident on way home or on campus and gets traced back to tailgate and video of cop not doing anything
He get sued, town gets sued, RU gets sued and police officer loses his job and pension

Is it easy for him to walk away yes is it made more difficult with cell phone cameras yes. Parents should have discussed with daughter if cops are approaching put drink down or dump it out wait til they pass and reload

RU will not step in and try to tell a police officer or town how to do their jobs or RU, Hobbs will lose a lot of money and JOB

Simple very simple solution. USE COMMON SENSE

 

[Jim_from_RU]

I had a conversation yesterday with 2 of the MSCSD cops. One is the ticket writer, who fills his ticket book out before he leaves home except for the name of the drinker, and the other, his partner who doesn't even bring his ticket book. The non ticket writer told me that RUtgers PD told them in their pre meeting that they " need to start writing tickets to justify them being there".

Awful. This needs to change.

 

[vkj91]

My cousins were askednin the yellow lot for their ID's. They told the cops they left them in the car. They didn't blink and told them to have a good day.

 

[RUJohnny99]

I saw a county writing a ticket for a guy carrying a 12 pack. I didn't even realize underage possession was criminal. I don't think "I was holding mom's beer" is an acceptable excuse anymore.

 

[phs73rc77gsm83]

We were in yellow yesterday and two MCSD guys stopped and carded the young adults who had red solo cups with beer (all 21+ years of age). The "kids" were sitting down with us, no loud music, yelling, or anything that would warrant carding them. We had actually just got done setting up and had been in the lot for maybe 15 minutes. The MCSD then started giving one of the fathers **** for politely asking what prompted the check. Complete lack of discretion. No tickets issued, obviously, but it was uncalled for. If someone is staggering, vomiting, appearing drunk, or endangering themselves or others I can see the check but that wasn't close to being the case. I have respect for LE but also see all too often a lack of discretion on the part of MCSD during tailgates.

 

[FMT]

Well a couple things they should have seen the cops coming from a mile away plenty of time to take preventative action they chose not to serious error in judgement.

2nd underage drinking is still illegal whether with or w/o parents they are not in confines of their 4 walls at home

3rd I don't believe to cop Nazi's would be out in full force if not for the DUI accident years ago involving the seriously injured RU football players

4th in this day and age with all the cell phones it is a lot tougher for a police officer to walk away and take action....what happens girl gets into a DUI accident on way home or on campus and gets traced back to tailgate and video of cop not doing anything
He get sued, town gets sued, RU gets sued and police officer loses his job and pension

Is it easy for him to walk away yes is it made more difficult with cell phone cameras yes. Parents should have discussed with daughter if cops are approaching put drink down or dump it out wait til they pass and reload

RU will not step in and try to tell a police officer or town how to do their jobs or RU, Hobbs will lose a lot of money and JOB

Simple very simple solution. USE COMMON SENSE

Yesterday, as my wife and I walked out of the stadium a cop said " I hoped you enjoyed the beating, oh I meant the game." What a jerk!

 

[RU-ROCS]

The real problem here is the law. It’s crazy that kids can go get shot in Iraq ar 18 years old but can’t have a beer until 21.

 

[NJbound]

Well a couple things they should have seen the cops coming from a mile away plenty of time to take preventative action they chose not to serious error in judgement.

2nd underage drinking is still illegal whether with or w/o parents they are not in confines of their 4 walls at home

3rd I don't believe to cop Nazi's would be out in full force if not for the DUI accident years ago involving the seriously injured RU football players

4th in this day and age with all the cell phones it is a lot tougher for a police officer to walk away and not take action....what happens girl gets into a DUI accident on way home or on campus and gets traced back to tailgate and video of cop not doing anything
He get sued, town gets sued, RU gets sued and police officer loses his job and pension

Is it easy for him to walk away yes is it made more difficult with cell phone cameras yes. Parents should have discussed with daughter if cops are approaching put drink down or dump it out wait til they pass and reload

RU will not step in and try to tell a police officer or town how to do their jobs or RU, Hobbs will lose a lot of money and JOB

Simple very simple solution. USE COMMON SENSE

Again, most other schools navigate this successfully, even considering your points above. Why can’t we?

 

[greenknight]

Could you imagine if something like this happened at Rutgers?



Middlesex County Sherrifs would send in the Armored Swat Team to disperse the crowd.

Devils advocate here what happens when kids go to car and get gun and come back. Stupidity is not something to be proud of or can have life altering consequences. Just saying. Think before you commit any action and run thru possible repercussions

Thus scenario

Concussion, brain injury, falls down hits head see brain injury, loses an eye or eyesight, your on video and go to jail. Kid gets gun and comes back shooting. All real possible scenarios in this world today.....ask yourself are the consequences worth the action...ironically ask to frat kids whose games and lives are ruined based on the actions of killing another person doesn't seem like it's worth it now for them

There is no safe haven for stupidity

 

[Jtung230]

#tailgatinglivesmatter

 

[miketd1]

Football about to enter jumped-the-shark status...

 

[Abro1975]

RU needs to hire their own temporary, as needed, security for game days. RU is losing dozens of fans every single home game, due to overzealous ticket givers.

 

[DJ Spanky]

I had a conversation yesterday with 2 of the MSCSD cops. One is the ticket writer, who fills his ticket book out before he leaves home except for the name of the drinker, and the other, his partner who doesn't even bring his ticket book. The non ticket writer told me that RUtgers PD told them in their pre meeting that they " need to start writing tickets to justify them being there".

OW!!!

If that is true, someone needs to raise holy hell about it.

 

[rugraddad1]

My son and 2 friends (18-19 year olds) also received underage drinking tickets yesterday in the yellow lot, probably from same 4 Middlesex County officers. Two of the officers wanted nothing to do with it, the other two wouldn't discuss and proceeded to write out 2 tickets each. They also had red solo cups and just having a catch with the football.

They could have made better choices, been more aware of surroundings but unfortunate this is the RU gameday experience and a costly one at that ($500+).