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FireWire · Jul 11, 2008, 07:40 PM

BOSTON -- A Boston man faced charges of reckless endangerment for allegedly making up a story about a shark sighting off Martha's Vineyard on Thursday, police said.

Michael Lopenzo, 60, is charged with telling people that he saw two 22-foot long sharks that weighed about 3,000 pounds each near State Beach, Edgartown Police Chief Paul Condlin said.

[...]

The island's South Beach had been closed earlier in the day, after lifeguards reported possibly spotting a great white.

I don't get it. How is it illegal to lie to some people? Say that you caught a fish at least that long, you get away. Say that you saw a UFO, you get away. Say that you saw the Loch Ness monster, you get away. Some big companies tell BS all the time, they get away. But say that you saw a couple of sharks, then you get charged??? For "reckless endangerment", no less? The beach was already closed, so he can't even be accused of loss of revenue. I'm clueless!

turtle777 · Jul 11, 2008, 07:49 PM

I blame MobileMe.

Oh, wait, nevermind. Wrong thread

-t

FireWire · Jul 11, 2008, 07:52 PM

Haha, the fun thing is, I considered posting in your thread to say that you could be sued for misleading people like that

turtle777 · Jul 11, 2008, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by FireWire

Haha, the fun thing is, I considered posting in your thread to say that you could be sued for misleading people like that

Yeah, I'd probably get sued by some golddigger who bought MobileMe to get to their inheritance faster

-t

Oisín · Jul 11, 2008, 08:08 PM

How on earth does falsely telling someone of a nonexistent danger put these people in danger? Made-up sharks are not generally known to attack real-world people.

turtle777 · Jul 11, 2008, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

How on earth does falsely telling someone of a nonexistent danger put these people in danger? Made-up sharks are not generally known to attack real-world people.

I can see that your country is not only way cuter, but also way more common-sensical.

-t

BRussell · Jul 11, 2008, 08:20 PM

What about saying a bomb is about to go off in an Apple store?

turtle777 · Jul 11, 2008, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by BRussell

What about saying a bomb is about to go off in an Apple store?

Doesn't that have much more potential for financial loss ?

Closed store, people maybe snatching stuff during the chaos, bomb squad being dispatched etc.

-t

Oisín · Jul 11, 2008, 08:30 PM

^ Not only does it have more potential for financial loss, it also has more potential to put someone in actual danger. Not because of the nonexistent bomb itself, of course, but put a throng of tightly-squeezed-in people in a closed space and give them a reason to panic, and there’s a fair chance someone will get trodden on and/or injured.

On a beach (especially one that was already closed due to a possible shark sighting), the risk of this happening is a great deal smaller, since people will actually have somewhere to run to—they won’t all be panicking towards the same small door to get out.

RobOnTheCape · Jul 13, 2008, 09:57 AM

Just as when the mayor was telling Brody about how important the 4th of July weekend is to his little town of Amity, the beaches are everything here. There were multiple confirmed shark sightings on the southern side of the island, and they thus closed the beaches. He was on the north. Close those beaches and the islands shores are about shut down for the day, and many who are still thinking about booking here may decide to go elsewhere.

The officials may call it "disturbing the peace", but its really robbing the cash registers.

That guy was up near where they filmed the sharks going into the bay and he thought it would be fun to do a little re-enactment I guess.

Tiresias · Jul 13, 2008, 10:43 AM

You people make me laugh.

Obviously, some people are so terrified of sharks that shark warnings cause them to commit suicide and/or maim and injure others. Thus, reckless endangerment.

d4nth3m4n · Jul 13, 2008, 10:59 AM

go pull a fire alarm and tell us how that went over.

BRussell · Jul 13, 2008, 11:03 AM

Originally Posted by Oisín

^ Not only does it have more potential for financial loss, it also has more potential to put someone in actual danger. Not because of the nonexistent bomb itself, of course, but put a throng of tightly-squeezed-in people in a closed space and give them a reason to panic, and there’s a fair chance someone will get trodden on and/or injured.

On a beach (especially one that was already closed due to a possible shark sighting), the risk of this happening is a great deal smaller, since people will actually have somewhere to run to—they won’t all be panicking towards the same small door to get out.

Originally Posted by turtle777

Doesn't that have much more potential for financial loss ?

Closed store, people maybe snatching stuff during the chaos, bomb squad being dispatched etc.

-t

Closing down a beach may be less financial loss than closing down a store, or it may not be, but it's the same principle. It is, and should be, illegal to make false allegations of this type. It wastes the time of the authorities, it distracts them from doing things that they may need to do, and it wastes public money. It's no different in principle from calling 911 to make a bomb threat or some other false allegation. He won't go to prison like serial killers and child molesters, but he'll probably get a small fine.

Tiresias · Jul 13, 2008, 11:06 AM

I just think "reckless endangerment" is the wrong charge.

turtle777 · Jul 13, 2008, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by Tiresias

I just think "reckless endangerment" is the wrong charge.

Seconded.

Nobody was factually in danger.

That there might be some financial loss, ok, but it's not "reckless endangerment" by a long shot.

-t

Oisín · Jul 13, 2008, 12:40 PM

Originally Posted by BRussell

Closing down a beach may be less financial loss than closing down a store, or it may not be, but it's the same principle. It is, and should be, illegal to make false allegations of this type. It wastes the time of the authorities, it distracts them from doing things that they may need to do, and it wastes public money. It's no different in principle from calling 911 to make a bomb threat or some other false allegation. He won't go to prison like serial killers and child molesters, but he'll probably get a small fine.

Like Tiresias and Mr. Shell up there, I can only agree that he could (and should, probably) be charged with any or all of those things. But reckless endangerment?

BRussell · Jul 13, 2008, 02:03 PM

Originally Posted by Oisín

Like Tiresias and Mr. Shell up there, I can only agree that he could (and should, probably) be charged with any or all of those things. But reckless endangerment?

Most of the articles I've seen say he was charged with disorderly conduct. Either way, I'm sure the prosecutors there know what charge is appropriate better than us.

OwlBoy · Jul 13, 2008, 07:28 PM

Panic!!

SeSawaya · Jul 14, 2008, 12:29 AM

Believing this guy saw 2 - 22' sharks (which are HUGE!!!) is the real crime. Sharks this large are solitary animals and don't travel as 'companions'. 22' shark is very rare, 2 together, yeah right.

Nice he gave their weight too.

22'? why not 25' or 20'????

turtle777 · Jul 14, 2008, 06:29 AM

No doubt, the authorities seem to be idiots for taking this at face value.

But what else can you do, other than blaming and punishing others for your own idiocy ?
Isn't that what Amaracan legal system is all about ?

-t