# NYPD: "We don't allow no balloon poppin' round here!" **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 5, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224 "2003-12-05T20:10:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**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 5, 2003, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/1 "2003-12-05T20:10:54Z")
> [@](#): > > [Ananova](http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_844172.html) > Popping balloon leads to unreasonable noise charge > > A man has been summonsed to court for making unreasonable noise because his son’s balloon burst on a New York street. > > Queens hospital worker George Pulido was given the ticket after the Winnie the Pooh balloon popped on the way back from a child’s birthday party. > > Mr Pulido said Chris was holding a party balloon on a string when it suddenly got away from him. “Three cops were at the kerb in a car and one of them called me over and said he was giving me a ticket,” said Mr Pulido. > > He said he asked the officer: “Are you serious? You’re gonna give me a ticket for balloon popping?” > > Mr Pulido added: “The cop gave me a hard look and asked me, ‘Do you think popping a balloon is funny?’ At that point I just said just give me the ticket…whatever.” Yet the NYPD says [they have no ticket quota](http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/140606p-124681c.html). :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![LVgeogeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b19c9b/32.png) [@LVgeogeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVgeogeek)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/2 "2003-12-05T20:41:41Z")
WTF!!! Like the cops there don’t have real crimes to deal with… They have to ticket/fine a parent whose kids baloon popped. LAME SHIT! ---
**Author:** ![NYR407](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@NYR407](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NYR407)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/3 "2003-12-05T20:58:25Z")
What usually happens is the NYPD Brass/Mayor order more tickets written to generate income. PO Union complains in public that they are given quotas to explain the influx of moronic tickets to make the brass and mayor look bad and displace blame from the POs. Brass/Mayor deny quota (no one believe them). Poor working class guy gets moronic ticket and sometimes makes headlines (haven’t seen this incident reported around here yet). Judge will most likely dismiss ticket but the ticketed may miss a days wages and still lose money. Earlier this year a man was ticketed for sitting on a milk crate outside the barber shop where he worked and a pregnant woman was ticketed for sitting on the stairs in the subway. Not saying the PO was right for writing the ticket but he/she could have just been having one of those days. On the other hand the PO could be a moron. ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/4 "2003-12-05T21:17:24Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Jeff Olsen \* > \*\*"Three cops were at the kerb in a car \*\* I’m actually more concerned about the above spelling of ‘curb’. And that’s in the article - I just checked. Holy crap, people, EDIT and PROOFREAD! Ava ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/5 "2003-12-05T21:21:45Z")
“Kerb” is an accepted spelling. I think of it as a more English spelling, though. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/6 "2003-12-05T21:22:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NYR407 \* > \*\*… On the other hand the PO could be a moron. \*\* I would consider that the most likely reason by default… ---
**Author:** ![Elza\_B](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Elza\_B](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elza_B)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/7 "2003-12-05T21:26:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Gaudere \* > \*\*“Kerb” is an accepted spelling. I think of it as a more English spelling, though. \*\* I stand corrected. And Ananova is a British site so I guess they would use the accepted British spelling. I’ll slink off in humiliation now… Ava ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/8 "2003-12-05T22:35:33Z")
Let me tell you, though, it looks _really_ weird in the British edition of _Catcher in the Rye._ (About as weird as it sounds to have Patrick Stewart referring to people as _lootenant_ on NextGen.) ---
**Author:** ![carimwc](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@carimwc](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carimwc)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/9 "2003-12-05T22:42:55Z")
Newsflash to the NYPD: Sometimes balloons pop. And they can pop all by themselves without the help of anyone else. It’s just a fact of life. Balloons do that. They can be sensitive like that. If you are going to give tickets for something like that, then just ban balloons. I wonder- did the guy pop the balloon himself or was it an accident? Even so, the PO was a moron. I hope the guy is laughed out of court. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/10 "2003-12-05T22:52:43Z")
Well, I don’t care what the NYPD don’t allow I’m gonna pop those balloons any old how! ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/11 "2003-12-05T22:55:22Z")
I’m envisioning cops sitting there, hearing the balloon pop and dropping their coffee or spilling their lunch on themselves because they first thought it was a gunshot. Then, in embarrassment, they decided to flex their muscle against the guy and his kid, just to cover themselves for looking really dumb. (Not that anyone saw them, likely, but just in case.) Or perhaps they’re just a bunch of jerks. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/12 "2003-12-05T22:58:12Z")
> [@](#): > > (About as weird as it sounds to have Patrick Stewart referring to people as lootenant on NextGen.) Well how would you expect him to pronounce it? Picard is French! ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/13 "2003-12-05T23:09:25Z")
Well, he obviously learned English from a Brit. ---
**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 5, 2003, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/14 "2003-12-05T23:26:40Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by carimwc_ > \*\*I wonder- did the guy pop the balloon himself or was it an accident? \*\* What I heard is the kid dropped it and it popped upon contact with the sidewalk. Must not have been filled with helium. > [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Eve \* > \*\*Well, I don’t care what the NYPD don’t allow > I’m gonna pop those balloons any old how! \*\* I was waiting for that. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/15 "2003-12-05T23:36:02Z")
Does anybody remember a certain Sesame Street cartoon? “If I poke this balloon with a pin and it pops. . .” And the kid goes through all the consequences that may come about if he popped his balloon. None of them was getting a ticket. Please somebody else remember this cartoony. So’s I can convince myself that I’m not crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2003, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/16 "2003-12-05T23:54:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by avabeth \* > \*\*I stand corrected. And Ananova is a British site so I guess they would use the accepted British spelling. > > I’ll slink off in humiliation now… > > Ava \*\* And just let the British keep using their ridiculous spellings? Where’s the honour in that? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2003, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nypd-we-dont-allow-no-balloon-poppin-round-here/217224/17 "2003-12-06T00:53:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Biggirl \* > \*\*Does anybody remember a certain Sesame Street cartoon? > > “If I poke this balloon with a pin and it pops. . .” > And the kid goes through all the consequences that may come about if he popped his balloon. None of them was getting a ticket. > > Please somebody else remember this cartoony. So’s I can convince myself that I’m not crazy. \*\* \I wonder what would happen if I popped this balloon?\ Also, **Biggirl** , do you remember, “A loaf of bread, a container of milk and a stick of butter”? :0)