# no loitering

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [October 1, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761 "2001-10-01T13:51:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/1 "2001-10-01T13:51:51Z")

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WHy can’t people stand outside of a building?  
Is this a new thing, recent?  
I fail to see the problem.

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**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/2 "2001-10-01T13:56:52Z")

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I think it’s mostly for incredibly smelly/annoying homeless people/thugs that hang around outside of stores and make people not want to shop there.

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**Author:** ![vanilla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/f19dbf/32.png) [@vanilla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vanilla)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/3 "2001-10-01T14:16:52Z")

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Then why not write that and let normal folks stand there a minute or so!?

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**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/4 "2001-10-01T14:37:11Z")

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The English language is not internationally understood, so what is need here is a kind of pedestrian _no waiting_ sign.

I suggest three silhouettes, a smelly person, an annoying homeless person and a thug, coloured green on a white background, the sign to be bordered in black, with a Big Red Diagonal Line through the whole thing.

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**Author:** ![SuaSponte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SuaSponte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SuaSponte)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/5 "2001-10-01T14:40:05Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by vanilla \*  
> \*\*Then why not write that and let normal folks stand there a minute or so!? \*\*

Because such a law would be unconstitutional. You can’t write a law making X illegal for some, but not others (at least not in this context). Laws must be of general applicability.  
So what the police do is selectively enforce no loitering laws. This is also unconstitutional, but it is harder to prove.

Sua

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**Author:** ![sirjamesp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@sirjamesp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sirjamesp)\
**Post date:** [October 1, 2001, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/no-loitering/84761/6 "2001-10-01T14:47:38Z")

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Speaking for myself, I wouldn’t want people loitering outside my shop. I’d want them inside, spending their money…

The smelly man can buy deodourant, the homeless man can buy Special Brew, and the thug can buy something sharp.