Comments on: Can Having Three Condoms In D.C. Really Get You Arrested?

By: Discouraging condoms to discourage sex is unsafe, misguided « i, sandwich

Discouraging condoms to discourage sex is unsafe, misguided « i, sandwich — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 17:33:45 +0000

[...] Rights arm of change.org (though Amanda Hess from Washington City Paper’s The Sexist couldn’t find evidence of a specific “three-condom” [...]

By: End Prostitution Free Zones « Three Fifteen AM

End Prostitution Free Zones « Three Fifteen AM — Sun, 02 May 2010 08:41:51 +0000

[...] of the right to take care of one’s sexual health is perhaps the most damaging. In The Sexist, DC police spokesperson Gwendolyn Crumps wrote [...]

By: DB

DB — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:01:53 +0000

Folks... in DC there is no such law. Carry whatever you want. Just don't ignore the police if they ask you to move along when they see you loitering in a area prone to prostitution. Carry a thousand condoms, walk straight through a cruising strip, nod to strangers. Just don't engage in sex work with them, and if the police ask you to leave, leave. You can't be charged with a crime absent evidence of a crime. You can be wrongly arrested and released. Bad cops aren't total lunatics--just subject to pride power trips, taking out anger on third parties and "i'm trying to help" exaggeration/fabrication. Don't act the sex worker at a cruising ground and no one will wonder.

By: Julie

Julie — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 17:56:51 +0000

F*** this guy, did you read the whole article? And probable cause my ass/reasonable suspicion my ass. If police officers pull over, question and arrest black men because they "fit a description" then don't underestimate them pulling similar moves on women who are loitering and carrying condoms. But the rights, health and safety of "filthy jezebels" sex workers and women are probably no concerns of yours. So don't worry about it, eh?

By: Rick Mangus

Rick Mangus — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 03:54:44 +0000

If this is true in a city with the highest HIV numbers of any city in the USA and some countries in the world would a stupid law like this be enforced, if it's true.

By: Joe Schmoe

Joe Schmoe — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 22:04:57 +0000

In the U.S.S.R, and former U.S.S.R., where bananas were not, and still aren't, too common a fruit, a woman standing at the side of the road eating a banana is supposedly a signal for prostitution. Not that the police would care, but if any of you ladies travel abroad, eat your bananas discreetly or you may wind up in some embarassing conversations.

By: Maxine Doogan

Maxine Doogan — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 09:40:29 +0000

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/e/a/1995/06/27/NEWS6.dtl

Nurse settles false arrest suit
S.F. to pay woman police mistook for prostitute

By: F*** this guy

F*** this guy — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 05:32:02 +0000

Holy christ, have you even asked any cops about this? No sane officer in his right mind is going to lock someone up for having more than three condoms. It wouldn't remotely qualify for Probably Cause. Reasonable suspicion? Sure. What's lost in this whole hysteria is that possession of condoms can only provide one piece of the puzzle that is P.C. or reasonable suspicion which would allow an officer to order a group of women to disperse. And for all you filthy jezebels out there- officers aren't going to be setting up roadblocks searching and counting condoms, so you can rest easy knowing you'll have enough condoms for all the turgid members you'll be accommodating this week.

By: Jessica

Jessica — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 01:05:08 +0000

There are lots of outdated laws like this. I went to school at the University of Pennsylvania, which is in Philadelphia. Our sorority houses were not allowed to hold any kind of social events there because there is a Pennsylvania (perhaps Philadelphia?) blue law that says that if 5 or more girls/women are living in a residence and there is liquor in the house it is considered a brothel. I've never heard of anyone being convicted (and there was certainly covert alcohol in the house) but it goes to show how ridiculous perspectives used to be and still show up in our laws.

By: Julie

Julie — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 20:24:25 +0000

Thank you for making that last point. I know certain individual women were freaking out about their own safety (and who wouldn't), let's not forget this rule still affects sex workers regardless of its status as "law" or "practice."

By: Liquid Lunch « The Drunk Report

Liquid Lunch « The Drunk Report — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:01:28 +0000

[...] you’re feeling amorous and practice safe sex, don’t go to DC for it, Bar [...]

By: The Schrug » Mommy, where do urban legends come from?

The Schrug » Mommy, where do urban legends come from? — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 16:27:33 +0000

[...] anyone else had already exposed this myth. After Googling carrying condoms arrest I found that CityPaper scooped me by a couple of hours. [...]