# British man fined £150 for spitting up leaf that flew into his mouth

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [December 12, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631 "2025-12-12T01:17:30Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631/1 "2025-12-12T01:17:30Z")

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An elderly man in Skegness, England, was fined £250 (later reduced to £150 on appeal) back in February when a leaf blew into his mouth and he spit it out. They said he was committing an “environmental crime”.

> **[Litter police fined man ‘for spitting out leaf’](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/roy-marsh-skegness-leaf-litter-police-b2882389.html)**
>
> Roy Marsh, 86, has criticised officers’ ‘unnecessary’ behaviour after being made to pay £150

A bit heavy-handed, wouldn’t you say?

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**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631/2 "2025-12-12T02:34:56Z")

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Are those officers on loan from [the NYPD?](https://web.archive.org/web/20031209061423/http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_844172.html)

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**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631/3 "2025-12-12T02:43:17Z")

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While the fine is ridiculously high, I don’t for one minute believe a leaf blew into his mouth that he had to spit out. He says he had COPD, and he likely has to cough a lot. And he spit onto the ground. They should have given him a warning if they cared that much.

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**Author:** ![Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/q.q.switcheroo/32/5713_2.png) [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.Q.Switcheroo)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631/4 "2025-12-12T02:51:54Z")

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> Mr Pulido added: "The cop gave me a hard look and asked me, ‘Do you think popping a balloon is funny?’

“Well, no, unless round is funny.”

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**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [December 12, 2025, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-man-fined-150-for-spitting-up-leaf-that-flew-into-his-mouth/1025631/5 "2025-12-12T02:56:21Z")

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> [@Q.Q.Switcheroo](#):
>
> "Well, no, unless round is funny.”

"Around the butt, and up over the groin area "