In this thread Sublight introduced the word "mopery". In looking it up it apparently was used against the the hippies.
We used to use “mopery” in law school as a sort of generic crime, for purpose of abstract discussions. I have also seen “aggravated mopery with intent to creep.”
Mopery also means exposing oneself to a blind person.
I walk everywhere, and have been questioned by the police a few times, but only because police activity was going on in the area where I was walking.
I can’t believe walking in and of itself is actually a crime.
What if I’m very clear in my purpose of walking aimlessly?
Another SDMB coincidence. I used the word mope at work yesterday complaining about people who get off the escalator and " then mope around and get in everyone’s way." People acted as though it was a neologism. I said that I though everyone knew the word and recalled that my son had told me years ago that the best way to get mugged was to be “moping around” and that you should always walk along the street in a purposeful and brisk manner. He had received this advice from a police officer - I wonder if it related to those old “crimes”.
Just mopery? Why not mopery and dopery?
Exactly. I have only heard it used as a joke.
I read that when Dorothy Parker went to protest the execution of Sacco and Vanzetti, she was arrested for “sauntering.” Anyone know what this is?
Well, it’s pretty obvious that it’s one of those social control laws, which are only implemented when the “perp” is being irritating or offensive but not actually causing harm. Where I grew up, curfew was the same way - you’d never get busted for curfew alone if you weren’t being a pain in the ass, but if a cop decided you were a pain, or in danger of becoming a pain, he’d use the curfew law to get you out of his hair.
I once worked at a dance club, and there was an asshole drug dealer who was dealing heroin in the back hallway to underage kids (it was an under-21 club). Anyway, no matter how carefully our security watched him, we could never catch him in the act or with the stuff on him. One night, one of the off-duty cops who worked the door got sick of his asshattery, and arrested him on something like “possesion of a rapist’s tool” or some such. Yep. He arrested him for having a penis. Of course it didn’t stick, but it got him the hell out of the club for the night, at least.
The ones I think should be arrested are those that display mopery while driving. Damnit, if you are in your car and on the road, at least drive with some intent and purpose! If you are not serious about getting somewhere, then get off the road and the hell outta my way.
I think dopery should be redefined as wandering around the SDMB without a clear purpose. Of course, they’d have to arrest the lot of us.
Great. Then we’d have even more time to spend on the Dope in prison.
And of course, we’d always be pretending to be sick just so we could hang out with Qadgop the Mercotan.
Three days ago I got stuck behind a car doing 30 on a fun curvy country road. It was a Ferrari. Talk about mopery. I should have been legally allowed to carjack him. He didn’t deserve that car.
This reminds me of that thread elfbabe posted about the time she visited the prison.
"MERCOTAN!
Get us out of here, man!"
I’d want him to find a way to sneak me out.
Case dismissed! No jury woud convict you.
I knew the word but only in the “sit around and feel sorry for yourself” sense.
I would have helped you, even if I only got to ride in the passenger seat.
Mopery dopery doc
I just went out for a walk
Leave me unmolested
Not stopped and arrested
Mopery dopery doc
Okay, it’s lame and doesn’t even technically rhyme. But waddya gonna do?